Frank's POV :

'BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-'

I turned off my alarm clock and hopped out of my bed. I ran to my window excitedly and opened it, deeply inhaling the pure air of late August.

"Good morning, world !" I exclaimed.

I put on the clothes Mom had chosen for me and scurried in the bathroom. I made sure in the mirror that my ebony hair was well-combed. "Good morning, myself !"

I checked that my shirt was without a crease, my dark blue shorts and blazer weren't dusty, my tie was fixed, and my socks were pulled above my ankles. I grinned at my reflexion.

I grabbed my schoolbag I had packed the day before, got momentum and slid on the hard-wood floor towards the stairs. "Yee !"

"Good morning, Sweet Pea !" I told my good old dog who was looking at me drowsily, before rushing downstairs like a gust of wind. I love that dog, she's so cute and so-

"-You stop running around the house right now, young man !" I heard an authoritarian voice growl at me.

"Good morning, Mommy !" I chirped, grabbing a toast in the kitchen.
"Goodbye, Mommy !" I rushed out of the house.

I skipped on my way to school. "Good morning, Mr. Peterson !" I shouted, waving at our neighbor.

Grumpy old man. He threw me a look that looked very much like a glare, but I just interpreted it as one of boredom. Poor man, it's not his fault ; I'm sure he's going through a lot. Being old must not be fun.

I ate my toast on my way to school. I wasn't that worried for my very first day but actually pretty confident. I started skipping on the path.
I can't wait !

Then, before me appeared a freakishly big building. I gripped the straps of my backpack tighter as I made my way into the building that would teach me everything I should know.

Middle school.
I was starting today. 6th grade, what a thrill ! For the ones who were wondering, this isn't even sarcasm. It's going to be awesome ! I can't wait to make friends and get smarter.

School is funny - much funnier than home, at least. Without school, I'm not sure I would ever talk to kids my age. I'm sure I'll make friends this time ; people will be more mature than in elementary school, for sure. They'll understand me. This is a brand new start.

I bounced inside the private, catholic school happily. Alright Frank, focus. Must not disappoint Mommy. You have to make your parents proud. Don't mess up your first day.

I sighed at the thought of my genitors. I just wish they loved me and didn't set the bar so high. It's like I always find a way to disappoint them. But I'll show them.

I just want to be happy and free, have nice handwriting to write pretty poems, know how to whistle and cook nice things, play the guitar a little.

The school looked nice, even though I was secretly expecting more colors around me, like pastel walls. The facilities were huge. I'm wondering what my new life in here will be like...

I started feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety bubbling inside me. After I was assigned to a classroom, I sat at a wooden desk. The teacher, a relatively short man with short hair in his late thirties, explained us how the year would go and how middle school works.

It can't be that bad, can it? I'll have to work more, sure ; I can say goodbye to the little free time I had left. But as my parents say, it'll be worth it. You don't go through middle school twice.

"...And kids, if you ever feel the need to talk to someone independant of the teachers and families, you can always go to the school counselor. He can help you out if you feel like you can't deal with personal issues. Of course, if you're worried about your grades, you should consult your professors. His office is on this first floor."

A school counselor? And I could talk to him about all my problems? That doesn't sound like much of a bad idea. Maybe I could...

-No. That's... I can't. My parents don't need any trouble. I can't go to a stranger and talk to him about everything. My parents would kill me ; they already do so much for me.

And what if he doesn't believe me, huh? What if he judges me? Makes fun of me? Then again, everybody's judgmental. And he's a professional ; if he made fun of every student, people wouldn't go to him.

I sighed. The struggle was real.

"Alright. Now, everybody go pick their books for the year at the school library. You will return them at the end of the year. So don't damage them or you will have to pay so the school can buy new ones. After picking your books, you can go play in the playground."

The bell rang and the students rushed outside like the library would run out of books for all students. I followed at the end, not wanting to get hurt.

A kid by my side started a conversation with me. "I'm Ray," he told me.

"Frank, Frank Iero."

"You're short, Frank Iero," he commented. "Did you skip a grade or something?"

"O-oh, uh.. No," I mumbled, looking down at my feet while gathering all my books.

"It's okay, the only reason I'm tall is because of my hair." he stated, showing me his curly, bouncy afro. He put his books in his school bag.

"It's funny, I've never seen someone with an afro like yours before. Can I touch it?" I asked.

"Sure!" Ray bent a little and I patted the top of his head.

"That's funny how it jiggles," I chortled. "I like your hair."

"Thanks. I like your... uh, face." Ray said before the both of us giggled. The bell rang and Ray ran to the playground, leaving me to struggle with my heavy books.

I carried all of them. 20 lbs of must-have. My schoolbag will be heavier than a dead horse-

My school bag !

Fuuudge, I forgot it in my classroom ! I hope it's not locked yet ! How will I carry my books home if it is? And how will I go to school tomorrow? I'll get punished !

I hurried outside the library and ran in the hallways, until I collided with something big, dark and hard on the corner of a hallway.

Not a wall. Someone.
All my books slipped from my grasp and I fell on my butt.

"Ow!" I exclaimed and looked up confusedly. Two worried, hazel eyes landed on me and a pale, helping hand was extended at me.

I took it and the man I had run into helped me up.

"You alright, kid? Nothing broken?" he asked with a calm, reassuring voice.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. The man was quite thin and reasonably tall. He was wearing a black suit and tie, a white button-up shirt. He had the same straight, jet black hair as me, but he wore it a bit longer as it grazed his shoulders slightly.

Overall, the man was radiating confidence, goodness and... An ounce of something mysterious I couldn't really put a name on. A certain aura, like he was so much more than he appeared.

"Hey." The man put a hand on my shoulder.

"W-what?"

"I asked you if you were okay." He smiled gently.

"Y-yes. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm really sorry," I blurted out, my cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

"It's okay," the man chuckled and crouched to pick up all my books for me. "Well, these are heavy for such a little boy. Anyway, why were you running like that?" he inquired, his voice ever so velvet-like - warm and soft.

"I forgot my schoolbag in my classroom, but I'm pretty sure it's locked now..."

"Come with me," the man said. I followed him to what seemed to be a room reserved to teachers.

"O-oh no, it's okay, I'll carry them like that," I assured, talking about the books. "No need to disturb anyone, really."

The man threw a puckish smile at me over his shoulder, and knocked on the door. Another man I recognized as my teacher from earlier opened the door.

"Hey, do you have the keys to room..." The man glanced at me.

"... 201."I answered, trying to make myself as small as possible behind the black-haired man. I hated causing trouble.

"Sure." My teacher gave the man a key. "And isn't that little Frank Iero? How are you liking middle school so far?"

"It's really nice !" I replied happily.

"Good," my teacher nodded. "A real bundle of joy, I can tell. Your parents must be proud."

I shrugged and threw a timid smile at him, before disappearing behind the man's back completely.

"Alright, thanks Pete." the man said before leading me to my classroom.

He opened the door and I rushed in the classroom, grabbed my schoolbag, stuffed all my books in and left just as fast as I went in.

"I'm so sorry, again, Sir. Thank you so much !"

"You're welcome, boy. Take care." The man patted my shoulder and I blushed.

I beamed at him and nodded before I ran downstairs to join my classmates.

In my excitement, I forgot to ask the man his name. I also was completely oblivious of the hazel eyes following me.

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