Forbidden Soldiers.

Written for my English Language coursework 'to entertain'. It's basically about two soldiers (coincidentally Bob Bryar+Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance) But this is not by any means a fan-fiction.

Bob had sighed to himself that night as he’d heard the light footsteps of Frank patter towards where he was sat quite happily, alone at the back of the army van writing letters to his family at 3am.

He sighed again before saying, “Hey Frankie, dreams again?”

Frank replied with a small nod before wrapping his thin blanket a little tighter around his shoulders once more.

“Ok, you can sit here with me but try not to stare too much...it’s a little unnerving.” Bob whispered as Frank shuffled over to him and leant his head on Bob’s shoulder, Bob patted his head lightly but could not put his arm round the little man since the duvet was in the way.

Once again for the third time since Frank’s arrival, Bob sighed.

For some reason that night had felt different for Bob, Frank was never normally this...affectionate.

“Frank? Is there anything you want to tell me? Because if there is please say it, I’m worried about you Frank, you never eat, never sleep, and I know you’re not happy...But...I- I could make you happy Frank...” Bob whispered looking Frank right in the eyes with utter sincerity. “Just let me in...”

“I- I don’t know what to say Bob, nothing’s going right anymore. My family, they hate me...” Frank replied looking more scared than ever as he slowly began to roll up his grey sleeves with tears in his eyes not looking away from Bob once, waiting for an angry reaction. His arms, both of them, were covered from top to bottom in lines, some white having faded, others were angry and red protruding slightly having obviously been created recently.

But life changed that night; both young men stopped denying themselves. They’d known being a couple would never ever be easy, not in the army, but they would wait, until they were home, wherever that may be for two homosexual men in 1950’s America.

After months of secrecy, losing friend after friend and seeing things no man would ever wish to see with eyes never made for such gruesome sights.

They got the call. The war was over. 

They were both in hospital that day; six months after Bob and Frank decided they would be together. Bob had suffered a head injury and Frank a double fracture down his left leg.
At first there was a sense of insecurity, where would they go? What would they do for work? They were sure their families would not accept their new lifestyle choice. No one would.

Bob had wanted to move to Chicago from the start but Frank was insistent on being near his home town in New Jersey, maybe they could find a little house together in the suburbs, keep out of everyone’s way, and no one would have to know. But why should they hide?

* * *

They’d never broadcast their sexuality, but wherever they went people just seemed to know. Three years, moved town three times, life was hard, Frankie often said they were lucky they weren’t blacks, because he knew they had it the worst, Bob would just shake his head and tell him to hush his mouth in case someone thought he was making a kind comment towards them.

Neither of the two men had spoken to their families since returning from the army, Frank was sure his father thought he was dead, and it still hurt Bob that he couldn’t make contact with them.

He preferred no contact to them disowning him, he knew what was good for him and Frank so whenever things got bad, like the time a mob of white men chased them out of a theatre with shotguns for sitting ‘too close’, they would pack their bags and drive away as fast as they could, before someone else decided to hunt them down.

“It's not natural, it’s against God’s law, and it’s disgusting.” They’d heard every close minded homophobic opinion, but it still hurt when people they’d come to know would suddenly turn on them because one person would catch on and rumours spread like wildfire in the suburbs.


One memory that particularly stuck out for them was the time they’d been living in Casper, Wyoming. They’d been there for only a few months, and both gotten jobs at the local Diner hoping to make friends and get to know their neighbours better. But Frank being the excitable man he was, ended up getting them almost put in prison when they merely attempted to hold hands. But as the times were things like this were practically against the law in most states. So obviously they’d had to move again...

It was when they had to leave Fairhope in Alabama that it occurred to Bob, maybe they should try moving to the city instead, and perhaps they could just merge in with everyone else.

“Chicago.”
“What? You want to take us to Chicago Bob?”
“Yes Frank, Pete lives there he’ll let us stay with him for sure, we need to get away from these small towns where we stand out like a sore thumb... And we tried your home town, so now I want to try mine, please Frank, don’t be so goddamn stubborn.”
“When you say, ‘we’ of course you mean me right? I’m sorry I can’t play the macho man like you Robert.”
“Please Frankie you know I don’t it like that but...you could just try a little harder.”


At this point Bob pulled the car into a gas station and they waited in tense silence for the young attendant to put the gas in their car. Bob couldn’t help notice how greased up the young man was, in his tight, white vest. He nodded at Bob nervously and said “How much?” Bob looked on for a moment longer while Frank glared into the back of his head.


“Oh, just fill her up to the max kid, thanks.” Bob handed him a small wad of cash and told him to take his tip from it.


"Thanks, sir..." the attendant said with a suspicious edge to his voice and walked briskly away, looking back surreptitiously. Bob gulped nervously and hopped into the car, Frank following him slowly with eyes like someone had set copper alight in them.

"What was that?" Frank demanded darkly.
"What?" Bob asked gruffly.
"You were drooling all over that gas station attendant. That's what."
"I didn't do anything! It must be your imagination Frankie baby I didn't--"
"Cut it out Bob. You were dragging your hairy jaw across the floor!"
"Okay so I maybe looked a little..."
"You admit it then?"
"It was only a--...oh my God, Frank let's get out of here!"

