That Boy's Not Right In The Brain
Part the Fifteenth
"Do you want a drink or anything?" he asked as I stepped into his house, it was sort of how I remembered it, it had obviously been decorated as it had a modern feel, and look, to it now.
"Uh, no I'm alright thanks, but you go right on ahead and have one." I laughed, he ran into the kitchen, grabbed two cokes and ran back out. I thought I told him I didn't want one?
"Come on.. let's go out on the verandah." he started up the staircase quickly, I followed him but in my own time. I was looking around remembering everything, like the huge wooden elephant we used to pretend was a sea creature, and the old tribal masks on the wall we used to use as fire targets. Sitting down on a wicker chair on the second level verandah, he passed me a coke, which I took reluctantly. "Can I ask you something?" he said upfrontly.
"I think you just did, but you can ask another something if you like?" he chuckled quietly, I hadn't seen this side of Frank, well, ever really.
"On Monday, when you said all that about Gerard being the closest thing you've ever had to a boyfriend, is that true?" he asked solemnly. Oh god, here we go with the personal questions of my sex life.
I nodded, "Yeah, no one looks at people like me and you know it."
"What do you mean people like you?" he asked, his voice getting more high pitched with every word.
"Losers Frank, nerds, smart kids, kids who do their homework, kids who get good grades, kids who hang out with, and happen to adore, the so called other 'losers' or 'freaks' of our school. Hell will freeze over before I get a boyfriend while I still attend high school."
"You shouldn't be so pessimistic, you have to think positive."
"Thinking negatively gets negative results, thinking positively gets negative results and causes pain becuase of it."
"Urrrgh! You are so self defeatist, it's unreal!"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused at why he was getting his back up over it.
"Look at you!" he shouted, pointing both of his hands at me, "You're really fucking attractive and you don't even see it!"
"Frank stop it." I said, feeling highly uncomfortable with the fact that he was complimenting me by shouting and gesturing at how 'attractive' I apparently was.
"No! I mean it. Look, you're teaching me how to be smart and how to use my brain and to be civil to people right?"
"Right..?" I agreed, not knowing quite where he was going with this.
"So, I'm going to teach you how to.. how to.. be more confident and positive."
"You can't teach those things, you're either confident or your not, and I've had a negative outlook since as far back as I can remember."
"Fine, then I'll teach you how not to be so fucking perfect all the goddamed time then." he said sitting back in his chair. I laughed, I don't know wether it was through fear or that it actually humoured me that he was going to try and teach me not to be good at things. Either way, to avoid further arguement, I said nothing else.
"Oh shit, I should probably go like... an hour ago." I said noticing the time on the wall clock. 22:00, I had been here for five hours, and after talking for about two, we decided to watch a movie. It was strange, hanging out with Frank, although inside I was dying of embaressment, it sort of felt, comfortable and normal.
"Are you going to be alright to drive? I mean it's dark and everything.." he said standing up and blocking the way out of the lounge by standing infront of the door.
"I'll be fine Frank, I really have to go - Mom has no idea where I am and I have work to do." I said trying to get past him, he blocked my way again and put his hands on my shoulders to prevent me from walking any further.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ahh." he repremanded, "I'm teaching you not to be so perfect remember."
"There's a difference between being perfect and being responsible, and it just so happens that going home and letting my mom know I'm safe is the latter."
"Is the what?"
"Never mind, I have to go." I said finally barging past him, I had just opened the door when he pushed it shut again. "What now?!" I sighed, turning around to scowl at him, instead, he grabbed hold of me and hugged me tightly, for a second I thought about hugging back, but I didn't, he'd proabably only take it the wrong way.
"Bye Lou." he said, using my nickname for the first time since we were kids. I almost wanted to cry, but I wasn't that pathetic... yet. "Don't drive too fast."
"Frank, as if I would drive fast. I'd get a speeding ticket, then it would go on my license-"
"Which is probably perfect.. That's it! Drive fast!" he said as if it were the best idea ever.
"That's not being imperfect. Again, that's being irresponsible - what if I were to hit someone?" I explained, I could tell it would take a while for him to differentiate between perfect and responsible. "See you tomorrow loser." I laughed as I opened the door, as I did, a strange feeling washed over me, it was a warm happy feeling - this was the beginning of rebuilding my friendship with Frank. And for once, I didn't look at it negatively, I couldn't help myself from looking at it in a positive light.
