Gerard's Point of View

Three years ago marks the day that I met Elizabeth Miles. A few months ago, we celebrated her eighteenth birthday together, December twelfth. Her parents had thrown her the typical party, but she snuck out that night to watch slasher movies with pizza and beer with Mikey and I. The braces were now gone and her glasses were replaced with contacts. It was odd seeing how she now wore makeup and took consideration into how hair looked. It was a good odd. In a few months she'd be off to college. Tonight was the night of her senior prom...

Yesterday, all she did was sulk around my living room, complaining about how she didn't want to go to the dance. Complaining about how her mom picked out a terrible dress and even had the gall to set up a hair appointment. About how she'd much rather go to the Smashing Pumpkins concert with Mikey, or sit around and do nothing with me. Anything other than spend a night dancing with her mother's friend's son whose name she didn't even know. I didn't blame her.

Now, it was just me. Mikey would be home tomorrow from his concert in New York. Mom was away having a "Sister Weekend" with my aunt, she'd be back late Sunday. All I, a twenty-one year old junior in art school, was doing was watching B-rated horror flicks while eating pizza and nursing a bottle of beer. I was perfectly content, sitting in my basement, watching my movies and listening to the storm outside. Relishing in my own thoughts, I was torn from them when the doorbell rang. Well, it couldn't be the pizza man, I thought, staring at the extra large pepperoni in my lap. Who the hell is it? Reluctantly, I pulled my pajama clad body up the stairs toward the front door, not expecting what I saw on the other side.

Opening the door, I was greeted by an unsettling sight. Lizzie was standing on my porch, her blue sequined dress completely soaked from the rain, weighing her small frame down. Makeup was streaming down her face, due to rain or tears, I couldn't tell. Her hair was a complete mess, strewn everywhere on her head. The poor girl was a sniffling mess.

"Hey Gee," Lizzie said simply, wiping at her red, puffy eyes. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, stepping aside to let her in. We stood there, staring at each other, an awkward silence falling over the room. Suddenly, she lunged herself at me, arms wrapping around my torso like I was the only thing keeping her alive. Lizzie let out strangled sobs into my shoulder, and I just wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. I couldn't care less that I was slowly becoming just as soaked as she was. I just cared about Lizzie. I had never seen her so broken before.

Eventually, she pulled away, wiping at her eyes once again. Black makeup now stained her face and my shirt sleeve. Lizzie had her arms wrapped around herself, shivering uncontrollably.

"Do you mind if I borrow you're shower? I'm freezing," Lizzie admitted.

"Yeah, go right ahead. Towels are in the cabinet above the toilet."

"Thanks." And with that, she headed down the hallway, disappearing into the bathroom.

I was back in my room, now wearing dry pajamas, running the recent events through my mind. What happened to her? Why is she so upset? What can I do to help?

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs tore me from my thoughts. There stood Lizzie in nothing but a towel, shifting back and forth awkwardly.

"C-can I borrow some clothes? All I came here in was a prom dress and underwear, and seeing as those are soaked completely through, I don't think it would be my best idea to stick those back on..." she said meekly, avoiding eye contact.

"Y-yeah, sure," I stuttered, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. Rolling off my bed, I shuffled over to my dresser, pulling out my cleanest Misfits shirt and a pair of boxers. This would have to do, considering these we be the only things that would probably fit her. I handed the clothes over, making sure to stare at either the floor or above the towel line, and hoping the blush wasn't too apparent in my cheeks. She nodded her thanks before heading back up the stairs. For some reason, I allowed my eyes to wander down the back of her body. Damn, her legs were long. She sure had grown into her features from fifteen.

It wasn't before long that Lizzie reappeared, my band shirt swallowing her whole. Her long, blonde hair fell in waves around her face, and she looked at me with sad, green eyes as she sat next to me on the bed.

"I guess you want an explanation, huh?"

"Only if you feel like it," I responded, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Lizzie relaxed at my touch and let out a sigh.
"I'm gonna need a cigarette."

Lighting up and taking a drag, she began her tale. "You know, I didn't even want to go in the first place. I wish my mother would have listened to me. The guy she set me up with turned out to be a huge asshole, even bigger than you," she smiled slightly at her joke, gauging my reaction. I just smiled and shook my head.

"Well, I decided it would be in my best interest to just stand on the edge and try to block the shitty pop music from my ears. My 'date' had different plans. Before long, he saunters over to me and starts complaining about how I'm 'taking all the fun out if this' and how I should 'let loose and live a little'. And, before I know it, the bastard starts snaking his hands around my waist and grinding his pelvis against me. I push him away and tell him to stop, but the dick just can't take no for an answer. He decides he should plant a disgusting, slobbery kiss right on my lips.

