Seventy Times Seven

"So how are you gonna do it?"

I laughed. Gerard had been bugging me all day about this. "I don't know. Just..give it to him I guess.."

"The bird hates you! How about, you somehow find a way to sneak it into his room while we're exchanging gifts."

We were standing outside my car in the parking lot. Mikey was waiting impatiently in Gerard's car, and it had taken a lot of convincing to get Frank to go home.

"I'll figure it out. Trust me. I better get home and figure out where moms at. Her flight got cancelled yesterday, thanks to the ice and stuff. Call me when I need to come over, yea?" I replied, brushing the hair out of my eyes.

"Definately. Later Chels."

I jumped in my car and attempted to get out of the parking lot, contemplating on how I was going to give Frankie his present. There was snow built up along the side of the road. And stepping through the snow, I saw JB, walking toward home.

I gasped and stopped, slamming on the brakes and rolling down the window, a few people honking behind me. "JB!"

She jumped and looked at me. Then gave a small wave.

"Get in, yea?" I really wanted to talk to her. And this seemed like the perfect time.

She shifted, as people started driving around me. "Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you. Thats all. I'm going to my house. Later today I'm going to my friends for Christmas. You don't have to come with me there, but do you wanna hang out until then?" I tried to overexplain, so she wouldn't be so nervous.

She glanced around nervously, as if seeing if there was something somewhere she was missing. Then, reluctantly, she walked over to the car, and peeked in the back windows.

"It's just me. I swear. I wouldn't do anything."

She gave a weak smile, and slowly got in. Wow. She smiled.

"So, will you talk to me?" Straight and to the point. Can't go wrong with that.

"Yea, but only you."

I gave her a weird look. "Why only me?"

"I trust you."

I frowned, beginning my drive back home. "Not that you shouldn't, but why?"

"I already told you," she said flatly. "You dont hurt me."

I didn't really wanna press it, so I just drove the rest of the way home. Once I got there, I stopped and looked at her, deciding it was time to discuss Frank.

"Ok, JB, I really think you're awesome. But Frank is one of my best friends. I swear he..wont hurt you. He doesn't mean anything bad to you. Really. He's just-"

"What did he do to you?"

She stopped me midsentence. I had really been trying to avoid this part of the conversation. "It's not a big deal.."

"No Chelsea. Really, thats what it comes down to. What did he do to you?"

"He..he just..h-he.." I stuttered, not wanting to ruin any chances of her being cool to him.

Her face switched from relaxed and interested to angry and annoyed. "He called you shit, right? Said horrible shit to you? Hell, did he hit you? Beat you up? Cause I've gotten a shitload of that! In and out of my fucked up brain! Tell you he was going to kill you right?"

I didn't say anything. There wasnt much to say really. I just sat there, mouth open like an idiot.

She stepped out of the car and grabbed her bag. "Face it Chelsea. We both know, he's just like the rest of them. Thanks for the ride, I'll walk home."

And with that, she shut the door and left.