Friday I'm In Love

△ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 △

A CURTAIN of darkness drew across the sky, drowning out the soft amber hues as the day died and the night rose from the ashes. Jealousy wrapped its strong arms behind Frank's neck as he brought the beer to his lips and watched on as Gerard made a weak attempt at chatting up a blonde girl in a short skirt. The speakers made him sick from the obscene volume of the music that the host had decided was appropriate for the 'Parents are on vacation!' party which mainly consisted of Brittney Spears and Usher. The house was trashed with people, rubbish, and various containers of what used to be fast food. The whole place stank of beer, sweat, and Axe body spray mixed with the remains of pizza. He had somehow managed to squirrel into a quiet corner of the house unnoticed, red solo cup in hand in case anyone offered him another barely safe drink.

He never usually drank at house parties mainly because if he did he wouldn't be able to stop - and then neither of them would get home. But tonight? Frank was at his limit. There was only so much third-wheeling a guy could take, not to mention Gerard's persistent attempts to find him a girlfriend which always ended in awkward shakes of his head and baseless claims to other events that he was preoccupied with. Tonight, thankfully, Gerard had given up trying to set him up and had instead wandered off to try his chances at getting lucky. If Frank could have chosen how they were going to spend the night they would be at the midnight showing of Carrie having far more fun than they were now. But he had made Donna a promise, and he swore to keep Gerard safe if they went to the party, so he couldn't just slip away and blame a headache like he normally did. So he watched, numbing the pain with beer, as Gerard wove a web of self-destruction before his very eyes with no means of stopping it.

The last two weeks of school meant nothing. So what? What did he have to celebrate? These people around him had places - Harvard, Julliard, Stanford. Frank was going to rot away in the shithole of America; Rosehaven, New Jersey. He was fine with that, he was. Everyone at the party wore fake smiles, holding red solo cups in one hand and their flirty personas in their other, maybe it was better that way. He smiled, nodded at the shy girls who sent him wayward glances on their way to find their friends, and drank the shit beer which he'd been choking down for the past two hours. A few people had approached him to dance or play a game, more out of obligation for the loser in the corner than anything else, and he'd managed to decline every time. If avoiding people was a class Frank Iero would be an A student. Fourteen days until the end of high school. Fourteen days until he was reduced to catching passing phantoms of people he used to know, reading names in papers or on movie posters while Frank Iero faded into memory. Well, at least he still had Mikey.

He couldn't think of anything more pathetic than hanging out with his best friend's little brother for company.

"Fffraank!" Gerard slurred giddily as he stumbled over to the ledge Frank was perched on. "You! You. . . you should meet J-jenny!" he declared excitedly, spinning around to splash the contents of his cup over unsuspecting partygoers making their way into the living room. He stank of alcohol, which was to be expected, with his hair glued down onto his forehead from sweat and a comical grin across his face. Frank nodded feebly, raising his beer concerned smile as Gerard began to blabber with the skill and precision of a toddler on a sugar rush. "— the tits on her! Oh, man..." Gerard grinned dreamily as Frank drifted between states of consciousness to block the obscene waterfall of far too much information.

"Uh-huh."

"... nice ass too, now I th-hic-ink about it, freaky nails though–", Gerard giggled, taking a swig of his now half-empty cup. He gestured drunkenly in a wobbling sort of silhouette of what could be creatively interpreted as a woman. "God, you're such a fucking downer when you're sober." Gerard huffed as he rolled his eyes and turned to look at the backside of a blonde girl walking by. He wasn't always this vulgar but alcohol always brought out the worst in people, and the worst in Gerard was truly something.