Goody, Like Two Shoes

I must've been sitting on the closed lid of a toilet, crying my eyes out, for at least twenty minutes.

I was trying to deny the fact that I actually wanted someone - preferably Frank - to come and find me; but, if he did come looking for me, I wouldn't know if I'd be able to look at him without turning into more of a sobbing mess than I already was.

While I was pulling another long piece of toilet paper from the roll to dry my eyes for the millionth time, I could hear some girls making a fuss about something.

"Can't you read? This is the girls' bathroom - no urinals in here at all. I could point you in the right direction of the boys' bathroom, though." One of the girls said in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes, I can read, thanks, so no need to get your panties in a twist." came the reply, "Actually, I'm looking for my friend - a girl with pink and black hair. Have you seen her?"

There was no mistaking the heavy Jersey accent that Frank had.

I felt better knowing that Frank cared about me that much to actually come into the girls' bathroom to look for me. It was a known fact that boys usually got mauled by plastic fingernails and Prada bags the second they stepped over the threshold - or maybe he had just been more suicidal than heroic.

"No, sorry." came another voice, "But there's been someone in that cubicle over there for, um, I don't know how long."

There was the sounds of high heels tapping on tiles and then the sound of the door closing echoed throughout the empty - save for Frank and I - bathroom.

I could hear the rubber soles of Frank's Converse squeak along the floor as he slowly walked over to the locked door of the cubicle that I was in.

I waited with baited breath as he knocked gently on the door, and I tried to keep my snivelling under control.

"Sasha?" Frank asked, his voice calm and quiet, and this time he tapped the door with his fingertips, "Come out, sugar."

I sniffled again, wiping my eyes; I really didn't want him to see me looking like this.
"Leave me alone, Frank. I'm not coming out."

"Sash," he said softly, "Please come out here, and let me give you a cheering-up-hug."

"I don't want to." I said, looking at my reflection in the metal, toilet paper holder, "I look crappy."

"Okay, well I'm going to sit out here until you decide that you're looking un-crappy enough for me to see you." Frank said, and, under the door, I could see his legs bend as he lowered himself onto the tiles and then he crossed them; yoga-style.

There was complete silence for a few minutes and I sighed, "Are you just going to sit there?"

"I am." he replied, "I'm not going to leave you crying in there on your own. I need to talk to you, anyway."

"About what?" I asked quietly.

Frank shifted around uncomfortably on the floor, "I think you know what, Sash. We have to talk about it sometime - and now is as good a time as any; we can't just ignore it, because it's not going to go away anytime soon."

"Well then. talk."

"I woke up naked this morning and your bra was under my pillow." Frank said hurriedly, stuttering on a few words.

"I know." I could feel my cheeks reddening, "I saw."

"Sash, my ass is getting frostbite from sitting on these tiles. Look, will you come out, please? Talking about this - through a door - is so much harder than it would be face-to-face."

"I beg to differ." I replied.

Suddenly, a mop of black hair popped under the door, and a curious Frank looked up at me, "You don't look at all crappy."

I tried to shield my face with my hands and I kicked my boot-clad foot around haphazardly, "Get out, Frank!"

Frank somehow managed to dodge my foot, and he wriggled the rest of himself under the door and into the cubicle with me, declaring, "If you're not coming out, I'm coming in."

"Please, just go."

Frank gently pulled my hands away from my face, "Look at me."

Once I'd looked into his mesmerizing eyes, I couldn't look away, and he smiled warmly at me.

"Thank you." he said, kneeling in front of me and touching my cheek, "I'm no good at talking about my feelings, but I'm gonna take a whack at it, okay?"

I nodded.

"You're the first person that I've ever felt really close to - I've never been this close with any of my girlfriends, either - and, this morning, I really thought that I'd screwed our friendship up when I saw that you'd left. I thought you'd never want to see me again. We were drunk last night - you more than me; because you're not used to drinking - so I should've had the commonsense not to do what we did. It was a stupid thing to do, and I know you're upset about it. It shouldn't have happened but it did, and we can't change that - no matter how much we want to.'

When he paused, I looked up at him, "Can you remember it?"

"Most, yeah. I've tried not to think about it though, but it's hard not to, because I keep feeling that I've fucked up completely."

"Don't blame yourself, Frank." I sighed, "It's not all your fault."

Frank breathed out heavily, looking up at the ceiling, "I'm really sorry, Sasha."
He went quiet and bit his bottom lip.

"It's okay."

Frank shook his head, "It's not, and I'd change it if I could--"

"Don't dwell on it, Frankie. Let's just get on with our lives."

"And forget about what happened?"

"No, just put it down to experience."

We looked at each other in silence for a while before hugging each other.

"I guess it's better that it happened with you and not anyone else." I confessed, "Because I know I can trust you."

