Frank

As I walked back out of the library, I ran into Ray, quite literally. I crashed into him and fell straight on my ass, my cheeks flaring red. I looked up and grinned sheepishly when I saw it was him.

“Sorry,” I apologised, getting to my feet.

He laughed. “It’s OK. Where’re you going so fast?”

I shuddered. “More like where am I trying to get away from so fast.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Fucking library,” I mumbled. “I went in there and this woman turned up out of nowhere telling me she was a ghost. She kept going on about my destiny and shit.”

He blinked. “That’s… that’s really fucked up.”

“I know, tell me about it, I was just-”

“No Frank, I mean… this woman just suddenly appeared next to me the other day and started telling me about my destiny and prophecies and… what did she look like?” Ray told me, his face confused.

“She was pretty tall, had long blonde hair and she was wearing this weird Victorian dress,” I told him.

“Was she really, really pale and freezing cold?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“That’s her.”

“Said she was called Emily.”

“She told me that too.”

“You’re right, this is fucked up,” I mumbled. “Should I tell Gerard about it?”

“I don’t know. Would he freak out?”

“I’m not sure. But she said she knew Gerard, sort of. Maybe he knows her.”

“I don’t know Frank. Maybe if she appears again, you should tell him. But it might just be some ghost trying to fuck with our heads.”

“But why would she do that?”

“I don’t know. But let’s just keep it quiet for now,” Ray answered, sighing heavily. “Listen, I have to get back otherwise Mikey will… I don’t know, but it’ll be something bad. He’s been pretty much ignoring me for a while, and I wanna keep it like that.”

“OK. I’ll try and ask Gerard to sneak you out sometime, yeah?” I said.

He nodded and briefly hugged me before we parted and went our separate ways. I walked on past Gerard’s office to hear quiet voices from inside, one of them Gerard’s. I stopped outside of the door and listened for only a few seconds before the door flew open in front of me, startling me and making me gasp and fly back in panic.

Stood in the doorway was Gerard, looking a little annoyed. His expression softened and turned into one of relief when he saw it was me and he smiled gently. I smiled back at him but let my eyes wander past him into the office, my smile fading slowly.

Inside sat a girl who looked the same age as Gerard. She was a little smaller than Gerard and her skin was a few shades darker than Gerard’s, but still pale. She was dressed in a blood red dress that was cut to fit her perfectly, showing off every flawless curve of her slim body. She was wearing a pair of black heels that were so sharp they looked like some sort of dangerous spear weaopn. She had very short copper coloured hair that stopped just past her jaw line in a perfectly even bob, each strand of poker straight hair glistening in the light. Her eyes were huge and dark, rimmed perfectly with liquid black. Her lips were full painted in a dark red colour that matched her dress.

She was just like every other vampire. Beautiful.

She stared right back at me, her gaze icy and cold. I broke my eyes away from hers to look back at Gerard.

“Go back to my room, I’ll be there soon. I just need to finish here,” he said quickly, his voice low and quiet. “I’ll explain later.”

I hesitantly looked back at the girl who still wore the same unmoving, harsh face and then looked back at Gerard and nodded. I turned and left them slowly, heading back towards his bedroom, the door closing softly behind me with a gentle click.

When I got back into Gerard’s room I only waited for a few minutes before he returned.

I looked at him expectantly as he shut the door behind him and drifted over to the window, staring out absently, looking lost and troubled. I waited for him to turn around and talk to me, but he didn’t. He just stood motionless like a statue at the window, his eyes staring out sadly.

“Gerard?”

He looked over at me. “Yeah?”

“What was that all about? Who was that girl?”

He sighed and looked back out of the window. “Her name’s Eliza. My parents picked her to marry me.”

I was silent at that.

He turned around and walked back over at me when I didn’t say anything. He sat down next to me on the bed, staring at me, waiting.

“Frank? What is it?”

I felt my eyes brimming with tears and I shook my head.

“Frank,” he said gently, his fingers catching under my jaw and turning my head to look at him.
He brushed his fingertips over the wetness on my face and rubbed his thumbs under my eyes.

