I'm Not a Whore, I'm Just a Leech

The library is peaceful as I roam the aisles, trying to find an advanced Chemistry book that Mr. Reid had suggested. It is three weeks into the term and I am already ahead in Chemistry. Reid suggests that Iero and I try some experiments that aren’t actually a requirement, but will test our capabilities. It appears that Frank has become my permanent Chemistry partner.

A small cough behind me alerts me to the presence of a tall but slutty looking girl with an insane amount of makeup on her otherwise plain face. “Cam Donahue?” she asks and I nod. “You’re the one who always get together with Frank when he has girlfriends, right?” I shrug slightly. “Well, he’s my boyfriend now and everything was going great until a few days ago when he seemed off. Has he been cheating on me with you?”

“No.”

“Do you think he would?”

“I could try,” I say, pulling the Chemistry book I was looking for off the shelf and wiping the dust off the cover.

“Excuse me?”

“I could try to get him to kiss me. Then you’ll know if he really is loyal to you or not. Believe me, if he is going to cheat on you with somebody, it’ll be me,” I explain as I flip through the book.

“I don’t need you to come onto my boyfriend! And besides, he would never cheat on me. He loves me.”

“If you’re so sure then it wouldn’t matter if I came onto him; he wouldn’t kiss me anyway,” I reply. She frowns, her face contorting into what I can only assume is her thinking expression.

“I suppose,” she mutters.

“If he isn’t loyal to you, wouldn’t you rather just know than be strung along?”

“I guess.”

“So really, it only makes sense that you want my help.” I smile, lulling her into the false impression that it was her idea to begin with.

“Yeah…that makes sense…You could try and get him to cheat on me, and if he does, which he won’t, then I can just dump him. But if he doesn’t then I know he really loves me.”

“It will cost you twenty dollars.”

“What?”

“Twenty dollars.”

“You want me to pay you?” she asks, aghast that anyone would want money for the chance to kiss Frank Iero. I nod. “How about ten?” I shake my head, “Fifteen?” I start walking down the aisle, running my finger over the spines of the books on the shelf as I do so. “Fine! Twenty!” she snaps. “But I want to see it, to make sure you aren’t making stuff up,” she sneers, afraid that I’ll try and break her and her precious Frankie up for my own personal gain.

“Tomorrow just before lunch, the little hallway to the side of the cafeteria,” I instruct before slamming the book I was thumbing through shut. It was a standard meeting spot.

It was Frank Iero. Easy. I’ve been waiting for his first girlfriend to come running to me.

__________________________________________________________________________

Returning to my study table I see a brunette sitting in one of the empty seats tapping the table with a pencil. “Melissa.” She looks up and smiles as I sit down.

“Hey Cam.” She sighs, putting down her pencil. I nod in greeting. “So, I’ve been wondering when you were going to help me with Victor,” she explains bluntly.

“I’m just laying down some ground work,” I reply automatically.

“Ground work?”

“Melissa, I haven’t talked to the guy in three years; me waltzing up and trying to kiss him will not go over well. Besides, in my rather broad experience with the opposite sex, I have come to realize that some guys take longer to work than others.” I have to make them notice me before I throw myself at them, make them curious, make them think I am interested, get into their head so they cannot help but be fascinated with me. I have to make them think they have a chance with me, even though they are the taken one. Other guys like Iero and Will just need a suggestive smile and they’re mine.”

Melissa doesn’t say anything, but I can tell she wants to. She eventually opens up her mouth and asks, “You will help me, won’t you? I know you have history with Victor, it’s just that I really like him…I need to know if he likes me as much.”

“Yes, Melissa, I will help you.” I smile slightly to comfort her. “You have to remember though that I won’t be held responsible for what happens. I don’t know what Victor will do. Be prepared for the worst, if you aren’t then don’t ask for my help,” I explain as I begin making notes on an experiment I’d like to try. She nods, clearly worried.

__________________________________________________________________________

As I’m walking through the hallways I flash a smile at Victor; he almost walks into Melissa in surprise. I can faintly hear Melissa asking him what is wrong, but oddly enough he is too busy sneaking glances at me to notice. As Melissa gets some books from her locker, Victor walks over to me. Oh, the things a smile can do. The people that smile too much never quite realize the potential of what they could do with that smile because it becomes a common thing to behold. Those who rarely smile can truly appreciate the wonders of a smile. I, am one of the latter.

“So, Cam, I haven’t seen you around much lately. What have you been up to?”

“Studying for exams.” He looks slightly surprised.

“Right, exams, yeah,” he mutters. One smile and he is a stuttering wreck. I should try this approach more often, it’s very amusing. Melissa looks over at us and smiles at Victor, but he doesn’t notice because he is too busy watching me. She frowns and turns to Dave, her locker neighbour, flicking her hair over her shoulder and batting her eyelashes at him.

As I walk to my next class, I contemplate that thought. Something about that does not seem right, and I am determined to get to the bottom of it.

