“Frank!” Brittany squealed. “No, stop that tickles!” she giggled, pushing at my head with both her hands.
I lifted my head from where I was planting small kisses all over her stomach and grinned mischievously up at her. She was smiling broadly down at me, watching me with anticipation. Obviously she didn’t trust me. Good, because I wasn’t done. I smirked and bent down, kissing the side of her stomach and trailing kisses all the way to her hip, my teeth gently nipping at her skin as I went. Her sharp gasp brought a satisfied smile to my face.
“Frank, stop,” she quietly whined, drawing my attention once again.
“Why? You’re obviously enjoying it,” I asked, chuckling at the slightly flushed look on her face.
“Because,” she started, taking a deep breath. “You’re just teasing me and we both know that you don’t intend on following through with anything else.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. She wanted more? As if the hate sex and then make-up sex from earlier wasn’t enough. This girl was insatiable. There was no harm in torturing her a little further then. This was going to be good.
“Frank, I swear,” she said almost threateningly, grabbing my face and pulling me back up until our faces were leveled. “I know how your brain works. I know what you’re thinking and no!”
“Why not?” I pouted.
“Because I said so,” she said firmly.
My eyes watched as she brought a finger up, tapping her lips and I willingly complied, giving her what she wanted and crashing my lips to hers. We both let out a content sigh. Brittany’s hands slowly glided down my back and then up to my shoulders, pressing down until I was lying on top of her with my entire weight. One of her hands snuck higher and tugged at my hair, earning a small gasp from me which allowed her access to my mouth. I guess we’re going for round three.

***

Supporting myself on my elbows I stared into Brittany’s emerald green eyes which sparkled. She wore a small happy grin as she stared back at me.
“You’re very gorgeous right now,” I said still breathless, stroking my fingers through her hair. Her lips puckered and I kissed them softly.
I rolled off of her with a sigh.
“Your brothers are going to fucking kill me.”
She turned on her side and looked at me questioningly.
“It’s after midnight and you’re still here,” I pointed out matter-of-factly. “Three guesses what we’ve been doing.”
“They’d be right,” she said smartly and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. “Besides, they’re not my parents.”
“Maybe not, but your parents are going to want to kill me too.”
She was silent for a few short moments and then her entire being seemed to light up.
“I have an idea. I’ll text my parents and let them know I’m staying over at Kasey’s house tonight and then I’ll just ask her to cover for me.”
I briefly shut my eyes and took a deep breath. It was very tempting.
“No, you can’t stay. Gerard isn’t stupid…”
“But…”
“And my mom won’t be pleased if you’re still here in the morning either,” I finished, abruptly sitting up.
I grabbed my boxers and then my jeans, pulling them on in turn. I felt movement behind me on the bed and then Brittany’s hands came down on my shoulders. I breathed in sharply as her hot lips came into contact with my skin.
“Please, can I stay?” she asked as her hands started to move in small circles on my skin.
“Brittany,” I sighed. “You have school in the morning and I have work and at this rate we won’t get any sleep.”
She gripped my shoulders tightly and pulled me back down on the bed until I was lying with my head on her lap.
“Please,” she murmured, leaning down and planting butterfly soft kisses all over my face.
It’s impossible to believe that barely a few hours ago we were spitting flames at each other. But then that was the fun part of our relationship – what followed after each fight. My eyes slipped shut and I felt like I could fall asleep at that moment. Brittany sat back up and stared at me in dismay.
“You’re not going to change your mind are you?” she realized as one of her fingers trailed the outline of my tattoos.
“Now who’s teasing who?” I smirked playfully up at her.
“Fine,” she grudgingly gave in and moved from under me.
My head dropped down on the bed and I listened to the sounds of her dressing. After a while I sat up and found my shirt before pulling it over my head. By this time Brittany was also fully dressed and combing her hair out in front of the mirror.
She turned to me. “Done and ready to go.”
“I can’t believe you’re taking me home,” she grumbled as we crossed the street to her house a few minutes later.
“I definitely wasn’t going to let you walk home alone.”
“That’s not what I meant,” the teen snapped and I couldn’t help smiling. She was always so fiery. “Am I seeing you tomorrow?”
“I don’t know, probably not,” I muttered feeling a little guilty.