"So I decide I should slap him. And then all hell breaks loose. He shoves me up against the wall and starts calling me all sorts of names like 'Slut' and 'Cunt', before he decides to try to make another move on me. Which, earns him another slap. I drew blood that time. That, in turn, brings on a whole new round of name calling, only this time, you and Mikey are brought into it. You can insult me all you want, but my friends are a whole different story. He really didn't like the fact that I was defending you, so he slaps me right across the face. And that's when I decided to hightail it out of there. I ran, all the way here...in heels." Lizzie took the last drag of her cigarette before snuffing it out in the ashtray on the my night table. Even in the dull glow from my television, I could see a slight bruise forming under her eye. That asshole better watch out, because if I ever so much as catch a glance of him, he'll be dead in a heartbeat.

Lizzie must've seen me fuming, because she quickly changed the subject. "But in other news, I got my college acceptance letter!" she unconvincingly smiled.

"Really? From where?" I decided to play along.

"Syracuse. I'll be majoring in Graphic Design and minoring in Photography."

"And you're parents are okay with this?"

"They think I'm going for Business and Marketing," she laughed.

"Speaking of parents, do they know where you're at?"

"I told them 'Stephanie' was having a post-prom slumber party. I don't even know a Stephanie!" she laughed. "Gee, do you have any booze? I could really use a drink right now."

"Yeah, sure. Let me run upstairs real quick."

I returned with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and vodka in the other. "Pick your poison," I smirked, holding the alcohol out to Lizzie.

She made no hesitation in grabbing the vodka, unscrewing the lid, and taking a few large gulps.

"Woah, slow down there Heavyweight," I laughed, taking a drink from my own bottle.

"Oh, fuck you," she snarled, taking another hit from the bottle.

"Wouldn't like to?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her as I chugged another drink, enjoying the warmth that was spreading to my extremities. I'll admit, I enjoyed this playful banter between the two of us. It was something that had been commonplace since we first met. It was all in good joking, but I understood why Mikey always thought the two of us were dating behind his back.

It wasn't long before Lizzie was a giggling mess due to the alcohol in her system. "What's the the name of this movie again?" she laughed as yet another person was comically slaughtered onscreen.

"Ice Spiders." Unlike her, I had paced myself, feeling only slightly buzzed. But Lizzie was another story. Half of the vodka had already been consumed, and her face was extremely rosy. She had become increasingly giggly and flirty as the night went on.

Suddenly, she became eerily quiet. I looked over to see her gnawing her lower lip, staring at me in deep concentration. "Gee?"

"Yes Lizzie?" I smiled down at the silly girl in my arms.

The next thing I wasn't expecting. Her fingers twisted in my hair, pulling my lips down to meet hers. She tasted like vodka and cigarettes, and smelled like my body wash. Damn, was it attractive.

But this was wrong. She was drunk, and I would be taking advantage of her. "Lizzie, I d---"

"Shut up," she mumbled, before kissing me once again. Each one was hungry and lustful. I would be lying if I said I didn't like it, but this just didn't feel right. It's not how I wanted it. I just couldn't stop myself though.

It wasn't long before she pulled herself into my lap, tongue swiping across my lips for access. I allowed, relishing that she was the one taking dominance. My hands slowly moved from her neck to hips, resting under her shirt. They traced her bare back, before pulling her flush against me, loving every moment of contact. My lips moved away from hers, toward her ear where nibbled slightly, eliciting a primal moan from Lizzie, a sound I had never heard from her before. I slowly layed kisses along her jawline, making my way toward her collarbone. Her fingers tangled in my hair even more, causing me to hum in arousal against her neck. Our lips connected once again, this time more reckless than before. Her hips ground into mine as she let out another moan against my lips. I couldn't do this.

"Lizzie?"

"Yeah Gee?" she whispered huskily as she played with the hem of my shirt, softly biting at my collarbone.

"We can't do this," I stated plainly, forcing myself to not reciprocate any of her actions. She looked up at me with big green eyes, pupils dilated from all the excitement.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

"Don't you want this? Don't you want me? Because you sure were acting like it."

"Honestly more than anything," I admitted. "But not like this. Only if both of us are aware of what is happening."

Reluctantly, she removed herself from my lap and set down next to me. "Sorry," I heard Lizzie mumble.

"Don't be."
"Can we cuddle?" she asked, actually making eye contact this time.

"Of course," I grinned, allowing her to curl into me. I wrapped my arms around Lizzie, pulling her close. Before long, I felt her breathing even out, signaling she was asleep.

Absentmindedly playing with her hair, I whispered something more for my benefit than anyone else's. Something I never expected to hear myself say at twenty-one. "I think I love you, Elizabeth Miles. I really do."



Shit, I was in deep.

Notes

Hello my darling readers! There was a long chapter to make up for the short length of the last one (and a steamy one at that!) Well, I guess I should start working on chapter four, though I might just play Sims a bit before. Let me know what you though of this chapter and if you want more!

~SS