"Uh, no I'm alright thanks, but you go right on ahead and have one." I laughed, he ran into the kitchen, grabbed two cokes and ran back out. I thought I told him I didn't want one?
"Come on.. let's go out on the verandah." he started up the staircase quickly, I followed him but in my own time. I was looking around remembering everything, like the huge wooden elephant we used to pretend was a sea creature, and the old tribal masks on the wall we used to use as fire targets. Sitting down on a wicker chair on the second level verandah, he passed me a coke, which I took reluctantly. "Can I ask you something?" he said upfrontly.
"I think you just did, but you can ask another something if you like?" he chuckled quietly, I hadn't seen this side of Frank, well, ever really.
"On Monday, when you said all that about Gerard being the closest thing you've ever had to a boyfriend, is that true?" he asked solemnly. Oh god, here we go with the personal questions of my sex life.
I nodded, "Yeah, no one looks at people like me and you know it."
"What do you mean people like you?" he asked, his voice getting more high pitched with every word.
"Losers Frank, nerds, smart kids, kids who do their homework, kids who get good grades, kids who hang out with, and happen to adore, the so called other 'losers' or 'freaks' of our school. Hell will freeze over before I get a boyfriend while I still attend high school."
"You shouldn't be so pessimistic, you have to think positive."
"Thinking negatively gets negative results, thinking positively gets negative results and causes pain becuase of it."
"Urrrgh! You are so self defeatist, it's unreal!"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused at why he was getting his back up over it.
"Look at you!" he shouted, pointing both of his hands at me, "You're really fucking attractive and you don't even see it!"
"Frank stop it." I said, feeling highly uncomfortable with the fact that he was complimenting me by shouting and gesturing at how 'attractive' I apparently was.
"No! I mean it. Look, you're teaching me how to be smart and how to use my brain and to be civil to people right?"
"Right..?" I agreed, not knowing quite where he was going with this.
"So, I'm going to teach you how to.. how to.. be more confident and positive."
"You can't teach those things, you're either confident or your not, and I've had a negative outlook since as far back as I can remember."
"Fine, then I'll teach you how not to be so fucking perfect all the goddamed time then." he said sitting back in his chair. I laughed, I don't know wether it was through fear or that it actually humoured me that he was going to try and teach me not to be good at things. Either way, to avoid further arguement, I said nothing else.
"Oh shit, I should probably go like... an hour ago." I said noticing the time on the wall clock. 22:00, I had been here for five hours, and after talking for about two, we decided to watch a movie. It was strange, hanging out with Frank, although inside I was dying of embaressment, it sort of felt, comfortable and normal.
"Are you going to be alright to drive? I mean it's dark and everything.." he said standing up and blocking the way out of the lounge by standing infront of the door.
"I'll be fine Frank, I really have to go - Mom has no idea where I am and I have work to do." I said trying to get past him, he blocked my way again and put his hands on my shoulders to prevent me from walking any further.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ahh." he repremanded, "I'm teaching you not to be so perfect remember."
"There's a difference between being perfect and being responsible, and it just so happens that going home and letting my mom know I'm safe is the latter."
"Is the what?"
"Never mind, I have to go." I said finally barging past him, I had just opened the door when he pushed it shut again. "What now?!" I sighed, turning around to scowl at him, instead, he grabbed hold of me and hugged me tightly, for a second I thought about hugging back, but I didn't, he'd proabably only take it the wrong way.
"Bye Lou." he said, using my nickname for the first time since we were kids. I almost wanted to cry, but I wasn't that pathetic... yet. "Don't drive too fast."
"Frank, as if I would drive fast. I'd get a speeding ticket, then it would go on my license-"
"Which is probably perfect.. That's it! Drive fast!" he said as if it were the best idea ever.
"That's not being imperfect. Again, that's being irresponsible - what if I were to hit someone?" I explained, I could tell it would take a while for him to differentiate between perfect and responsible. "See you tomorrow loser." I laughed as I opened the door, as I did, a strange feeling washed over me, it was a warm happy feeling - this was the beginning of rebuilding my friendship with Frank. And for once, I didn't look at it negatively, I couldn't help myself from looking at it in a positive light.