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“Let me give you my phone number,” Mikey says, and Frank hands over his own phone for Mikey to program his number into.

Frank smiles, wide and in complement to his eyes, and Mikey smiles back.

“You can call me anytime,” Mikey says. “Or text me. I'd like that.”

“During class?” Frank asks, looking mischievous.

Mikey grins. “Especially during class.”

He finishes about half of his food before the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. He promises Frank he'll sit with him again the next day, and Frank smiles happily.

Mikey gets up and walks with Frank to their lockers, and then finds his way to his own class.

Halfway through Drama, he gets a text.

u want to meet up after school?

Mikey smiles to himself. Of course he wants that – Frank is cool, and pretty, and being around him makes Mikey's stomach flip.

sure, he texts back. meet me on front steps

The rest of the day flies by, and when class is over, he goes to find Frank.

Frank is sitting on the steps with his iPod, rocking out. He's bobbing his head and stamping his foot, and Mikey can only guess what he must be listening to.

Mikey rests his hand on Frank's shoulder to get his attention. Frank looks up with a smile and removes an earbud.

“What do you wanna do?” Frank asks.

“Ice cream?” Mikey questions. “There's a place about a block from here.”

The ice cream place also sells some wonderful coffee, which Mikey is looking forward to after a long day.

Frank stands and stretches, and Mikey sees a pale strip of skin above his waist, and a line of ink. Frank catches him looking and lifts his shirt, showing off not only a tattoo of two sparrows, but also a line of hair that trails down from his navel to below the top of his jeans. The sight makes Mikey's mouth go dry.

“Cool,” Mikey manages to say. Frank grins.

“Thanks.”

They walk together down the sidewalk to the ice cream parlor, chit chatting about music and the club in town.

“Do you want to go with me on Friday night?” Frank asks.

Mikey was thinking the same thing but he thought asking was too forward. Now he sees that was just stupid – Frank seems to be into him, too.

“Yeah,” Mikey says. “You can hang out with me after school on Friday if you want. My brother can drive us there.”

“As long as I'm home by midnight,” Frank says, and makes a face. “Fucking curfew.”

“No problem,” Mikey says. “Gerard's cool like that. He'll make sure you get home on time.”

Mikey orders vanilla ice cream and coffee, while Frank makes his way slowly across the room, staring into the glass case of ice cream like his decision is of vast importance. Finally he settles on rocky road, and the two of them sit with their ice cream and eat.

It's a nice treat after a long day of school. Even though it passed quickly, Mikey's day seemed hectic and stressful. This is a good way to unwind. He has to be home by six, but they have plenty of time.

Frank chatters about playing guitar, and how he wants a band but he's not quite good enough yet. Mikey listens, loving the way Frank talks so animatedly. Frank's smile is nice, too, it reaches his eyes which are a beautiful hazel color that light up when he's happy.

Mikey has it bad.

“I've got to catch the bus and go home,” Frank says after awhile. “My mom will freak if I'm late the first day, she'll think I got eaten by seniors or something.”

Mikey smiles. “Sure, okay.” Gerard should be home by now, so he'll have someone to hang out with at home.

They finish up their ice cream and coffee, and Mikey and Frank walk slowly to the bus stop, as if they're both reluctant to go.

“That's me,” Frank says when a bus pulls up. “See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Mikey says, and gives him a little wave.

Then Frank's bus is barreling off and Mikey's left to find his way home alone.


page 35 Friday night