Frank]Don't Stop if I Fall[Iero

When my friends and I were in grade school, the joke used to be that I would end up with the quietest, most timid guy in school. Of course, it would make sense. Quiet, timid . . . That was me in a nutshell. It still is, but somewhere in the back of all our minds, we all knew that the opposites attract theory had a minuscule chance.

That theory didn't kick in until around ninth grade, when I started looking at him. He was everything I wanted, because he was everything I wasn't. And now, in our senior year, there was only one little thing standing between us.

I'd never spoken a word to Frank in my life. I hadn't even been brave enough to look him in the eye.

"Go."

I spun around quickly, almost sending my lunch into my best friend, Nikki, via airmail.

"Wait, wha?" I questioned briefly, still partially lost in a daydream.

"Gooooo!" She said more forcefully, pointing to the cash register. "As in, stop dreaming about the boy and move along."

I scowled slightly, and made a mental note to myself to stop daydreaming in public. In the time it took me to get myself back into the real world, Nikki was moving in front of me, and two other students were looking to file in behind her.

"I'll just let you sleep, dammit," she muttered as the brushed past me.

I sighed, digging in my pocket for money. My thoughts we still on Frank. Funny, outgoing, kind . . . Everything. I wondered why, just this once, I couldn't have the boy that I liked. He couldn't just like me back? No. That only happened in the movies. Something like that would never happen in Belleville, New Jersey, of all places.

I growled impatiently, still trying to pull a dollar bill and an arrangement of coins out of my jeans pocket. People like me weren't meant to carry small change. People like me didn't walk down the halls without getting hurt.

I pulled my hand out of my pocket with a scowl, and ten or so coins scattered on the cafeteria floor. Fantastic. Things just got better and better.

"Whoa, Gina, let me get them." There was a stifled chuckle from behind me, and I was immediately confused. All of my friends would simply stand there and try not to giggle, so who was offering to help me?

His musical voice sent me into immediate shock. He knew my name. He was talking to me. He was going to help me.

We kneeled down at the same time to start picking up the coins. I didn't get the pleasure of a cliche, like bumping heads, or lips, but I got an overwhelming glance into his hazel eyes.

He gave me an attractive smile, and began retrieving quarters. That was probably the time when I should have told him that he didn't need to help, but I couldn't get the words out of my throat. Nor could I manage any of the romance movie-worthy lines: How do you know my name? Hey, I've seen you around. Frank, right?

"It's three years today, you know." He stated, obviously having no trouble with casual conversation.

He smiled at me again, and saw my confused look. Speak, Gina. Speak!

"Since the day when you first looked at me, in ninth grade."

I blinked stupidly. "You . . . Counted?" I managed to choke out, sure that I was just dozing off in public again.

"Yeah," he said, not in the least bit phased by my slowness, "I've been waiting for a chance to talk to you since then, but I figured since you looked away every time I tried to catch your eye . . ."

I had to regain control there, so I wouldn't burst out laughing. He'd wanted to talk to me for three years.

He was talking again, and I figured I had better listen. I'd fulfilled my share of idiocy that day.

". . . Since it's Friday?" He finished as I snapped my head back up. He looked at me, a slender dark brown eyebrow raised.

"Sorry, what was that first part?" I asked, trying to coax the blood that had risen to my cheeks back to where it couldn't be seen.

He smiled with the infinite patience that I lacked. "I was wondering, since we got the whole looking and talking thing out of the way, if you'd like to come watch a horror movie or two with me tonight, since it's Friday and all."

There were only two things at that point that could make me smile like an idiot, and they were scary movies and Frank Iero.

"Sure, that sounds great." I breathed, finally managing to crack a grin, which broke out into a full-out smile quickly.

"Cool." He said, handing me the last dime from the floor and getting up to go sit with his friends. "I'll see you later, then!" He called.

I got up, also, finding myself in a perpetual state of happiness.

So, maybe my life isn't a movie. But this was good enough for me.

Never look back
<3 Hope you liked it, Ginah ^_^