Status: Rewritten under You Had Me At Hello
Stay With Me
Almost Easy
I sat outside on the porch, smoking my third cigarette when Frankie walked up. I looked up at him, faked a smile, and looked blankly towards the road.
“What’s going on?” He asked concernedly. I just shrugged, pretending I had no idea what he was talking about. “Why haven’t you answered when I call?”
“Must not have heard it,” I lied. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. I could see the pain filling them.
“Did I do something to piss you off lately? Or to make you hate me?” He asked quietly. I shook my head. My feigned exterior couldn’t hold. “It’s been three days…”
“I’ve just had a lot on my mind, okay? Nothing personal,” I said, hoping to coax away any doubt. He let go of my face and looked down at the ground.
“Look, if you don’t want to be with me anymore, at least have the decency to tell me.” I looked at him and shook my head.
“I didn’t say that…”I defended softly. “I just have a lot to figure out.” He nodded slowly.
“You know you can trust me. You can talk to me about anything. I’ll never judge you.” I sighed. I knew he meant it, but I just wondered how he’d take it.
“It’s just really complicated…”I explained helplessly.
“It’s about you and him, isn’t it?” He guessed. I nodded slowly.
“I promised Mikey that I’d help him until Christmas. Then, he told me he loved me, and I didn’t want to say that I loved him too, because I didn’t know that I did. But, now that I think about it… I feel very strong things for him. I’m with you though, and I’m happy with you. It’s just a really fucked up situation for me,” I blurted quickly. His eyes grew wide, then returned to normal. He nodded slightly, as if he understood.
“Well, if you love him…”He trailed off. I shook my head.
“I don’t know if I LOVE him,” I tried to explain. He nodded again.
“Look, let’s just do this. You can be with him until Christmas, then if you still want me, we can try this again. Sound good?” He asked, as if it were nothing to him. I wanted to tell him that no, it didn’t sound good. That I wanted to be with him. That I loved him. But, all I could make myself do was nod. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. “I never wanted to create a difficult situation for you. This way, you can work things out. I’ll still be here. I’ll always be your best friend.” I wanted to cry, but I feigned a smile.
“Good, you’ll always be the first choice when it comes to sleep-over buddies,” I laughed. He smiled and nodded.
“Glad to hear it. Now, can I bum one of those? I left mine at the house,” he asked, pointing at the pack of Marlboros. I nodded, handing one to him.
I watched him as he exhaled a puff of smoke, and wondered what he was thinking, what he was feeling. How hard was it for him to say that to me? Was it painful and hard or easy?
“What’s going on?” He asked concernedly. I just shrugged, pretending I had no idea what he was talking about. “Why haven’t you answered when I call?”
“Must not have heard it,” I lied. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. I could see the pain filling them.
“Did I do something to piss you off lately? Or to make you hate me?” He asked quietly. I shook my head. My feigned exterior couldn’t hold. “It’s been three days…”
“I’ve just had a lot on my mind, okay? Nothing personal,” I said, hoping to coax away any doubt. He let go of my face and looked down at the ground.
“Look, if you don’t want to be with me anymore, at least have the decency to tell me.” I looked at him and shook my head.
“I didn’t say that…”I defended softly. “I just have a lot to figure out.” He nodded slowly.
“You know you can trust me. You can talk to me about anything. I’ll never judge you.” I sighed. I knew he meant it, but I just wondered how he’d take it.
“It’s just really complicated…”I explained helplessly.
“It’s about you and him, isn’t it?” He guessed. I nodded slowly.
“I promised Mikey that I’d help him until Christmas. Then, he told me he loved me, and I didn’t want to say that I loved him too, because I didn’t know that I did. But, now that I think about it… I feel very strong things for him. I’m with you though, and I’m happy with you. It’s just a really fucked up situation for me,” I blurted quickly. His eyes grew wide, then returned to normal. He nodded slightly, as if he understood.
“Well, if you love him…”He trailed off. I shook my head.
“I don’t know if I LOVE him,” I tried to explain. He nodded again.
“Look, let’s just do this. You can be with him until Christmas, then if you still want me, we can try this again. Sound good?” He asked, as if it were nothing to him. I wanted to tell him that no, it didn’t sound good. That I wanted to be with him. That I loved him. But, all I could make myself do was nod. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. “I never wanted to create a difficult situation for you. This way, you can work things out. I’ll still be here. I’ll always be your best friend.” I wanted to cry, but I feigned a smile.
“Good, you’ll always be the first choice when it comes to sleep-over buddies,” I laughed. He smiled and nodded.
“Glad to hear it. Now, can I bum one of those? I left mine at the house,” he asked, pointing at the pack of Marlboros. I nodded, handing one to him.
I watched him as he exhaled a puff of smoke, and wondered what he was thinking, what he was feeling. How hard was it for him to say that to me? Was it painful and hard or easy?
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Sorry that this is short, and kind of suckish. Working on getting chapters for all of my commentors! But, thank you all so much! I've been so crunched for time with the play coming up at my school. I'm still fighting to get the writing in though:)