Dark and Dirty Like You've Never Seen

Liar

My breathing was erratic. I could feel my face heat up. I didn't know this girl. She's obviously drunk. She must have my Frank confused with another Frank. I shook my head in disbelief as I saw the look on her face drop, realizing what she had said. She cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry... I don't mean to intrude. I should go." She started to stand up to leave but I leached onto her arm.

"Who's Miranda?" I asked again.

"Nobody. I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Look... I don't know you but you know something, now tell me!" I seethed. I saw her swallow hard as she slid back down the garage to me.

"Hey... I don't want to cause any problems, I must be thinking of someone else."

"Frank Iero. Short, black and red hair, tattoos and a lip piercing, in a band with Gerard?"

"Oh Jesus... no that's him. Look, I don't want to cause any problems."

"There's going to be problems if you don't tell me what you know." I growled. The alcohol was giving me a new sense of power. I felt like the hulk but at the same time felt so small. If whatever she's about to tell me is what I have been dreading to find out the past few days then my world will be crashing around me due to a girl I just met. A girl I don't even know. What if she's jealous and doesn't know anything? What if the point was to get a rise out of me? It's working. She better start explaining. I was breathing heavy through my nose, the cigarette I was holding was now burning out on the ground where I had dropped it. She ran her hands through her hair sighing heavily.

"Frank... well ... I don't really know him that well, just because Gerard but... I know Miranda. We've been friends for a long time. She called me the other day, crying... something about Frank."

I suddenly felt myself shrinking more and more. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. This isn't happening.

"She said he had stopped by, said he wanted to talk... but ... look I can't do this. I don't know you. You seem like a nice girl. I can't --"

"Will you just fucking tell me!" My voice cracked at the end. I felt my eyes stinging. Whatever she was about to tell me, I don't think I could take it. I would have to confirm with Gerard. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She sat silent for a moment and without batting an eye, she gave me a sympathetic look.

"They had sex. Again. A lot. They've been having sex for years, never dated though. I'm sorry. I can't do this. I have to go. Maybe under different circumstances we could talk again..." She flicked the cigarette out into the yard and rose from the ground. I didn't stop her this time. I didn't move at all. I almost forgot to breathe for a moment.

My body was shutting down. First my hearing. I barely heard the last thing she said when she walked away from me. Next, my sight. Everything around me became blurry and unrecognizable through the tears. My breathing. I had taken in one long breath, letting it out even slower and not taking another one that I was aware of. Last to go was my heart. As ridiculous as it sounds, I could physically feel it slow to a complete stop. My mouth hung open as I tried to process what I was just told, but I couldn't do it. I saw a pair of feet in front of me and looked up slowly to see Gerard. He was smiling but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey, I talked to Frank. Everything's... Angela? What's wrong?"

I saw him kneel in front of me and place the drinks in his hands on the ground and replaced his hands on my shoulders. I couldn't feel him. I just stared at him with vacant eyes. I saw him shake me.

"Angela, what's wrong?" He sounded more panicked this time. I heard someone scream nearby. I didn't realize it was me until Gerard had pulled me into his chest, his hand running along my back. I was screaming, crying, trying to catch my breath. My breakdown went unnoticed as the music boomed from the house and the garage and the people carried on their conversations, laughing and drinking and smoking and not caring. I heard Gerard shushing me and feeding me comforting words that feel on deaf ears. I didn't register anything he said. He pulled me back and looked at me, trying to wipe away my tears. He looked concerned but the look in his eyes suggested he and I both knew what really happened, he just didn't know how I got the information.