The walk down the street from my house to Gerard's had to have been the most forced steps I think I'd ever taken. I didn't want to spend my night surrounded by total strangers and not to mention be in such close proximity with them. Okay, so Gerard wasn’t exactly a stranger, and neither was Mikey, but I still didn't really know them that well yet.

I'd only met the pair at the beginning of the summer and it's not like I talked to them at all afterwards. My first real interaction with Gerard didn't come until the first day of school, and Mikey, I still hadn't had a real conversation yet.

As for Gerard and Mikey's friends, I didn't even know their names. I didn't really know what to expect of them. Gerard wasn't like anyone I'd ever met before; I didn't see it possible that there were other people who shared his charm and personality.

As I walked up the front steps, expecting the worst as not to get my hopes up that things could ever be any different, my steps slowed to a shuffle. I really didn't want to go to Gerard's dumb movie night, suffering through the awkward and uncomfortable silences, when I could be home writing or reading, or anything else really. I prolonged my arrival for as long as I could before I decided my night's fate.

I got to the door and I lifted my hand out of my pocket to knock, pausing as I considered going back home. Last chance, Leigh, I thought to myself as I quietly and lightly rapped on the door.

It was barely audible and if I went home now, I could tell my mother I'd at least tried and save my conscience another -complete- lie. I waited a moment to see if anyone was home and after a few moments it seemed that no one was coming to the door, so I turned around and stared back to my house.

I'd cleared but one step off the porch when I heard the door open behind me. I turned to see Gerard had poked his head out and smiled upon seeing me; I don't know why.

"Hey, Leigh," Gerard said in a cheery voice that didn't really suit him yet at the same time seemed completely in his nature. He stepped away cueing me to step inside. Gerard held the door for me and as I walked in past him, I just barely brushed his shoulder against mine causing me to catch my breath slightly. It’s not like I did it on purpose but I wasn’t complaining as the electric shock of Gerard surged through me, his sweet scent a mixture of cologne and cigarettes tickling my nose. God, if he ever knew how much his touch affected me, the way his voice put me in a trance. For now I just tried to keep my composure, faking that everything was okay like I always did.

He hadn't even addressed the fact that I was just about to leave, choosing solitude over a night spent with him and his friends. Gerard closed the front door and I waited for him to show me where to go. I’d never been inside Gerard’s house before and as Gerard looked away I took the opportunity to take a peek around.

As my gaze glanced around for a moment, the first things to stick out to me were all of the pictures. There were dozens of them, all frames and propped up neatly on a table or hanging on a wall. I couldn’t quite tell what they were of but they all looked kind of like they were pictures of Gerard and Mikey as kids. I wished I could have gotten a better look. Gerard turned back and gave me another smile. Why was he smiling so much? "Come on downstairs, I'll introduce you to the guys."

The guys. The guys I knew nothing about, that I'd have to be trapped in a room with for the night. I followed Gerard as he led me to the back of his house where the staircase to the basement was. He opened the door and gestured for me to follow him down. Instead of a normal basement, the room downstairs was Gerard's.

His desk was messy and cluttered with drawings and sketches much like the artwork I'd seen of his in the art room. There were clothes scattered around the edges of the room, tossed to the side instead of being properly put away. Bins of comics were stacked against one wall and there were enough books to last you a lifetime.

The most noticeable thing in Gerard's room though were four boys. Mikey I'd already met and quickly recognized, but the other three were a little more unfamiliar.

I felt like I'd seen the one with the frizzy hair around school a little and I was fairly certain that the short kid with the piercings was in my history class. The blonde boy looked too manly to even be in high school, but I still couldn't help but think I recognized him a little.

"Guys," Gerard announced upon entering the room full of his friends. They all looked up with smiling faces that somehow lit up even more upon seeing me. I couldn't see why though; I was a total stranger and, when dressed in all black wearing a less than enthused and most likely unapproachable expression on my face, a depressing one at that. "This is Leigh, she lives next door."

The boys kept their wide smiles, trying to be friendly. The one I was sure was from my history class walked over first, extending his hand and saying, "Hi Leigh, I'm Frank. I think we have history together?" Well I guess I was right, we do have that class together. I wondered if this meant that he was going to try and talk to me more now.

I shook his hand and shyly replied, "Hi Frank, and yeah, we do." The one called Frank stepped away and was immediately replaced by the big blonde boy. He took my hand and introduced himself. "Hey it's nice meeting you. I'm Bob." Bob? What a generic name. I shook Bob's hand anyway, and faked a smile back to him.

Finally the boy with the frizzy hair stepped up. "Hey Leigh, my name's Ray." I shook his hand like I had everyone else's. “Hi Ray.”

I thought I was going to pass out from all the human interaction and fakeness, and Mikey coming over and hugging me didn't help either.

When Ray's and my introduction was done, Mikey came up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist without any warning. "Hi Leigh," he said in his cheery, kiddish voice. I didn't know how to react; I hadn't actually hugged anyone in years. I put my arms on Mikey in a futile attempt to reciprocate the gesture, but it was mostly just to get him off nicely and it was obvious that I was uncomfortable.

Gerard grabbed Mikey's arm and took him away from me. There was an immediate coldness from where he had just been holding onto me, but I was still relieved to be freed from his embrace. "Mikey, don't be a creep," Gerard admonished his younger brother.

"Sorry," the younger Way muttered to me, annoyed by his brother's reprimanding.

Mikey was too cute. He didn't really do anything wrong and if I wasn't so terribly, socially awkward, I probably would have hugged him back, well properly anyway. But I made things weird and Mikey was punished for it. "No, it's okay," I found myself defending the youngest Way. "Don't worry about it, Mikey."