Frank looked back and saw what looked like the station manager marching out with the attendant behind him shouting obscenities. Under all the foul language Frankie managed to hear:

"We don't need no goddamn f*****s 'round these parts! Get gone, you hear me?!"

Bob sped out of the gas station with his eyes fixed hard on the road while Frank watched the manager hop into his car.

"Oh great!" Frankie growled. "Your wandering eye is going to get us killed!"

Bob was concentrating hard as he continued to drive at extreme speeds down the road, only barely hearing Frank’s incoherent screams.

“What the hell are you yelling about Frankie baby?” Bob shouted, turning only quickly to look at Frank, seeing the fear in his eyes he realised something was seriously wrong.

“The bridge, damn it the bridge ahead is out!” Frank cried hysterically.

That was when it dawned on Bob that there was no car pursuing them anymore, no cars around them, nothing, not even a road.

Bob looked at Frank.
“I love you Frank, I’m so so sorry...Don’t you dare leave me!”
Frank sobbed and shook.
“It’s okay Bob, everything, all of what we went through was worth it ‘cause I got you.”
 Suddenly everything sped up as the car fell full force towards the rock valley below, now nothing either of them said was coherent.

* * *

Bob awoke to the sound of beeping and voices saying things he couldn’t understand, everyone sounded worried; he wondered what could be wrong. His body was numb with morphine; so he couldn’t feel the pain of his fractured spine. “Somebody’s screaming...” He thought to himself. “What is that voice?!” He heard a woman now; she was calling out for help. He tried to sit up, open his eyes, do anything, but his body laid insolent to him.

It was then that he recognised her voice; it was his sister Melissa beside him. He wasn’t sure where about she was but he knew she was very close. “Why would she be calling out for help...I hope she isn’t in trouble. Frank! Where is my Frankie...?” The beeping sped up again, and then he fell into a deep restless drug induced sleep.

“Mr Bryar? Can you hear us Mr Bryar?”
“Bob, honey?”

Bob slowly opened his eyes and tried to push himself upright, he gave up quickly and let his sister and what appeared to be a doctor hull him lightly till his was sitting up.

“How long have I been out sis?” Bob said ignoring the doctor’s odd looks of sympathy.

“Hmm, about four days I’d day, mom and dad even came to see you, why haven’t you been writing to them, or calling them or anything, Bob?! It’s been 3 years!” She said in a flurry of words that Bob couldn’t properly make sense of.

“Now please Ms Bryar, we don’t want to cause him stress. We have some...news for you Mr Bryar, some very unfortunate news.” The doctor said, giving him those sympathetic eyes again.

Bob looked to his name tag which read Dr Urie.

“Please Dr Urie, is-is-is it...Frankie, I mean F-F-Frank.” Bob stuttered feelings his eyes sting lightly and his heart speed up painfully.

“Calm down please Mr Bryar; you mustn’t get so worked up, not in this condition. Your friend? Well the other passenger in the car, Frank as you say, things didn’t go...so well for him.”

“Just tell me goddamn it!” Bob yelled slightly hysterical now leaning forward suddenly attempting to grab the doctor by his shirt. His sister shoved him back glaring at him in warning.
“He’s just trying to help Bob.” She whispered silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Mr Bryar. Mr Iero is dead, we did all we could for him, his injuries were just too severe-”

But at this point the doctor was cut off as Bob’s heart monitor began beeping and flashing uncontrollably.

Then his sister began screaming and chaos broke out.

“He’s going into cardiac arrest! Nurse go get another doctor stat!” Dr Urie began rushing about, but Bob was out cold by now.

All Bob could see in his mind now was Frank’s face and Frank shouting “The bridge, damn it the bridge ahead is out!” Everything came rushing back and the pieces all fell together at once, the gas station, the manager, the chase, the falling, and the things they said to each other.


Then he felt himself being pulled down into never ending rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

You could also say this was written for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Month! (february) or just LGBT History Month!
Hope people like it this should be my final draft!

My characters are who they are to fit in with my original plan of it being a fan-fiction, I'm lazy and my English teacher doesn't know who they are so I got to have my bit of fun ^_^

Reviews

[Frank F. Atanacio]

I enjoyed reading this story so much--lots of believeable charcaters and the flow was written creatively, it was well done and worh the several rereads-- touchy topic, but lends credance to the write then the dramtic ending-- brifges out--this played so well in my mind as I read it. You are a story-teller, thanks for sharing this write :) Frank

[Niko Azazel]

i liked this read it more than once before i could review, though not gonna lie, the name thing kinda bugged me but the characters are believable and the story is great so please take no offense to what i say about the names ^_^ the ending is sad *tear* but very good great work!

[Secondhand Tink]

Yeh I know what you mean but it's kinda difficult when you're put to a 1300word count...I'm not so great with concise kinda writing I like my long winded 3000word stories XD

[Anonymous Shadow]

you need better character names. its too obvious.

nice enough story, but lacking that something.