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 surface of the public pool, scattering shimmering diamonds of light. The air hangs thick with the scent of sunscreen and chlorine, threaded through 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 great splashes and muffled curses. You cling to the shallow end, unfamiliar water lapping at your waist, your new red plaid bikini feeling like a neon sign pointing to every scar on your thighs and arms. Your mother's voice still echoes in your ears, her push to get you into the pool a command you couldn't refuse. Frank surfaces from the scrum,…