Unholyverse

~Part 23~

"So we don't even need to go to court?"

Brian shook his head. "Nope. They dropped all the charges and agreed to pay our legal costs. Isn't that awesome?"

"Yeah." Frank stood up and started setting up his room for the next day; fresh paper towel over the bench, instruments clean and dry and back in their drawers. "Awesome."

In the mirror, Frank could see Brian deflate, confused. "I thought you'd be happy about this."

Frank stacked the boxes of gloves in their niche by the counter. "I am, man. It's just - I don't know, I thought we'd get to say our piece."

"But now we don't have to. Haywood doesn't have a case at all, Frank, that's what I'm telling you."

Frank nodded, and just concentrated on cleaning the counter until Brian went away. When he looked up, though, Mikey was standing there instead.

"Come out with us tonight."

"Not really in the mood," Frank told him, dumping some dirty sharps in the sterile bin. "And I'm still broke, too."

Mikey followed him out into the main room. "It doesn't have to be anything big, we could just go see a movie or something."

"Yeah, you should come out," Ray chimed in. "You're gonna rot in that apartment, Iero."

"I'm not in the mood," Frank repeated sharply, and gritted his teeth when he felt them exchanging concerned looks behind his back. "Look, can you guys stop acting like I'm gonna fall on the ground and start crying if you look at me wrong? I'm fine. I'm not a fucking china doll, you don't have to keep up this fucking tip-toe act."

"Maybe if you stopped acting like such a bitch, we would," Bob said, rolling his eyes when Ray made a shushing noise at him. "What? He just said he doesn't want us to be nice!"

"What Bob is trying to say is that you don't exactly seem yourself," Brian put in.

"Seems like himself to me," Bob grumbled. "Little pain in the ass."

Brian ignored him. "Frank, do you think maybe you should talk to someone about what happened?"

Frank clenched his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes on the floor, because he felt like if he looked at Brian he might put his fist through his face before he could stop himself. "I said I'm fine. I gotta go."

"Why, you have a busy night of moping ahead of you?" Bob needled him, but Frank ignored him and walked out the door.