Take Me By The Hand

Chapter One! :D

I slam the locker door shut and lean my forehead against the cool metal. After only a second, I pull back and slam it forward again. Then again. After six times of beating my head against the locker door, I stumble backwards a little, my thoughts and vision getting kind of fuzzy. But the memory I was trying to beat out of my mind is still there like a big blinking neon sign. And the sign says FRANK IERO IS AN IDIOT. I glare at the locker in front of me, my eyes boring into the rusted yellow metal, as I contemplate hitting my face against it again.

"Calm the death glare, Frankie," I hear Mikey's voice beside me, but make no move to look at him. "I'm sure the locker isn't at fault." I feel his slim fingers as he grips my chin and pulls my face around to see his. He narrows his eyes, eyeing the red mark I can feel forming on my forehead. "Though it does seem to have some explaining to do." He turns to my closed locker, kicking the door. The shrill noise echoes through the emptying halls. "Damn locker!" He exclaims. "Why did you hit Frank!?" He kicks it again and I roll my eyes, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the row of lockers before he can get into a fist fight with it. Mikey simply laughs, letting me lead him outside the school and into the fresh spring air. Well, as fresh as anything can be in New Jersey. The smell of garbage still assaults my nose and puffy gray clouds of smoke from nearby factories fumigates the sky. But still; It's finally spring. Winter is slowly disappearing and nice weather is gladly taking it's place. 

I let go of Mikey's arm when we reach the parking lot, instead hitching my messenger bag further up on my shoulder. I glance around the lot nervously, my eyes scanning the clusters of students, searching for one person in particular. Zacky Baker. My heartbeat accelerates at just the thought of him and I feel the urge once again to beat my head against the closest object. When my eyes finally land on him, across the lot, I freeze. He's already sitting on his motorcycle, jet black with red lettering on the side that read 'Vengeance,' talking casually with Synyster. I feel my stomach clench in knots as butterflies and envy are both set loose.

I always get nervous when I see Zacky. His masculine figure, his slick black hair, his snake bit piercings. Oh how I wanted to run my tongue over the small silver studs that jutted from his lips. I wondered how they would feel against my own single lip ring. I don't even realize when I suck the ring into my mouth, biting down on the metal anxiously.

And of course envy; Synyster Gates was perfect. He was tall and toned and... hell, he was attractive in every way I wasn't. He was only seventeen and he already had various tattoos which, I knew, made him all the more gorgeous. I knew Zacky saw his charm, too. And I hated it. Not to mention, Zacky and Synyster were the same age. I was just the weird sophomore kid who had the biggest crush in the history of mankind. 

As I stand there, unmoving, simply watching the two talk, Zacky suddenly looks up. My eyes meet his and, in that moment, I feel like I might throw up. He grins at me from across the lot and I feel a deep red blush creep it's way onto my cheeks. Shit, he just caught me staring at him. I swallow hard, mentally slapping myself, and force my eyes to the ground.

I grab Mikey's arm again and pull him toward the car. "Come on," I mumble.

"What?" Mikey asks, confused. I can almost feel when his eyes land on Zacky because Mikey grins at me, laughing. "He's still watching you." He tells me in a low voice. 

My stomach flutters again and I fight the urge to look up. Instead, I find the black Malibu and open the back door, shoving Mikey toward the passanger's seat. I climb in, my face still burning with embarrassment. I keep my gaze turned down, but Gerard's eyes catch mine in the rear view mirror as his brother scrambles into the front seat, though he says nothing.

Gerard is Mikey's older brother. Even though Mikey's my best friend, I don't know much about his brother. I know Gerard is a senior, one grade above Synyster and Zacky though he's the same age. He doesn't really talk much, though Mikey says that's just around other people. At home, Mikey says, Gerard barely shuts up. 

Mikey twists around in the seat to watch me, grin still plastered on his gaunt face. "So what happened today in last period?" He asks curiously. "You skipped and then I found you beating your head against your locker."

The memory flashes back to me, and I put my head in my hands, groaning. I originally had every intention of going to last period, but as I was coming out of the boys bathroom, I saw Zacky. He was alone, which was unusual due to his high popularity, so I decided to go talk to him. He was putting some books into his locker, everyone else already shuffling into class already, so we were nearly alone. My heart had started racing and my my palms felt sweaty. I gnawed on my lip ring for about two minutes, just watching him, before finally getting up the courage to walk over to him. When I did, I stood there awkwardly, smiling and eye-raping him. "Hey, Zacky," I had said, my nerves showing in my voice. 

He glanced at me sideways, smirking. Oh god, that smirk. I wanted to shove him up against the locker and kiss him, but I had refrained, trying to play it cool. But my mind went blank. I couldn't even think of my own name for the life of me. I stood there, my mouth gaping open, admiring him from barely a foot away. He looked back over at me, an amused smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You okay, Frankie?" He asked and my heart and brain both stopped working. Only two things were going through my head. First thought; Oh. My. Fuck. He just called me Frankie. Second thought; I want to shove my tongue so far down your throat. 

Incidentally, I said the latter out loud. 

Zacky nearly choked trying to contain the laughter that forced it's way out of him. My face flared redder than I thought it could possibly go. I didn't even wait for a response. I had turned and ran back into the bathroom, hiding there for the rest of the period before the final bell rang and I violently introduced my locker to my face. 

"Nothing happened," I lie to Mikey, who is still watching me in amusement, waiting for me to say something in response to his probing. 

"Oh, come on," He prompts. "I know something had to have went down."

Something did go down; My ego, my pride, and my dignity. They all went very far down. But I simply shake my head, leaning my throbbing head against the glass window as Gerard pulled the car out of the lot. The last thing I see is Zacky Baker, still watching me, as we pull out onto the street.