I Don't Mind if You Don't Mind

When lunchtime finally came round, I peeked around the art class door. Shit, Frankie was already in there. I was planning to get there first, so that it wouldn't be as awkward. But there he was, sitting by the wall, gazing out of the window and smiling. He seemed so confident and unafraid about this whole thing; I was practically hyperventilating purely out of nerves.

"Frankie?" I whispered, stepping inside.

He span around quickly and grinned at me. A real cheeky grin. And I knew that grin anywhere. "Hey, Gerard."

It was Frank Iero. I had fallen in love with my little brother's best friend, and only now I found out? How obvious was it?! The internet conversations, the movies, the sleepover.. it was all straight in front of me and I had never even realized.

"Frankie..." I repeated throatily, sitting down next to him on the window ledge. "I didn't think..."

"Gee, I know. I - well, I kinda knew all along." He gazed right into my eyes; every word he said was so honest. "I knew it was you, but I didn't want you to freak. Gerard, remember the first time we ever met?"

I nodded, smiling at the memory.

"I was eleven years old, and you were fourteen." He continued, "I came round to see Mikey.. you were sitting at the bottom of the stairs playing on your Gameboy.. and I fell down the stairs and landed in your lap."

I smiled shakily, and much to both mine and Frank's surprise, tears began to prickle in my hazel eyes.

"That was one of the best days ever, Gee. The day I met you." He took my hands, and I buried my head in his neck. He was warm, and I remembered his sweet scent from all those years ago.

"I stayed up all night thinking about you." I whispered, my voice muffled through Frank's soft chocolate hair.

"Me too." Frankie whispered back. "Me too..."

We sat in silence, holding each other, listening to the sounds of each others' heartbeats. It was perfect, every minute of it. And then a thought hit me.

"What's Mikey gonna say to this?!" I gasped, sliding off the window ledge.

"C'mon, Gee, he won't find out -"

"He'll kill me! He'll kill us both!"

"Honey, it's alright, he'll never -"

"Frankie, what are we gonna do?" I sat down on the floor, cross-legged, thinking. And Frankie, typical Frankie, slid silently into my lap, grinning at me cheekily. Just like on that day. "Oh... you really know how to get me..." I smiled.

"Come round mine after school, mkay? We'll sort this all out. It's gonna be okay." He looked at me with those big brown eyes, and I couldn't resist his invitation.