“Don’t cry,” he said, shifting closer to me and pulling me onto his lap. “Please don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, scrubbing at my eyes furiously, wishing the tears would stop. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK,” he whispered. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s nothing to do with me. It’s not my place to have opinions about it.”

“Is this about Eliza?” he asked, cradling my head to his chest, stroking my hair soothingly.

I didn’t answer. I just squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my face against his soaking shirt and swallowed the thick lump in my throat.

“Frank, please. Just talk to me,” he whispered, his voice desperate. “If this is about Eliza, you don’t need to be upset. I don’t… I don’t want to marry her, I don’t like her. She’s awful.”

“Why?” I asked after my tears cleared a little.

“Just everything about her. She’s horrible Frank. She’s so… cold.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want this either. Maybe she hates this as much as you do,” I said, pulling back from him a little and rubbing my eyes even more. “Maybe she’s just scared about being forced into something she has no say in. I know what that’s like Gerard.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so Frank. She didn’t seem put off about it when she was fucking… ugh, never mind.”

I glanced at him sharply. “When she was what?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Gerard. Tell me.”

“No Frank. It was nothing, really. Just forget I said anything, alright?”

I stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell me. “Come on, just tell me. I’d rather you told me than leaving me to imagine all sorts of horrible things she could of done.”

“You won’t like it,” he muttered, looking away from, his eyes downcast. “You’ll be angry.”

“OK, now I’m worried. Can you just tell me?”

“Fine, but before I say anything, I just want to tell you I’m sorry and I shouldn’t have let her, but…”

“Gerard. Please, just say it.”

“She… uh, OK, well she sort of… I don’t know, she kind of maybe…” he trailed off, staring down at his fidgeting hands. “She kissed me.”

I just stared at him, at the way his hands twitched and fidgeted nervously, the way his eyes were glued to the floor and then my eyes rested on his mouth. His perfect, dark lips that I was starting to call mine. Gerard’s lips were mine to kiss, not some scary vampire bitch who he didn’t even know. I felt my blood start to boil and I felt beyond jealous.

He glanced up at him, his face ashen and worried. “Frank? Frankie? Please, just… just say something, tell me you’re not mad at me.”

“I…” I couldn’t find any words to say right then so I settled on shutting my mouth firmly.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Frankie, I shouldn’t have let her kiss me, I didn’t want her to, honestly, I just didn’t want to… shit, I don’t know, I just panicked and I couldn’t just-” Gerard rushed, but I cut him off.

“Don’t. Don’t be sorry. It wasn’t your fault, I don’t need you to say sorry Gerard, I know you didn’t want to. It’s OK. Well… it’s kind of really not OK, but it’s not your problem. I’m not angry at you, I’m just pissed at her, at Eliza or whatever the fuck she’s called. I don’t want you to feel guilty Gerard, I’m just angry that she thinks she can go around kissing you and she doesn’t even know you, I mean, what the hell is up with that? Does she shove her tongue down everyone’s throat when meets them? Jesus, I really want to go and-”

Gerard burst out laughing at me whilst I was in mid flow of my rant and I just stopped and glared at him.

“It’s not fucking funny, OK? I’m pissed, you’re not supposed to laugh at me,” I snapped at him, pouting.

He carried on laughing but pulled me back into his lap, shaking his head. “Frankie, you’re so cute when you’re jealous and angry.”

I glowered at him sourly. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m sorry,” he giggled. “You’re just really kind of funny when you’re mad.”

“Well, I’m glad you find it so amusing,” I muttered bitterly.

He just smiled and hugged me tightly. “I’m sorry. But I’m flattered you care so much if it makes you feel any better.”

“I don’t like the thought of someone else trying anything on with you,” I mumbled.

“You don’t have to worry about Eliza. She’s nothing Frank, I promise, nothing at all. She won’t come between us again. I’m all yours,” he told me, smiling gently at me.

“Good,” I grumbled. “Now come here.”

And with that I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his lips to mine.