Short Of a Breath

|Chapter 25|

"..were you ever happy at all?..."

At the beginning of October in the little town of Summit New Jersey, there was a parade held in town. You could've called it a Halloween parade, yet I think that's obsurd, because it was held on the first, every year.
Ever since I moved to this town almost two weeks ago, I've stayed in the house, avoiding any social interactions, as much as I could.
Even though im only ten, I never really liked talking to anyone. Some would say I was very mature for my age.
Eventually my dad got pissed one morning, when I didn't leave my room for breakfast, and yelled at my mother, saying "my antisocial metal head for a son" needed to do something besides hiding in my room eating Oreos, and playing the old guitar my grandad gave me, almost a year ago.
I was content with how I was, not really understanding why he couldn't see that I really was happy.
What's the term for that word again?
"Frank, get your ass down here, it's time to go."
I sigh, picking up my stripped brown and red scarf, wrapping it around my neck, and zipping up my leather jacket.
"Give me at least twenty more minutes.-"
"Listen kid, cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it. This is what you get for not making any goddamn friends at your age. Don't know how you do it, punk." I feel a smack to the back of my head, assuring me, that I really couldn't back out of this.
As we walk to the door, I see my mother in the kitchen.
"Help me" I mouth to her as she walks out, to say her goodbyes.
"Frank, you'll be fine. You need some friends, anyways. Besides, isn't it terribly boring to be alone in your room all the time?"
"No" I smile up at her, and she laughs down at me, kissing my head.
"It's worth a try, Frankie." She Pat's my back and walks back into the kitchen.
"Love you, Frank!"
I open the door, and giggle, silently hoping she'd let me stay home.
"Love you too, ma" I catch up to my dad, as he walks down the street.
"Jesus, kid, you ran down one street, how you breathing so hard like that? We need to take you to a gym. And look how pale you are, it's like you're a vampire.."
I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, merely because the falling leaves and the decorated houses were far more better to put my attention on.
I love Halloween. Not just because it was my birthday, but just because of all the craziness, and costumes. You can be crazy all you want, and it would be considered normal.
Weird being normal. Ha! How amusing.
Once we went more and more down the hill I began to hear music and cheering, meaning we were close.
The closer we got, the more my anxiety moved up my skin.
"Come on, kid! The band should be down through here soon."
I followed directly behind him, trying my hardest not to make eye contact with anyone. I stare down at the floor as we walked past groups of people, looking down at my moving feet, trying not to look up. As we go farther into the parade and groups of people, I suddenly hit into what feels like someone else. I fall onto the ground, hitting my knees onto the sidewalk.
"Agh, fuck"
"Dude, watch where you're going, I could've died." I stare up at a boy who was standing over me, giving me a very evil glare.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's fine" he laughs, extending his hand out to me. As I get up, brushing off the leaves and dirt from my gray pants I stare at the boy who seemed to hate me only a moment ago. With light brown, straight looking hair, and thick, black glasses, rounding off his face, he looked almost like a nerd, more than a bully.
"Why were you staring at the ground? You could've fallen into someone alot more rude than me."
I didn't speak. I had no reason to, eventually I knew he was going to realize I didn't like talking to people, and would walk away. Unfortunately he didn't, only smirked at me, pushing hair from his face.
"It's unusual to see another silent boy in this town. Name's Mikey, what about you?"
Another?
I stare at him in confusion. Why did he wanna know who I was? Was it important?
I didn't think so.
"Fine I'll guess it then. Brian?"
I shake my head
"Jaden?"
No.
"Taylor?"
"No one name's there son Taylor. It's Frank." I stare at him, feeling a little pissed off.
"You'd be surprised what people name their kids. It's nice to meet you. How old are you? Six? You're pretty short" as he laughs down at me, I roll my eyes
Ha ha ha, I'm short, who give a shit?
"Frank what the hell are you- oh shit who's this?" I look up at my dad, who was basically standing over us both.
"Name's Mikey."
"Did he pay you?"
"Pfft no, but I wouldn't mind that."
