Like Buttons On A Shirt

Chapter 4

With the bags in my hands I turned around once again to see if I had left anything important in my apartment. I wouldn't get the chance to get back here all that soon, so I just hoped that I had everything packed. 
I also checked if I had turned off every kind of technology I owned so the electricity bills wouldn't be that high. 
Once I was sure that everything was okay, I left my sweet little home to go outside, where I saw a big, black car right in front of the door. I wanted to walk past it, but the passenger window opened and the driver, a man with short, black hair leaned over to look at me. 

"Are you Frank Iero?" he asked.
I frowned. My mother had taught me not to talk to strangers. Especially not to strangers in a black minivan. 
"Depends on who's asking," I answered. 
He looked friendly. A little weird maybe, but all in all I didn't think he was dangerous, so I stepped closer. 
"Me. I'm asking," he shot back and giggled, "Just kidding, I'm here to pick you up and bring you to the Ways' house. You don't have to take your own car" 

I frowned. Everybody could say that and well... kidnap me. 
But then again, how would a kidnapper know that I just got the job there. 
"I don't have my own car," I admitted and put my bags on the ground. Maybe I should trust him, because everything was better than carrying two large and heavy bags to the other end of town. 
"Oh then... be happy they sent me! Come on I'll help you with the bags!" he offered and before I could refuse he was hopping out of the car. 
He opened the trunk and looked at the bag with my guitar in it. 
"Oh Jesus! You play?" he asked suddenly all excited. 
I shrugged but nodded. Why would I carry a guitar if I couldn't even play it? 
"Yeah I do," I said because I was sure that he hadn't seen me nod. He was occupied with lifting my bags into the trunk. 
"That's sick! I play bass!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. 
I didn't say anything to that, but refused when he tried to take my guitar to put it in the trunk too. 
"I'd rather have that one with me," I explained and he nodded. He understood how important instruments could be. 

I got into the car, which had the faint smell of coffee and some kind of citrus spray, that somebody probably used to get rid of the coffee. 
"By the way... I never got you name," I mentioned once the driver was sitting too, and had started the engine. 
"Oh right! How rude of me," he said and turned around in his seat to offer me his hand to shake. 
I did.
"Name's Peter Wentz. Just call me Pete," he introduced himself. 
"Great well... I'm Frank but I guess you already know that" 

Then Pete started driving and for the first few seconds neither of us knew if it'd be okay to start a conversation or not. 
Pete was the first to try though. 
"So... you've got the job, huh?" he asked and I could see him giving me a curious side glance. 
"Yepp," was all I said. 
"And you've met Mr. Way, right?" he asked further and again I could hear the same, sceptical hint in his voice that Mrs. Way had when she talked about her son. 
"Yes I did. He's really... interesting"
"Well... that's a way of putting it..." Pete giggled.

He suddenly turned left and I had to grab the handle above the door to avoid being thrown around the car. 

"So you don't like him?" I asked once I was through the short period of utter shock his little drift put me in. 
"Oh no that's not it," he said, totally not affected by his driving anymore, "I don't really see him, actually. He hardly leaves the house so I, as a driver, don't work with him that much. The only time we actually meet is when I'm visiting my boyfriend. He's the chef and we have lunch together in the kitchen every other day. First I thought Mr. Way would freak out if he saw me in the kitchen but he was pretty cool with it. And I really appreciate that, because we don't have a lot of time outside of work to see each other." 

What a tragic love story I guess. 
A tragic love story that I didn't really care about though. 
The only thing that really caught my attention, was that somebody had actually said something nice about my new boss. His mother and his behaviour had really scared me to be honest, but now it was confirmed that he had a heart after all. That's something to work with. 

"So he does leave his room though, right?" I saw the beige fassade of the Way residence in a distance and knew our little conversation would be over soon. 
I was a bit sad about that, because Pete seemed like a really nice guy. 
"Oh yes he does. Not that often, but he likes to just walk around the hallways and see what everybody is doing. He doesn't talk to anybody though." Pete explained. 

"Maybe he's too arrogant to talk to his maids," I suggested, but Pete frantically shook his head.
"No I don't think that's it. He's just... different I guess. He doesn't like having company. I hope you know that he will do everything for you to quit your job right away. He hates being looked after and especially when it's somebody his mother picked for him. But who could blame him? The only person he liked to have around was his brother Mikey, but he moved to France a few years ago to go to university there. He was a nice guy too." 
"Oh I see..." I said, not really knowing how to react to so much new information, "what... What would you say should I do to... survive all of this?" I asked, all confidence I ever had was gone because, yes, Gerard really didn't want me there. He made that more than clear and I was really scared of what he would do to get rid of me. 

"The only advice I could give you, is to not give up on him. He's complicated and everything, but... I think that's all just an act. I live in that house too, you know? All of his servants do. And sometimes I hear him crying. Please don't tell anyone. It might be important for you to know that all of this isn't what it seems. So just... Don't let him bring you down. And don't worry... You don't have to act like he's made of glass. You can argue with him too! Actually I think he likes arguing. So... Don't let him boss you around too much, okay?" 

I mentally made myself some notes as Pete drove into the driveway of the residence. 
"Guess we're here already!" he exclaimed. 
I wanted to open the door but Pete put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. 
"And one more thing, Frank." he said, "If you ever need any help with... him or a task he's given you... Don't hesitate to ask me or the other maids, okay? We're all like a family here. And we help each other, got that?" 
I nodded and gave him a big smile. He took a bit of my fear and I was really grateful for that. 
"Great!" Pete exclaimed again, "then let's get your stuff upstairs!" 

We both hopped out of the car and each grabbed a bag to carry. 
Before I stepped into the house, though, I looked up. 
On the right side of the wall was a big window, which I knew belonged to Gerard's room. 
As I expected, his blinds were closed. Either he was still sleeping or just laying around. 

I thought about what Pete had said to me. That Gerard was just... Different in some kind of way. And I was determined to help him out. I would make him like me and I would get him out of this goddamn house. 
I would make him feel better again. 

With that goal in the back of my head, I helped Pete with my bags and started the probably biggest challenge of my life.