Don't Stand So Close To Me

"Fuck me! Gee, do something!" Voices seemed to whisper around me in harsh tones, brushing at the edges of my mind like the tip of a feather, still the blackness was all consuming and impossible to fight against. At the same time I couldn't think enough to consider why I would ever want to do that... It's so peaceful like this.


"What do you want me to do exactly? Give her mouth to mouth?" A second snapped back, this voice just as snippy and short as the first.


There was a low rumble, it vibrated against my side as if I were laying atop a vibrating cell phone. I really wanted them to go away. Was I dying? I couldn't remember who I was or why I was like this but some part of my mind seemed to believe I deserved whatever happened to me now. What had I done exactly that was bad enough to deserve death? I kept trying to pull my thoughts together but it was like trying to pull a slice of soggy bread out of a bucket of water. Everything was muddled and fell to pieces before I could grasp it.


"It was a joke, Frank." The tone wasn't reassuring or kind, still stressed and sharp.


A muffled sound tugged at my thoughts, something like a shout stifled into a pillow, and I felt that slowly I was collecting the soggy wheat pieces and seeing them a bit better. I'm Lana. I'm seventeen. I'm probably at home and left American Horror Story on too loud before falling asleep on the couch. Yeah, that's it.


I'll just wake up now and turn it down, the volume is making this spot on the side of my head ache. Wait, my shoulder and hip hurt too... did I fall off the couch again? Dammit.


"I think she's coming around," the second voice went on, followed by a sigh from the first person, before continuing. "I'm going to finish this now, you deal with her. We don't have time to waste."


This was a really weird episode, what the hell was this even about? I began to blink before forcing my eyes open, fighting against the glue that seemed to keep them shut, and my eyes were accosted with bright light. I continued to flutter my lids to adjust when a voice right beside me made them snap wide in fear. "Hey there, sleeping beauty."


Finally I woke up enough to realize it was Frank. My head had been in his lap as we sat on the uncomfortable nurse's office cot and his hazel eyes were boring down into mine. I broke our stare down as a blush crept over my cheeks, embarrassed to be in this predicament, only to have my eyes land on his crotch which --now that I was turned more into him-- was right at eye level... This of course only made my face hotter as well as other places and I mentally cursed my blood for seeming to heat up two of the most awkward body parts at once.


"I'd offer to let you see what you really want to, but there are other matters to attend to." Frank's left dropped in a suggestive wink, a smirk still dancing on his lips, and I scowled at him in an annoyed manner. Sure I'd been about to let him deflower me a few hours ago but clearly it was lucky I didn't, he could be a real cocky jerk when he wanted (which seemed to be most of the time). I still didn't appreciate his air of supremacy. He'd wanted me as bad as I'd wanted him. Right?


This annoyance helped me recover, pushing myself to sit up, shrugging off his hands as he tried to help me seeing as he was still looking smugly at me, and tried to stand. I was wobbly but I didn't care because all at once I remembered everything. It crashed down on me like tidal waves and this time I stumbled in shock. I saw Mr. Way on his knees, mopping up the last remains of the water before tossing the used hand towels into the bucket I'd splashed them with. Even worse, I saw Lucas gagged and bound again, his eyes now glaring into Mr. Way's side. Damn, if looks do could kill. Worst yet: Mrs. Smith's body lay limply on the tiled floor with a layer of the crinkly paper you put on exam tables in doctors' offices stretched over top of her like a morgue's white sheet. I felt sick to my stomach all over again.


I looked directly up into the fluorescent lights above, "You must really hate me lately."


There was no reply from any God or deity in the sky but I heard a snort from a certain asshole who was leaning casually against the cot that we'd been about to fuck on an hour or so ago. I grimaced again and tried to act as if none of this whole situation was bothering me. It was bad enough I'd fainted and cried in these men's presence I really couldn't handle the idea of being taunted for my weak stomach too.