“You’re neglecting me, Frank Iero,” Brittany stated unimpressed. “I’m sure if Melania didn’t invite me and Kasey along to the studio that I wouldn’t have seen you today either.”
“And then we wouldn’t have settled the situation surrounding Amy.”
“On that note, I said I wouldn’t harass you about your friendship with her anymore, but that didn’t mean that I would suddenly like her now.”
“Baby steps,” I said teasingly. “Don’t worry; I seriously don’t expect the two of you to get along… ever. I’m going to say goodnight now and leave you. We both have to get up early in the morning.”
“We could’ve been fast asleep by now if you’d just let me stay.”
I chuckled quietly, shaking my head, “Sweet dreams.”
I leaned in and kissed her. She returned the kiss and then turned to unlock the door. As soon as she was inside, I turned around and walked back to my own house, ready for some much deserved sleep after the long day.

***

“Good morning guys,” I greeted Gerard and Mikey with a big smile as I got in the backseat of the car.
“You’re awfully chirpy this morning,” Mikey noted suspiciously. “All things considered.”
I frowned in confusion, because clearly the two of us were on different waves. Why was I supposed to be down?
“What did you and Brittany fight over this time?” Gerard asked.
“You heard?” I gaped in shock, but then again I bet half the city heard our little shouting match the night before. Something didn’t make sense though, because Gerard wasn’t home when Brittany and I argued out on the street. Mikey probably told him.
“Brittany was out almost all night apparently bitching to Kasey,” he explained. “I take it the two of you aren’t currently on speaking terms? It must’ve been something pretty bad.”
Now it made sense. Brittany lied about her whereabouts the night before. Smooth.
“Nothing we haven’t fought about before,” I shrugged in reply and it was the truth.
Mikey snorted from his place in the passenger’s seat next to his brother.
“You and my sister have the most dysfunctional relationship I’ve ever heard about.”
“That’s not true,” I disagreed. “I know we’re not exactly a model couple, but we’re not that bad.”
“Whatever you say.”
Gerard parked outside the studio and we all headed inside for another day of work.
It was around four that afternoon when Amy sauntered into the building with a smile on her face.
“You guys seem hard at work. I hope I’m not bothering.”
“You know we value your opinion. You’re more than welcome to drop by at any time,” Matt said returning her smile.
“Matt, the last time I checked you had a girlfriend. You shouldn’t be flirting with me.”
“You’re a pretty girl and easy to flirt with.”
My fingers froze on the fret board and my eyebrows shot up at his comment. It was true that Amy was pretty, but…
“Frank!” Gerard exclaimed, grabbing my hand and loosening its grip on the guitar. I looked at him bewildered, missing Amy’s response. “You’re making an awful noise,” Gerard said pointedly, looking at my guitar.
“Sorry,” I murmured, turning my attention back to Matt and Amy’s conversation.
“…but you’re right, I do have a girlfriend,” the drummer continued. “I’ll stop hitting on you now.”
Amy giggled, “Good.”
She stepped away from him and walked over to me and Gerard.
“Hey you two! Practicing?”
“Rounding off a song, but Frank seems to have left this world,” Gerard muttered, looking at me curiously.
“Frank?” Amy said my name and whistled to get my attention as she waved a hand in front of my face.
“Yeah,” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “I’m present.”
“Are you sure?” Gerard asked and I could tell that both he and Amy were suppressing their laughter.
I nodded, “I’m fine. Excuse me for a sec,” I said, putting my guitar down and heading for the bathroom.
What was that all about? I looked at myself in the mirror and I looked perfectly normal. Good to know I haven’t grown an extra head.
“Fuck,” I shook my head, washing my hands and returning to the music room. “Where’d Amy go?” I asked Gerard when I noticed she wasn’t there anymore.
“She and Brittany went outside to get some fresh air.”
“Brittany’s here?” I asked horrified and he nodded as if it was the most normal thing in the world that my girlfriend and Amy would be talking. This was not good. Brittany said she would let the whole Amy thing go, but that didn’t mean her hostility towards the other female was going to disappear overnight.
It took all I had not to run outside and save the pair from one another. I walked towards the outer door continually reminding myself that they wouldn’t do anything. They wouldn’t resort to violence. There was no need to panic. I was just about to step out of the building when I heard loud voices and I braked by the door, straining my ears to hear what they were talking about.