__________________________________________________________________________

Lunch finds me waiting for Iero’s slutty girlfriend in the hallway leading to the lunchroom. “Have you got the money?” I ask bluntly as the girl finally sashays around the corner. Her bottom lip turns up in disgust as she hands me the money. Knowing we still have some time, I count the money to make sure it is all there. “You’re missing five dollars.” She glares at me but when I make no move for a deal she grudgingly reaches into her pocket and hands me the other five dollars. “Good, now, go stand over there around that corner.” I point to the corner a little way down the hallway. She turns her nose up and gives me one last glare before frolicking over to where I had pointed.

At times, I seriously question Iero’s taste in girls. It seems to have steadily gotten worse over the years. I mean, really…she actually frolicked.

After a few minutes, someone speaks.

“Good morning, Leech,” mumbles a deep and unsettlingly familiar voice. “Are you lost? Or, are you perhaps waiting for me?” he purrs, stepping into the side corridor where I am leaning against the wall.

“Obviously the latter, Iero.” I shoot him a fake sickeningly sweet smile. He smirks and steps closer.

“Still haven’t gotten over your obsession with me then? I was wondering when you were going to come find me. You must have missed me terribly over the summer…” He is now standing so close that we are almost touching. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard that I have a girlfriend now, have you?”

“And when has that ever stopped you before?” I whisper in his ear, sliding my hands up his chest. Seducing Iero is becoming far too easy, it’s almost as if he wants to get caught.

“My, my, little Leech,” he sniggers, “Being a bit forward aren’t we?” I smirk up at him and he rests a hand on the wall by my head while the other comes up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “You never change do you?”

“Why are you still talking?” I mutter, making him laugh slightly before bringing his lips to meet mine. He kisses me gently and I let my mind go blank. Kissing boys is my job. The hand he used to move the strand of hair tangles in the dyed red hair at the back of my head to fasten my face to his as his tongue slips out to trace the curve of my bottom lip. I normally do not need to go as far as tongues but Iero’s girlfriend must be in shock because she hasn’t said anything yet. Opening my mouth I allow his tongue entry.

Although I would never admit it to him (or to anyone else for that matter) out of all the boys I have kissed - and there have been quite a few - Iero is definitely the best kisser. He has a way of making you want just a little bit more each time he changes the tone of the kiss. Most guys don’t have a lip ring either, so that makes the kisses stand out. As much as I don’t like the guy, his kissing makes up for the amount of time I’ve had to spend in his company.

Finally, his girlfriend breaks her silence.

“You fucking asshole!” she screeches. “You said you hated her! You said you wouldn’t go near her and that she was just your plaything and that you didn’t need her now that you had me! How could you do this to me, Frankie! How could you do this to us! We’re perfect for eachother! How could you ruin everything for a kiss from that slut?”

Seemingly reluctantly, Iero pulls away from our kiss, leaving us both a little short of breath. He rests his forehead against mine and looks me directly in the eye. He gives me a look that suggests he knew he was going to get caught. I will never understand his twisted mind. Ever.

“Hello, Clarrisse,” he sighs, turning away from me. I simply pick up my bag, sling it over my shoulder and walk off while Iero stands there, listening to slutty Clarrisse’s rant. That was an easy twenty dollars, and I would bet all of it that he’d have another girlfriend by the end of the week. That is, if I had anyone to bet with.

__________________________________________________________________________

Walking into the library after class I throw my bag on a table and apparently I threw it too hard because it flies off. “Fuck-” they jerk up as my bag lands on them. “Cam, you scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry, I didn’t see you,” I say, retrieving the bag and walking around to the other side of the table. “What are you doing sitting on the floor by my table, anyway?”

“Waiting for you,” Victor murmurs, “I know you always come here after school.” I keep my gaze fixed onto the table. Something is definately off. “I just wanted to catch up with you. It seems like we haven’t talked in ages.” He shrugs and I can tell he is faking nonchalance.

“We talked this morning, before lunch.” I frown.

“Not really, I just wanted to see how you were… You seem kind of distant.”

“I am the same as I always have been,” I lie. Lying has become way too easy for me.

“No, you’re not, Cam! You used to love life, and now it seems like you just endure it. What happened to the Cam I knew? To the Cam I… I, loved.”

I look up from the table just in time to see him lower his head and mutter those last words.

“She never really existed,” I reply coldly before getting up and grabbing my bag. Never, in those three months I was with him did he ever tell me he loved me. So why would he decide to tell me now? After three years. Especially, when he is dating my sister… Something is positively not right. And I do not want to be part of any game Victor is playing. With me or my sister.

“Cam,” he protests as I walk away from him. “Damn it, Cam,” he says, more to himself than me, as I walk away from the table and head for the library doors. Well, that may have put a dent in my plans to seduce him for Melissa. Why did I agree to that again?



__________________________________________________________________________

I get home a lot earlier than usual tonight, but after my run in with Victor at the library I came straight home. I went straight up to Melissa and I’s shared room.

“Cam?”

“Melissa?”

“You’re early,” she mumbles from her bed.

“I’m tired,” I reply dully as I make my way to the bathroom.

“Did you see Victor at all after this morning, today?” she whispers. I hesitate only a moment before replying.

“No.”

Notes