I Will Not Kiss You

Mikey was still sleeping when I woke up. But it didn't surprise me because that's normally what happens when we have a sleepover. Gerard was sleeping as well. He was on his bed next to Mikey and I was on an airbed on the floor with some newly washed sheets that Gerard washed before putting on the airbed. I liked this because it was very kind of him.

Mikey didn't have his glasses on any more and he looked very different without them. Gerard looked a little different without his eyeliner on but I could easily tell it was him. I giggled to myself because his hair was sticking up and it looked funny. This made Gerard grunt and make an 'uuh' sound before opening his eyes and shutting them again. Then he opened his eyes and rubbed them.

"Mmm," He groaned.

I watched him move, keeping very still and quiet in case he got angry because he thought I'd woken him up. He looked at me and smiled.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You," I said truthfully "Your hair looks funny because it's sticking up!"

"Oh," He replied, running a hand through his hair "Oops," He laughed.

Then he sat up and stretched his arms, opening his mouth and yawning. I scratched the back of my head because it was itchy and Gerard looked at the clock. He moaned and flopped back onto the bed and arched his back.

"Are you okay?" I asked because moaning sometimes means the person is hurt.

"No," He said "I have to go to work today!"

"Oh," I replied.

"I don't wanna' go work today!" He said "I'm too tired 'cause two particular teenagers kept me awake for the majority of the night!"

When he said 'two particular teenagers', he pointed at Mikey and then me. I wondered if I was being told off and said 'sorry'.

"That's okay," Gerard smiled "I wasn't telling you off or anything!"

"Okay," I said.

Then we were quiet for about two minutes and I asked how long Gerard had to work for. He ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head.

"Not too long," He said "Only three hours or so, depending on how busy it is."

"Three hours is quite long."

"Not when you're used to working seven hour shifts, it isn't."

I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say.

"Hey, Frank?"

"Yes?" I asked, turning to look back at Gerard because I'd been looking at Sir. Edward Dickens Honeypot.

"Um. . . I understand if you don't want to but uh. . . would you like to, y'know, go out and get a coffee again, like we did last time? As. . . 'more than friends'?"

I looked at him for a very long time. I didn't know what to say because I've never been more than friends with anyone before. Mikey always said that you say yes if you like seeing the person asking you and they make you happy. I like seeing Gerard and he makes me happy.

"If it's 'more than friends', does that mean as a date?" I asked.

"Yeah. . . I mean, if you don't want to, I won't get angry or think you're stupid or anything horrible like that. . ."

"I won't have to kiss you or do sexual things with you, will I?" I asked.

"No, of course not."

"Okay, Gerard, I'd like to get a coffee as 'more than friends' with you."

And Gerard smiled. . .

. . . "Awww, a date!" Mikey exclaimed over breakfast after Gerard had gone to work and Mikey and I were having pancakes for our breakfast "Finally, I thought he'd never ask!"

"Never ask what?" I asked.

"I thought he'd never ask you on a date," Mikey explained "He's been shut up in his room asking his mirror for the last two days or so."

"Why would he ask his mirror?" I asked.

"He was practising by pretending it was you," Mikey explained.

"Oh."

Then I ate some more pancakes. They were very nice and I liked them a lot. Mikey had his pancakes with lots of maple syrup. I wondered why he liked that much maple syrup because it must have tasted very sweet and if something tastes too sweet, it becomes what is called 'sickly' which means it is so sweet that you start to feel sick. I had some candy once from an Asian store my Mom and I went in to get some groceries and they were very nice but I ate too many and they became sickly.

"Are the pancakes okay?" Mikey asked.

"Yes, thank you," I said "They're very nice."

"Good," Mikey smiled "So what are you gonna' wear for your date with Gerard?"

And I shrugged.

"I don't know," I replied "Why? Am I supposed to wear my best clothes or something?"

"Well, not your best clothes but, on a date, you should try to look nice so that the person you're on the date with thinks you look nice and wants to go on another date with you sometime."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, Frankie," Mikey laughed "You don't have to. You, as in you personally, don't even need to put an effort in! Gerard's already way into you!"

If you're 'way into someone', you like like them a lot and think about them a lot. So Mikey meant that Gerard like likes me a lot.