“Frank won’t listen to me and stay away from you so I’ll just have to ask you to stay away from him.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I murmured in utter disbelief. Brittany would really go behind my back and do this?
Amy also laughed in disbelief.
“Are you for real? Why would I do that? To please you? I don’t think so.”
Brittany didn’t respond and Amy had another go at her.
“I’m happy to hear that he didn’t let you convince him to get rid of me. At least there are some choices he still has control over.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brittany demanded angrily.
There was a quiet snort from the other female.
“You know exactly what I mean. You manipulate him. I don’t know why he can’t see that.”
“Probably for the same reasons he can’t see that you’re in love with him.”
I risked glancing out the door and saw Amy and Brittany facing each other. Amy almost looked calm and relaxed while Brittany had her hands on her hips with a menacing look on her face.
“How did you get Frank to forgive you?”
“What?” It was a sharp question.
“You argued about me yesterday,” Amy explained. “Frank seems happy enough today so I’m guessing that the two of you made peace. Did you talk it out or did you win him over the same way you always do?”
“Excuse me?” Brittany yelled lividly. “That is none of your damn business! What do you know about our relationship anyway?”
Oh crap. My eyes widened in fear. I could prevent the worst from happening and go outside and interrupt their little stand-off, but I was frozen in place in both horror and curiosity. Where was this conversation going?
“He told you?”
I missed a part of the conversation while lost in my own thoughts, but it was Brittany’s voice I heard first and my heart sank. What did Amy say to her, because Brittany sounded mortified?
“He needs someone to talk to about you. He can’t talk to your brothers. Who else is there?”
“Why you?” Brittany asked still sounding upset. “Why can’t he talk to me? He never tells me anything, nothing that’s important anyway. Why does he talk to you about things he doesn’t even tell me?”
“He trusts me.”
It was the shortest sentence ever, I was sure and yet it said so much. Was it true that I trusted Amy more than I trusted my own girlfriend? And, of course, Brittany was going to take this little piece of information so well.
“He can trust me!”
“No, he can’t,” Amy disagreed, shaking her head firmly. “Frank cares about you and that’s why he wants to see the best in you. It’s sad, because you’re really the last person in the world who deserves so much faith from him. You lie to everyone around you. It is pure luck that he hasn’t considered the possibility that you could be lying to him as well.”
I saw Brittany open her mouth to say something, but Amy continued without giving the teen a second’s chance to even start talking.
“Answer one question. Are you still friends with Tray?”
Oh shit. I froze, straining my ears to hear her answer. That was unexpected, but all things aside it was a legitimate question, one I never, for some reason, thought to ask.
“I don’t see how that concerns you.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Amy told her.
“We go to school together. It’s not like I can ignore him,” Brittany attempted to justify why she was still friends with her ex-boyfriend.
My spirits dropped and my heart currently resided in my shoes. Brittany lied to me. She was still friends with Tray. Her ex-boyfriend. The guy she cheated on with me. The guy she left for me. That was a difficult truth to digest. She lied to me, she kept secrets from me and she went behind my back. What was she thinking? She was really trampling all over my heart right now. How could she? She knows how I feel about Tray especially since she was with him the same time she was with me. Amy’s next question pulled me from my reverie.
“I really want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I have to ask, are you still with Tray?”
“No!” Brittany exclaimed without hesitation, saving me from myself. “No, I left him for Frank. We’re broken up, I swear! I wouldn’t do that to Frank, not again.”
Amy seemed to let out a sigh of relief the same time I did.
“That’s good. I’m truly glad to know that. I think deep down I know that very, very deep down you do care about Frank in your own special kind of way,” Amy seemed to say that last part with difficulty as if unable to find the right words to use. “And if I can give you a bit of advice, tell Frank about Tray.”
Brittany shook her head vigorously, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to and because he doesn’t have to know.”
“Your funeral,” Amy muttered in response and turned to walk back to the building.
I regained my senses and scrambled to get away from the door, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping.
“I have a question of my own.”
I practically got a whiplash from stopping dead in my tracks too fast when I heard Brittany’s voice.
“What is it?”
“Do you love him?”
My eyes tried to escape from my skull at this question. Why did Brittany want to know that? To confirm her suspicions? To prove a point?
“I do.”
