Fast Friends - Frank Iero

Part 12

The next few days flew by. I continued to sit with Frank and his friends, becoming more and more comfortable inside their little clique. I hadn't spoken a single word to either Sarah or Kaitlin, even though Sarah periodically texted me asking why I was acting like I was. I tried to forget those two, I really did. I tried to make myself believe that I didn't need them, that I could cut them out of my life and be totally fine. But I still found myself lonely, sad, jealous when I saw them together in the hallways. I would begin typing out a message to them and then realize that I was alone, and delete it in shame. Once I even found myself walking to the field where we used to sit, only to snap out of my trance when Frank called me over to his table. Don't get me wrong, I definitely, definitely enjoyed spending time with Frank and making a few new friends, but I still felt like a piece of me was missing.

As the final bell rang, everyone in my English class jumped up and hurried for the door, ignoring the familiar 'the bell doesn't dismiss you' speech from the teacher. The hallways were filled with the relaxed but excited Friday aura. I rushed to my locker as quickly as I could, determined to be out of there before Sarah and Kaitlin arrived.

Just as I closed the door and began walking away, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

'meet me in the back lot, i have something to show you'

It was Frank, of course. I rushed out to the back, wondering if it would be something actually cool or just a dead bird or something.

As I walked out of the back doors, a beat up, trashy old black Toyota pulled up beside me. The engine puttered to a stop and a dirty tinted window rolled down to reveal Frank in the drivers seat. He had a proud little smirk on his face.

"I found this bad boy on Craigslist. Two hundred bucks!" He broke into a smile. "Personally, I think he sold himself short. I mean, just look at these luxurious Velcro seats!"

He rubbed the crusty, stained fabric of the passenger seat, and a pillar of dust shot up. I held back a laugh.

"When exactly did you get it?" I asked.
"Just today. I skipped last block to bus over and pick it up. Wanna have the honour of being my first captive?" He reached across and pushed open the passenger door. I looked at him sceptically. "I won't make you pay for gas, I promise."
"If you crash, you're gonna be paying for my medical bills," I said, climbing inside and throwing my bag onto the back seat.
"Don't worry about it," he said with a wink, and pulled out of the parking lot.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach. I wasn't sure if it was from Frank's very mediocre driving, or the fact that his hand was resting on the stick shift right beside mine.

Once we were out on the road, I realized that he never specified exactly where we were going.

"So, where are we headed to?" I asked.
"I don't know. I was kind of hoping you'd have something in mind."
"Well, critically thinking here, this old thing could use a little bit of help. Maybe a wash and a quick vacuum?"
"Okay, mom. Way to be subtle." He laughed quietly.

A few minutes later, we arrived at a gas station. Frank pulled the car up beside the vacuum, hopped out, and put fifty cents in the machine. The ugly old thing roared to life.

"Shit," Frank yelled over the noise, "I forgot how fucking loud these things are!"

We passed the tube back and forth, sucking up all the dust and crumbs and who knows what else. We ended up cleaning off all of the seats, but the time ran out before we could finish the floor of the back seat.

"Screw it, nobody really cares about the floor. Let's go to the wash and get out of here." Frank said, and climbed back into the slightly less disgusting car. I followed suit, and we drove into the automated car wash.

The gate closed behind us and trapped the car in a box of machinery. The silence between Frank and I became excruciating. All you could hear was the whirr of the mechanical arms and the soft sound of our breathing. After a moment, Frank broke the tension.

"Hey Autumn, can I ask you something?"

My stomach dropped.

"...Yeah?"
"You don't have to tell me, but I've just been wondering, what happened between you and your two friends? You know, uh, Sarah and Katie? Or whatever their names are. I haven't seen you talk to them at all, in like, a week. Something happened at the sleepover thing, right?"

I sighed.

"Yeah. Kaitlin was being a huge bitch to me and Sarah just kind of sat there and didn't do anything about it. I got fed up and stormed out. Hence the pyjamas in the rain, if you recall. Anyhow, Kaitlin hasn't apologized or shown remorse or anything so I'm not going to make an effort with them."

Frank nodded.

"Well, fuck them," he said, "You don't need people like that around you. Everyone can get a little rude sometimes, but to not apologize for it?" He shook his head. "What a bitch. I'm sorry they're like that."

I smiled to myself. It felt really nice having Frank support me, even if it was through trashing someone. He was right; I did not need people like Kaitlin and Sarah around me.

The machine sprayed the car with water, then doused it in soap. I stared as the thick layer of bubbles slid down the windshield, but quickly got distracted by Frank. His face glowed in the slightly dimmed light. He ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the bubbles on the glass. He looked like an angel, but would probably take that as an insult if I ever told him.

Out of nowhere, a harsh jet of water hit the windshield, washing off the bubbles and scaring the living daylights out of me. Frank laughed as I jumped in my seat and pressed my hand to my chest, recovering from the sudden shock.

"Don't worry, that scared me too... Back when I was a little kid."
"Shut up," I said, holding in a laugh of my own.

The jet travelled along all the sides of the car until it was completely washed. Frank turned over the ignition and drove out slowly, letting the car linger under the dryer until the last possible second. We narrowly escaped the cascading door and shot out into the parking lot with a jolt.

It was barely 5 o'clock, yet the sky was already beginning to dim. I directed Frank back to my house. As I stepped out of the car, my mom waved at us through the kitchen window. Frank waved back at her with a lot more enthusiasm than necessary.

"That's... My mom. Sorry," I mumbled, and felt heat rush to my cheeks as my mom started wiggling her eyebrows at me. Frank laughed.
"See you later, Autumn."

I waved and watched him drive away, then turned abruptly turned around and frowned at my mom through the window. She laughed but the sheet of glass between us blocked out the sound.

Right as I came through the door she began asking questions. I kicked off my shoes, sighed, and mentally prepared myself.

"Who was that?" She asked, calling out from the kitchen.
"Frank."
"Who's Frank?"
"A friend."
"From school?"
"From school."
"Are you two dating?"
"Nope. Just friends." The words stung a little bit.

"Is he a nice boy?" She came out of the kitchen, faced me, and pulled off her oven mitts. The house began to smell like roast beef.
I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, he's a very kind, responsible, conscientious, young gentleman."
"Where did you two go?"
"We cleaned his car."
"Was that all?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure? Doesn't sound like something two teenagers would be doing on a Friday evening."
"Yes I'm sure. Can I go now? I have homework."

She shooed me away and I went up to my room. I dropped my backpack on the floor and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Did all of that really just happen?