Frankly, I Don't Love You.

I was confused, more confused than Mikey trying to work a toaster when the toast won’t pop out. This whole innuendo of being best friends but having feelings for each other was getting to me and I didn’t know what I could do about it. I was silent throughout the whole time that A.J. was talking to Jeremy which might have made it seem as if it was a bad thing that we were caught in that type of situation.

“Frank, what’s wrong?” A.J. asked from beside me since we were both still on the ground, just sitting there.

“I’m not exactly sure, I’m just thinking a bit.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“Honestly, I was thinking about where we stand.”

“I see. I’m not exactly sure either. There’s been so much that’s been happening lately and so many emotions that I’m not sure where to start.”

“Look, I care about you and our friendship enough to wait if we need to. I don’t want you to rush any closure issues you might have with Gerard. Besides, we can’t throw away a good friendship just yet, can we?”

She had a grave look on her face, then sighed, “Frank, I don’t mind waiting for something that I want this much to happen. It must seem so strange to want to be with someone that just got out of a relationship not even a week ago. It feels so strange to me, even.”

“I don’t think it’s weird actually, I understand where you’re coming from and I respect the fact that he didn’t want to hurt you more than you’ve been hurt in the past already. I don’t want you to go into something that you’re not entirely sure about especially since you’re in such a rough place emotionally right now” I said calmly and sincerely as I scooted a bit closer to her.

“Thank you for being so understanding, about everything” she replied scooting just a tad closer, enough for me to hug her.

“It’s not problem, really. What are friends for?”

“To hug you and to help you play pranks on your brother?”

“What did you have in mind?” I said as she didn’t reply but grinned.

The only thing that was stuck in my mind while we took all of Jeremy’s clothes outside and hung them on the tree, was what he was going to do when he found out what we did. Climbing the tree was the easy part, it was just getting to the higher parts and putting the clothes up there that was more difficult. I watched in awe as A.J. maneuvered herself through the branches reaching even the highest twigs with ease.

“Well you don’t say, seven years of forced ballet has finally paid off!” she exhaled as she jumped down from the trunk

I coughed, “You were in ballet?”

“Yes, sir I was. It was entirely mother’s idea. She insisted that I become more girly and agile with the proper gracefulness” she explained while demonstrating a series of leaps and turns. I was surprised that she had the ability to do so well in a sport that I had no idea she was in.

“Why aren’t you in it anymore?”

“It takes up too much time and most of the girls there are dramatic. They didn’t really approve of me since I didn’t like the things they did. Why be someone I’m not for others? I did like it immensely after a year or two though”

“That’s so intriguing, especially since I could never picture you doing it before, but I guess now I can”

“Yeah, but that part of my life is pretty much gone now, besides I have you and the guys that take up all of my time, which isn’t such as bad as it seems.”

“True… wait, that’s mean!” I started off but then realized the insult that lied underneath. I made a sad face then pretended to sulk towards the house. I sat on the couch and wondered how long it was going to take for Jeremy to wake up and find the need for a fresh pair of clothes. A couple of minutes into my thinking, I felt the couch sink a bit next to me and I felt A.J. cuddle into my side, obviously exhausted from all of the mischievous planning she had done all day. Yup, I was in my own little heaven.