Love Like Summer
Getting To Know You
“Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness, and cleanliness is Godliness, and God is empty -- just like me…” The boy sang, walking down the street after another job well done. It was past midnight, and dangerous to be roaming the New Jersey streets, no matter how alluring the smoke-filled, damp air was. A boy only a few years older then he had all ready experienced him – and this young man was about to experience him.
Passing an alley, he heard a groan, accompanied by a whimpers and gasps. Curious, he looked down it, spying the boy a few years older then himself, lying in the middle of the alley, cuts and bruises layering his pale form, clutching his stomach. As the younger made his way down the alley, he heard him swear under his breath. “Oh my God, a-are you alright!?” He asked the older boy, who; looked up at him, a curtain of ebony hair concealing his left eye.
“Oh yea, the mugged victim is peachy...” He replied in a hush voice, wincing a little at the pain he cause himself when he’d spoken.
Shrugging off the feeling of insult, the younger began again. “Lemme take you home, clean you up – you can walk, right?” The older slung his arm over the other’s shoulders, still holding his stomach as they began to walk. “We-we aren’t far from my apartment; i-it’s barely a block away! Um, just, thi-this way…y-you’re alright…” He murmured optimistically. The walk was longer then expected, the younger practically carrying the other,
Once they arrived, the former wasted no time dressing the other’s wounds, both sitting down on the couch, two drinks watching the scene from the coffee table. “What’s your name, Oh Wounded One?” He finally asked the older boy, smiling crookedly.
“Gerard.” He replied, extending his hand. “And you, Angel Gabrielle?”
“Frank.” The younger replied, shaking Gerard’s hand, and smiling warmly. “Great to meet you, G-Gerard.”
“You, too.” Gerard replied, also smiling. He looked around, finding no trace of another human being’s presence. “You live alone, ‘eh?”
“Yup, that I do.” Frank replied shortly, smile slowly tightening.
“How do you afford a place like this alone? If you don’t mind me asking, that is. I mean, you’re, what, sixteen?”
“Fifteen.” Frank corrected grimly, as Gerard continued.
“Fifteen, you live alone, you’re probably a dropout, considering the only high school around here has probably four hundred kids, and I would have seen you there before, and you’re alone. What, Mummy and Daddy left you their millions after a tragic plane crash on their way back from Europe?” He asked coldly.
“N-n-not at all…” Frank replied, a little uneasy and offended. “I just work a lot. Work all day, walk all night, planning the next day and helping kids like you from bleeding to death in an alley. I mean, it’s not like I can sleep, and God knows what will happen if I eat anymore then I do now.
“I’m sorry…” Was all Gerard could manage, as he searched for a new topic on the hardwood floor.
“It’s only true...” Frank added in a whisper, afraid of Gerard figuring out the truth.
“Still, where the fuck do you work to afford this place by yourself, along with food, clothes, and make-up?” Gerard motioned to Frank’s bright hazel eyes, heavily outlined in black. Frank lightly touched his cheek, fingertips barely giving him the cooled sensation.
“Just, around. Where do you work?” Frank replied, thrilled on finding a new topic.
“I push carts at a supermarket…” Gerard replied, embarrassment cloaking his angelic voice. Frank smiled, sitting at his lip ring. Silence flooded the room, until the clock hanging on the wall informed them that is was going on one o’clock.
“’I’m sorry if I’ve kept you from sleeping. You must be exhausted -- I’ll let you sleep; Goodnight, Gerard.” Frank said, standing swiftly, handing Gerard a blanket and a pillow, and then walking to his room. “I might end up taking another walk. So, if you wake up and I’m not here, don’t be worried unless it’s ten thirty-ish. G-goodnight, Ger-Gerard.” Frank was already in his bedroom across the hall and shutting the door before Gerard could choke out his goodnight.
Back against his door, Frank smiled. He noticed him – Gerard had finally spoken to him. His heartbeat began to race at the thought of such a boy sleeping in the same building as him, let alone in his own home. Gerard had noticed, but not remembered. That they go to the same school, that Frank sometimes stares at him, daydreaming of a better life. He swallowed hard at his next thought – leaving such an angel alone while he went for another so-called “walk.” Of course he would wait until he fell asleep – it was improper to leave him and him know it. Frank sunk to the floor, still leaning against the door, giggling softly. Even if he’d said a few things that hurt him, or had yet to thank him, it didn’t matter – his angel was hurt, and thank God he’d been there to help him.
Gerard turned out the light and lay down, throwing the blanket Frank had given him over himself, turning onto his side. His ribs hurt, but he would be alright – he had suffered worse in the past. He shuttered at the thought, sighing to himself. Why had he been such a jerk to Frank? He had taken him in, bandaged him up, and let him stay the night. Had he even said thank-you? No, of course he hadn’t – he was heartless, brainless, and careless – that was why he moved himself and his brother into an apartment building two blocks from school, away from that monster that had given birth to them. Was he a monster too? Gerard groaned, turning on his back again. He’d called Frank a dropout, suggested his parents’ dead – and didn’t mention once how perfectly familiar he looked.
