Bookworms Anonymous

The bookstore was Gerard's escape. It was also his job and only way to pay for school fees. But he loved it. He would sit in the bookstore for 7 hours a day just talking about books and comics and eating whatever crap Lindsey brought him for lunch that day which usually consisted of whatever was on offer at the corner shop on the street next to them. Today it was these horrifically sour sweets which Gerard kinda loved.

Fridays are relatively slow at first. Some customers come and go. A group of school kids after 3 came in to look at the comics and bitch about how boring school is. Gerard likes to listen into their conversations because he is bored and has nothing better to do. But he gets severely anxious when they ask him questions or buy something. He doesn't know why, but teenagers scare the living shit out of him. After that it starts to get busier, but then once it hits 5pm it's dead until closing.

Saturday nights were even slower and Lindsey decided to stay longer so she and Gerard could hang out later on at her apartment. But to keep her occupied he tried to give her mundane tasks to do. Sadly it didn't really work. Lindsey was a hyperactive person at her best, but when the only thing she had eaten all day was energy drink and sweets she was a mess.

'Gee look!!' Lindsey was leaning over the counter her black fringe obscuring her eyes and her tongue poked our from between her pink lips. He blue tongue consumed Gerard's vision and thoughts.

'What?' He said trying to peer over her and towards a customer. She pushed herself closer. He sighed and focused his attention to her for a moment.

'Look it's blue! My tongue is blue!' She said cheerily. Gerard shook his head exasperatedly and tried to catch a glimpse of the customer again. Lindsey huffed and turned around to see what was so interesting that Gerard wouldn't get excited for her. There at the horror section was a small guy around their age with a thick hoodie on and ripped skinny jeans. His eyes roamed the shelves excitedly the same expression Gerard gets when they get a new batch of comics.

'Really him again?' Lindsey whispers across to Gerard who still shushes her. 'He has been coming here for the past year and you still haven't plucked up the courage to talk to him? Seriously Gee?' Gerard huffs picked up a stack of book and places them on the sale rack beside the counter.

It was true. The first day Gerard got this job he saw him. He was a little punk kid, around 18, with an amazing taste of music; from what Gerard had seen of his band T's. He always comes in and buys books and comics and sometimes just comes in and stares at the horror section sadly and then mopes about a bit.

'He's just a customer! I'm seeing if he is going to buy anything.' Gerard excuses his actions and scans the books meticulously.

'Yeah yeah. Sure Gee. You keep telling yourself that. You keep pretending that the whole world doesn't know about your crush on the guy who comes in here every Thursday and Saturday without fail.' Gerard turns back to her shaking his head. 'Do you know what?' Lindsey calls following him around the counter to the other shelves.

'What!' Gerard groans obviously fed up with her teasing. He loved her though. She was his best friend.

'I'm going to make it my personal mission.' She says jumping on a table so she can look at Gerard and the stranger simultaneously. 'To get you.' Gerard looks up at her. 'And that handsome stranger to fall in love.' Gerard shakes his head laughing at her preposterous plan. 'Even if it kills me.' She smiled mischievously and moved through the bookstore towards the horror section. Her hips waved between the book displays and recommendations bored and the bookcases. Suddenly she came to a stop just a meter away from the boy when she turned around to her best friend to shoot him a devilish grin and then she swung back around to the boy.

'Hello!' She said cheerily closing the gap between before he could fully respond. 'I'm Lindsey!' The boy smiled up at her and pulled his fringe down to obscure his face a little more, like he was a little insecure.

'Frank.' He stated quietly smiling slightly and moving closer to her. In his hand was a Stephen King book. He was clutching it closely to himself.

'Hey, would you like to see something which is rather exciting.' She said jumping on her toes bobbing up and down smiling at him. He nods slightly and then she sticks her bright blue tongue out at him and giggles.

'Your tongue is blue.' He said confusingly at the stranger who was sticking her tongue at him. 'Why?'

'Jolly Ranchers!' She called digging her hand into her baggy denim jacket pocket and pulling out the bag and offering him one. 'I like the raspberry ones the best.' She smiles shaking the bag slightly so that he will take one.

'I like the watermelon ones.' He says, still unaware of where the conversation was going. He didn't even look and just picked out the first sweet his hand came to.

'Oh you are out of luck.' She said pushing the bag back into her pocket. 'They are Gees favourites.' Frank popped the sweet into his mouth.

'Is that the guy over there?' Frank says nodding his head towards Gerard who is busying himself with a comic book. Lindsey nods happily. Frank knows of the guy. He hasn't ever spoken to him before. He knew of him and he also knew he didn't have to come in here because there were loads of bookstores all over New York, but he liked it here and he really wanted to start a conversation with the guy. 'Do you both work here?' Frank questions feeling a bit more comfortable in the girls presence. She shakes her head and pushes herself into one of the table so she can sit.