"What exactly did I miss?" I asked him, gesturing toward Lucas being tied up and silenced again, while attempting to be all businesslike and clinical and nothing at all like the emotional wreck I actually felt like right now.


Frank's expression flatlined at that, his pierced lips pressed into a thin line and his eyebrows furrowing so severely I worried they'd be stuck that way. "None of your concern, sweetie."


The pet name wasn't in a cutesy manner, it was almost condescending and reminded me of being patted on the head when I was little, which of course made me bristle, the hairs on the back of my neck raising as I prepared to defend my own name. I put a hand on my hip and stared right back at him, "Tell me. What happened with Lucas?"


Frank huffed and stood up straight, folding his arms over chest before striding from the room muttering, "I need a smoke."


I was now well passed annoyed, I was fuming. While I crossed my own arms and stewed in my annoyance and confusion and --ugh! Everything!-- Mr. Way chuckled wearily, without much energy. I didn't find anything humorous in this situation at all. I turned to tell him exactly that when he cut me off, "Are you really that nïave?" Again I felt talked-down-to and opened my mouth once again to retaliate when he spoke, "Can't you tell?" I gave him a pointed look, obviously I was pretty clueless right now, no need to rub it in. "While you were out Lucas here," he kicked at the younger boy's chair leg, earning a sizzling stare from the chair's inhabitant, "mentioned that he could see up your shorts when you fell so Frank tried to kill him. I didn't think another death was exactly what we need right now. So..."


I nodded, now totally confused. I couldn't deny the part of me that like being stood up for but then Frank goes and acts like a tool again? Just when I thought I might be getting somewhere with him. I turned on my heel, throwing my voice over my shoulder as I left too, "Be right back."


I heard a small sigh and Mr. Way's muffled response, "Just leave the innocent bystander to clean it all up."


He was just as innocent as I was, after all if those two hadn't fought for so long we'd have been long gone by the time Mrs. Smith could've heard us. I crept down the hall, following the smell of smoke and Frank's cologne into... the locker room? Yeah, definitely.


I began to tip toe as I heard muttering, "Is she even wearing any underwear? And I thought she was a good girl." That stung a little until I realized what was going on, he was imitating Lucas. I regretted, not for the first time today, wearing these stupid shorts. "What do you want me to do, give her mouth to mouth?" I couldn't suppress the giggle that bubbled past my lips. His imitation of Mr. Way was spot on! "Is someone there?"


I hesitated, still partially pissed he was giving me the cold shoulder, but ended up walking to where he lounged against the bench running between two sets of lockers. He was laid flat on his back and looking up at the ceiling, his legs draping over either side of the narrow bench and a cigarette dangling from his right hand. The way he was positioned I could see the hem of his shirt riding up to reveal the thin line of dark hair running from his navel to the waistband of his boxers. I shivered involuntarily before leaning against the lockers to my left, alerting him to my presence as they rattled a little.


He saw me, rolled his round eyes, and went back to staring at the seemingly fascinating ceiling. "Can't you tell when you're not wanted?"


Ouch. But I knew he was just being a prick, he didn't really mean it, right? So I sat down, just on the other side of his legs, on the bench and began twisting the loose thread off the end of my shorts. "Don't be such an asshat."


There was a snort of laughter but no other response. I began to get even angrier. He was this much of a coward? Wouldn't even make conversation? Now I glared at him as I spoke.


"Good luck trying to get my cherry now." I concluded. If he was being like this I already knew I didn't want to have sex with him. He was getting on my last nerve. My words seemed to strike a chord with him as he sat up faster than I thought should be allowed and had me pinned to the bench in a split second. He was hovering over me, his cigarette still between his fingers as his other hand pinned both of mine above my head and I could feel his hard-on against my stomach where his hips glided over mine.


His lips bypassed mine and landed by my ear, tickling it as his breath ghosted and he whispered, "You're never going to get it are you? You'll never be able to resist me."


