Kids in Love

After Alice had spent some time filling everyone in on why she was even back in New Jersey, Frank spoke up. "So, I mean, we know what happened in the long run. You moved we all fell out of touch, you came back." He counted the items on is fingers, "You're a photographer, you grew a foot or two" he leaned over to her and tucked the hair on one side of her head behind her ear, "you got your ears pierced! But that's really all we got. Tell us the real stuff" he leaned back in his beanbag, stretching out his legs in front of him. Alice didn't know what he was talking about, there wasn't a whole pile that had happened in the past few years that was worth mentioning. "What 'real' stuff could you even wanna know? You're gonna need to be more specific Iero." She cocked her eyebrow. Cheekily teasing him like that felt like a bad idea as soon as she registered that she'd done it, it seemed as though the guys thought so too, they all tried to stifle a little, 'you're in trouble now', chuckle
"Tell me all about your first kiss. Everything you remember." Frank smirked at her.
"Well, you already know about my first kiss, it was you Frank." She told him,
"No not that kiss, that hardly counts, we were like eight years old and we were getting married using hula hoops as wedding rings." Frank threw his hands around, the Italian blood in him coming to surface.
"Oh yeah, I remember that! I married you two didn't I?" Mikey asked
"Yes, but that's beside the point." Frank answered, "I want to know about your first kiss. Proper kind of exciting, kind of disgusting, also kind of disappointing kiss." Frank was leaning forward now.
"See that's how you ask a question." Alice smiled, "I know the one you're talking about and unfortunately it wasn't all that romantic tale. I was thirteen and I was at this girl from school's birthday party, she was a colossal bitch but that's beside the point. There was a game of spin the bottle that just did not work out my way!" She both cringed and laughed at the memory, "The guy that I ended up having to kiss thought it'd be fine to kiss with gum still in is mouth, and obviously I want expecting that, so he latches on to my moth like a motherfucking leech. And he just kind of licked around, he seemed to know even less then I did about kissing, after around ten seconds of this torture the little piece of gum wriggled its way into my mouth where I proceeded to choke on it. I didn't know what kissing was supposed to be like but I reckoned that was a mood killer. Is that the answer you were looking for?"
Frank nodded, "Now tell m-"
"No." Alice cut him off, "an eye for an eye my friend, now you've gotta tell me yours"

Frank shrugged and thought about the question for a moment. "Okay I've got it!" He clapped his hands dramatically and jolted upright, "I was fifteen, a late bloomer in comparisons to you it would seem. It was with this girl Julia. She was like my first girlfriend,"
Before Frank could finish telling his story Mikey interrupted him with a loud laugh, Frank turned his neck to look at him sitting cross legged to his left. He pushed his glasses up his nose like he used to. "Is there something you wanna share chuckles?"
Mikey made his little crooked smile where he would show all of his teeth for just a second before he would seal his lips again.
"I don't know, it's just that you don't do girlfriends y'know?" He explained,
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Frank jested playfully. Ray scoffed loudly.
"Dude, you know exactly what Mikey's talking about." Ray told him, "you don't have girlfriends."

"What so Frank's a celibate or something?" Alice asked, clearly not in on the joke,
"God no!" Ray replied, "quite to opposite actually. He's more of a hit it and quit it kinda guy"
Alice turned her focus to Frank who was glaring at his friends out of the corner of his eye. He was quick to defend himself though, shooting up out of his chair to stand above them.
"You're making me sound so promiscuous. Like I'm fucking Joey from friends or some shit!"
"Aren't you?" Greed scoffed.
"Enough, isn't it about time we talked about something new fellas?" Frank announced clapping his hands together loudly.
"You started prying first." Alice muttered loudly on purpose, eliciting a few chuckles from the guys, Frank turned his head sharply to look down at her.
"You! Don't think I'm done with you, I still got plenty questions to ask when we resume this." He waved his finger between them.

---

Two cups of coffee and several embarrassing 'catch up' stories later Alice felt like it was time to leave. It was difficult but with Frank pulling her up she managed to get out of the bean bag she'd sunk almost entirely into.
"Hey, why don't you stay and watch band practice?" Mikey asked hopeful.
"I'd love to Mikey but maybe another time. Y'know first night in a different house, it's always kind of difficult to get a good nights sleep so I'm pretty wrecked. Plus I still have to go for a run before it gets too dark." She told him, genuinely wanting to stay.
Frank pulled open the garage door again, letting Alice out before turning back to the guys and telling them he'd walk her home. "Dude, I live not ten paces, that way." She pointed to the house next door. "Yeah I know, but I wanted to walk you home, being the gentleman that it am." He smirked holding out his arm for her to take, she complied. When they reached the door after a solid five seconds of walking they paused outside the front door. "I just wanted to let you know that all of that stuff the guys were talking about earlier isn't as bad as they made it seem." His smiled softened and he was trying to speak to her seriously now. She was still perceptive when it came to Frank, and she knew he was being heartfelt, he really wanted her to know that he meant what he way saying .
"Frank it's okay, I mean, it's not a big deal or anything. I've dated a good few guys over the last couple of years, I'd never want you to think less of me because of that either" she took his hand in hers,
"You were my best friend such a long time ago, I know a lot's happened, but we're the same people really. I'd never judge you."
Frank met her eyes and they were silent for a moment, just happy to look at each other.
"Thanks" Frank said, heartfelt and sincere, "now go, we've both got stuff to do. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"See ya then." Alice waved goodbye before walking back inside and closing the door being her.

She slouched back against the inside of the door, shutting her eyes. Thinking back on the events of the day made an involuntary grin plaster itself across her face. She felt giddy and excited and there were little butterflies swarming in her stomach. The only other time she'd felt this was when she was sixteen and she'd began dating her first real boyfriend. His name was Jack and end had shaggy blonde hair, the perfect tan, a complete Californian. It didn't last long but she was infatuated, whenever she saw him she couldn't even eat, her stomach would be so tied up in nervous knots, but somehow it also felt amazing. But then her eyes shot wide open and she tensed. Why did she have these butterflies again? She couldn't be, they'd only talked for a day. But then again they knew each other for so long before. No, she didn't like Frank, not in that way, she loved him like he was a sibling. She convinced herself of it. But she knew that wasn't true.

Notes

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