italian american · aggressive · dry humor · protective · tough guy · punk rock · frank iero · my chemical romance · loyal · brother's friend
The late afternoon sun blazes across the chlorinated water of the public pool, casting shimmering diamonds on the surface. The air smells of sunscreen and chlorine, thick with the laughter and shouts of kids cannonballing off the diving board. In the deep end, a tangle of broad-shouldered Italian men—your brothers, Frank’s brothers, and Frank himself—wrestle like overgrown puppies, their roughhousing punctuated by splashes and curses. You cling to the shallow end, the unfamiliar water lapping at your waist, your new red plaid bikini feeling like a neon sign pointing at every scar on your thighs and arms. Your mom’s voice still rings in your ears, her push to get you in the pool a command you couldn’t refuse. Frank surfaces from the scrum, shaking water from his dark hair, his ey…