Bittersweet

I could never tell

After I ran away yesterday I couldn't get my head off of what happened.

How on earth was it possible for one person to be so unlucky?
Ten years. Ten fucking years and now he's stepping into my life again?
No! I can't let that happen.

What happened yesterday was never going to be happening again. Never.
Frank Iero is dead to me. Never existed!

I still though about it tho
I mainly asked myself why I stayed. I could have run. I could have opened the door sooner. Could have avoided the things he said to me
Even with that freezing fear I felt... I could have just run.
But I didn't run
I stayed and listened.

And now? Now I'm sitting on my black leather couch again, staring at the empty TV screen.
How did Pete and Frank meet anyways?

I didn't move across the state just to be hunted by my past nightmares after so many years

I shook my head. There's no use in thinking about it now.
I've got work to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I struggled with keeping my eyes open the whole day
I hadn't slept that night.
Thoughts of what happened in the bar with Frank hunted my dreams and kept me awake.

But that's no excuse. The office rats still need their Coffe and that's why I was on my way to Starbucks. And Ray

I needed to tell him about yesterday. And about Frank. About what happened all those years ago.
He was my best friend. He deserved to know it.

Slower than usual I opened the door and heard the calming jiggling above me.
Ray was leaning on the counter, just like always.
He smiled at me and waved me over to him
"Tell me! Tell me everything! How was it!?", I smiled at his excitement

"I have to tell you something... about yesterday...", I started and stared at the page in front of me.

Ray already took in the orders and started preparing Coffe for the office rats.

"Shoot!"

"It was totall-..." I was interrupted by two voices coming from being the backdoor.

Only a few seconds later, the door opened and through it came Pete Wentz followed by not only a cloud of cigarette smell and cheap Parfum but somebody else too.

I sucked in a breath, couldn't move. Just like yesterday.

Whilst Pete got in his place behind the counter and next to Ray, Frank only stopped when he stood right beside me (a bit too close for my liking)

"Told you we'd meet again, princess", he whispered and leaned against the counter to look at me.

"Oh Ray, look how cute they are!", squeaked Pete and hit Rays arm a couple of times.
Ray just smiled at the both of us, but stopped when I glared at him, obviously not happy with the situation.

What the actual hell is he doing here?
Right when I thought I could get over it again?
Why does this happen to me?!

Nobody dared to say a word and it looked like only Ray and I actually felt the tension in the room, because Pete was still not standing still and Frank was still leaning against the counter, smiling just like nothing ever happened.

Ray finished the last cup of Coffe and handed me the paper stand with mugs, still not saying a word but looking at me worried.
I just shook my head. I couldn't talk to him, now that everybody else was here too.

"So... uhm... see you tomorrow?", Ray asked a bit unsure
I smiled at him, nodding
"Of course. The office rats need their Coffe"

I thanked Ray and handed him his money before walking out of the café without looking at either Frank nor Pete.

Call me childish but for now... the only solution that came to my head was to ignore both of them.

I've never been great with words anyways

I had just passed the Italian Restaurant right next to the Caffè when I heard the jiggling bells behind me, followed by fast footsteps

"Wow... two friends. I'm impressed, princess"
Of course it was Frank.

I rolled my eyes and went faster. I had a job to do. I couldn't let him influence my work

"Oh... the silent treatment again? Won't work anyways" he had a cigarette stuck between his lips that muffled his words a bit.

I still didn't say anything
"You know, I'm impressed. Seriously, Way. Personally I wouldn't want to befriend somebody like you. Do they know about how much of a loser you were back in college?"

Now I stopped. I took my time to answer. I breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm down.

"No Frank. We haven't talked about it yet." I balanced the Coffe in my left hand so I could ran my other hand through my red locks. Franks eyes following my hand.

"I see. Knew you'd keep that a secret" he laughed.

"Come on Frank I don't have time for that. I asked you to leave me alone! What the hell do you want from me?"
I asked, getting frustrated

"Just like I said yesterday: all I want, is fun!" The sentence was followed by a wink that made the goosebumps from yesterday appear again.

"Fun? Fuck you Frank. Go away. Leave my life, please!"
Maybe begging wasn't the best thing to do now but I couldn't help it. I really just wanted him to go.

But it seemed like he had other plans
"It don't think so", he said and grinned dangerously.

"I'm going to tell Pete to keep you away from me. Or Ray. I don't care"

"Oh and what's your reason for that? Do you really want to tell then that you don't want me to be in this town because you've been such a twat in College. Do you really want them to find out about the chubby emo kid with no friends?"

I had opened my mouth to defend myself, but closed it again.
He was right.
He was... totally right.
Ray and Pete were my only friends. The only friends I've ever had.

I couldn't loose them.
So I stayed quiet and looked at my feet instead.

"Thought so", I heard him mutter, a smirk in his voice

"You know what Frank? Take what you want. Tell me how much, I'll give you all the money you need. You can... beat me up if you want but leave me alone", I whispered and started walking again.
I have people to serve

"I don't need money. I want fun. And I know that you'll sooner or later help me with that", said Frank whilst walking next to me again.

"And I want peace Frank. I've got a great life. All I want, is to live it in peace", I sighed, checking the time on my watch.

"A perfect life? If you call serving Coffe to other people and constantly taking orders perfect?"

"It pays the bills. Besides that, how would you know that I don't like taking orders and bringing Coffe to office rats?"
A winning smile made its way onto my face.

"So... taking orders turns you on then?" He asked casually.

I started choking and almost lost the grip on the paper stand. What the hell?
What... the hell?!

"W-What?", I screamed, a crimson blush on my cheeks

"You heard me", Frank laughed.

I shook my head and checked on the Coffe mugs. Everything's okay. At least something!

"I don't know what you're trying to do, Frank, but I need to go now and I'd rather never hear from you again. Seriously", I hissed turning to Frank, who stopped in front of me and just smiled.

He didn't say anything. He just smiled and gave me this 'oh, we'll see' look that I'd really like to punch off of his face.

But if course I didn't do that.

Without another word I turned around and finally disappeared behind the big glass doors of "ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES".