I Will Not Kiss You

Mikey’s Mom and Dad weren’t back until 5:30 pm. I didn’t realise the time until I glanced at the clock when they stumbled in through the front door, laden with plastic bags. I’d spent the whole day with Gerard and Mikey. It was really fun. Gerard made us all grilled cheese for lunch and we were allowed to eat in the living room. Mom says we should eat our meals at the table but when she’s in a good mood she lets me eat in my room or the living room. Dad just goes berserk if you eat meals anywhere but at the table. I took my fries and quorn burger into the living room once and he hit the roof. That means he got very angry and shouted.

“Hey, Frank.” Donald grinned as he carried on into the kitchen.

“Hello.” I replied.

Donna smiled at me and said ‘Hi’ so I said ‘Hello’ again because it’s polite to say ‘Hello’ when someone says it to you. She then gave Mikey a kiss on the cheek, making him protest and wriggle away, and attempted to do the same to Gerard. He wouldn’t have it and batted her away, claiming that he was trying to draw, which he was but he’d stopped and started staring at me while I talked to Donald.

“Frank, honey?”

“Yes?” I questioned, turning towards Donna’s voice.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” She asked “And then stay the night?”

I thought for a little while. I’ve been here twice now. I guess it’d be ok to stay the night now because I know what it’s like.

“Yeah…ok.”

She smiled and said she’d phone my Mom for me. Mikey smiled too and sat back on the couch, resting his arms behind his head. I didn’t smile. I didn’t know what to do so I just looked around the room. Gerard had stopped looking at me and started drawing again. I watched him curve the pencil elegantly and sweep it across the page. His brow was furrowed as he continued to sketch. I sat up a little straighter to try and see what he was doing.

“What are you drawing?” I asked, getting up to go and see his sketchpad.

He instantly hugged it to his chest so that I couldn’t see. I cocked my head to one side curiously. He didn’t say anything though.

“Why can’t I see your drawing?” I queried.

I asked but I didn’t touch the sketchpad because I wouldn’t like it if it was me and he touched me and tried to take it off of me. And I didn’t touch him because I never touch people anymore. When I was little I used to touch Mom, my grandparents and Mikey but then I stopped touching people because I figured that if I don’t touch people then they’re less likely to touch me.

“It’s not finished,” He replied “And it’s stupid anyway.” He added just as I opened my mouth to say that the mummy drawing he’d shown me wasn’t finished either.

“Ok,” I shrugged “Did you finish the one you were doing last night?”

“Yeah,” He smiled “D’you wanna’ see?” He asked, flipping the pages down and handing it to me.

The mummy was all finished and coloured. It was walking forwards with its arms outstretched and its mouth gaping open. I laughed because it was so good. Mikey got up behind me and peered over my shoulder. I moved forward a little because he was too close to me. He apologised and looked back at Gerard’s drawing.

“This is amazing.” I exclaimed.

“He’s good, isn’t he?” Mikey said.

“Really good!”

Mikey looked at Gerard and gave him a big smile, raising his eyebrows and nodding his head once. I looked from one to the other, wondering what it meant. Gerard noticed my staring and chuckled to himself.

“Mikey’s basically saying ‘I told you so’.” He explained.

“What did he tell you?” I asked inquisitively.

“He said that-“

“That he’s a really good drawer.” Mikey interrupted.

Gerard nodded to him. I looked at him, wondering what was going on.

“Sorry, Frank,” He said “Are we making you feel left out?”

“Yeah!” I sniffed, pretending to cry.

“Awww.” Gerard cooed.

“I’m not really crying.” I said automatically even though he probably knew that.

“Ok,” He nodded “Thanks for letting me know.”

I wondered if he was making fun of me. But he wasn’t using the slow or amazed voice that Ellis always uses. And he wasn’t making the same face. But Chrissie told me that not everyone is the same and some people make fun of you in a really discreet way so that you don’t notice. But Gerard only made fun of me on the phone and that was just to try and make me laugh.

“He’s not making fun.” Mikey said, seeing my face.

“Ok.” I shrugged.

Gerard smiled and slowly reached out for the sketch pad so I handed it back to him. He flipped the page back over and went back to drawing but he lifted his legs so that he could prop it onto his knees so that we couldn’t see it. I really wanted to know what he was drawing but Chrissie told me that people get annoyed if you keep on at them.

“So what are we gonna’ do?” Mikey said, turning to me.

“I dunno’.” I shrugged.

“But you’re the guest.”

“But it’s your house!”

“Actually, if you wanna’ get technical, it’s our parent’s house.” Gerard said, lifting his pencil in the air as he spoke.

“But Mikey lives here and he calls it home.”

“Well, let’s be politically correct and say it’s his home.” He laughed.

“What does politically correct mean?”

“Stop confusing him, Gee.” Mikey ordered.

“Politically correct means um…well; your ‘friend’ Ellis,” He began, making quotation marks as he said ‘Friend’ “Thinks that my sexuality isn’t politically correct. And if you were to say man-to-man or something during a sports game, someone might say ‘Urrrh, that’s not politically correct, uuurh’.”

I laughed as he made his voice go all whiney when he said ‘Urrrh, that’s not politically correct, uuurh’ because it sounded funny. Mikey rolled his eyes.

“C’mon, Frankie,” He said “Let’s go set up the spare mattress for you in my room.”

Didn’t know how to finish that one. Things are gonna’ start moving again soon; I promise!