Save Me

It was one of those times where you wake up and you don’t know what year it was, much less what time it was.
Where am I? I thought. This is definitely not my bed.
I opened my eyes and saw dimly lit tiled walls and my body strewn halfway inside a bathtub. Then it dawned on me.
I felt shock spread throughout my nerves as my realization woke me up entirely. I sat up and thankfully didn’t find a gun in my hand or laying anywhere around the room.
I jumped when I heard the doorbell ring and someone yelling through the half-wood-half-glass door and sprinted towards the main entrance of our home.
I saw my mom standing there looking quite annoyed at the fact that the door was locked however my face was completely lit up to see her. After letting her in I gave her a hug and she questioned if I was okay and felt my forehead for a fever.
“I’m fine,” I answered, still smiling.
That situation seemed to repeat itself as each family member came home for dinner.
“I think he may be sick,” my mom whispered to my dad as we filled our plates with pasta. I just rolled my eyes and didn’t bother correcting her. What? Can’t a seventeen year old be happy to see his family come home from whatever activity they were preoccupied with during the day?
About halfway through dinner there was another knock at the door and Mikey offered to get it.
“It’s Frank,” he said, sending the nerves to build up in my stomach. Maybe I am gonna be sick.
I looked to my parents to see their take on the situation while getting up and explaining I wasn’t that hungry anyway. They allowed me to go and I saw a very worrisome looking Frank in the doorway, causing me to worry as well.
“Why don’t we go outside,” I offered and he agreed. We sat down on the front steps now concealed from my parents and Frank tried to explain himself.
“I’m sorry,” he started. I already wanted to stop him but I also was scared of talking because I don’t know what would come out, “For being so distant lately. I-I promise it’s not because of you, well sort of, but it’s not because I don’t like you anymore, it’s be-because….” He trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. “I don’t know I’m just really confused right now, I guess.”
I nodded, perfectly understanding the feeling. “Well first of all you have no reason to apologize, I was just in a pissy mood and took it out on you—”
“Don’t try to make yourself the bad guy here,” he said.
“Don’t try to make yourself the bad guy here,” I repeated.
He smiled. “It’s just, I know you’re not always as happy as you deserve to be and I was worried, I didn’t want you to do something you would regret when you were mad.”
I sighed at that, almost about to laugh but then he would think I was weird and I wouldn’t be able to explain it at all. “I guess I’m learning how to handle my emotions better now.”
“I’m sorry for not being able to make you happy,” he looked down.
I was shocked, “no Frank you do! You’re my best friend for crying out loud. I—” now I was the one not being able to finish my sentences.
He smiled looking up to meet my eyes then took a shaky breath and said, “There’s something I need to tell you.”
I widened my eyes in anticipation.
“Umm, I was scared to tell you because I’m not sure how you would react or if-if you would even be able to be my friend still afterword,” he was a mess, speaking to quickly and stuttering, “But I-umm I sort of, well, love you,” he admitted.
Shock once again. The best case scenario followed through and I was perfectly still in shock not able to say anything.
“But don’t worry, umm, it’s just a crush I can get over it,” he sighed, reading my expression incorrectly. He looked like he was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown while I was internally screaming at myself trying to comprehend what just happened. “I- I understand if you don’t want to-to be my friend anymore.” He looked over to me once again and started to get up like he was going to run away but I snapped out of my discomposure and grabbed his wrist before he could go. He looked at me hopefully.
Adrenaline burst through my body. “I didn’t even know you were gay!” I exclaimed. Yeah that’s totally what I wanted to say, just the most important matter at hand right now. I mentally face palmed.
He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed uneasily, “Yeah, that’s, well… I didn’t really even know myself until a little while ago… Like Jamia, that just-just didn’t really, umm, work, I guess,” he said, hiding the disappointment in his eyes.
Oh god, he thinks I don’t like him now. I quickly stood up along with him, I was still gripping his wrist but I shifted my fingers down to his hand and his eyes followed, slightly confused.
I smiled not really knowing what to say but speaking anyway: “Please don’t get over it.”
His eyes flitted up to mine, struggling to keep his gaze. “What?” he asked quietly.
“You don’t have to get over it,” I answered, my smile growing bigger by the second (and that’s not the only thing growing bigger if ya know what I mean… Just kidding, that would ruin the moment). “I- that whole ‘love’ thing- it’s- it’s a ditto for me,” What? Why am I such a freak with words…
He looked confused at my choice of words.
“I mean—” I tried again.
“I know what you mean,” he smiled, letting me know I didn’t have to crawl into a hole and die. After a few seconds of nothing but flustered smiling he said “but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear you say it.”
“I sort of, well, love you too,” I said, mocking him.
“And you’re not just saying that to make me feel less awkward or something?” he asked, his paranoia momentarily showing again.
I just rolled my eyes and did something I had wanted to do for quite some time: I leaned in and kissed him right on the lips before he could question anything else. I almost had to pull away right after our lips met to breathe and fangirl like a thirteen year old because I had the best kind of floaty feeling in my chest that slowing started to build up when the nerves depleted in my stomach, but instead I just took the hand that wasn’t holding Frank’s and wrapped it around the back of his neck, slightly playing with his hair. He replied by taking his unoccupied arm and slinging it around the arch in my back.
When we stopped we pulled away just slightly but still in position and he whispered “Okay,” signaling his belief.
I just smiled and for once didn’t think about the life ahead filled with disappointment and worry, or even the life ahead filled with happiness and love. Instead I thought about right now, and it was a very nice thing to think of, if you ask me.

Notes

So that was fun. Yes it was a very short fic, but it was supposed to be
who knows maybe itll have a sequel
I make no promises
id like to thank anyone who read this
until next time