Telegraph Avenue Kiss

Darling little Mikey showed up at my house the next morning early. It's like...what the hell? He's never early, ever. It's not encoded into his brain. I always imagine his glasses whispering to him that he can just wait those ten extra minutes before stepping outside into the evil world. Can't you just imagine his thick rimmed glassed growing a mouth right on the bridge thing and plotting evil things against people who wear contacts?

Okay, back to what I was saying. He was early, and just barged into my room without knocking just like usual. When he saw me in nothing but my boxers, he didn't do the straight thing and just walk back out, he got himself settled down on my bed and grinned up at me. I stood before him with my hands on my bare hips, giving him a look I hoped said 'get the fuck out before I bite you'.

"Hey, baby. Sup?" he asked brightly. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Well, I was trying to get dressed, but I find it a bit awkward to do when you've got an over-sexed teenage boy gawking at your half-naked body."

He nodded. "Mhm. Sounds nice. Since when am I over-sexed? If anything, I'm under-sexed. Just last week we were talking about how no girl's ever gonna fuck me, even if I was rich and in a band. Ah, how I miss last week. There was no such thing as this 'school' mess that we are going through." he said.

He reached into his pocket, and before my slow brain could comprehend anything that he might have been doing, he had taken a picture of me with his cell phone.

Ugh, I hated how I turn out in pictures. And me being shirtless didn't help matters, because, unlike my best friend, I was not a toothpick. Yes, I act like a girl sometimes, and I'm a little embarrased about my pudgy stomach. Eh, maybe I was supposed to be a girl. That would explain the sudden heart-wrenching attraction to Gerard, right?

"Mikes, you are a sick, twisted little boy, you know that?" I told him. At the same time, I moved over to my closet and searched for clothes. I got my black (girl's) pants and put them on, trying to ignore the prickling on the back of my neck that told me Mikey was staring. Then I got out a random green shirt. Well, it was the only splotch of colour in an otherwise endless sea of black in my closet, so it couldn't be that random. I threw it on and began looking around my room for my belt.

The spiked one, of course. Not my beloved pink one.

"Hey, Frankie, what happened to your pink belt?" Mikey asked. His head was currently stuck under my bed where he was no doubt trying to find said belt.

"Uhm...I lost it." I lied. He frowned and cocked his head to the side.

"What? How did you lose it? It's your favorite. And it's right there." he said, pointing at a spot on my floor. Not that I could actually see the floor anymore, what with all the shit in my room

I looked down and there it was poking out from under a pair of my pants. I blinked. I can't wear that pink belt. It's enough that I'm wearing a sparkly pink ring that a boy gave me. Which I had turned down so that it looked like a plain silver band. Almost like a wedding ring... That's going a bit far, I know.

Fuck. No, I did not just think that. This ring means nothing. If anything, it means that Gerard thinks I'm a little girl who likes pink sparkly things. And that is how I manage to kep my sanity. Constantly reminding myself that Gerard does not like me and never will.

"Oh...well, I think I'll just wear this one, though." I said, suddenly spotting the studded belt under my computer desk. I dove for it, then put it on.

"Mikey, stop staring already." I snapped, getting annoyed.

"Why won't you wear the pink one? You love it. Hell, I love it." he whined. I said nothing, just stared at him. I had nothing to say. How could I tell him that I couldn't wear it because I was trying to prove to myself that I wasn't gay? And majorly crushing on his amazingly pretty older brother who he practically worships? No, that would just take the pep that he got yesterday from finally getting a date right out of him.

"Jesus, if you're not going to answer me, then at least get ready to leave!" he demanded.

"Okay, but I'm not Jesus. I'm Frank." I told him as I slipped on my shoes. "Ready?" I asked.

He held up a packet of pop tarts that just seemed to appear out of nowhere and nodded. "Yep, Frankensein. Let's go to school!" he exclaimed, standing up.