"Ditto." Frank smiled weakly, "Anyway, do you want to go and end my birthday in style? No alcohol involved, of course."

"I'd like that." I smiled back, standing up, and Frank unlocked the door letting us both out into the main area of the bathroom that was deserted.

"I'll just splash some water on my face before we go out; I don't wanna look like a tomato." I laughed quietly, heading over to the sinks and turning on the faucet.

Frank stood behind me, his chin on my shoulder and his arms around my waist,
"I think you're pretty damn beautiful, no matter what, Sashie-blashie."

"And you're extremely handsome, too, Captain Cookie."

"Oh yeah, I am." he grinned, taking a few steps back and lifting the front of his shirt up, "Check out these babies; my extremely sexy, perfectly defined abs."

I started to laugh at him, and he smiled goofily at me, patting his stomach.
"What?"

"They're not abs, Frankie. They're love handles."

"Pffft, rubbish." he poked me playfully, pulling his shirt back down, "And, if they are love handles, it's my mom's fault; she's making doughnuts, muffins and god knows what at every opportune moment. I can't refuse to eat the stuff she makes - it'll upset her - so I'll probably be obese by New Year."

I shook my head fondly, turning back to the sink.

"Anyway, more cushion for the pushin', right?" he giggled.

I turned the faucet off and wiped my hands on some paper towels, turning to Frank, "Can I ask you something a bit personal?"

"Uh, sure."

"Did you remember to use a condom?"

"Sorry?" Frank asked, his mouth dropping open.

"Well, did you?"

The fucker started to laugh! He was laughing at me.

"Sasha, you're so funny!" he snorted, slapping my arm lightly.

"Frank!" I raised my voice, "I'm serious!"

'Okay.' he calmed down, 'When, specifically, do you want to know if I used one? Because I never have actually participated in that act.'

Now it was my turn for my jaw to lose all coordination, 'You mean we didn't have sex?'

"Aww, of course not." Frank cooed, hugging me, "I have enough sense not to go that far."

I couldn't help but laugh at myself, "So we just made out?"

"Making out naked was as far as it got. Then I remember you passing out." Frank kissed the top of my head, "You hadn't been worrying about being pregnant or something, had you?"

"No, it's just -- I saw that box of condoms on your bedroom floor this morning, and I just put two and two together and got six billion. I was overreacting."

"Those are for my science project on gravity, by the way." Frank laughed, "I decided I didn't want to use balloons, so I bought them instead."

I screwed my eyes shut and buried my face in his shoulder, "You must think I'm a right idiot now."

"'course I don't." Frank smiled at me, "If I were you, I wouldn't even have the guts to ask; so I'd probably end up getting an STD that'd eat me from the inside out.
Kudos to you, my friend."

The rest of the night was great; Mikey and Julie won the cutest couple competition - even though they insisted they weren't dating. Frank kicked Gerard in the crotch for me, Matt ended up passing out under the table, and Ray was just good ol' Ray.

Frank and I left the dance before it'd finished; Frank wanted to get home to watch a Halloween, horror movie film fest that was going to be on TV.

When we got back to Frank's, Linda had already gone up to bed but she'd left a birthday cake, in the shape of a pumpkin, on the coffee table.

Frank grabbed a mattress from the basement, set it in front of the TV with some blankets and pillows, then sat down, beckoning for me to sit with him.

"Shit, The Exorcist..." I groaned, "I'm just going to sit on you. Right now."

"Sure, go ahead." Frank laughed, pulling me onto his lap, "You want some birthday cake?"

I nodded, and he turned around cutting two pieces for us.
"Make a wish!" I urged him.

He smiled then handed me my plate, "Okay, wish made."

"What did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you; it won't come true!" Frank grinned.

"Oh, whatever, Frankenstein."

"Shut up, doofus." Frank smeared some cake on my cheek.

So I did the same to him and leaned back against his chest, pulling the blanket up to my eyes and jumping at every little thing that happened in the movie.

"This has been my best birthday ever." Frank whispered into my ear, "And I'm glad that I got to spend it with you."

"Well, it was nice being with you on your birthday." I replied.

I could feel his smile against my neck, and he leaned over, pressing the lightest of kisses to my lips, leaving me starry-eyed.

"You're not enjoying watching this, are you, Sash?"

"Not exactly... But, if you want to watch it, I'll watch it, too." I stuttered.

Frank shook his head and pushed me carefully off his lap, getting up and putting a Mr. Bean video on instead.

"Better?" Frank asked, sitting back down and sliding his arm around my shoulders, resting his head in the crook of my neck.

"A lot, thanks."

"Good." he smiled, his eyelashes feeling like the soft fluttering of butterfly wings against my skin, "Gotta keep the lady happy, you know."