Opposites Always Attract.

I smiled as soon as the warmth of the house hit my face. I kicked off my wet shoes and stood, shivering in Gerard’s hallway. A small puddle of rain water formed around my feet, although Gerard’s house was warm, I was still freezing.

“Well, don’t just stand there, come on” he pulled me upstairs and into his bedroom, which was the most tidy I had ever seen it.

Gerard motioned for me to sit on the bed while he rummaged around in his wardrobe, pulling random pieces of fabric out as he went. He eventually chucked a T-Shirt and Hoodie at me (black, of course) and a pair of skinny jeans, which looked like they were women’s cut.

“Get changed,” he instructed “I’m going to get you some towels.” he left the room, leaving the door wide open, but with no one else in the house, there wasn’t a risk of anyone seeing me.

I gratefully ripped off the wet clothing from my body, and hurriedly pulled on the clothes that Gerard had lent me. The jeans were a little big around the waist, but I was thankful all the same. Just as I’d finished, Gerard walked in, carrying a bright pink towel which he threw at me.

“Pink, definitely your colour.” I teased, as I towel dried my ruined hair; he just glared at me, but laughed none the less. I took a quick look in the mirror, and was horrified when I saw that most of my make-up had been washed away, and that I was only left with black rings around my eyes from my mascara.

“What?” Gerard enquired as he looked at my upset face.
“My make-up, it’s gross” I said, turning to face him, my eyes full of fear.
“What? You look fine.”
“No, look at me!! I look like such a state, I look ugly. Eurgh!!”
“God, you are such a girl, I take you into my house, and all you do is complain about your make-up?” Gerard said, pushing me lightly in frustration.

“Yes, I am a girl,” I held my head high, tossing the towel back at him so it landed on his face “And I embrace it.”

“I can tell” he said, throwing the towel onto the floor and kicking it under his bed. I hated to think about what else he kept under his bed, it seemed to be his storage space for just about everything.

“What is that meant to mean? You can tell? You can tell what?” I looked at him while I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Nothing, you just act very much like a girl. You know, like a typical girl, with your whole make-up and high heels and shit.”
“Well, I kind of have to act that way-“
“To fit in?”
“Yupp, exactly,”
“You’re so weird.” Gerard sighed, falling onto his bed, propping himself up with his elbows so he could see me.
“I’m weird? Look in the mirror! You’re obviously more weirder than me.”
“At least I don’t lie to my friends.” Gerard smirked, but he was right, I just glared at him.

“I have good reason to lie,” I said, still glaring “I don’t think Chloe would appreciate me if she knew what I’m really like.”

“I doubt she’d appreciate you if she knew you’ve kissed me, three times.” His face held so much arrogance that I was tempted to slap him, instead my mouth feel open. I was shocked at his confidence. The Gerard I first knew would rather throw himself in front of a train if we’d kissed, not tease me about it.

“Hey! I kissed you once! And I was still high, it’s not like I meant to do it!! I-I only did it to shut you up! For a laugh, as a joke!!” Gerard frowned.

“What about the first time then? Hmm? When we were at your house?”
“That was a joint effort!” I crossed my arms in annoyance “I don’t even know how it happened. I don’t know how any of it happened, how any of this happened.” I gestured between Gerard and me.

“Well, neither do I. You know, sometimes I don’t know whether I really hate you or...” he trailed off.
“Or what?”
“Or...I dunno. I guess you’re just pretty cool, Elliott. I don’t know what to make of you.”
“We’re fucked up,” I sighed and flopped onto the bed next to him “One minute we fight, the next...”
“We’re kissing” he smirked.
“That was one, time.” I turned my head to the side, so I could see his face, which was glowing with laughter, but also with thought.

“Yeah, but ask yourself why it happened.” He turned to face me, our eyes staring back at each other.

“Why do you enjoy tormenting me so much? I don’t know why I do most of the things I do.”
“Because you’re so easy to torment,” he grinned “ and because not many girls have run up to me telling me they’ve ‘left the party to come and see me’...And then collapse.”
“That wasn’t funny.” But I still grinned with him.
“You’re so different to how I thought you were.” His eyes drifted towards the ceiling, his hands now resting behind his head.

“Is that a good or bad thing?”
“I don’t know yet,” his eyebrows scrunched in thought “I mean you’re still Elliott Haile. You’re just...A more interesting version.”
“So, what are we saying now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you still hate me?”