Fuck! Amy loved me? No… Fuck, fuck, fuck! Aw, shit! I knew she had feelings beyond that of a friend for me, but I didn’t think she loved me!
I nearly ran back inside and hurriedly grabbed my guitar. I started strumming a random tune while my thoughts were in turmoil. My life was officially upside down. My girlfriend was a dishonest betrayer and my close friend is in love with me. What on earth was I going to do now?
The door to the studio swung open and Brittany and Amy appeared in the doorway. I didn’t even wait to hear Brittany’s response to the shocking confession, but at least they were both alive. I tried to keep my head down and to stay focused on playing my guitar, but their eyes seemed to burn into me and eventually I looked up, offering them both a weak smile before dropping my gaze back down to my guitar. This was definitely the most awkward and probably worst position I’ve ever been in. This even tops Gerard finding out about me and Brittany.
The place next to me on the couch sunk in and I looked up to meet Amy’s steel gray eyes.
“You okay?” she asked warily.
I forced a small smile onto my face, “I’m fine. Gerard and Ray surprised me with this song and it’s really got me stumped.”
“Oh,” she chuckled and it was just as forced as my smile. “Good luck then.”
I looked over to where Brittany was still standing in the doorway watching us and she gave me a skeptical look. She knew something was up.
“Is there a funeral in here?” Matt asked, looking around the room and at the three of us.
“I’m going home,” Brittany announced. “I’ve got homework.”
The drummer snorted, “Since when do you do homework?”
“Since I decided to graduate from high school and hopefully get into college.”
“I graduated from high school,” Matt huffed, seemingly insulted.
“We’ll see you at home,” Gerard nodded at her and she left.
Good, I couldn’t deal with both her and Amy right now. Scratch that, I couldn’t deal with either of them right now.

***

Brittany was still friends with Tray. Amy loved me. Brittany went behind my back and tried to force Amy to stop being friends with me. Brittany chose to continue lying to me and to keep the truth about her friendship with Tray from me. Brittany continued to keep me at a distance. Brittany…
My head hurt from thinking these same thoughts over and over and over again. I was lying on my bed and staring up at the ceiling, trying to decide what to do.
I didn’t mind so much that Brittany was still friends with Tray as I did her keeping it from me and lying about it. I did mind, but I couldn’t exactly expect her to ignore the guy as she so rightfully pointed out. How could I trust her though if she refused to be honest with me? We needed to be open with each other if this was going to work. If she was going to keep me on the outside indefinitely then maybe we should just end this now, but… I didn’t want to. I couldn’t break up with her over something so stupid and yet there were so many things. This wasn’t the only thing about her that bothered me. Things were very complicated and one night was not going to be nearly enough time to figure it out.
Amy was in love with me. Okay, so she loved me. How did I feel about her? I didn’t like Matt flirting with her earlier that day. I trusted her more than I trusted Brittany. I was attracted to her, very attracted to her, but there was still Brittany.
Why couldn’t life be simple? Why the fuck was I in this predicament?
My phone rang, causing me to jump and then I brought the small ringing object up to my face to see who was calling. It was Brittany and I considered ignoring the phone call, but she would keep calling until I answered. Besides, if I didn’t answer she would demand an explanation and what was I going to tell her then? I couldn’t even figure it out myself.
With a sigh I put the phone to my ear, answering with a cautious, “Hello.”
“Frank! Hey!” she sounded surprised that I answered. “How are you?”
That was an odd question. She barely ever asked me that.
“Uhm, good and you?”
As if this conversation wasn’t weird enough.
“I’m good too. What are you up to?”
Okay, now this was just borderline insane. What was up with Brittany and her everyday natural questions? It was not like her at all.
“Not much. Just working on a song,” I lied casually.
There was a momentary pause on her side and then suddenly she said, “You’re avoiding me. I’m coming over.”
“What? No! Why? I answered the phone didn’t I?” I rambled, because the last thing I wanted was for her to come over right now.
“So what? I don’t care that you answered. Something’s up and I want to know what,” she responded and I could hear her moving around in the background.
“Brittany…” she hung up and I stared at my phone in horror.
She was coming over. I couldn’t talk to her. She didn’t want to hear my thoughts right now. What if I said something that was better left unsaid. Shit, this was a disaster!
I left my phone lying on the bed as I ran down the stairs and ripped open the front door just as the teen came up the porch steps.