I looked to Mikey as I said this and offered up what I thought was a relatively believable, fake smile. Mikey seemed to be pleased with my gesture and returned a smile of his own, his being notably more genuine looking.

I don’t know what happened next but just seeing the realness of Mikey’s smile made me feel, I don’t know, good I guess. Maybe there was such a thing as real happiness. I wondered what that felt like.

Awkward moment aside Gerard prepared for the movie. Upon Mikey’s incessant requesting, we watched Dawn of the Dead which all the guys were surprised to hear that I liked. “Seriously?” Frank asked when I said that the movie was one of my favorites.

“Yeah, why not?” I could hear the coldness in my voice, proud to know that there might still be a chance that these guys won’t want to try to start a friendship. Frank moved right past my tone and continued on in his happy, upbeat voice. “Well, I don’t want to sound sexist or anything, but like every other girl I know hates these kinds of movies.” I just shrugged and brushed off his comment, having nothing else to say back to him on the topic.

The guys tried to get me to talk for a little while before we actually started to watch the movie. They asked my so many questions that my head actually started to hurt, though that also may have been from the lack of sleep I’d gotten the previous night.

I don’t even know how they had so many questions in mind for me, it was like they planned what they were going to ask before they even met me. I was questioned on my taste in music, movies, books, you name it. I kept my answers pretty short and very vague; I just wanted to get this night over with and go home.

“Favorite band?” Frank asked and before I had the chance to answer I heard Bob question me. “Play any instruments?” it was overwhelming to say the least, and not just for someone who has zero communicational skills. I was being talked to left and right from everyone in the room; everyone except Gerard.

In the middle of our little game of twenty-thousand-questions, I looked over to see Gerard looking back at me. Our eyes met for just a moment and I forgot about the other boys surrounding me trying to learn more about me. We couldn’t have held the gaze for more than a few seconds before Gerard looked away nervously. Why was he so edgy tonight? If anyone should be shy around others it should be me and here I was completely out of my element surrounded by strange high school boys throwing questions at me, boys that just so happen to be Gerard’s friends, yet he was the quiet one.

When Ray suggested that I’d endured enough questioning for one night – though I’d argue that it was more than enough – Gerard started the movie. Bob stood up and shut off the lights and we all took a spot either on Gerard’s bed or on the floor. Ray, Frank and Bob all sat down on the carpet leaving Gerard, Mikey, and I to sit on the bed. This wouldn’t have been so bad if Gerard’s bed wasn’t so small and I wasn’t leaning up against him the whole movie.

With Mikey beside Gerard and me on his other side, it was either stay close to Gerard or fall off the bed.

I couldn’t focus on the movie, not like I hadn’t already seen it. All I could think about was how closer Gerard was, his arm just slightly behind me to make room. If I scooted over just a few more inches, he’d be holding me. I couldn’t keep this thought out of my head either and I imagined how it would feel to be held by Gerard. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to him. Breathing in his intoxicating scent and feeling his warm body pressed to mine.

Whatever, don’t get your hopes up, Leigh.

When the movie was over and the lights were turned back on, it was finally time for me to go home. In all honesty, the night wasn’t so bad. The guys were nice and very friendly, but I just wasn’t looking for friends. The only part about leaving I’d miss was being next to Gerard. I’d tried the entire movie to be cool and not do anything stupid being so close to him, and although I loved the feeling of his body against me, it was still a bit of a relief when Gerard stood up, leaving an empty feeling next to me where he just sat.

I stood along with him as we all walked back upstairs. “You want to stay and hangout for a while?” Gerard asked as we all got upstairs into the living room. Watching a movie was one thing, that didn’t require conversation, and I was already worn out from the previous question barrage from earlier. “Uh, no thanks, I’m kind of tired. I think I’m just gonna go home.”

Gerard nodded and said, “Okay, uh, I’ll walk you out.” He started toward the front door and I started to follow him as I heard Mikey from behind me. “Bye, Leigh.” I turned to see Mikey standing among the other guys beaming as he awaited my salutations. It got me again, that silly yet adorable and genuine smile Mikey had. I looked over to him and this time my smile wasn’t faked as I said goodbye to Mikey and the others.

I turned back and walked to Gerard. We stood at the front door for just a moment and I remembered that first time I’d met Gerard and the first time I walked him to my front door. Now he was doing the same for me and like the last time, we had our weird little staring contest before I departed.

I looked into Gerard’s eyes, unable to focus anywhere else. He stared back at me without a word, and it stayed this way for a minute. I started to think about everything that made me fall in love with Gerard, every perfect thing about him. Before I could let these thoughts over take me, I spoke up. Yes, I spoke first, sue me.

“Uh, well, thanks for inviting me over tonight.” Gerard smiled and his eyes, which I hadn’t stopped staring at, lit up a little. "Anytime. Maybe you can come over again sometime?” He gave me that sexy sideways smirk of his as he said this and I could barely resist the urge to just put my arms around his neck and kiss those lips, but I did.

I forgot about how attractive he was, how attracted I was to him and, as politely as I could, declined, or whatever you want to call it. “Maybe,” was all I said, earning me a head nod from Gerard who silently understood what that meant. He opened the door and I stepped outside turning once to get one final look at Gerard who smiled at me again and waved to me as I made my way back over to my house.

Notes

In celebration of finally finishing my annoying-ass research paper that has occupied too big a portion of my worries over the past two months, I've decided to put up an early update! Hope this is worth it, enjoy the read, and I'll see ya on Friday!!