Tell Me Angel, Where Are You

We sat in my room a while. I never got to thank him, either. Every time I’d try, he’d either, interrupt me or stuff a cold hand over my face until I stopped speaking.

I calmly laid on my bed as Frankie gleefully played with Bandit. The little fur ball frantically zigzagged around the small room after an epic battle of tug-of-war. Frankie had always loved dogs. In fact, Frankie and his mom had given me Bandit a couple months beforehand. He knew that I had always wanted a pomeranian since I was small. It was a pretty sweet surprise.

An occasional crash and some moments of shattering glass snuck under the small space under the closed door. My stomach released a grumble.
“Hey Munchkin, you wanna go out to get something to eat? I’m starving it and it sounds like you are too. Plus, I don’t want you going out there, sounds pretty vile,” he proclaimed protectively.

He had a way of mysteriously turning my stomach into a nesting ground for butterflies. Just knowing he cared felt incredible. It made me feel me feel amazing, for the lack of a better word.
“Yeah, I’m hungry too. He doesn’t check if I’m here anyway, dunno why he called me home in the first place…” I trailed off.
“Good…wait, how long you think the party’ll take?”

I paused to think for a bit.

“Well, they all get completely hammered and just pass out?” I stated more as a question then an actual fact.
“Then get your stuff,” he said simply.
“Hm?”
“We’re gunna have a sleepover!” He grinned widely.

I grinned. See, Frankie wasn’t the type of guy to take advantage over me like that. Besides, we always had sleepovers, even when we were little. I never really had many friends that were girls. Actually, I never had many friends to begin with. Anyway, I never really had girl sleepovers. Even if I had girlfriends, I wasn’t into the whole ‘let me do your nails’ type girl party. Hah, in fact, Frankie would fit in better with the girls then I would have. I always let him do my make-up. As soon as I walked in the door, he’d spastically jump up and down asking ‘Can I do your make-up?’ grinning that famous Iero grin.

I grinned from ear to ear as I randomly shoved stuff into my knapsack. After it was filled to the brim, we buttoned it shut. Frankie quickly hugged Bandit before he let him out of the room, quietly closing the door behind the trotting puppy.
We heard drunken laughs spill out from the rest of the house.
He grabbed my stuff and hopped out the window. I sat on the chilly window ledge, preparing to jump.

“Jump, I’ll catcha,” Frankie offered, putting down my belongings and putting his arms out.
I grinned as I slowly slid from window ledge into his safe arms. He picked up my knapsack and carried it for me, such a gentleman.

He pulled me close and held my waist as we went to drop my things off at his house. After we’d reached his house, we dumped my stuff in his room and exited the house.
We stood on the stoop a few minutes before,
“Whaddya feel like haaavin?”
“Piza!”
“Did you just say ‘piza’?”
“Yes,” I replied.

“I always thought it was ‘pizza’ not ‘piza’,” Frankie stated.
“That’s what most people think, but I’m special and I call it ‘piza’. Pi-za,” I said slower, in a mocking tone.
“Yes, special, that you are,” he replied jokingly.
“Heyy,” I smiled and playfully shoved him and continued, “Don’t make fun of me. I also say lemonlade and samich.”
“You’ve been hanging out with Gee for way too long,” Frankie laughed.
“Have not! I’ve always said that. I used those words when I was little and they...just…stuck,” I replied, in a defending tone.

“Hey, hey, hey, never said it was a bad thing. See, when you say it, it’s cute. But when Gee, almost a grown man, mind you, says the word 'samich', it’s pretty funny and slightly strange.”
“Eh, maybe I’ve been hanging out with him for too long, I’m just used to it,” I chuckled.
“Told you so,” Frankie declared, rather triumphantly, sticking out his pink tongue at me.

I scrunched up my nose and made a face in response.
“That’s attractive,” he joked.
“I know, right?” I said in that peppy cheerleader voice we all love oh so much.
“That, that’s scary.”
“Agreed.”

We laughed our way down to the ‘piza’ parlor. We giggled as we carelessly strolled in, ringing the little golden bell that hung just above the door in the process.

“Frankie and Aid babe!”
“Hey Lenny!”

Lenny Alfredo was the man who ran this little local parlor. He was young, around his mid-twenties and was very Italian. He wasn’t half bad looking, either. He had soft curly brown-red hair, grassy green eyes and always tanned so damn well. Me and Frankie knew him as long as I could remember. We were his favorite customers and he usually lowered our prices. He was a pretty wicked guy.

“What’s up? Haven’t seen you guys in a while, no?”
“Nothing, really. How’ve you been, Apollo?” Frankie asked.
I never really knew why Frankie called him Apollo. I called him Apollo for a few months before I knew what his actual name.

“Nothing, business around here is awesome. I’ve missed you guys! Haven’t seen ya in weeks. What can I get for ya?” he questioned.

I don’t care if you say it’s Italian or not, if you put that man on mute, you’d think he was using sign language, he used his hands so much.

“The usual pleasee, Len-o,” I said.
“Sure thing, Aid babe,” he replied.
He started off towards the kitchen but halted to a stop and turned around.

“Are you two…”
“Oh yeah…we are,” Frankie replied happily and tugged me closer by my hand as I nodded. I forgot we were still holding hands.
“Knew it would happen,” he smirked.
“Wow, you too?” I questioned.

“Well duh, it was obvious you guys had something going on,” he replied.

I just flashed Frankie a toothy grin and nuzzled my head into his chest.
“Actually, Apollo you’re the first to know…now that I’m thinking,” Frankie said.

“I’m honored and congrads,” he smiled.
“Thanks,” we replied simultaneously.