Short Of a Breath

|Chapter 22|

Cold air and running in black skinny jeans, really don't mix. My lungs were on fire.
I make it all the way down town and thankfully run into a Starbucks. Also known to me as Gerards stress reliever. He would bring me here daily to sit and talk with a hot cup of coffee. Sometimes I teased him, saying one day he'd die from drinking so much of it.
I regret my choice of words, of course.
I walk into the store, breathing in the smell of vanilla and coffee beans. The warmth in the store made me relax and almost forget what I was doing almost instantly.
Gerard was right, in a way. These places are extremely comforting.
I walk up to the woman at the counter, immediately craving something to go down my throat, soothing the burning sensation. 
"Regular coffee, please. Grande"
"Name, sir?" She looked at me as if I had something on my face, as another girl in the back was staring at me as well.
"Frank" she nods at me, as I retreat to a booth all the way to the back, facing the wall.
"He's so hot." I heard the blonde girl talking to the other.
I roll my eyes, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I don't understand women. I surely can't see what their trying to point out. Countless girlfriends in middle and high school made me realize, girls weren't really for me. Not to make me sound even more like a douche bag but some of them were merely just to make Gerard jealous.
When he had only one or two girlfriends, it was just a thing I'd throw back at him, but forgetting how smart the dick was, he soon caught onto it, making it very clear that I did like him.
Like I said, love can do alot to you.
As I sit, waiting for my drink, I pick at my fingers, remembering the times me and Gerard went to these places together.
As we got to about fourteen, he came to the coffee shop more often, mainly because of the stress at home, and the shit he was putting on his shoulders, with all the song writing and drawing he did on a daily basis.
I did love the days when he would call me just to sit and talk there, drinking coffee for about two hours. Even though, I'd notice him sketching something on a tablet, later finding out it was a drawing of me, making me feel flattered and embarrassed all at once. I enjoyed it with every being inside of me.
I'd do anything to have another one of those days, i have so much left to say. So many more memories to make.
"I'm guessing this belongs to you, Mr. Iero."  A calm voice, surprisingly made me jump, causing me to lose my train of thought.
I look up to see a man with a leather brown coat on, a red scarf around his neck, and large ruffles of brown curls forming around his head.
Mr. Toro
I tense up suddenly, ready to bolt out of the shop, coming to the conclusion that he would try to attack me.
He lays his gloved hand on mine, startling me again.
"Calm down, and take your coffee, Frank"
I look at him for a moment, as he sits across from me, setting the cup of coffee in front of me.
I grab it, holding it close to my mouth.
The fumes of the  hot liquid, warming my mouth.
"So frank, it's been quite a while, how's going AWOL treating you and Ryan?"
I didn't speak. I didn't know what to say. I was caught, so this is what I must've expected.
"Silent again I see? Well, that's a shame. I wanted to talk to you about Party Poison's death"
I freeze suddenly, feeling a rush of chills go up my back.
He smiles, staring at me.
"Ah, seems like I have your attention now, huh? Well Frank tell me. Why did he do it?"
"I...I don't know"
"Do you believe it was because of Mikey?"
I stare at him suddenly, feeling a jolt of anger.
"Im not him, I don't know why"
He wraps his hands around his coffee, taking small, quick sips.
"Well you see, Frank. Party didn't want to hear the truth about Mikey, because he didn't want his illusion destroyed. So he let it take a hold of him, costing him his life. Which is something you had almost done"
The more he spoke, the more I wanted to pour this coffee down his shirt.
Whether he'd explain it a million times he had know idea what it was like to live like this. To live like me.
"Now tell me, Frank. Why'd you do it? Was it Gerard?"
At that point I had to let go of my drink, in fear that I'd break the cup by how hard I was holding onto it.
"Don't...talk about him"
I fiddle with my hands under the table, realizing how much he enjoyed saying these things to me.
"You tried to kill yourself over a boy that was long gone, Frank. You had a chance to start out fresh now that he was gone"
I tried my hardest not to cry, but I could feel the tears forming in my eyes. Yet I kept my composure, lowering my black hair down, so my eyes were out of sight.
"You need to get over it, Frank. What's done is done. You-"
I couldn't hold it back anymore. No one in this ugly society is going to tell me who to love and who to hold onto.
"I'm sick of people telling me it's just a get over it situation.
Fuck you. You have no idea what it's like inside my head.
It's people like you that make me want to die, I can never be happy all-"
"We're you ever happy at all, Frank?"
He looked up at me, taking a sip of his coffee once again
I didn't say anything, only lifting my hood up, walking past him.
Before I could walk away, he grabs my arm, yanking me to him.
"Listen Frank, your illness isn't fit for you to handle alone and unsupervised. I need to take you back-"
I throw his arm off of me, pushing him back.
"Stay the fuck away from me. You can't help me. No one can." I walk to the door feeling somewhat proud of myself. As I walk to the exit I hear him in the back, assuming he was on his phone.
"He's walking out of the store now, blue hoodie, and black pants. grab him"
Shit
I automatically see two large men standing on the left side of the stores exit. Staring at the inside of the store. As soon as they make eye contact with me I jolt out of the door, running to the right of the store, leaving them to chase after me
I turn into, what looks like an alley way, trying to speed up, only tripping on a bag of trash next to a brick building.
I get up, frantically trying to move faster. Suddenly I feel large hands grabbing at my neck and back pulling me towards them.
At that point I was hollering for help, yet nothing came, except for Mr Toro, walking around the corner.
One of the tall men pin me to the side of the wall
"Get the fuck off of me!" I rustle out of his arms, only to be smacked onto the ground by the other.
This is where I wish I had exercised, when I had the chance.
"Stop struggling, Frank, we're here to help."
The frustration and sadness eventually caught up to me. Fast and hot tears fall down my face.
"You aren't helping shit, let me go!.."
Pulling something out of his bag, he kneels in front of me, a long sharp like needle in his hands.
"Things are best left in the past, Frank"
He suddenly grabs a my hair, pulling my head back, pushing the needle into my neck.
I yelp as he yanks the needle out of my neck, and the men let me go, making me fall to the ground.
Almost automatically my body starts to go into a numbing shock. I couldn't feel anything, neither could I look straight
All I could do was feel the tears rolls down my face, as the two men grab me by the arms, walking me out of the alley, as my eyes shut, pulling me into complete darkness.