We're Just Friends (Frank Iero)

4.

A week later, I was sat in Math class, waiting for Frankie to show up, but yet again he failed to appear. I hadn't seen him in about five days, and I was starting to get worried. He wasn't answering my calls, I hadn't seen his bedroom curtains open in five days, and he hadn't been to school. Five days was probably the longest I had gone without contacting Frankie since the day we met. We didn't even have cellphones when we met, our parents had to buy us walkie talkies so we could communicate when he went home for the night. Yet here I was, wondering whether my best friend was even alive or not. 

As for Gerard and I- we were continuing to hang out together but we never kissed or did anything romantic together. It was as if we were just awkward friends who hung out with each other despite the fact he didn't say much. He was becoming more confident around me now, and we would mess around, but nothing romantic. I would call him a friend more than someone I was dating.

I walked out of class with the intention of walking home, until I saw Frankie stood leaning against a wall with his new girlfriend. I hadn't thought about the fact I felt jealous when I first saw them together- I shrugged it off as a natural reaction because he blew me off to hang out with her. Despite the jealousy sparking up again, I marched over to him quickly.

"Frank Iero!" I said in a half joking but half serious tone. I slapped him around the arm and pouted at him. "Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in days, I thought you'd died."

"Uh...hey Poppy," he said, smiling weakly. That's weird...why didn't he call me Pops? I usually have to correct him every single time he uses my name like that. "Sorry...I've been busy. I was studying." As he said this, his new girlfriend let out a little giggle and he grinned at her. The twinge of jealousy hit me again but I ignored it.

"Okay," I said, smiling at him. "When are you gonna come round? I miss you hanging out with me."

"He's got a LOT of studying to do," his new girlfriend smirked at me, wrapping her arm around Frank's waist and looking at me. 

"And you are?" I said, raising my eyebrow and looking her up and down. It came out a lot ruder than I intended it to sound, but I stood my ground.

"Grace Penney," she said, sticking her hand out as if she wanted me to shake it. "You probably haven't heard of me because I've probably never spoken to you before."

"Alright Grace," Frank said, sounding irritated. "Don't be mean."

"You don't need to hang out with people like this anymore Frankie," she said, smiling at him with her perfect straight white teeth. "You got me."

He looked at her and I watched them, feeling awkward and a little bit nauseous. This bitch was manipulative, and I didn't like it. 

"Well, if you don't need to hang out with people like me anymore then I'll leave you alone!" I shouted, staring at Frankie. In the ten years that we had been friends he had always defended me and never put a girl before me, but all of a sudden things seemed to be different. I had no idea that he was so concerned with being popular, but clearly that was more important than our friendship. I turned on my heel and stormed away, trying to work out what emotion I was feeling. One moment I felt angry and disgusted, and the next I felt completely depressed. Frankie didn't call after me and he didn't text me or anything.

That night, I got into bed and attempted to get to sleep, until I heard a tapping at my window. I got out of bed and looked up to see Frank sat on my windowsill, a cheeky smile on his face. I rolled my eyes and attempted to ignore him and get back into bed, but he kept on tapping. Eventually I gave in and opened the window, allowing him to fall into my room. He climbed onto my bed and stared at me with wide eyes.

"Sorry Pops," he said.

"For what?" I said with a bitter tone. "Not talking to me? Letting your bitch girlfriend be rude to my face without saying a word?"

"Both," he said. "The thing is Pops, every girlfriend I ever have is put off by you. I just kind of want a girlfriend that will last...my reputation sucks. Soon I'll only be able to pull sluts."

"It's not impossible to find a girlfriend who trusts you Frankie," I replied. "And I highly doubt Grace Penney will feel threatened by 'people like me.'" I said her name sarcastically and stared at him. He looked sorry.

"Poppy," he said, flopping down on the bed next to me and snuggling up to me. "Girls are threatened by you because your personality tends to be better than most girls. You have an amazing sense of humour, you love all the same music as me, and we have a solid history. Girls get jealous of that."

"My personality is better than Grace's," I said. "But my appearance isn't. That's why she's popular. And that's why my best friend changes around her."

"Hey," he said, sitting upright in bed so that he was facing me. "Grace's appearance? She's tall, slim and blonde and her face is pretty. Your appearance? You're petite, slim, your hair used to be blonde until you dyed it the brightest red you could, and you look amazing. Grace is pretty, but you're pretty and awesome."

I looked at him, confused for a moment. Frankie never commented on my appearance that way, and if he did it was usually part of a joke that would cause us both to laugh. But he was being serious this time.

"Thanks Frankie," I said, cuddling up to him to go to sleep.

***

The next day was somewhat different. Frankie still didn't turn up to class, but I saw him stood outside with Grace again once class was over. I walked up to them, ignoring how intimidated I felt by Grace.

"Hey Frankie," I said.

"Hey Pops," he replied, lifting me up and squeezing my waist. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Grace was not impressed.

"Grace, you remember my friend Poppy?" Frank said, looking directly at Grace.

"Frankie," she hissed. "You're going to make me look bad in front of my friends by forcing me to talk to girls like this."

I was surprised that she actually had the guts to say something so blunt, but she did it and Frank didn't look impressed.

"You can look bad and hang out with me and Poppy, or you can end it with me," Frank said bluntly. "I've been friends with Poppy for ten years, and I plan to be her friend for another ten years, and probably ten years after that. If you don't like it Grace, you know where to go."

She looked infuriated as she stared at Frank, then back at me, then back at Frank again. After a few seconds of staring she turned on her heel and stormed away. I all of a sudden realised that Frank was right- I am responsible for a lot of his break ups.

"I'm sorry Frank," I sighed. "I should have sucked it up and been nice to her."

"You were nice to her," he said, taking my hand and pulling me with him down the street. "She wasn't nice to you. And I don't have time for someone who isn't nice to you, Poppy."