I stare at them both as they laugh together, making jokes. The more I looked into all the people, full of unknown faces, and the large floats passing by, music blasting at my ears, my anxiety kicks up again.
I pass both of them, making my way through an alley
"Hey kid where you going?"
I continue to walk away.
"I'll make good choices"
I walk my way out of the alley into what looks like a small forest, moving past a broken gate.
I walk onto, basically a gigantic hill, curving down, a river and a large city in main view.
"Finally" I sit on top of a large rock, sighing into my arms.
I can never seem to make any friends. Even though my parents don't think I care, I do feel bad, knowing I can't even make a conversation with my grandmother, without asking to be excused.
It was sad.
I stare up at a tipped trashcan near the gate, spotting a raccoon eating off of the nasty shit accumulating inside.
"Awe, cute" I smile at it, realising I said a raccoon was cute, but didn't really care.
"Raccoons aren't cute." I yelp as I hear a voice behind me, falling of the rock entirely.
I stare up to the person giggling behind me.
A boy with black Raven, almost shaggy hair, going down to his ears, wearing black jeans, and..a misfits shirt?
I stand up the second time today, cleaning myself off.
He sits down on the rock, crossing his legs.
"Raccoons are definitely not cute. They fuck this town up, making a mess out of everything."
I stare down at him, still a little shocked, and scared all at once.
"Humans do that too." I mutter, shrugging my shoulders.
Calm down, Frank. Breathe.
I stare at the boy more intently.
What a pretty eye color...
"you've got a point"
He scoots over, patting a part of the rock. I'm guessing he wanted me to sit?
I was too scared to act normal.
"What's your name?"
"Frank" might as well tell him now before he asks me stupid questions like that nerd kid did. What was his name?... Mikey, I think.
"Well hi, I'm Gerard, yet my brother, normally calls me Gee."
I laugh staring down at my hands.
"What's so funny?"
"Who name's their kid Gerard?"
"Who name's their kid, Frank?"
We both laugh, and I honestly wonder why my mother named me Frank for a moment.
"Why are you out here all alone?"
"Parades aren't for me."
"You don't like the Black parade?"
I stare at him, as his smile widens.
He's got a really pretty smile for a kid.
I stare at him longer, staring at his pink lips, and porcilen white, skin.
"The Black parade?"
"Well, people call it the Halloween parade, but me and my brother named it differently because of the way people dress. Think about it. What is this holiday really revolved around?"
"Death?"
"What color revolves around death?"
"Black"
He laughs and, moves off the rock, standing in front of me
"Exactly. I always liked the name. So that's what I call it"
"Sounds depressing."
He shrugs at me, smiling at me again.
God, that's the most, anyone's smiled at me before.
"You've got to embrace it, you know? Life is hell. I'd like to burn with a smile on my face"
He walks over to the gate, a smile burned onto his face. I wanted to get up to see what he was staring at, but I just couldn't stop looking at him. Something about him, off the bat made him...strange. intriuging.
"Do you hear that Frank?" Gerard's skips up to me, as if he was a girl, kinda freaking me out.
I listen closely, hearing Halloween music in the distance. I'm guessing it means the band is coming.
He grabs a hold of my hand, suddenly pulling him to me, making me trip over my foot, causing me to fall into his chest.
I look into his eyes for just a second, and stare down at the ground. He pulls my shoulders back, staring down at me.
"Wow.."
"Wow..what?"
He smirks, moving hair from his face
"You're really short."
"Fuck you."
"Anytime, baby." Winking at me, he let's go of my arms, walking under the gate, leaving me to stand like an idiot, all alone.
When I walk to the gate, i hear a rustle in the bush beside me, turning around to look, I feel something pounce on me, causing me to yell, and fall back. I look up to see Gerard laying over top of me.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I push his face away from me as he starts to bust out into laughter.
"Too much, way too much"
When we get to the parade, the music was alot louder, filling our ears with beautiful sounds of the seasons. What I'd do to play to this song.
"Hey, Gerard, their coming!"
We both look at the boy I saw with the glasses earlier, who was waving to get his attention.
"Oh frank, this is my brother, Mikey."
