Glades and Playgrounds

As Friday approached, so did my date and I was really nervous. This was the first time in two weeks that I actually had plans and something to look forward too, but yet it was scary. He was two years older than me, and why would a sixteen year old go out with a fourteen year old? And how the hell could he know I was gay? Do I look gay? He started flirting with me, so it was kinda easy for me to realize… Dammit, I don’t wanna look gay!

“You look troubled” mom stated where we sat at the kitchen table, eating dinner. “Nervous about tonight?”

“Yeah” I answered, then hesitated before asking, “If you didn’t know me, would you’ve seen that I don’t like girls?”

“No, why?”

“Just wondering…” I said evasively, “But why would a sixteen year old want to go out with me?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I wanna say because you’re damn cute, but I know you’ll just laugh, so I won’t” she responded, smiling widely, “It’s gonna be fine, Frankie, don’t worry. Maybe he just asked you out on instinct, ‘coz you were nice”

“Nice… Yeah” I said, rolling my eyes.

“What do you want me to say then?”

“I don’t know” I sighed and threw a quick glance at the clock on the wall and felt a jolt in my stomach. “He’ll be here in half an hour”

“Well, then you better go and get ready” she said, smirking as I hesitated, “Come on, Frankie, it’s not like he’s gonna rape you or anything!”

“You’re probably the only mom in America who wants their son to go out with a two years older guy…” I whined, almost wanting her to forbid me at this point.

“Okay, we’ll do like this. You go on this date and if he rapes you or behaves badly in any way, you’ll tell me and I’ll go across the street and tell his mommy” she giggled and felt a sudden urge to throw my glass of water at her. “We’re going over for dinner tomorrow anyway, so I can talk to Donna about her naughty son then”

“I thought you were gonna beat the shit outta him” I murmured, glancing at her with a smile.

“Oh believe me; it’s much worse telling his mom” she said, “Now get your ass upstairs and change your clothes and put on some more make up or whatever… Damn, it feels like I’m having a daughter instead of a boy, how could I miss that your gay?! You wear make up for crying out loud!”

“You were the one who gave me my first eyeliner, Einstein… Blame yourself. By the way, I know you love it” I smirked, getting up from my chair.

“Love what?”

“Having a weird son”

“You bet” she winked at me and made a waving gesture, “Go! You don’t want him to think you’re hideous on your first date, right?”

“I’m not hideous! How rude!” I exclaimed, stomping out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I heard her laugh and I rolled my eyes, making my way to the bathroom. My faithful eyeliner lay on the sink and I picked it up, but then put it down again. I didn’t feel like wearing it tonight…

Since I’d already taken a shower earlier before, I went into my room to find some acceptable clothes. What do you wear on a date with a two year older guy? I’m getting quite obsessed with the fact that he’s older than me, I think…

Finally, after 20 minutes of debating whether wearing a red Ramones shirt or a black Misfits shirt, I settled with the Misfits shirt and now went over to what jeans I was gonna wear. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, cutting through the silence in my room like a knife. I panicked, frantically searching my room for any jeans and found a pair under my bed. They were too small, but as I heard mom walking towards the front door, I slipped them on. I said ‘slipped’ them on, but it was more pressing them on. They were incredibly tight and I cursed myself for spending so much time choosing my shirt.

“Frank!” mom called. I threw a quick glance in the mirror, smiling as I noticed my hair was lying exactly how I wanted it, which kinda meant that it was uncontrollable and I made my way down. Mom was no longer in the hall, there was only Gerard, looking shy, but smiled as he saw me.

“Hey” he said, is mischievous eyes gazing at me, “You look great”

“So do you” I smiled back approvingly at his black jeans, studded belt and leather jacket. He and Mikey looked a lot like each other, but still not. Their styles of clothes were the same, and they were both pretty pale, but yet they didn’t look at each other at all. “Let’s go before Linda embarrasses me”

“I heard that!” mom’s voice rung from the kitchen and I hurriedly pushed Gerard out, closing the door behind me. I didn’t need her to embarrass me right now…

“Linda? Your mom?” Gerard asked as we walked down the path of my garden out to the street. It was a warm evening, the sky coloured in blue, red and purple but with streaks of gold where the sun was about to go down under the rooftops.

“Yeah, you met her the day I came over. In the kitchen…”

“I know who she is, I just…” he said, scrunching up his nose and looked at me with a curious face, “Why do you call her Linda?”

“Cuz her name’s Linda” I shrugged, “Feels stupid to call her mom all the time”

“Right” Gerard laughed and for a second I regretted telling him that; now he probably thought I’m some retarded kid who tries to be different…

We walked on without saying too much, he complimented my Misfits shirt and I told him his leather jacket was cool. As we reached the end of the street we were living on, he laughed as I turned left instead of right as I thought the cinema were in that direction.

“Wow, you really don’t know where it is” he laughed.

“Told you.” I answered.

“Sorry, I thought you were kidding...”

“Well, I wasn’t. The only place I’ve been to is that playground where I met your brother”

“Mikey? What playground?” he asked, now gesturing with his hand what direction we were about to go so I wouldn’t have to stop and wait for him to go first.

“Erm… The playground in the park?” I said, but it sounded more like a question as we both knew there were more than one playground there, “Sorry, I don’t know which one of them. No one seems to go there though”

“Ooh, that playground!” he said as it dawned on him, “Ha, Mikey’s not allowed to go there… I can use this against him”

“Why’s he not allowed to go there?” I asked, slightly relieved that we had something to talk about, even though we were, in fact, talking about his younger brother. But at least it’s better than a long, awkward silence.

“It’s a crime scene” Gerard explained, pushing me lightly to the left to make me understand we had to cross the street. “Two people were murdered there two years ago”

“Oh” I said and fell silent for a moment before asking; “Do they really think someone’s gonna murder anyone there again?”

“Why take the chance?” he shrugged and then nodded towards a cinema, “We’re here”

[A/N I’m in a shitty mood so I re-wrote this shit like… three times >o< So sorry if it’s shit, my best friend’s dad had a heart attack so I can’t think clear. Sorry…

I’m gonna stop writing this messages now, I promise. XD]