Ghost In The Snow

Chapter 5: Losers' Club

Gerard was silent for a moment, then he sighed and started. "Well..." His voice was deep, serious, but he tried to play cool. Which didn't succeed. "She's really beautiful, right? Like, take a look at her!" He held a pause, and I could feel the boys' eyes on me for a few seconds.

He finally continued with a dreamy, hopeful voice: "And, yeah I don't really know yet, but she seems clever, independent and just... Amazing. She's totally her own, and see! She's not afraid of hanging out with us, and I'm sure she know, that means she'll never get popular, never get dates with the handsome guys, never get an A+, because the teachers hate us..." Gerard sighed. "She's not even afraid to sleep on your lap, Ray!" He stopped for a moment. "She's not afraid to walk this world alone, but she has us. We're not great, but I guess we're better than no friends."

Ray and Mikey nodded, but Frank didn't. Instead he tried to convince Gerard, that Tess wasn't that good. "Aw, come on man! Getting a crush, huh? Yeah, she's great, but she's just a loser like us." Frank seemed nervous in a way. His voice seemed careless and fake.

"You call her a loser?", Gerard asked, shocked over Frank's words. "Well", Frank tried to say something, but Gerard rose from his desk and came closer to Frank. "She is cool. Cooler than you, if you suddenly decide to call her a loser." "I said we're all losers!", Frank said, not giggling at all anymore.

"Maybe we are, but still! Can't you see it? It was a brave decision she did to join our loser-club!" "You have fallen in love with her, haven't you?", Frank teased, trying to win this conversation. Gerard hesitated.

Then he yelled: "Maybe I have!... But that doesn't change that I think, you're in love with her too, since you're saying all that bullshit about her! You're just trying to get her for yourself..." I could feel the rage in the room. Like electricity, atoms whirling around in the air, ready to shock and explode.

I heard Frank rise up from the sofa, and less than a second after, Mikey and Ray also rose. "Hey-hey-hey! Don't start fighting!", Ray yelled and tried to calm them down. "Gerard... Frank... Chill, okay?", Mikey said. "We're all friends, we'll figure this out. Understood?" Ray was like a parent, separating the two, small, angry boys in what seemed like a kindergarten. "Shouldn't we just start the movie, and later on we can see if she even likes any of you?" Mikey almost whispered and continued: "Because if you behave like that in front of her, I really don't think you have a chance.." It was like he knew I was awake. "Okay", Frank sighed and dumped down on the couch.

He groaned out loud, sounding like a dying monster. Gerard sighed, and asked if they shouldn't go upstairs to get some snacks. "I'll just find the movie. I'll be there in a minute!", Gerard yelled after the other boys, who already were running up the stairs.

Gerard took less than ten seconds to put the movie in the DVD player. He ran over to the bed, right next to me. I was still faking my sleep. Hopefully he thought I was a heavy sleeper. Most people would wake up after that little discussion Gerard and Frank had.. He climbed onto the bed, and I felt the mattress tilt a tiny bit under his weight. I sensed that he leant over me. I could feel his warm breath on my face. He couldn't have been more than 20 centimeters away... His hand stroke some strands of hair away from my face. His fingers were so careful, warm, and soft. Just like his lips which after kissed my forehead just a moment after.

Gerard hung less than a single centimeter above my forehead. His breath was warm, like a dragon's breath. A dragon who ate jalapeñoes earlier. So almost burning too. Anyway, he didn't seem like he wanted to leave me.

He suddenly jumped off the bed, and I heard him run up the stairs. I couldn't fake being asleep anymore. I sat up in the bed, looking around and rubbed my eyes. It was like I had just woken up from a dream. This was too good to be reality? I looked after a clock. Oh, there was one! 23:34. Hm, maybe I should go home. In the middle of my thought, I heard the stamping steps of the boys running down the stairs again. I quickly laid down, hoping my position was the same as before. No one must know I've been awake this whole time.