I tried to hold my resolve, ('I'm not giving in, I'm not giving in') but without my permission I felt my eyes start to drift closed as his lips were only an inch from mine, my hips lifting off of the bench but not quite meeting his, my hands itching to pull at his aggravating shirt that I didn't want him to wear anymore.


And he was gone again, now sitting straight up a few feet away and staring at me as I tried to gather myself. I felt my face get hot all over again and I glared back at him. He was smirking again, that fucker. I simply stood and began to stomp from the room when I heard him sigh and follow me. I spun around to face him, not realizing our faces were mere centimeters apart, and stumbled back a step. He took a drag from his cigarette and I snapped, "Smoking kills you know."


His orbs locked with mine as he said, "I'm already going to hell, why not enjoy the ride?"


I was torn between wanting to tell him he was most certainly not damned in my opinion and wanting to snatch his cig and stomp it out. "You're going to set off the fire alarms."


Another cocky expression, "I learned how to disable them when I was your age, kid."


My mind was still whirring, how could I get him to put it out?? Didn't he know how smoking can effect you?? I mean, Laura... Wait. He wouldn't know that. Right. I bit my lip, gnawing on it until I spoke again. "Why do you even smoke? Don't you read the cartons? It's dangerous?"


"What's it to you? Lana, stop being a child about it. You're just as likely to die in a car accident or a spontaneous fire in your house." His voice was a bored drawl, then his eyes lit up and fixed a gaze with mine, "After all, weren't you the one who was going to smoke pot this afternoon? Hm?"


I rolled my eyes this time, "It doesn't matter what I was going to do! This is a serious thing, Frank!"


"Why are you so bothered?" He shot back, his expression now speculative. I felt like I was under a spotlight, sweat dewing at the nape of my neck and the palms of my hands.


"That-- That doesn't matter either. What's important is that you put out that stupid cigarette!" My heart was racing, glaring at him viciously as I could to mask my panic and worry.


He simply took another drag, blowing the smoke out of the corner of his mouth and his nose. I nearly cried at this point, didn't he care at all what could happen because of some stupid habbit?!


I groaned in frustration and stomped my foot, blinking back tears, "I'M HAVING A REALLY BAD DAY CAN YOU STOP BEING A PRICK?!"


He seemed to waver before he stubbed out his cancer stick against the locker beside him and closed the distance between us in one step, his eyes no longer probing but instead softened and a bit taunting. "You're just mad because your a horny teenager."


I couldn't meet his eyes at this close space, "So what does that make you? You came on to me first."


He chuckled again, "You'll admit eventually that you like me more than you'd prefer to."


I was reminded of the car ride that morning, "You like me too."


"I never said I did. Or didn't." Damn his mixed signals.


He shocked me by reaching a hand between us and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering to brush down the line of my neck, my collarbone, my shoulder, and all the way to the tip of my own fingers. A trail of goosebumps erupted wherever his skin touched and I forgot how to talk.


"We need to go help Gee, we have unfinished business tied to a chair in there." He didn't totally switch off the caring look but his grimness did return. I followed him back to the nurse's office and as we reached the door he pushed me back, cracked his knuckles and gave me a look that reminded me of a cat about to pounce on a defenseless bird, "You wait here. I've got something I need to do."


With that he closed the door in my face and I began pounding on it, UGH! BOYS!

Notes

Hello! this is your other new author MatiMarie here :)

There's no no way I could follow up my co-writer's speech so I won't even try! I will say I agree with all of it. And this: nothing can stop us if we stand together. We've weathered the storm of this fandom for so long and nothing can stop us now. We have the music, each other, and a few amazing men who have inspired, cared for, and saved us in ways no one else ever could.

I hope you liked this chapter!! Why do you think Frank is acting like this? Why is Lana so concerned for him? And what will be next for our friends in this tale of death, sexual tension, and adventure??

xx MM