Breaking Hearts Has Never Looked So Cool

‘To tell or not to tell, that is the question.’ Like Hamlet, I was one of the greatest procrastinators of my time. Me making a decision and sticking to it was about as likely as me taking up incestuous love for Frank; never going to happen. Still, I had promised Frank that I would tell everyone else about Gerard and I, and he was giving me warning looks over the lunch table.

I knew what would happen; everyone would demand a definition; they would ask if we were ‘going out’ or ‘dating’ or ‘boyfriend-girlfriend.’ I already knew that they would not understand that Gerard and I didn’t need to be defined. Our relationship wasn’t like other peoples’.

“Ok, what’s with the eyes?” demanded Annabelle. She and Mikey had had another argument and he was determinedly avoiding her eyes as he persevered with his lunch. This had clearly irked Annabelle, so when she demanded this question, seemingly looking from Frank to me, I knew it was time to finally be honest. Maybe the knowledge that she had been right all along would put her in a better mood.

“What eyes?” asked Frank, sensing that I wasn’t quite ready to share my secret yet.

“You’re looking at Connie funny,” said Annabelle darkly, and she turned her downcast eyes to me, “and you’re looking back at him funny,” she added accusingly, “what’s up?”

I sighed, “I have some news,” I addressed the table as a whole.

Mikey’s miserable expression was illuminated by a sudden smirk, “I think I know what this is,” he said gleefully,

“What?” asked Matt impatiently, drumming his fingers on the table top as though highly irritated.

“I’m sort of seeing someone,” I answered nonchalantly, trying to play down the situation.

Like a bloodhound on the trail of a serial killer, Annabelle was soon on the case, her personal feelings disregarded, “What do you mean, ‘seeing someone’?” she asked shrewdly,

“Seeing someone,” I answered, “I don’t want to put a label on it...”

“How long for?” she half cut across me,

“About a month,” I responded. Gasps abounded from everyone with the exception of Mikey and Frank.

“What?” demanded Matt from next to me. He sounded oddly confrontational, so I figured that he was simply mad that I hadn’t told them all sooner.

“Who is it?” he demanded before I had a chance to answer,

“Gerard,” I replied, but now addressing the whole table again. Mikey’s smirk grew even wider, and Frank had an identical one on his own face.

Annabelle literally screamed, attracting a collection of odd stairs from her surroundings, “I was right!” she squealed, “I knew you’d get together in the end!” she then hugged me awkwardly over the table surface, “congratulations,” she whispered in my ear, “be as coy as you like, I know how much you like him,”

I blushed, but smiled all the same, and turned to meet the reactions of everyone else.

“Gee told me on Saturday night!” Mikey enthused, “I saw it coming a mile off!”

“I know, right!” agreed Annabelle, and their eyes met meaningfully over the table.

“I didn’t know you liked Gerard,” said Matt stiffly, not looking me directly in the eye. For a moment I wondered if his eyes were instead fixed on an out of place hair or unsightly blemish, but I soon gave up on that. He seemed just to be in an odd mood.

“No one knew,” I responded simply, “I kept it completely secret,”
“I didn’t even know you wanted a boyfriend,” he said, and I shrugged,

I hadn’t known that we were supposed to be such close confidantes. As far as I was concerned, the fact that I hadn’t told Frank or Annabelle showed how much of a secret operation it was.

“It doesn’t really matter now, does it,” I said simply, and thankfully the bell rang to deliver me.

I spotted Mikey and Annabelle wandering vaguely off together, hand in hand, and I felt a sigh of relief release itself from my body as I watched them talk. They seemed to be so strong, but Annabelle was just continually undermining their relationship. I didn’t even understand how Mikey could trust her an inch – if Gerard ever did that to me...I shuddered involuntarily and went to my locker.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the day I suddenly felt at complete ease. I was looking forward to either copping a lift with someone or the serene walk home, I simply couldn’t wait to get in so I could call Gerard, and my bag was lighter than ever before due to my complete lack of homework. Feeble winter sunbeams were even jetting across the wintrily subdued car park and an automatic smile sprang to my face like a reflex.

“Connie!” Annabelle hailed, pressing her way through the throng vying for exit, “I made up with Mikey!”

I grinned; could they day get any better?

“I know, I saw you guys talking,” I told her happily,

“He says he forgives me,” she said proudly, and I nodded smiling, even though my head was secretly imagining Gerard’s voice.

“Good,” I responded,

“And I won’t do it again,” she said, and although her voice positively oozed with sincerity, I couldn’t help my inner voice saying ‘Yeah right’ in a most sarcastic way.

“Ooh look!” Said Annabelle suddenly, but I didn’t need that prompt or her nudge in my ribs to notice what she had noticed.

Standing leaning effortlessly and elegantly on the side of his old black car was none other than Gerard himself. I felt a pang of jealousy when I saw that most girls exiting the school eyed him with some interest. This pang was overcome, however, with an overwhelming feeling of pride and happiness as I walked over to him. I could hardly believe that out of all the pretty and amazing girls available, he had chosen me.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound as cool as I could but ending up coming off just as weak-kneed as I felt,

“Hey you,” he said, planting a brief, but firm kiss on my lips, “I figured that I’d come and pick you up, seeing as we went public today,”

I was still grinning stupidly from his kiss, I was desperate for him to kiss me again.

“Thank you,” I said, practically swooning.

“No problem sugar,” he replied, “maybe we could go and get a coffee or something now?”

I nodded weakly; once again he had me submitting totally to his will.

As though he was reading my mind, he, regardless of the fact that we were in my school car park, wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, and kissed me again, for a long enough time that I felt as though I was melting into him.

Nothing that perfect can ever be spoiled. Can it?