I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
Arrivals
"This thing is so itchy," I complained as I shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat of Gerard's car. I scratched my arms through the thick fabric of the robe.
Gerard laughed. "We're almost back at home, you can change when we get there."
"Screw that," I muttered. I began to pull the never-ending loose robe over my head, more than once getting lost in the folds. When I finally freed myself from the heavy material, I could feel my hair lifting from my scalp with static. I hastily smoothed it down and flipped the visor down to look at my reflection. "Not bad."
"I can't believe you managed to escape. I thought you were going to be trapped in there forever."
“Never doubt me again,” I grinned.
“So that was a nice surprise when you’re parents showed up, wasn’t it?” he seemed to be trying to break the subject gently.
“Yeah, I was really happy to see them. I don’t think Mom was very happy to be there, but the important thing is that she came, regardless. And she never once asked who I was. Maybe she’s finally realized that I’m not just some vision she sees of herself as a teenager.”
“I think your dad explained the situation to her. I guess she found it easier to believe him than someone that she was convinced was a figment of her imagination.”
When he pulled the car into the driveway, Dad’s car was already there. It had been so long since he’d been here that I’d almost forgotten what type of vehicle he drove. Ray, Frankie, and Mikey pulled in right behind us. When I stepped out of the car, Frank stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.
“I thought I was supposed to get you out of the dress thing.”
“You were too slow,” I shrugged. “Gerard and I couldn’t resist. We had to stop for a quickie on the way.”
Mikey covered his ears, his elbows barely avoiding Ray’s head as his hands flew up. “I don’t want to hear that!”
“Relax, I’m kidding. Besides, you guys followed us the whole way. When would we have had time to do anything?”
Mikey eyed us warily, but let his hands fall from the sides of his head. Frankie shifted his weight from one foot to the other as if he was extremely anxious.
“When do we get to go drink?”
I laughed and motioned for him to go inside. “Go ahead. There’s lots there.”
He shook his head. “Your parents are in there. I’m not going in alone.”
“Take Mikey with you. My dad liked him.”
“I’m hurt,” Ray smirked.
“I don’t really know what he thinks of you. You might as well go in, too. At least then you can get drunk.”
“And what are you two doing out here?” There was a note of accusation in Frankie’s tone.
“I just need to talk to him for a minute,” I explained. The rest of the guys hesitantly went inside, Frankie pausing at the door to look back at us for a long moment before he followed.
“What’s up?” Gerard asked, looking down into my eyes.
“Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you?”
He touched his chin pensively. “Yes, I think you have.”
“Well I think you need to hear it again. Thank you for everything that you’ve done.”
“Don’t even mention it, Lily. You deserve so much more than I could ever do for you.”
I leaned up to kiss him, but we were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. I turned to see Angela and Kevin driving in, and both of them were smiling widely.
They leapt from the car once it was in park and Angela gave me a huge hug. She looked beautiful. A sudden worry gripped my stomach.
"Angela, Mikey's inside."
"If he's okay with me being here, there won't be a problem. I'm over it."
I looked from her to Kevin, who merely shrugged. "I think he'll be okay with it," I replied.
"He'll be fine with it," Gerard smiled at her. "Go inside and see for yourself."
She looked at the both of us for a long moment before understanding broke through her features. "Oh! Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt anything. Come on, Kev, let's go inside."
The two turned away from us and hurried inside the house. Once again, we were alone. I faced him again and smiled.
"Now, where were we?"
"I think we were right about here..."
He let his sentence trail off as he leant down and let his lips collide with mine. I was greedy for more as he pulled back, and I pulled him in for another one.
"Aw, gross!" Mikey yelled as he stood in the doorway. "That visual is engraved in my brain forever now," he blinked feverishly a few times. "I see it when I close my eyes!" his voice was nearly a shriek.
"I feel so betrayed," Frankie whined from behind him.
"Shut up," I chuckled, linking my arm with Gerard's. We began to walk towards the house, both grinning widely.
