You Give Love a Bad Name
Costume Talk
"Time flies when you're decorating suh-weet cupcakes, eh?" Melanie grinned at me, looking at the our fifteen baked creations that were lined up on a tray.
"I absolutely agree, Ms. Hamilton," I replied, my facial expression matching hers.
"Now," Melanie crossed her arms and jumped up on the counter, her behind missing the cupcakes by inches. "What are we gonna do tomorrow with Cara?"
"Um," I slowly scratched the back of my head, staring off into distance. Then I had a bright idea.
"Frank's birthday's coming up. I need to do some shopping."
Melanie pouted and playfully punched me in the arm. "I thought you were going to say Halloween costume shopping. Speaking of, what are you gonna be?"
"I have no idea," I replied honestly, shrugging my shoulders. "You?"
"Me either," Melanie said with a frown. "We need to decide soon, though. Halloween is only two weeks away."
I groaned in frustration. "Maybe I'll be a vampire. Wait, no, scratch that. That's Gerard. He's the same thing every year."
"I wonder why," Melanie dawdled with mock thoughtfulness. "Anyway, know who you're going to the Halloween dance with yet?"
I ignored two hazel eyes that swam through my head. "No. I don't think I'm gonna go, dances are overrated. I think that I'm just gonna stay and help with Frank's 'surprise' birthday party."
"Why the emphasis on surprise?"
I grinned. "We throw it every year so it's not a surprise any longer."
Melanie laughed, hopping off the counter and started to make her way towards the refrigerator. "Want a Coke?"
"Sure," I nodded, suddenly feeling thirsty. "So who are you going with?"
"The dance?"
"Duh."
"Well," Melanie poked out her head from behind the refrigerator door, a huge embarrassed smile seeping through. "No one yet. But, there is someone who I want to ask me."
My eyes lit up with excitement. "Do I know him?"
She nodded, coming over and handing me a Coke. "Yes. Very well too, might I add."
With a sinking feeling, I pushed Frank's face from my thoughts. "Um, Bob?"
Upon hearing that, Melanie snorted, instantly cramping up her face as the gas from the soda hit her nose in full blast. "Nooooo! You're kidding, right? It's Bob we're talking about here. The guy who wore my thong."
"On a dare," I defended Mr. Bryar.
"Still, you don't date a guy who wore your underwear. In my book, anyway," she informed me, laughing.
"I give up, then."
"Your brother," Melanie said, slight pink coloring her cheeks. "Mikey."
A huge smile spread itself on my features as I mentally scolded myself for being so stupid and overlooking the simple facts that were right in front of my nose. "Awww! How cute is this?"
"Shut up," Melanie grinned like an idiot, her blush deepening in color. "You sound like my grandma."
"Listen," I became serious, all traces of previous teasing gone. "You can't wait for Mikey to ask you out, you have to do it yourself. Mikey would rather fly a plane without his glasses on than take things a bit further than friendship with a girl that he likes."
Melanie's eyes widened. "Wait, he likes me? When did that happen?"
"Erm," I could almost feel the wrath of Mikey's glare when he would find out what slipped from my mouth this time. "Yes, but you didn't hear that from me."
Seventeen and strung-out on confusion
Trapped inside a roll of disillusion
I took out my phone, flipping it open after checking the Caller ID, thus silencing my Coming Clean ringtone. "Sup, GerBear?"
"Shut up, Lennie - Poo. Mom wants to know if you're coming home for dinner."
"Um," I looked over at the clock that was hanging above the refrigerator; 6:51 PM. "Yeah, I will be there in twenty minutes or so."
"Okay. But, I want my car back in the same condition that I gave it to you in."
"I's my car too!" I protested. "And Mikey's."
"Yeah, but I use it the most. Listen, I've got to go. The guys are leaving and I need to see them out. Later, kiddo."
"Bye," I mumbled to the already dead line.
"Gerard?" Melanie asked knowingly.
"Yeah," I confirmed. "I have to go home. How about we distribute the cupcakes tomorrow?"
"Sounds good," Melanie threw hear arms around me in a big hug. "Get some sleep, 'cause tomorrow Cara and I are picking you up bright and early."
"What time?" I asked cautiously.
