Please Understand It Has To Be This Way (Barsexual)

A call had been made only a couple of days after Frank's house had been broken into. It turned out the burglar wasn't in the house he supposedly wanted to be in. It was Frank's neighbour that he'd originally planned to rob due to unknown reasons. Frank was safe. And that's all that mattered. But he still enjoyed hanging out with his two best friends, Mikey and Gerard.

It was night time on q beautiful and warm September Wednesday. Frank and Gerard were acting like two teenage girls at a sleepover. They were on the couch in their pajamas watching horror flicks and eating popcornwhen Frank got an idea. Looking over at the clock, it was only nine-thirty. He thought now would be a good time for Gerard to ask Lexi out on that date.

Gerard really didn't want to--especially over the phone--but he'd rather do it now than later. Especially if Mikey was going to be home later from work. And he was due back home soon. He didn't want Mikey to hear this. So Gerard agreeed and gave Lexi a call.

"Hello?" Her friendly voice came from the reciever. Frank mouthed the words "Put it on speaker."

"Hello, Lexi?" Gerard said as quickly as he tore the phone from his ear and clicked the speacker button so that Frank could hear the conversation. Frank lifted his smaller body up closer to Gerard and the phone so he could hear just as well.

"Hi! Gerard?"

"Yeah. Hi, Lexi. How was your day?" Gerard ask. This was his way of beggining a conversation. Frank snickered.

"It was okay. How was yours?"

"I had a pretty good day. Listen Lexi, I was wondering if you weren't busy, then sometime this weekend, you and I could go on some sort of date...?"

"I'd love to!" She answered. Gerard's eyebrows had involuntarily raised as though he were surprized at her words.

"Oh. Alright, good. I was thinking we could double date with a couple of friends--they really want tro meet you." He said.

"Oh, you told your friends about me?" She said under her breath. Secretly she was blushing madly, but it's not like anyone but God could see her.

"Uh..." Gerard chuckled, "yeah, I did." Actually, Mikey did, but Gerard helped.

Frank fell back onto the couch, desperately searching for a cigarette along the coffee table. Unfortunately, sinding nothing.

"Well, yeah, I'd love to accompany you and your friends on that date." Lexi smiled. "Does Friday sound good?"

Gerard thought for a second, "Hmm, how about Saturday?"

"Saturday it is." Lexi said.

"See you then." Gerard said into the pone and looked down at Frank who was finding something new to watch on television.

" Okay, 'bye."

"'Bye, Lexi."

And with that, Gerard had a date with Lexi on Saturday. He was very excited for it. But now he wanted a cigarette.

"I'm excited to meet her." Frank stated bluntly.

"Yeah." Gerard became distracted. It was almost as if there was something in the universe making Frank and Gerard crave nicotene. "Let's have a cigarette." And Frank smiled at that because it just worked out.

Smoke that was escaping each of their lungs one at a time was prevading the patio's air and Mikey was due home any minute. He was usually home by ten and the time was now ten. Anyway, Gerard and Frank were just talking. About girls, about boys, about how Gerard should get a job.

"I don't need a job, Frankie." Gerard cleared his throat to begin preaching his explanation. And then there was another voice coming from inside the apartment,

"Oh, yes, I believe you do, Gerard." It was Mikey. He was home from the book store. Gerard rolled his eyes. But only in the most loving way a brother could roll his eyes at another brother. A smirk danced on Frank's lips. "I agree with Frank, you need a job." Mikey stepped out onto the patio, escaping the shadows of inside their apartment as he pulled up his sagging pants and leaned against the wall.

"We're serious, Gee." Frank whispered.

"All you do all day is sit around. smoke, drink coffee, drink liquor and draw. You need to do something with your life, Gerard. How old are yo? Twenty-seven! And look at me, Gerard." Mikey spoke, finally expressing how sick he was of gerard being so lazy.

"Okay, first f all, it's not like I'm even a half a decade older than you. And second, if you guys want me to get a job that bad, all you had to do was ask." Gerard sighed and took another long drag from his cigarette.

"We shouldn't even be asking you. You should have a job already."

Gerard looked down at the floor, feeling as though the two were ganging up on him for not having a job. Finally, Frank broke the silence that fell after Mikey's words and said, "Oh! I know, you can work at the comic shop. That would be so cool." Frank suggested, throwing his fag to the ground and then stomping on it. He remembered there being a 'HELP WANTED' sign up on the window the last time he visited the local comic shop.

Gerard groaned and turned to Mikey, "Can't you just get me a job at the comic shop?"

Mikey shook his head, "Nah, you should get this job on your own."

"Besides, Gerard, your new girlfriend is gonna want someone who can 'provide for her'." And Frank snickered yet again for the hindreth time that night. Not literally.

Gerard, frustrated, ordered the two to drop all occupational subjects and then took himself back into the house because he'd finished smoking.

Frank rolled his eyes at Gerard and looked up at Mikey, "So how was work?"

Mikey exhaled slowly and began to speak, " Eh, same as always, I guess. Quiet. Uneventful. Nice. But I kept getting distracted with daydreams."

"Daydreams? About what?" Frank asked.

"You remember Patrick from the club last Friday?"

Frank was surprised at his answer and asked if he and Mikey now had a thing. Mikey simply shook his head and informed Frank that they'd only been on one date. If you could even call it a date.

"Well when are you two gonna see each other again?" Frank asked. Mikey and Patrick sparking a relationship sounded like a completely new and fresh idea. He thought it was a good idea. Who could remember the last time Mikey had a boyfriend? When he was in college...

"Uhm. I don't know. Have you guys planned that date with Comic Shop Girl?"

Frank burst out laughing after Mikey's question. "That's what you call her? Comic Shop GIrl? That's funny." There was an awkward silence and Frank cleared his throat to speak again. "Uhm, yeah. The date s on Saturday."

A smile formed on Mikey's lips as he told Frank, "That's when."

Mikey ended up excusing himself in order to use the facilities because he usually did his business the minute he got home but today he was distracted. And it was getting late. So Frank sat outside on the patio, alone for the rest of the night until it was time for him to sleep because he was sick of popcorn and horror flicks.