“Of course I do,” he smiled “But maybe...I just won’t show it as much”
“We’re fucked, that is my only conclusion.”
“Yupp. I think that is the one thing, we can agree on.”
“Like, those kisses, what were they?” I laughed, he joined me.
“I know! It was one of those ‘in the moment things’ right?”
“Definitely! I think I just liked the idea of kissing someone, it just so happened you were there.” We both laughed again, despite the fact what we were saying to each other was generally quite insulting.

“Yeah, you’re the last person I would want to kiss! I just had a girl straddling me and thought ‘fuck it’”

“S-So, everything that’s happened, all those weird moments, they mean nothing right?” I continued to look at him.
“Nope, nothing at all, hormones and shit, right?”
“Right!”

We were both liars.

-

“I fucking hate this film, it’s so trippy! But it’s so good at the same time!” I said, curling up on the sofa as I watched a little boy on his tricycle pedal through an empty hotel.

“This film is fucking awesome. Wait for it...Wait for it...BOOM!” Gerard yelled as soon as the two famous twins appeared on screen.

I was still at Gerard’s house, curled up on his sofa watching The Shining, my hair now a frizzy mess, but at least I was warm. The rain was still pouring down outside, making me feel even more cosy. Why hadn’t I gone home yet? I have no idea.

Even though Gerard and I both agreed that what had happened to us over the last week or so meant nothing, we still found ourselves enjoying each other’s company. You want to know why it’s so confusing to understand our relationship? Because it is God damn hard to explain.

Gerard and I still hated each other, but at the same time, we didn’t. We were scared of each other, but then again we weren’t. We’d kissed each other, for reasons we could never explain, but we’d argued with each other for many reasons we could explain. We weren’t friends, we weren’t enemy’s, we weren’t acquaintances...We were just Art Partners.

“Just imagine if you saw them girls in your house. I’d shit myself” Gerard said, staring at the screen with pleasure. He obviously loved the film; I on the other hand was grimacing at everything the dead children were saying, they were creepy. I’d seen the film many times before, but it still fucked me up every time.

But just as it was reaching the climax of the scene, the TV suddenly switched off, as did all of the lights and the other electricals. I screamed, I couldn’t help it, it made me jump.

“Power cut.” Gerard said simply, ignoring the fact I had practically died from shock. I didn’t say anything; I just sat on the sofa in the darkness, waiting for Gerard to do something. But after he said nothing, I spoke.

“Gerard, w-what are we going to do?” I hated power cuts, mainly because I was a little bit afraid of the dark. Walking home at night is fine for me, there are street lights and cars...There is still life around. But in a power cut, it feels like everything dies, and then I am left in the darkness with nothing. A little bit morbid I know, but that is just how I felt.

“Gerard?” I cried again, he hadn’t answered me. I was beginning to get scared; his house was so silent and eerie. When he didn’t reply for a second time, I got up from the couch, and tiptoed into the hallway, my hands feeling around so that I didn’t bump into anything.

“Gerard, stop playing games. Where the fuck are you?” A hint of desperation in my voice as I tried to see through the darkness. Gerard must have been a ninja, as I didn’t hear a single footstep as he sneaked up behind me.

“I’m here” he whispered in my ear, I screamed again in fear, and spun around, only to face a bright light.

“I found a torch” he said, waving the light around proudly, smiling as he shined it on my frightened face.

“I hate you” I said between breaths.
“I know...Are you okay?” He asked, suddenly seeing how scared I was.

“Mmmhmm, I just hate the dark, that’s all” I tried not to sound like a wimp, but Gerard still chuckled at me.

“Aww, poor Elliott, afraid of the dark. Scared monsters are gunna get ya?” he teased, flicking the torch on and off again on my unimpressed face.
“You’re not funny.” I crossed my arms.
“Aww, I’m sorry, Elliott. I thought you could handle a bit of banter.” He nudged my arm, trying to get me to smile. The corner of my mouth twitched, but I didn’t cave.

“...I still hate you.”
“I know.” He grinned.

“No, seriously.” I wasn’t as pissed off as I was pretending to be, I was just trying to make Gerard feel sorry for teasing me about my fear.
“Aww, come on! What can I do to make you smile?”
“You can’t make me smile. You’re evil.” Through the dim light of the torch, I could see his face genuinely thinking about a way to make me smile again.

“No I’m not.”
“Yes you are.”
“What can I do to make it better?”
“Nothing”

I went to say something else, to insult him more, but instead he turned the torch off, so that we were left in the darkness again. I wondered what he could possibly be playing at.

And that’s when his soft lips landed on mine.