“You’re crazy. It’s late. What are you doing here?” the words poured from my mouth as she approached me in a hurry.
“We need to talk,” she stated. “Something is wrong with you and it’s driving me crazy. I’m not Amy. You can’t shrug me off with some stupid lie about a song.”
“It really was the song that had me troubled,” I insisted.
“I swear if you mention that damned song again, I am going to lose it! Frank, I’m not Gerard who probably knows you better than you know yourself, I get it. I haven’t been your best friend forever, but you forget that I’ve known you my entire life. I don’t know your fetishes and your pet peeves. Okay, maybe I know some of them being that I fall under both categories,” she shook her head disapprovingly. “The point is that aside from you, Gerard and probably your mom, I know you better than anyone. I know what makes you tick in a good and bad way.” She stepped in front of me and took my face in her hands. “Tell me what’s going on please.”
Now she wanted to make up for everything. Now that Amy pointed out the huge communication flaw in our relationship Brittany suddenly wanted to fix it? She only wanted to talk because she hated the fact that I told Amy everything and not her.
“I’m not leaving until you do,” she told me, stepping back again.
I sighed deeply, standing aside so she could enter. It was late and my mom was already in bed or at least she was supposed to be until we bumped into her on our way to my room. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Brittany standing next to me.
“We’re just going to talk,” I assured her leading Brittany to my room.
I had no idea what I was going to say to the blonde yet, but she obviously wasn’t going to be satisfied with just any response. I needed something proper to distract her from the truth. Like that’s going to be easy.
“Kasey and I are best friends for a reason. We’re both like bloodhounds. We won’t let go,” she joked.
Okay, think! What did you hear during their conversation? What will be good enough to throw her off track?
“Come on, Frank!” Brittany exclaimed exasperated. “Just talk to me. I know you think that you can’t, but I’m your girlfriend. You can trust me. What we talk about stays between the two of us. At least it will if you don’t go running to Amy with it.”
And there it was. Brittany was unhappy about me sharing my life with Amy. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn’t even stop to consider this possibility. Of course she was upset about it. If this turned into an argument, our relationship would not survive the night. I was furious with her and that’s exactly why I couldn’t argue with her right now. I might just snap. Instead I opted for the alternative option. Placate her.
“I heard you and Amy talking today,” I started, having decided how to go about the whole situation.
“You did?” she choked out going extremely pale in no time at all.
I knew this was only because she thought I heard about her ongoing friendship with Tray, which I did, but she didn’t have to know that yet. I didn’t even know why I didn’t want her to know, but right now was not the time.
“I guess you were right about Amy. I can’t believe she’s in love with me.”
I didn’t even have to act all that much since the information shocked me. I pretended to be extra mortified by it though.
“Frank, I’m sorry,” she apologized and it almost seemed sincere.
“I trusted her and all this time…” I shook my head and now I was putting on the best show of my life.
“It’s not the end of the world, Frank. She hasn’t acted on those feelings yet. Maybe you two can still be friends?” she offered as consolation still standing in the doorway looking lost.
“You don’t really believe that, do you?” I snorted in disbelief.
Why was she suddenly defending Amy? This girl didn’t make any sense.
“No,” she admitted guiltily. “I’m glad you know the truth.”
“I just need some time to process it. I’ll be okay,” I said sort of dismissing her.
“Are you sure?” she checked uncertainly.
I nodded and she looked relieved. Of course she was relieved, because she could relax now that she ‘knew’ that I didn’t hear about her and Tray.
“In that case I’ll go home. Promise you’ll call if you need to.”
I muster the biggest brightest smile I could and it seems to succeed in putting her at ease.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she told me walking over and giving me a quick kiss before heading for the door. She stopped before leaving my room and turned back uncertainly. “Frank, what else did you hear?”
“Nothing except Amy’s love confession, why?” I asked completely innocent.
“No reason,” she shook her head. “Bye,” And she pretty much ran from my room.
Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day. Hopefully I’ll figure something out. I was relieved that my diversion plan worked. Brittany didn’t suspect a thing and that gave me a little more time to sort out my thoughts which would hopefully be soon. It had to be, because I was stuck at a fork in the road. Brittany or Amy…

Notes

So very sorry for the long wait! But finally, here is the next chapter!