If Smiles could Kill

Golden Grin

 “Bloody Hell Anthony!” Gin laughed and grinned, showing his teeth.

“I know! I KNOW. How? How the hell?” I couldn’t believe it. Is this actually happening? I got back stage passes to a concert. I just mailed to this magazine once. Just imagine. People actually spammed letters. Out of those thousand letters. (Maybe even millions?)Mine got drawn.

“Drat it. Im giddy, Giddy with golden luck and happiness. Gimme a second. Wooo-hoooo-t! Saaywhaa-t”

“Hey, You can bring a plus one right? Dude, tell me. Imyer plus one. Aint I?”

“Who else dummy? Who else is obsessed with My Chemical Romance as I am?”

“We gotta celebrate with an album marathon! I’ll come over around-” His voice trailed as he remembered something. “Well...I promised Angela we’d have some ice cream. Hang out a bit. So I can’t today. Sorry bro.”

“Don’t mind it.  Just date your girlfriend. I mean. It’s an actual miracle she answered your confession. You can’t just let a miracle go unnoticed. Who are we kidding? Chances are you’d never again get a girl as nice as her.” Anthony said frankly. He and his friends were not the kind of guys to approach girls. They were the band mutts. (Secretly also anime geeks)

“Shut up Ton. I get it. I get it. I’m lucky to get Angela.” Gin struck his friend’s left shoulder as he grinned.

 He really did like Angie. She was not much of a talker. Quite the opposite of Gin. They fit perfectly. One did the talking, one did the listening. She really paid attention too. It may not seem so. As she was quiet mostly. But she was as much interested and was attentive. Occasionally responding with a question to clarify something. ‘So let me get this straight. Your cousin hid the cd?’

‘No. It was Anthony who hid it. Ray was the one who wanted to borrow it’      

‘Oh. Ok... Well, go on.’

‘So I panicked. I looked everywhere-…’

“Tell Angela I said hi.” Ton shouted over as Gin walked away. His friend held his thumb up to signal an affirmative answer.

Ton muttered under his breath. “And that I’m jealous of her.” He said this somewhat to himself as Gin was already halfway through their spacious classroom.

In middle school, before he got in Conrad Academy, he was always alone in class. He had a friend or two. Not really close friends, but the ones that he sat next to and had more than 5 conversations with. But no one really invited him to their table during lunch. Maybe he would have been in a clique if he tried asking to hang with them. And would not have spent the rest of the school years eating alone. Honestly he just didn’t like groups and stereotypical popularity ranking.

True, being alone got to him sometimes.(OK. maybe most of the time) But he did not feel lonely. He had those songs. And then Gin changed everything as he barreled into his life. His solitary world was broken. It shattered as he was dragged everywhere. The first week of this annoyed him. But then he grew to actually look forward to their chatting. Everything Ton liked Gin approved of. They were usually in synch. Except for their taste in foods. Gin can eat bland food without even noticing. And Ton? He liked salty, sweet and spicy foods.

Gin was never without Ton. They were practically Gin and Ton-ic. Everyone called them by that. Now it was always Angela and Gin.

Angela this. Angela that. Angela said I should cut my hair soon. Angela! Ugh! How tired he was of hearing that name. Ton can’t hold anything against her as she was sweet, kind and quiet. But she was taking his friend away. His best friend. Bit by bit. And he wondered whether any piece of the Gin he knew would be left for him.

All his classmates had left the room and he was alone. As he sat there, it did not occur to him that he was being selfish. He did not want anything as badly as Gin in his whole life. Somewhere in his gut he knew he had to let go. Angela and Gin were perfect together. He did not want to break that.

Feeling dejected, he slung his backpack on his shoulder and stepped away from his desk.  In the empty hallway he hummed the entrance to The Black Parade.