The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

As I turned the corner of the slightly familiar street, Dahlia's house came into view.

Turned out, when she had called me about twenty minutes ago, she had the same idea for all of us to meet up.

I sped up my pace suddenly; the quicker I got out of this snow, the quicker I'd warm up inside D's house.

Finally, reaching her front door, I rang the bell with my free hand, my other occupied with a bag of presents I'd gotten for the guys and Dahlia. Well, most of the guys. But I was sure Frank would understand why I'd never bought him anything, even though it seemed a little ridiculous that I thought we wouldn't be friends again, and that he'd let me give him a rain check on his present.

Seconds after my finger came in contact with the doorbell, I was greeted with Mikey's familiar face.

"Merry Christmas, Kelly!" he exclaimed happily, jumping forwards and encasing me in a warm hug; literally.

He was like a heater compared to how I was feeling, body temperature wise.

"M-m-merry C-Christmas," I said, not even noticing until I'd actually spoken that my teeth were chattering.

"Jesus, you're freezing, Kelly," he noticed, wrapping his hands around the hand that wasn't holding the red straps to the black Hot Topic bag.

"Then maybe you should let her in, smartie," Bob's recognizable voice met my ears next as I attempted to laugh. "Hey Kelly." He waved to me, shoving Mikey aside and pulling me into the house.

"Hey," I smiled thankfully at him, the new, warm atmosphere of Dahlia's house immediately unthawing my frozen body.

"Kelly!" I turned my head in the direction the unmistakable voice came from, only seeing a blur before I was trampled to the ground in one of Dahlia's "special hugs," as she called them. "Merry Christmas!"

She stood up, holding out her hand to help me up afterwards, which I gratefully took.

"Merry Christmas," I laughed at her childishness, following her, Mikey and Bob into the living room, catching the last bit of Bob and Mikey's conversation.

"I'm not stupid," Mikey told him in one of those "isn't it obvious?" tones, receiving a light shrug from Bob.

"I never said you weren't," Bob responded nonchalantly with a teasing grin on his lips, causing me to laugh and Mikey to hit him across the head.

Entering the living room, I looked upon all the familiar faces of my friends; Ray, Gerard, Bob, Mikey, and Dahlia.

Only one person missing.

"Where's Frank?" I asked no one in particular, watching all their eyes set on something behind me. But I didn't get to turn around to look, because, just as I was about to, two distinct arms wrapped around my waist from behind, resulting in wild bats to be unleashed in my stomach.

"Did you miss me?" he whispered teasingly in my ear, my breath catching in my throat.

I looked back up at my other friends, all their eyes on Frank and I, Ray and Gerard's jaws dropped.

"What?" I asked, laughing at their expressions, trying not to notice Dahlia's knowing eyes speculate the two of us.

"Frank told us you guys were cool again, but I didn't think. . ." Dahlia trailed off, confusing me.

I felt Frank's arms stiffen around me.

"You didn't think what?" I said, realizing she wasn't going to finish her statement as she simply waved a hand over us.

"That you two were a couple," she finished, her eyes looking like they were ready to jump out of her head.

The room suddenly grew silent, the newly formed sound of mine and Frank's laughter probably loud enough to be heard throughout the house.

Frank dating someone like me?

"What are you talking about?" Frank asked Dahlia, resting his chin on my shoulder. "We've always been like this," he said, and I suspected he was referring to our "physical relationship."

They shrugged before going back to the conversations I assumed they were having before I arrived, except Bob. He noticed the plastic bag in my hand and decided to snatch it from me.

"Presents?! For me? You shouldn't have, Kelly," Bob said, opening the bag and rifling through it.

I quickly snatched the bag away from him, nearly elbowing Frank in the ribs as I did so.

"Actually, they're for all of you," I told him, suddenly feeling guilty for not getting anything for Frank as I passed them all out to my friends, receiving 'thank you's and more gifts in response.

I turned back to Frank, an apologetic smile gracing my lips. Just as I was opening my mouth to explain to him why my idiotic self wasn't expecting us to be friends again yet to get him a present, he beat me to it, only making me feel worse about myself.

"You'll be getting your Christmas present tomorrow," he told me, a smirk on his face.

He had still been planning on giving me something. Even after our fight. Why hadn't I bought him something?

There were tons of things I'd seen while shopping that I knew he'd love, I just never got anything.

"I'll have to get you something still. I'm sorry, Frank. I was just mad, and didn't think we'd be getting along by now and -" I started to ramble, being cut off by his finger on my lips.

"Don't worry about it, 'k? If you really want to get me something, then we can talk about it later, but right now, let's just have us some fun. Alright?" he asked me, taking his hand from my face.

I simply nodded, just before being toppled to the ground in a loving hug from Gerard.

"Oh my God! I effing love you, Kelly!" he exclaimed, causing me to laugh.

"So you are a fan of vampires, then?" I asked, just to make sure the collection of vampire DVD's and shirt Mikey'd suggested were good, apparently they were though.

"Are you kidding?! I am a vampire!"