"Look, just drop it - please, just think about this, don't do anything crazy." I try to reason anxiously, hearing my heartbeat ring in my ears. Please don't let this be how today ends. I swallow harshly, trying to control my breathing as I raise my hands in surrender. "Just put it down, and we can talk about this" I gulp, hoping my voice sounds calmer than what I am, I can feel my stomach knotting and getting that nauseous pit again. He tilts his head, looking like he's considering my offer and takes a step towards me and I hold my breath, all I can hear is his heavy breathing and I'm just praying to god this is working. "I won't do anything I promise, just... Just drop it and we can talk" I try to offer again, feeling my pulse hammer in my body. I close my eyes, trying to will myself not to over react - I know what he's like and it will only make this so much worse if I don't try and stay calm so I can negotiate with him. I just need to not make any sudden movements, I don't want to startle him and have this end the way I'm praying it doesn't. When I look to him his eyes are watching mine carefully and I gasp when I hear the thud on the ground looking to where he's dropped it. He just stares at me with his brown eyes, his big tongue hanging out the side of his stupid wrinkled head. "For fuck sake Gizmo!" I huff, rushing over to pick my phone up off the ground and grimace at the slobber coating it. I point the phone at him "How many times have we been over this? My phone is not food! I can't afford to replace another one of these!" I swear this dog is going to give me grey hairs at 26. Gizmo just plonks his tubby butt on the floor, panting as he cocks his head with that same dumb droopy expression he always has. I swear if he wasn't the only good thing I had in my life, he would be in so much trouble right now. I give him a stern look, trying to sound firm "Don't give me that look. You know you're in trouble mister, you're lucky I don't make you sleep outside - I'll do it you know" Even Gizmo looks at me like he's knows I'm full of shit, because I am. I'd sleep outside just to make sure this damn dog was comfortable, I'd starve to death if it meant he could eat. My scolding is interrupted by the loud ring of my phone and without thinking I answer it and press it to my ear. "Oh for fuck sake!" I yell, pulling it away and see the string of drool drip from it. "Drew? You alright? What's going on?" Frankie's voice comes out muffled from my phone and scrunch my face up, growling as I walk to the kitchen and grab paper towel to wipe my phone. "Just give me a damn minute!" I yell again, wiping down the glass as I glare at Gizmo who is watching me before he flops onto the floor and rolls on his side, looking like a loaf of bread with legs. I press my phone onto loudspeaker as I grab the sleeve of my shirt to wipe my face, grimacing again. "Sorry Gizmo had my phone" I mutter, leaning my elbows on the bench and resting my face in my hands. "...He had your phone? I swear you'd let that dog get away with murder - he can be a real assho-" "Watch it Frankie" I warn, pointing at my phone on the bench like the idiot that's somehow managed to weasel his way in as my only friend since I met him a year ago can see me "Finish that sentence and he will get away with murder, and no one will find your body" Gizmo is an asshole, but he's my asshole and only I'm allowed to call him that. No one says mean things about my baby. "Yeesh, calm down. Don't talk smack about your fat fur child, point taken. Look, the reason I called, you're still coming tonight right?" he asks, in no way making it sound like a question or I have a choice in the matter, but more so reminding me I can't back out. Dammit Frankie, I thought we'd been over this, why is he so insistent about it? He knows what I'm like. That's probably exactly why he's doing this. I sigh, rubbing my temples "Look... Frankie, I know you really want me there but you know I'm not real big on people-" "Drew Sawyer if you try and bail on this party, like you do with every other single thing that doesn't involve that damn dog and watching The Office reruns, I am dragging you there, and I don't care if you're in those fluffy god damn slippers and half naked - you're coming" he threatens. I groan, rolling my eyes and Frankies knowing voice comes through the speaker again "I could hear that eye roll from here Drew" I'm still trying to work out how Frankie managed to be one of the only people to drag some kind of trust out of me over this past year, but he's so likeable it's infuriating and he has this god damn persistence that drives me up the wall. Mainly because he's persistent about caring about me, and pushing me to do more than stay locked away in my house with my dog and the reason my life isn't worth existing in, unless I'm at work. I really don't know why he bothers, I'm a lost cause really. I've just learnt over the years that people can't be trusted, they aren't safe. I'm far better off on my own with the only thing I can seem to care about these days. Gizmo. "Please Drew, this is important to me. It's Alex's birthday and he really wants you there too" he pleads, using his best childlike begging voice and I can already picture those big green puppy dog eyes. Dammit, he knows I can't say no to those darn eyes. While I find notions like real love to be bullshit, I've learnt very thoroughly it's not something that exists for people like me - however I know it exists for Frankie and his boyfriend Alex, they're so in love and perfect for each other it's disgusting. They're the statistical anomaly where they've managed to find a person to love, and truly be loved back by, sometimes it's fascinating to watch but I know it's the equivalent of being struck by lightening. Well at least for someone like me anyway. And they're two of the nicest, and most unfairly attractive people I've ever met - how is that fair? You don't get to be all of those things and nice, you dick. I give my phone a flat look "Using guilt now are we Frankie? Shame on you" "Absolutely, whatever it takes" he says without missing a beat. "Also... If you try and make up some last minute excuse to not come, I'll show everyone at the party the video of you on my phone dancing drunk on the table belting out 'I want it that way' by the backstreet boys - still my favourite video of you by the way, and my favourite version of that song" he says coyly and I glare holes into my phone. I need to make a mental note to destroy that bloody video. "Blackmail now too? I thought more of you" I say sarcastically. "I'm above nothing to make you actually enjoy yourself for once" he points out, and I let out another resigned sigh. "You aren't dropping this are you?" "Nope. And besides! There's a great guy that's gonna be there I want to introduce you to, I know you'll get along great with him" he says and I can hear that damn smirk on his face. Oh fuck no, absolutely not. "No way, Frankie you know I don't-"