'No, I just come here when Gee is working to annoy him. He loves it really.' She says scrunching her eyes up a little and biting on her tongue. She was swinging her legs frantically narrowly missing the displays with her big doc marten boots. 'He is obsessed with comic books and horror.' She continues trying to talk Gerard up. 'And he has amazing taste in music.' Frank nods smiling at her. She keeps rambling on until Gerard comes up behind the two of them and grabs her arm.

'Linds you are annoying the customer.' He says quietly to her. 'Sorry.' He says to the boy. He looks up at him and smiles making Gerard stomach do summersaults. 'She's a bit hyper. Too much fucking sugar.' He says pulling her away. Gerard quickly looks down to the guys hand to see the book he was holding. It was 'The Stand' by Stephen King. Gerard smiled at the guys impeccable taste in books. He drags Lindsey back towards the counter laughing at her. Frank follows them intrigued by the two characters.

'Gee, my tongue hurts.' She say sticking her now pale blue tongue out; it was also red and bleeding slightly from irritation. The tip of her tongue touches his cheek slightly because of how close they are. Gerard laughs and shakes his head wiping at his cheek. She smiled at him. Frank looks curiously at how close the two are.

'That's because you've ate like an entire bag of sweets. Go stack some shelves if you are going to be here all day with such immovable energy.' He says handing her a box of books and pointing at the history section. She huffs slightly and moves towards the bookcase. Gerard sighs running his hands through his hair and turning around to see the customer still standing there looking up at him. 'Sorry about that. I honestly think she's a 7 year old girl trapped inside a 24 year olds body.' He says waving his hands around nervously and making his way behind the counter again. He felt safe behind there.

'Oh! It's fine! She's actually quite cool. Talks about you a lot.' Frank says leaning on the counter towards Gerard. Gerard has never in his life spoken more than two words to this boy. The occasional 'good book' when he bought a recommended book and the standard 'hello' and 'goodbye' service they offered at the bookstore.

'Yeah?' Gerard said smiling at him and trying to keep cool. 'She does that a lot.' Gerard said staring over at her making kissy faces at him. 'Are you needing any help?' He says looking back at the boy and trying to keep his professional face on. He gestures slightly to the book still clutched to him.

'No. No, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Frank.' He said sweetly offering his hand. Gerard complied shaking it and feeling his calloused finger tips brush his warm skin.

'Gerard.' He said quietly, almost a squeak, as he tried to contain his excitement. Frank placed the book on the counter and looked up at Gerard smirking slightly.

'I know.' Frank smiled turning away and then he was gone. Gerard turned to the counter and placed his face into his hands and did some breathing exercises. In for four, hold for four and out for eight. He moved his head up to see Lindsey smiling over at him from the shelves she was stacking. He smiled back feeling genuinely happy. He picked up the book and flicked through it. He placed it under the counter reminding himself to out it back on the shelve when he wasn't busy having heart palpitations.

A couple of days later it was Monday and Frank had been in again, which was unusual for him. Lindsey was also at the bookstore to keep Gerard company. The day was pretty normal and Frank sat with them for a while.

'So you study art?' Frank said staring over Gerard's shoulder towards his little sketch he was working on. Gerard just hummed and moved slightly. He still hasn't worked up the courage to have a proper conversation with Frank that was Lindsey's expertise. Lindsey and Frank had grown closer over the last couple of days and that meant that Gerard got some alone time where he could just stare at Frank while he interacted with Linds. His facial expressions were amazing and his laugh was infectious and really high pitched and made Gerard automatically smile. Gerard found out a lot from ease dropping in on their conversations. Frank was from New Jersey and played guitar and he was wanting to study English. He was only 19 so he was still deciding. The day was slowly becoming darker and Frank was rambling on about some band he'd been listening to recently when he realised he had to be somewhere. Before he left he mentioned needing to speak to Gerard about something.

He hugged Lindsey and said he would see her on Thursday. Frank waved goodbye to Gerard, but Gerard didn't return it; he just smiled.

'My house and pizza?' Lindsey said simply passing him to grab another box of books. She nodded looking up to see it was 6pm and closing time. He switched the till off and his music on. The tidying and closing of the shop only took an hour and then they were heading back to Lindsey's apartment. It seemed quicker because they were both dancing around and singing along to some Muse whilst getting the shop ready to close up for the night. When they were walking back to the apartment Lindsey was going on about the new drummer they were gonna meet to join the band and how the songs they were working on were in her words 'Fucking rad man' and about she hates the fact she doesn't draw as much anymore. Gerard isn't really listening he's thinking about Frank. And about the next time he comes into the shop. Which is sooner than he first expects.

'I'm thinking pepperoni?' She says searching around her pockets for the keys. Gerard nods and his stomach grumbles in anticipation of food. Lindsey laughs at him pushing him in the door and into her apartment.

Notes

So this little thing has been hidden away for a few months and I feel like I have been writing a lot of darker stuff for Aftermath and I needed something lighter and something to just be silly and fluffy with. So here you go and tell me what you think.

-C
(I'm doing some editing, so bare with me.)