Killing's Just A Game

I keep staring at him, waiting for a reply. A few moments go by before Mikey cracks a smile at me and takes off his glasses, setting them at the foot of the bunk.

"Well, Frank and Gerard both have the hots for you," he states matter-of-factly, "So if you were sharing a bunk with one of them, the other would be jealous. That would cause way more fighting than we really want to deal with. Well, I guess as PR you'd be handling it, but still."

I lay back down, staring up at the ceiling, which is only about a foot above my head. After thinking for a few minutes, I face Mikey again. His eyes are closed, but I know he's still awake.

"Mikey?" His eyes pop openly expectantly. "Can I ask your expert opinion on something?"

"Sure, Princess," he replies, propping himself up on one elbow.

"If you were me, which one of them would you choose?" I ask. Of course I'm not going to base my decision entirely off of his answer, but I am curious. I barely know these guys, and after all, I'm at a loss for what to do now.

"Gerard would want me to tell you to pick him," Mikey whispers, on the verge of falling asleep. "But he's got some issues. You'd be much better off with Frank."

"What sort of issues?" I prod.

"Gerard has always had problems with abusing prescription drugs, and lately he's become quite an alcoholic," Mikey mumbles. I'm shocked by his honesty, yet I am extremely grateful for it. "Frank could handle a stable relationship right now. Gerard couldn't."

I nod and pull the blanket further up so that it covers my shoulders.

"Thanks, Mikey," I whisper, but he doesn't hear me. He's already asleep.

I don't know how long I laid there contemplating my next move. At this point, I have a million emotions surging through my brain. I'm getting far too attached to these guys, all of them, not just the target. I'm breaking cardinal rule number one; never get emotionally involved. And yet, I couldn't care less.

Pushing that particular danger out of my mind, I focus on the more serious choice at hand. Deciding between Gerard and Frank is the most crucial problem at this stage in the game. Both of them have positives, yet both have negatives at the same time.

Frank is trusting. Once I dedicated my attention to him, all I would have to do is bat my eyelashes and he'd divulge all the information I need. He would be sweet, gullible, and absolutely oblivious to my ulterior motives. It would be like taking candy from a baby.

On the other hand, Gerard is hardly ever sober. All that would be required of me is hanging around him constantly. We could go out, he'd have a few drinks, and then all the band's secrets would be mine for the taking. However, there's always the risk of him becoming too ludicrous to answer my questions correctly. Besides, I'd already established Gerard as the dangerous one. I didn't need to get soft, I didn't need the truth about me to be discovered.

I make my decision and shut my eyes tight, willing sleep to come. A definite rest was in order. Just as I was about to fall asleep, Mikey begins to snore next to me. In an escape attempt, I shuffle away from him and cover my ears with my pillow. No use. The gravelly sound is still penetrating my ears. There is no way I will be able to sleep like this.

Careful not to wake Mikey, I crawl over him and out of the bunk. The rest of the guys have their curtains cracked open a tad, so I can see who is where. Acting on my decision, I cross the hallway and stand on my tip toes, peering into the top bunk.

I reach into the bunk and tap the sleeping figure on the shoulder. He groans in a disgruntled manner before turning over to face me. I take a deep breath and envision myself signing a contract and sealing my fate.

"Can I sleep with you?"