Graduation had turned out pretty good, after all.
Gerard laughed. "We're almost back at home, you can change when we get there."
"Screw that," I muttered. I began to pull the never-ending loose robe over my head, more than once getting lost in the folds. When I finally freed myself from the heavy material, I could feel my hair lifting from my scalp with static. I hastily smoothed it down and flipped the visor down to look at my reflection. "Not bad."
"I can't believe you managed to escape. I thought you were going to be trapped in there forever."
“Never doubt me again,” I grinned.
“So that was a nice surprise when you’re parents showed up, wasn’t it?” he seemed to be trying to break the subject gently.
“Yeah, I was really happy to see them. I don’t think Mom was very happy to be there, but the important thing is that she came, regardless. And she never once asked who I was. Maybe she’s finally realized that I’m not just some vision she sees of herself as a teenager.”
“I think your dad explained the situation to her. I guess she found it easier to believe him than someone that she was convinced was a figment of her imagination.”
When he pulled the car into the driveway, Dad’s car was already there. It had been so long since he’d been here that I’d almost forgotten what type of vehicle he drove. Ray, Frankie, and Mikey pulled in right behind us. When I stepped out of the car, Frank stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.
“I thought I was supposed to get you out of the dress thing.”
“You were too slow,” I shrugged. “Gerard and I couldn’t resist. We had to stop for a quickie on the way.”
Mikey covered his ears, his elbows barely avoiding Ray’s head as his hands flew up. “I don’t want to hear that!”
“Relax, I’m kidding. Besides, you guys followed us the whole way. When would we have had time to do anything?”
Mikey eyed us warily, but let his hands fall from the sides of his head. Frankie shifted his weight from one foot to the other as if he was extremely anxious.
“When do we get to go drink?”
I laughed and motioned for him to go inside. “Go ahead. There’s lots there.”
He shook his head. “Your parents are in there. I’m not going in alone.”
“Take Mikey with you. My dad liked him.”
“I’m hurt,” Ray smirked.
“I don’t really know what he thinks of you. You might as well go in, too. At least then you can get drunk.”
“And what are you two doing out here?” There was a note of accusation in Frankie’s tone.
“I just need to talk to him for a minute,” I explained. The rest of the guys hesitantly went inside, Frankie pausing at the door to look back at us for a long moment before he followed.
“What’s up?” Gerard asked, looking down into my eyes.
“Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you?”
He touched his chin pensively. “Yes, I think you have.”
“Well I think you need to hear it again. Thank you for everything that you’ve done.”
“Don’t even mention it, Lily. You deserve so much more than I could ever do for you.”
I leaned up to kiss him, but we were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. I turned to see Angela and Kevin driving in, and both of them were smiling widely.
They leapt from the car once it was in park and Angela gave me a huge hug. She looked beautiful. A sudden worry gripped my stomach.
"Angela, Mikey's inside."
"If he's okay with me being here, there won't be a problem. I'm over it."
I looked from her to Kevin, who merely shrugged. "I think he'll be okay with it," I replied.
"He'll be fine with it," Gerard smiled at her. "Go inside and see for yourself."
She looked at the both of us for a long moment before understanding broke through her features. "Oh! Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt anything. Come on, Kev, let's go inside."
The two turned away from us and hurried inside the house. Once again, we were alone. I faced him again and smiled.
"Now, where were we?"
"I think we were right about here..."
He let his sentence trail off as he leant down and let his lips collide with mine. I was greedy for more as he pulled back, and I pulled him in for another one.
"Aw, gross!" Mikey yelled as he stood in the doorway. "That visual is engraved in my brain forever now," he blinked feverishly a few times. "I see it when I close my eyes!" his voice was nearly a shriek.
"I feel so betrayed," Frankie whined from behind him.
"Shut up," I chuckled, linking my arm with Gerard's. We began to walk towards the house, both grinning widely.
Graduation had turned out pretty good, after all.