Sapphire

Ok, I wasn't sure what I had just done, it had just happened, but it was very funny watching Frank leap across the room to rescue his precious Wonderwoman's and Jean Grey's. There was a tiny moment on his bed where he had pressed down on me, pinning me to his warm bed and I had felt a tremble in my bones, an excitement I couldn't explain. But it was gone before I could even feel it properly and all that was left to do was helplessly giggle, lying back into Frank's duvet. Through my laughter, I could smell his scent in the sheets, the smell of Lynx and just a general smell of him. It was so comforting, I felt just as home here as I did in my own bed. It felt right.

I looked up from the bed to find Frank standing over me, grinning but also looking a bit sad. Before I could ask why, the soft glow left his eyes and was replaced with a spark of mischief. I started to panic, expecting revenge for my trick. I was right, as he leant down and started tickling me mercilessly, his cold fingers delving into my rib cage and getting caught up in the ribbons either side of my bodice. He didn't care and I didn't notice though, we were both laughing so much and rolling around. So much for worrying about my dress. When he finally let me draw breath, there were tears of laughter leaking out of my eyes and I was grinning so wide I was sure I looked like the Joker. Frank didn't seem to think so though; his eyes were looking at me like I was the Mona Lisa. I blushed, lying under him, with his warm weight pressing down against me. His hands were side on my sides, I could feel them pressing into my ribs. The pressure made me tingle and felt good. I looked into those eyes I had seen every day since I could remember, the eyes of my best friend, and I saw something I had not noticed before. Frank was shaking; his entire body was trembling with cold.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, touching his cheek with one hand and feeling it cold. He pressed his head against my hand, stealing my warmth for himself.

"I'm fine," he said, still leaning on me. Just then, with those two small words, I felt a stirring inside. I bit down on my tongue, my mouth wanting to scream words I had never heard in my head before. I wanted Frank to scream back at me, our voices joined and our bodies entwined beyond separation. What the hell was I on? I could feel my heart slamming in my chest, probably from my hysterical laughing fit. My skin was flushed pink and my toes curled inside my boots. I couldn't drag my eyes away from him. What was happening? Why couldn't I look away? There was something so calming about his eyes, a paradox in the way that they made me want to scream and yell and be as violent as possible, every muscle begging to let rip. I was so busy sorting out my thoughts, I didn't notice him leaning down slowly, his face getting closer to me inch by inch. If someone had struck a chord, it would have set the room on fire and we would have burned together. This was Frank, the boy I had relied upon as a teeny tot to protect me from the bullies and swap lunches with me at lunchtime. This was the guy who taught he football while I taught him how to cook. This was the guy who took me to his prom even though I was three years younger and we just hung out and fast danced through the slow dances. This was the guy who gave me his coursework from his exams so I could pass it off as mine and spend my time with him instead. This was the guy I thought about every minute of everyday and loved like only a best friend could. And he was leaning down to whisper in my ear. His cheek felt like a cat stroking itself across my cheek, and I was surrounded by his smell. Oh, I was to lose myself in that comfort. How many times had I lost myself in tears, hugging him like the child who lost their way? How many times had I depended on his friendship and kind words, how many times had I given him my trust? He was somewhere between the most iconic brother ever, the boy next door and the man I gave my heart to. I felt emotions I couldn't name as he whispered in my ear, cold tingles dancing up and down my spine. I felt as limp as a rag doll, a grin still plastered across my face.

"Your mom's calling you," he whispered, getting me back.

"SAPPHIRE! DINNER TIME!" I squealed, twisting out from under him and pushing my hair over my shoulder. I smoothed out my dress and tried to arrange my face like I hadn't just lain in my best friend's bed and wished for a scream match. As Stud barked excitedly and barrelled his way up the stairs, I looked back at Frank, pulling my coat over my goosepimply arms. He sat on his bed, giving me the most heart warming, sad smile I had seen.

"By the way, who are you going out with?" he asked me, reminding me of my date like a ton of brick in my stomach. It wasn't nerves though.

"Err…John Kleaver," I said quietly. I knew he wouldn't be happy. His entire face changed from normal to shocked, then confused anger.

"What?! Why?"

"He asked me…I, I guess I was curious," I said, turning red and wondering why I wasn't defending John, only justifying myself. Frank looked so torn I wish I had never told him.

"But Sparkle! Why him?" he asked, his eyes begging me not to go with him.

"Look, I know you think I shouldn't, but I can't help liking him! He's really good-looking…" I said, hearing a tiny thought at the back of my mind telling me Frank was better looking. When I looked back at Frank, his face was screwed up in disgust.

"That's your reason?! You're going out with that jerk because he's good looking?" he sighed sharply, standing up and sitting down hard in his chair, twisting away from me and starting up his computer. He was done with me, obviously. Oh, no., Not good enough.

"Hey! Since when did I have to prove myself to you? He asked me, I'm flattered. It's not like I have guys falling over for me!" I yelled, clenching my fists. It was weird, I had been fantasying about this and now we were actually yelling, I felt that intensity again. If he wasn't facing away from me, we would have snapped together like magnets.

"Yeah, but you could do better than that arsehole! You're just another girl on his list, Sparkle!" he told me harshly, twisting the chair around to face me, his hands clenching the sides of the chair. We faced each other off, the air full of anger. I was angry because I knew John wasn't what I was looking for, but I was sixteen! I hadn't been on a proper date, ever! I didn't care about John, I just wanted to go on a regular date that a regular girl, not the social outcast I usually was and revelled in! Why couldn't Frank just roll his eyes, make a sarcastic comment and leave me to it?

"Don't call me Sparkle when we're arguing! If you cared so much about me, why don't you ask me out?" I yelled, before turning away and running up his stairs, leaving Frank white faced and alone.