"Wait... you're both related?"
He nods at me, making me feel extremely scared.
Their brothers. That's fucking terrifying.
"Come on, Frank!" As he grabs my hand, making me run way too much then I need to, I look at Mikey as we pass him, seeing that his expression was of shock.
"You know this kid, Gee?"
Gerard Pat's my head, smiling at Mikey.
"Sure do. He's a new Friend of mine. His names-"
"Oh I know his name, alright."
I watch them both exchange looks at each other and laugh out of nowhere.
"There is something seriously wrong with the both of you"
I suddenly feel a hard smack to my head, causing me to flinch.
"Hey punk, I guess you did make friends. A nerd and a goth."
"Get fucked" I turn to Gerard and slap him in the chest.
"No thanks, I've got his mom to do that for me"
"Please shut up" I cover my face in embarrassment.
"Guys, look!" We turn to Mikey, who was pointing at a bright, almost blood red float, skulls and roses covering the front and sides. Men in white and red parade jackets held instruments, singing loudly to the song they were playing.
It was bad ass.
The lead singer had short black hair, and a candy skull painted onto his face.
I had the sudden urge to scream, to party.
Pfft, as if.
"Who wants to join us!" I look up at the singer who's staring directly at the crowd, almost pointing in our direction.
"Holy fuck, me!! Me!!" I look to find Gerard screaming, jumping onto the trash can next to the road, waving his hands.
After screaming his lungs out, the singer noticed him, pointing straight in his direction.
"Frank" I look up into his dark hazel eyes, and his evil looking smile.
"Y-yea?"
"Come with me."
I blink at him slowly, staring back at my dad for only a moment.
"I swear Frank if you don't go with him, I'll disown you."
I turn around, staring back at the parade.
Burn with a smile on your face, Frank.
"Okay" I grab onto his hand, as he lifts me onto the can, moving us both to the parade float.
Two of the parader's on the float, helped us on, putting both me and him, into one of their jackets.
"Can you play, kid?" I stare up at a man, holding a beautiful light brown guitar down to me.
I grab it from him nodding.
"Fuck yeah, I can."
In a matter of minutes Gerard was screaming into the mic, and I was strumming the chords on the guitar as hard as I could. As we passed groups of people, screaming and throwing God knows what kind of shit into the air, I watched Gerard, as he screamed and sang more and more to the crowd, making me get a little closer to him at every word.
____________________

"Strange"
"What is?"
I stare at Gerard, who was pulling on his parade jacket, as we stare at the sunset on the hill we had met upon.
"Autumn is the most beautiful thing, with The colors and all the joy it can paint onto you. Yet everything's dying." I stare at him, feeling a spark of something in my chest, yet not holding onto it.
"We're dying too, if you think about it. I mean, you're beautiful and yet you're dying"
I never meant for any of that to slip out of my mouth, yet it did. A part of me, really was glad I said it, though. I blushed a deep red, putting my head on my hand, smiling at the embarrassment.
He stares at me for a moment, then smiles. His eyes shinning in the falling sun.
If I could capture that moment forever, I'd never let it go.
"That's depressing, Frankie."
At this time I could feel my face boiling by now.
"My name's not-"
"Your dad told us its the nickname your mommy picked out for you. Huh, Frankie??" I look up at Mikey as he dances in front of me like an idiot.
"Says the four eyed lesbian"
"Fuck you"
"No thanks, I don't swing that way"
"What a shame" I stare at Gerard who laughs at his own statement, and soon we all were.
As the sky fell, so did we. I lay next to Gerard, as Mikey plays the drums on the rock behind us, with two large sticks.
As I lay there in the dark, I didn't feel alone as I would. I felt alright.
I felt happy.
I think I found the meaning to it, really.
Gerard stands up, raising his parade jacket in the air.
"Here's to the end and melancholy, may death never stop you!" I laugh raising my own over my head as well.
"May death never stop you"
As we smile at each other, listening to Mikey beating the large rock behind us, I felt like something I'd never felt before.
I felt powerful.
I made a friend today, mom. Two actually.
Spectacular, isn't it?