Frank looked up from his worn notebook when he heard a light tapping on his hotel room door. “Yeah?” he called, flicking hair out of his eyes with a twitch of his neck. “It’s Gerard,” answered the gentle tenor. Frank furrowed his brow slightly, hearing the voice. It was softer and somehow more reluctant than usual. “Come in,” he called back. Frank sat up on his bed. He was just about to greet his best friend when Gerard interrupted.

“Frank.” The brunette was looking at the ground and made flickering eye contact. He could tell he was tense. Frank leaned back against his headboard. “Yes, Gee?” The singer then leaned against the door frame and drew in a deep breath, hands fidgeting in his pockets.

“Something wrong?” Frankie was worried. Something was up. Gerard almost never acted so nervous and tense. “Come here, man.” Was it Mikey? Ray and Frank had scared the living s*** out of Mikey last night, even though they knew he was never good at recovering from those things.

Gee seemed to not hear him. He simply stood in the doorway, fingers now drumming the side of his thigh. After a moment Frank went silent and could hear heavy sorrow in his lungs as he breathed slowly. Frank wanted to ask more question but he bit his tongue. He simply waited.
“Frank,” Gerard repeated. A wave of terror washed over him as he recognized dread in his tone.

“What?” His best friend crossed the room to the bed and sat down next to him. Frank looked up into his eyes and could detect hesitation. Frank’s heart was pounding.

“What is it? Is it Mikey?” Gerard shook his head absently.

“No, it’s not that.” Gee cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. He then made eye contact with his best friend. “Look, I don’t know how to tell you this,” he rasped, breaking gazes to stare at the ground again. Frank felt adrenaline picking up the hairs on the back of his neck. He was almost pleading now.

“Tell me, what’s wrong Gerard?” He took a beat before speaking again. Frank could tell this was really hard for him to say, whatever it was. He reached over and took the singer’s hand. No, they were not lovers, but best friends that would help each other through anything.

Gerard then took in a ragged breath and gazed up at his fellow band member, gripping his hand in return. “Frank Iero,” he began. Frank never let his eye contact waver. “My Chemical Romance is… it’s done.”

Frank froze. Then he blinked and furrowed his brow. “W-what?” He must have heard him wrong.

“My Chemical Romance broke up.” His confusion was replaced with rage and anguish. Gerard flinched when he knew that it had dawned on his friend.

“What do you mean?” Frank asked much more quietly. A knot built up in his throat. “How is My Chem done?”

“We had to,” Gerard answered honestly, tears beginning to prick the back of his eyes. Not just the fact that this break up was inevitable, but how Frankie would take it. He could only hope this wouldn’t completely shatter him. “We were fading out. I didn’t want us to fade away completely. Stop while we were ahead.” Frank simply stared forward, eyes fogging over. Gerard searched his gaze for anything.

When he didn’t respond for a while he prompted, “Do you understand?” Frank nodded distantly and then seemed to drift back to reality.
“I was dreading this day would come,” he rasped. Frank rose to his feet and began to pace, sadness beginning to be replaced with anger. “I knew it would happen, but I never thought now.” He turned to his bandmate who was looking up at him anxiously on the bed. “Why now Gerard? Why now?”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, holding back his own tears.

“Why f***ing now? Why at all? What?”

His friend sighed and rubbed his face. He could only let him vent now.

“But why? This band meant so damn much to me! Are we just throwing it all away? All the s*** we went through together? Is that it? Ended, just like that?” His voice was rising in frustration.

“Mikey, Ray and I discussed it beforehand. We all agreed on it.” He could barely finish his sentence before Frank whirled around, hazel eyes alight with anger.

“Why didn’t you let me in then? How come you’re telling me now?” Because I was afraid of how you’d react, the lead singer thought dejectedly.

“I thought I’d tell you one on one.” It was a lame response, he knew that. But it was the best he could think of at the moment. He continued to pace, tone overcome with rage and tapped his hand against his thigh, hands itching to do something.

“F***, why did this have to happen? I don’t want to leave the band that’s saved my life! We can’t just leave! Don’t let this happen!” Gerard said nothing as Frank’s anger continued to build until he whirled around to the hotel wall and slammed his fist to it

“F***! Damn this f***ing bullshit! I don’t want to leave! Please don’t make this end!” he spewed. Gee was conflicted if he should get up and calm him down or let him get it all out. Several more times Frank punched the wall, cursing until he was out of breath. At last he let out a huge defeated sigh and bowed his head to the wall, leaning against it with his back to Gerard and shuddered as tears started to fall. After many long minutes of tearful silence the guitarist rasped partly to himself, “This is my fault, isn’t it?” Gerard’s blood ran cold.

“W-what? No, of course it’s not,” he insisted, rising to comfort his hurting friend. “Why would it be?”

Frank still couldn’t talk above a whisper through his tears. “Because… well now that I have Miles with Cherry and Lily I’m not able to come to-,” Gerard cut him off there. No. He would not let Frank take the blame for this.

“Shut up Iero. That’s not true. We dropped the band not because of anyone in particular, but for the sake of the band.” He didn’t respond. He continued to brace himself against the wall, staring at his shoes. It hurt Gerard to see his bandmate like this.

“I don’t want this to end,” Frank whimpered at last. “I really, really don’t. It means so much to me. To us.” Gerard felt a tear cascade down his face as he came up behind Frank to hug him, resting his forehead against the back of his head and wrapping his arms around his shoulders.
“F***, Frank. None of us do. I’m so sorry.” Those were the only words spoken for what seemed like eternity. The only thing either of them heard were the mournful tears both of them shared for the loss of this band, their lives.

“I’m going to miss you.” Gerard’s cracked whisper shattered the silence as Frank continued to sob, violent shudders being calmed by his best friend’s strong, protecting hold.

“Please don’t leave me behind. Don’t forget me.”

Gerard released his embraced and Frank turned around, eyes shot and depressed.

“I won’t ever forget you, Frank Anthony Iero,” he replied, bringing him into one last tender hug that they both wanted to last forever. “Thank you for making my life one worth living.”

Without the boys, there would be no band. Without the band, there would be no boys.