Is This What You Always Want Me For?

Part 7

I closed the copy of Romeo and Juliet I had been reading and glanced over at Emily. Her face was buried in a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. This is how we spent most afternoons in the bookstore; buried in books behind the registers and sipping teas.

"You know Em," I said breaking her reading marathon. "I don't think Shakespeare knew anything about love."

"Are you crazy Vee," Emily retorted. "Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story ever told."

"It wasn't love though," I shot back. "It was infatuation. These kids," I said waving the book. "didn't have control over their hormones." I know I was rambling about "kids" that weren't much younger than I, but I had seen first hand in our school what hormonal teenagers turned into: teen pregnancy. I could write a book on that and call it a 'love story'.

Emily got up to check out a customer and sent a sigh my way. "You're over analyzing it Vee."

I shook my head and picked the book back up. I knew I was over analyzing it, but what is so bad about that. Maybe that was Shakespeare's intention from the start. To show how stupid teenagers were when they thought they were in love. This couldn't be love, this out of control, totally damaging, and unrealistic 'I saw you once and now I need you' obsession. Love was more than that. I was sure of it.

The bell on the door beeped signaling the arrival of joyous book lovers. I set aside the copy of Romeo and Juliet and prepared to greet the arrivals, but when I heard a particular voice I froze.

"This place is huge," Gerard exclaimed hauling Frank and Mikey into the bookstore with him. I watched them not moving until Gerard caught my eye. He waved ecstatically and rushed over. "Vee! Vee!" He exclaimed like I had somehow missed his entrance.

Frank and Mikey followed. Frank smiled at me. It was his usual smile that told me there were thoughts racing through his head that were not kindly. They all walked right up to my counter, and Frank reached out for my hand frozen on the counter. His cold touch sent me shivers. I hoped my facial expressions weren't showing the sudden change of temperature in my body. I hated that his did this to me. I tried to compose myself and quickly wiped my face into a small smile.

"What are you guys doing here?" I said slowly sliding my hand away from Frank's reach. I caught his clear amusement at my reaction before I changed my glace to Mikey and Gerard.

Gerard smiled and pointed to somewhere behind me. "Well we were across the street at Pizza Hut and Frank mentioned you worked here so I was like 'Hey lets see what Vee's doing' so here we are."

I gave Gerard a smile. I was amazed at the amount of energy this kid had outside of school. Usually he was half zombie. Now I completely understood the sad statement my teacher had mentioned once about him. If only his ambitions were put towards school.

"So where's Maria and Ray?" I questioned.

"Still at Pizza Hut," Mikey answered pushing up his thick rimmed glasses. Before I met Mikey, I had never noticed him in the halls or in classes. Granted his was a year younger than me, but you would think his tall stature would have been noticeable at some point. The limited time I had been around him, he was mostly quiet and reading comic books. However, I knew he wasn't like Gerard or Frank at all. Their bold arrogance and nose for trouble was worn on their faces.

"Hey Vee," Gerard said getting my attention. "Did you know I can eat a piece of pizza in 30 seconds flat."

"Uh, impressive," I laughed. Maybe Gerard wasn't as bad as Frank. His joyous attitude outside of school was contagious.

"Hey Gee," Mikey called. He had ventured to look at a few books. "Come look at this book by Irvine Welsh." Gerard gave me a quick bow and went over to Mikey. I laughed at his behavior and looked at Frank who still stood in front of me studying my face. I immediately became uncomfortable.

"So this is what you guys do with your afternoons?" I asked giving him a sideway glance to hide my discomfort. Why was he staring at me like that?

Frank smiled back and leaned on the counter. "Yeah." I looked into his hazel eyes and maybe for once I saw some good intentions, but it was gone when I heard a cough at my side. I turned away to see Emily smiling at the both of us.

"Oh Em," I said forgetting completely she was there. "Emily this is Frankie, Frankie, Emily."

I didn't let her see the effort it took to call him Frankie. It still felt unnatural.

Emily smiled and gave a small wave to Frank who returned it.

"Um Vee when do you get off?" Frank asked leaning back from the counter and returning my personal bubble to just myself.

I checked the clock. "Um...in about an hour and a half. Why?"

"That's perfect," he said not answering my question. "I'll meet you here then."

"But what are we doing?" I questioned.

"You'll see," he said. He smiled and went over to grab Mikey and Gerard.

"5 tales of Chemical Romance, that's interesting," Gerard was saying.

"C'mon guys. We're going."

"But..."

"C'mon Gerard."

Gerard huffed and put the book down. "See ya Vee," he shouted waving at me.

I smiled and waved back. Mikey shook his head. "See ya later Vee," he said a little more quietly than Gerard.

They walked towards the door but before leaving Frank turned back and blew me a kiss. I just sat and stared at him raising an eyebrow.

"You're suppose to catch it," he called.

"Frank," I said in a warning tone.

"Frankie," he corrected before smiling and leaving the store.

I shook my head and let my body relax from Frank's uninvited encounter.

"So that's the Frank that you hate," Emily said. I twisted around to look at her. "Or should I say Frankie."

"Em..." I began trying to explain myself.

"I'm just a little confused Vee. A few days ago you hated him," she questioned confusion in her eyes. I know she was hurt that I held back this information. We always tell one another everything, even if it's not that interesting.

"I do hate him."

"It doesn't look like that to me. He didn't look at anyone else the entire time he was here." Emily stopped letting the point set in. "I saw you freeze when he touched you. What's going on?" I had to give Emily credit. She was more observant than most, but she was far from the real truth.

"We don't really like each other," I begin.

I'm a little hesitant about telling Emily about the agreement Frank and I had made. I'm embarrassed and a little worried she'll judge me from my rash decision. "Okay here's the thing...," I continued. I begin to tell Emily everything that happened in the past few days. I tell her about what happened Saturday night, at school, and at Maria's house. I finally finish, hoping Emily will be understanding.

She doesn't say anything right away so I just wait giving her time to consume my words. I hold my breath, trying to read her body language. Finally she answers, "Vee, I don't understand why you think you have no friends."

"Em, it's not that," I chimed quickly feeling awful that this is the one conclusion she grasped onto from my story. "You're my best friend; you always will be, it's just I wanted some friends from my school that I could hang out with like during lunch and stuff." I didn't want Emily to feel hurt. She was my best friend. "And it's more than that," I continue. "There's this excitement," I desperately try to explain, but I can't. "I just know I need this."

Emily listened with a half grin. Finally she smiles and nudges my arm. "You didn't tell me Frank was so hot."

"He's not hot," I answer looking away so Emily wouldn't see my cheeks glow.

"What were you looking at? That lip ring, those tattoos, he has that whole dark bad boy thing. He's totally hot!"

"Emily," I warned.

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "but you could hook us up."

She got a whack in the arm as a reply.