We had to go through the whole 'school' thing, which isn't really as bad as we make it out to be. Mikey, Kali, and I stick close together and don't get too much shit, so it's okay. After school, Mikey and I congregated at his house for our weekly band practice. I don't know if it can really be called band practice, since it's just me and Mikey with a guitar and a bass, but eh. I don't feel like coming up with a genius name for it right now.

As soon as we were through the door, the phone started ringing, so Mikey announced to every thing in the living room that he would get it.

I hated being in his house while he was busy doing something. No matter how much I'm always over here, it's still not my own home, and probably will never feel that way. So, when I was left all alone in the empty living room, I stomped the ground in annoyance.

"Dammit." I muttered. I heard someone giggle, and spun around to see Gerard walking down the stairs. His hair was hanging down in his face, making him look very vampire-esque. I just wanted to tuck his hair behind his ears.

"You're so girly, Frankie." he told me. I frowned and put my hands on my hips.

"Oh? How so?" I asked, realising a little too late that my current state with my hip jutted out was more than likely making me more feminine-looking. Gerard wrinkled his nose at me and grinned, showing all of his perfect little teeth.

"Well, my dear, it certainly wasn't that cute little stomping move you just did."

I blushed at the words cute and dear. Technically, he wasn't calling me cute, but I still feel flattered.

Mikey came into the room with the phone held up to his ear. He was muttering something to whoever was on the other line, then turned to me.

"Hey, Frank, go hang out with Gee for a bit.I'm talking to-"

"Rebecca." I finished for him.

He nodded vigorously, grinning like a mad man. I was so proud of him. Finally he finds a girl that makes him happy. And when Mikey is happy, I'm thrilled for him. I leaned up to plant a sloppy kiss on his forehead, and grabbed the phone from him.

"Hi, Becca! I am Frank. You know, the freak that made a big scene in the waffle house the other day?" I heard her giggle on the other end of the line.

"Oh, hello Frank." she said. She had a bubbly voice that I liked. And a british accent!

"So....what makes you call my boy Mikey? Couldn't stay away from his sexy body? Yeah, me neither." She giggled again, and so did Gerard. His was cuter. Mikey, however, was not pleased that I was talking about how hot he was.

"Frank, give me the phone." he growled, snatching it away.

"Becca! No, he's molesting me!" I cried out, sure that she could still hear me. Mikey turned a brilliant shade of hot pink.

"Gerard, do something with this midget!" Mikey called to his brother while pointing to me. Suddenly I found myself thrown over Gerard's shoulder and squealed at the loss of gravity.

"Gerard!!" I screeched, sounding like a girl. I was thrown on the couch and both of the Ways pounced on me.

"Ahh! Now both of them are molesting me! Not that I mind!" I yelled out. I could hear Mikey's girlfriend break down in laughter from all the way under Gerard and Mikey. Mikey still miraculously had the phone in his hand, and he was on top of the dog pile. He jumped back to his feet and explained what was going on to Rebecca. Then he glared at me.

"Stay with Gerard." he commanded, then ran up the stairs to get to his room. I was left alone in the living room with Gerard. He had his hands tucked behind his back and was humming something that sounded suspiciously like Complicated by Avril Lavigne.

"You come o-ver unannounced...dressed up like you're somethin' else!!" I sung, matching the beat of his humming. He grinned so widely that his eyes crinkled and started singing with me.

"Where you're at and where you want to be, it's makin' me...laugh out when you strike your pose." I took both of Gee's hands in mine and we started jumping around the living room, forgetting about the furniture.

"Take off all your preppy clothes!" we yelled. I tugged at Gerard's shirt that was in no way preppy. 'Who the fuck is Tre Cool?' was prominently written across a white t-shirt in green letters. Gerard raised an eyebrow and poked me in the stomach.

"Geez, keep it down, you punk-wannabes!" Mikey yelled from the top of the steps.

"Fine, we'll just go sing in my room!" Gerard yelled back, grabbing my hand and moving us toward the basement door. Oh, bob, am I ready to go down there?

To be alone with Gerard in a dark room that I have nightmares about?

To be alone with Gerard at all?