Passing an alley, he heard a groan, accompanied by a whimpers and gasps. Curious, he looked down it, spying the boy a few years older then himself, lying in the middle of the alley, cuts and bruises layering his pale form, clutching his stomach. As the younger made his way down the alley, he heard him swear under his breath. “Oh my God, a-are you alright!?” He asked the older boy, who; looked up at him, a curtain of ebony hair concealing his left eye.
“Oh yea, the mugged victim is peachy...” He replied in a hush voice, wincing a little at the pain he cause himself when he’d spoken.
Shrugging off the feeling of insult, the younger began again. “Lemme take you home, clean you up – you can walk, right?” The older slung his arm over the other’s shoulders, still holding his stomach as they began to walk. “We-we aren’t far from my apartment; i-it’s barely a block away! Um, just, thi-this way…y-you’re alright…” He murmured optimistically. The walk was longer then expected, the younger practically carrying the other,
Once they arrived, the former wasted no time dressing the other’s wounds, both sitting down on the couch, two drinks watching the scene from the coffee table. “What’s your name, Oh Wounded One?” He finally asked the older boy, smiling crookedly.
“Gerard.” He replied, extending his hand. “And you, Angel Gabrielle?”
“Frank.” The younger replied, shaking Gerard’s hand, and smiling warmly. “Great to meet you, G-Gerard.”
“You, too.” Gerard replied, also smiling. He looked around, finding no trace of another human being’s presence. “You live alone, ‘eh?”
“Yup, that I do.” Frank replied shortly, smile slowly tightening.
“How do you afford a place like this alone? If you don’t mind me asking, that is. I mean, you’re, what, sixteen?”
“Fifteen.” Frank corrected grimly, as Gerard continued.
“Fifteen, you live alone, you’re probably a dropout, considering the only high school around here has probably four hundred kids, and I would have seen you there before, and you’re alone. What, Mummy and Daddy left you their millions after a tragic plane crash on their way back from Europe?” He asked coldly.
“N-n-not at all…” Frank replied, a little uneasy and offended. “I just work a lot. Work all day, walk all night, planning the next day and helping kids like you from bleeding to death in an alley. I mean, it’s not like I can sleep, and God knows what will happen if I eat anymore then I do now.
“I’m sorry…” Was all Gerard could manage, as he searched for a new topic on the hardwood floor.
“It’s only true...” Frank added in a whisper, afraid of Gerard figuring out the truth.
“Still, where the fuck do you work to afford this place by yourself, along with food, clothes, and make-up?” Gerard motioned to Frank’s bright hazel eyes, heavily outlined in black. Frank lightly touched his cheek, fingertips barely giving him the cooled sensation.
“Just, around. Where do you work?” Frank replied, thrilled on finding a new topic.
“I push carts at a supermarket…” Gerard replied, embarrassment cloaking his angelic voice. Frank smiled, sitting at his lip ring. Silence flooded the room, until the clock hanging on the wall informed them that is was going on one o’clock.
“’I’m sorry if I’ve kept you from sleeping. You must be exhausted -- I’ll let you sleep; Goodnight, Gerard.” Frank said, standing swiftly, handing Gerard a blanket and a pillow, and then walking to his room. “I might end up taking another walk. So, if you wake up and I’m not here, don’t be worried unless it’s ten thirty-ish. G-goodnight, Ger-Gerard.” Frank was already in his bedroom across the hall and shutting the door before Gerard could choke out his goodnight.
Back against his door, Frank smiled. He noticed him – Gerard had finally spoken to him. His heartbeat began to race at the thought of such a boy sleeping in the same building as him, let alone in his own home. Gerard had noticed, but not remembered. That they go to the same school, that Frank sometimes stares at him, daydreaming of a better life. He swallowed hard at his next thought – leaving such an angel alone while he went for another so-called “walk.” Of course he would wait until he fell asleep – it was improper to leave him and him know it. Frank sunk to the floor, still leaning against the door, giggling softly. Even if he’d said a few things that hurt him, or had yet to thank him, it didn’t matter – his angel was hurt, and thank God he’d been there to help him.
Gerard turned out the light and lay down, throwing the blanket Frank had given him over himself, turning onto his side. His ribs hurt, but he would be alright – he had suffered worse in the past. He shuttered at the thought, sighing to himself. Why had he been such a jerk to Frank? He had taken him in, bandaged him up, and let him stay the night. Had he even said thank-you? No, of course he hadn’t – he was heartless, brainless, and careless – that was why he moved himself and his brother into an apartment building two blocks from school, away from that monster that had given birth to them. Was he a monster too? Gerard groaned, turning on his back again. He’d called Frank a dropout, suggested his parents’ dead – and didn’t mention once how perfectly familiar he looked.