“I mean, you’re probably just recognizing me from a spicy hot look-alike in the media or something. I’ve been told I look a lot like Ashton Kutcher,” I joked to Gerard as we walked home.
After classes let up I saw him walking ahead of me again and decided to make the gutzy move of offering to walk home with him, to the sacrifice of my ritual music binge. He was more than happy to comply.
“Yea, maybe a midget Ashton Kutcher,” he smirked, “and if he dyed his hair black and wore all black and put in black lip piercings…”
I rolled my eyes, “Whatever. Let’s talk about something else, ‘kay?” I stressed, trying to not sound too suspicious.
“Alright, sure. What do you want to talk about then?”
“I dunno…” I said, taking a deep breath of the autumn air into my lungs and sighing wistfully. “Hey isn’t homecoming this week?” I asked.
“Pfft, yeah why do you think they had the stupid pep rally,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“Oh, see I don’t pay attention to things.”
“Just as well, stupid anyway. You’re not going, are you?”
I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the game or the dance, but it didn’t matter because the answer was the same for both: “Hell no. Like you said, it’s stupid.”
“Quite so, add another checkmark to the list of things we have in common.”
I know what you’re thinking, homecoming? Sounds like a perfect opportunity to subtly ask him out right? Well maybe but who in their right mind would actually want to put themselves through that kind of torture. No, I think I’m just gonna stay in and stick with my normal Friday night routine: junk food and movies. But maybe I could ask him to join me…?
Before I could muster the question or the courage I noticed we had almost reached his house, or at least the point where he split off of the path and crossed the street, so I slowed down to a stop. He eyed me suspiciously before stopping too.
“How’d you know I turn here?”
Shit. “Uh, I guess I just remember seeing you walk ahead of me a while ago.”
He nodded, signaling his belief of my simplistic answer and added “Maybe that’s where I recognize you from then.”
“Yeah… Maybe.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow? Maybe we can walk home again?”
I smiled, “Sure, yeah sounds good.”
“Great. Bye, Frank!” he called out over his shoulder while walking away.
“Bye, Gerard” I said, probably too quiet for him hear, then pattered on home.
****
It was tomorrow, and I was walking alone.
I didn’t let it bother me, it’s not like he signed a contract in his blood that we would walk home together again so why would I be mad?
But I was pretty disappointed….
I skulked my lonely way home for about a block before a car slowed down to a stop to my side and the driver’s seat window rolled down to reveal a grinning Gerard.
He offered me a ride and I jumped in the backseat of the car, seeing that there was another person in the passenger side. His brother… Mikey, was it?
“This is my brother, Mikey,” Gerard confirmed, “He’s a freshman.”
I nodded hello to Mikey and Mikey slowly nodded hello back, narrowing his eyes.
At first I thought maybe he was just in a pissy mood; I heard the freshman English class was assigned an insane amount of homework that day, but then he said something that got the nerves in my stomach all riled up: “Do I know you?”
Okay Frank, no big deal, just answer casually. I tried to think of a feasible reply but all that came out was a short series of stutters. Sounded something like: “Uh, I-I umm…”
Frank, that was not casual.
Gerard’s eyes were on the road and I was sitting directly behind him so I couldn’t see his reaction to my response, but it looked like he was about to say something before Mikey cut him off.
“You were that kid!” he exclaimed, then to Gerard, “You know, the one we saw staring at us last week! I told you it was a guy!”
Paranoia—wait, what?
“Um, no that wasn’t me…” I tried to deny. It didn’t work.
Gerard simply chuckled and said “Yes! That was it, I knew you looked familiar.”
He’s laughing? I remained quiet and concerned.
“Dude, you’re blushing like an idiot,” Mikey said.
Yes, Mikey, I know I’m blushing like an idiot now shut up.
“You could’ve just told me that was what I knew you from, would’ve saved me a lot of thought,” Gerard said.
“Well geez, sorry I didn’t think that conversation would go very well, most people find it creepy when someone says: ‘Hey, remember me? I was peering into your window at night in the rain while you were sharing an intimate family moment, wanna be friends?’”
“Creepy? No offense, kid, but your immediate appearance is hardly creepy,” Mikey said, smirking.
For some reason I went into defense mode at this comment, as if I was trying to prove I was creepy…. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Don’t call me ‘kid,’ kid. You’re the underclassman here,” I replied, arms crossed. I had the urge to stick my tongue out at him, but I was trying to prove a point here.
“Hey, it’s all cool, yesterday I found out that you are in fact not a psychopath anyway so now we can all be normal buddies, yeah?” Gerard said, still laughing slightly.
I relaxed for the rest of the ride home, feeling such a wave of relief….

Notes

Ending it here because I can’t write anymore.
Well sorry for not updating but I’ve been rather obsessed with homestuck lately… oh, and school too. Yes, can’t forget about school, am I right?
I didn’t really edit this sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Hope you enjoyed!