You Can Be My Simba

“Do you ever pick you?” I said once again in the phone, leaving France his sixth message. I angrily threw my phone on my bed and stormed off downstairs.

“What’s wrong honey?” my mum asked as I plonked myself down on the sofa next to her and my father. I haven’t been speaking to my father for quite a while now; he seems to be ignoring my presence.

“Nothing” I replied, shoving my head back.

“Has France broken up with you?” she asked, her eyes widening when I didn’t reply straight away. I noticed my dad flinch at the words my mother spoke.

“No, it’s nothing like that” I shook my head and watched as Hannah entered the room, taking a seat on my Father’s lap.

“Casper, what happened to your face?” Mother yelled grabbing my chin and tapping my sore nose

“Ouch!!” I yelled snapping away her hand

“What happened?”

“I….umm…was in a fight?” I replied, more like a question than an answer. The second the word fight left my mouth my father looked up, a small smile forming at his lips, he moved Hannah round on his lap and turned to face his only son

“Good on you. Who won?” he wondered, I hesitated on the spot, I was confused why he was suddenly talking to me but glad that he finally was.

“It was a draw, it was just some guy in my class he annoyed me” I replied, my dads eyes glistened as I told my fake story.

“So…how are things going with you and France?” Mother questioned once Dad had turned back to his programme.

“Fine” I promised. I got up off the sofa and headed out the room muttering something about needed to do homework.

I threw myself down on my bed and sighed. Ouch! I was leaning on something hard. I sat up and reached for the object. My phone. I clicked a few buttons to unlock my phone to discover I had 3 missed calls. All from France. I dialled his well known number and placed it to my ear, waiting impatiently for him to pick up.

“Hello?” I smiled at his voice and laid back on my bed

“Hi” I replied

“Hi, you called? Like ten times”

“Yeah, you said you’d call and you never did” I placed my phone on my bedside table and put it on speaker phone, leaning back against my headboard.

“Oh yeah” he coughed. A few shuffleing sounds making there way through the phone.

“So…care to explain why you suddenly shoved me out the house” I asked

“Can we meet somewhere?” he replied, his voice hesitating. I looked around my room and came across my clock. 21:24

“Where?”

“Park? I’ll see you in five” he answered before hanging up. What was up with him? I opened my window before grabbing a jacket and slyly climbed out for the hundredth time this week. With my hands shoved in my trouser pockets and my hood up I slouched my way to the park, trying hard to forget about the bitter cold brushing against my face and bare skin.

The park was empty once I reached it. I slowly walked towards the swings and took a seat staring into the woods that surrounded the north and east side of the park. Four minutes had past and France still wasn’t here. My butt was becoming numb and my hands were starting to freeze. My head was imagining all different scenarios that could happen at this point. There were seriously some creeps out in the world and all I could think was them coming after me. I climbed off the swing and paced back and forth making sure to check every corner and every hideout that a perv could hide behind. I’m going home I thought. I’ll call him when I get back. I hurriedly ran to the entrance of the park looking down at the ground the whole time. I was almost out the gate when I bumped into someone. My first instinct was to scream so of course that’s what I did,

“Casper it’s me!” yelled a familiar voice, I climbed up off the floor that I had fallen to in attempt to run back into the park. There wasn’t much light out in the park but was able to recognise the shape that stood before me. I ran forwards pushing myself into Francis’ arms. “Ghouly, what’s the matter?” France pulled me further into the hug and wrapped his arms securely around my body, slowly rocking me back and forth. I shook my head not wanting to admit I pathetic excuse for screaming at him.

“I was scared” I mumbled into his shirt. Tears began to form at the corner of my eyes and I mentally hit myself for being so feeble.

“Casper, please don’t cry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Simba please” I looked up from France’s chest, still holding on tight to his waist. He took his arm away from my own waist and brought it to my face, carefully wiping away my tears.

“I’m sorry” I finally spat out, my voice hoarse. He hugged me tight again, before letting me go and taking hold of my hand

“You don’t need to be sorry. I do though; I was late” he lead me to the climbing frame and pulled me up with him before hauling me onto his lap. I snuggled into chest and listened intently to his heartbeat that was in time with my own.

“Why then?” I asked

“Because I got my trousers caught on the window and I couldn’t get out or back in, I was kinda just sitting there on my ledge and boy did….” I quickly kissed him, stopping him midsentence. I laughed at his babbling and held onto his hand

“Not that. I mean why did you push me out the window today?” The wind was picking up and was breezing across my numb face.

“Oh…I don’t think you really want to know” I shot up from his chest and turned round so I was sat crossed legged and facing him.

“Tough. You’re telling me”

“You’ll get upset” he replied

“I won’t I promise!” I yelled, throwing his hand up and down

“You will” he answered “It’s about us” I stopped and looked at his seriously

“What about us? Do they not like your sexuality” I questioned

“No, they don’t mind me being gay…they don’t like me dating…you” my insides literally dropped at that point. It was like someone had dropped boulders onto my limbs. I shook my head sluggishly and looked down at our entwined hands, waiting as they blurred from the tears. “I’m so sorry Casper” he lifted up my face with his hand and brought his face closer to mine. I moved his hand away and looked down again “Please, Casper” I climbed off his lap and climbed off the climbing frame, letting a tear fall down my face.

“You told them you didn’t care right? That you don’t give a shit what they say?” he had climbed off the climbing frame just as quickly as I spoke.

“Casper…”

“Did you?” I interrupted him

“…No” he answered. I shook my head once again and began to walk off. He grabbed my arm and spun me round

“So what? You told them you’d break up with me?” I snatched my arm back and threw them in the air, waiting his response. He didn’t reply like I expected so I turned around and headed back home. I heard him come after me but I ignored him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Snuggled up in bed. My phone sitting on my bedside table. Watching as the number of missed calls go up.

I miss him already.