"Ten in the morning," Melanie laughed upon seeing my horrified expression. "On the dot."
"I absolutely agree, Ms. Hamilton," I replied, my facial expression matching hers.
"Now," Melanie crossed her arms and jumped up on the counter, her behind missing the cupcakes by inches. "What are we gonna do tomorrow with Cara?"
"Um," I slowly scratched the back of my head, staring off into distance. Then I had a bright idea.
"Frank's birthday's coming up. I need to do some shopping."
Melanie pouted and playfully punched me in the arm. "I thought you were going to say Halloween costume shopping. Speaking of, what are you gonna be?"
"I have no idea," I replied honestly, shrugging my shoulders. "You?"
"Me either," Melanie said with a frown. "We need to decide soon, though. Halloween is only two weeks away."
I groaned in frustration. "Maybe I'll be a vampire. Wait, no, scratch that. That's Gerard. He's the same thing every year."
"I wonder why," Melanie dawdled with mock thoughtfulness. "Anyway, know who you're going to the Halloween dance with yet?"
I ignored two hazel eyes that swam through my head. "No. I don't think I'm gonna go, dances are overrated. I think that I'm just gonna stay and help with Frank's 'surprise' birthday party."
"Why the emphasis on surprise?"
I grinned. "We throw it every year so it's not a surprise any longer."
Melanie laughed, hopping off the counter and started to make her way towards the refrigerator. "Want a Coke?"
"Sure," I nodded, suddenly feeling thirsty. "So who are you going with?"
"The dance?"
"Duh."
"Well," Melanie poked out her head from behind the refrigerator door, a huge embarrassed smile seeping through. "No one yet. But, there is someone who I want to ask me."
My eyes lit up with excitement. "Do I know him?"
She nodded, coming over and handing me a Coke. "Yes. Very well too, might I add."
With a sinking feeling, I pushed Frank's face from my thoughts. "Um, Bob?"
Upon hearing that, Melanie snorted, instantly cramping up her face as the gas from the soda hit her nose in full blast. "Nooooo! You're kidding, right? It's Bob we're talking about here. The guy who wore my thong."
"On a dare," I defended Mr. Bryar.
"Still, you don't date a guy who wore your underwear. In my book, anyway," she informed me, laughing.
"I give up, then."
"Your brother," Melanie said, slight pink coloring her cheeks. "Mikey."
A huge smile spread itself on my features as I mentally scolded myself for being so stupid and overlooking the simple facts that were right in front of my nose. "Awww! How cute is this?"
"Shut up," Melanie grinned like an idiot, her blush deepening in color. "You sound like my grandma."
"Listen," I became serious, all traces of previous teasing gone. "You can't wait for Mikey to ask you out, you have to do it yourself. Mikey would rather fly a plane without his glasses on than take things a bit further than friendship with a girl that he likes."
Melanie's eyes widened. "Wait, he likes me? When did that happen?"
"Erm," I could almost feel the wrath of Mikey's glare when he would find out what slipped from my mouth this time. "Yes, but you didn't hear that from me."
Seventeen and strung-out on confusion
Trapped inside a roll of disillusion
I took out my phone, flipping it open after checking the Caller ID, thus silencing my Coming Clean ringtone. "Sup, GerBear?"
"Shut up, Lennie - Poo. Mom wants to know if you're coming home for dinner."
"Um," I looked over at the clock that was hanging above the refrigerator; 6:51 PM. "Yeah, I will be there in twenty minutes or so."
"Okay. But, I want my car back in the same condition that I gave it to you in."
"I's my car too!" I protested. "And Mikey's."
"Yeah, but I use it the most. Listen, I've got to go. The guys are leaving and I need to see them out. Later, kiddo."
"Bye," I mumbled to the already dead line.
"Gerard?" Melanie asked knowingly.
"Yeah," I confirmed. "I have to go home. How about we distribute the cupcakes tomorrow?"
"Sounds good," Melanie threw hear arms around me in a big hug. "Get some sleep, 'cause tomorrow Cara and I are picking you up bright and early."
"What time?" I asked cautiously.
"Ten in the morning," Melanie laughed upon seeing my horrified expression. "On the dot."