Breaking Hearts Has Never Looked So Cool

Six

I love waking up in the morning, and then realising that there is no reason to get up, and being able to remain comfortably ensconced in a soft and warm bed, curled up like a baby in the womb. I never sleep again after I’ve woken up; but I do tend to lie there in a stupor.
The light was barely travelling into my room through my curtains when my bedroom door was opened violently and an excited Frank stood there, breathing somewhat heavily through his nose.

“What?” I yelled, my cry muffled by the duvet that covered my face. Only my eyes were visible, scouting out the criminal who invaded upon my snug solitude.

“Pack your bags sleepy head,” he said, practically sprinting across my room to undrawn my curtains,

“Maybe you should pack your bags Iero,” I said grumpily, consenting to sitting up in bed, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

“Already have cuz,” he said with a sly grin. He sat on the edge of my bed, and I groaned. I was never going to get back to sleep now.

“What do you mean?” I ventured to ask, “Or do I not want to know?”

“We’re going on a trip!” he yelled, apparently unable to resist the temptation to jump up and down.

“What?” I asked incredulously. It was the 28th December; it hardly seemed like the most obvious day on which to go on a spontaneous trip.

“Bob’s parents know someone who has a house upstate, and they’ve said that we can use it over New Year, so…”

“Pack my bags?” I suggested somewhat half heartedly, jumping out of bed like a reluctant deer being forced into the spotlight.

“Got it in one,” he grinned,

“Wait a minute, are our parents ok with this?” I asked, scanning the contents of my wardrobe, trying to work out what I would most want to wear.

“Are you kidding? They’re just glad that we haven’t asked them to host our new year’s; yes, even your mom’s ok with it,”
I nodded vaguely, wondering what top would most suit my mood.

“I’ll see you at the car in 10 minutes ok; you’re the last one we’re picking up, so hurry! We want to get on the road!”

15 minutes later, unhappily dressed in dark indigo skinny jeans and a red Jack Wills hoodie, I was physically dragged from my home by Frank, who was pulling my suitcase along with him.

“What the hell did you pack?” he asked with a wince as he attempted to lift it into the trunk of an unfamiliar car.

“Well you didn’t exactly give me time to think carefully about sensible choices,” I said nastily, resisting my early morning urge to kick him.

“Seeing as we can’t fit all of us in Ray’s car, Gerard’s very kindly offered to drive the luggage and one extra person in his car,” explained Frank, probably noting my look of confusion at the black car I had never seen before.

I tried not to let my mouth hang open in shock; but it surprised me that Gerard would want to come. All of us except Ray were a whole three years younger than him; and even Ray was 2 years younger. I decidedly ignored the fact that my heart jumped when I realised that I would be spending 4-5 days with him.

‘This is stupid.’ I told myself. ‘He would never like me, no matter what Annabelle says.’

Everyone was congregated around the two cars now, trying to decide a plan of action for the drive.

“Who’s going to ride with Gerard and the luggage?” asked Ray, fiddling with his car keys; throwing them up in the air and then catching them with the other hand.

“Mikey, you can do it, you can be Way brothers on the road,” suggested Frank. This whole thing had made him extremely hyperactive. His grin was so large that it was almost creepy, and he was bouncing on the balls of his toes. For someone so small, he sure had an awful lot of energy.

“Oh but then I wouldn’t get to ride with Mikey!” protested Annabelle, putting an arm around his shoulders and batting her eyelashes. She also through a significant look at me, that for the life of me I could not decipher.

“Gosh, don’t all volunteer at once!” said Gerard in a mock hurt voice, “you guys sure know how to make me feel loved,” he elegantly flicked some of his dark hair at his eyes and my heart skipped a beat again. Crap. Quite clearly, he had me at hello and I was done for.
“There is a simple way to work this out,” said Annabelle, and I could pretty much foresee what was coming. “Everyone knows that guys need a girl to read the map and direct them when they’re driving, so there should just be a girl in each car!” I smiled inwardly, knowing that Annabelle was doing her best to get me on my own with Gerard.

There were a few mutters, but no one seemed to really disagree with her. Frank, for one, only really cared about getting going.

“Looks like you’re riding with me then Connie,” said Gerard with a winning smile and my stomach performed a back flip of Olympic gymnastics standards.

I blushed and looked up at him from under my eyelashes, “I guess I am,” I replied, trying harder than ever before to maintain a cool exterior, even though my hands were shaking.