The Drummer on the Second Floor

I bury my face deep into my jacket, Rick’s words rang in my ears still. It isn’t like that, I’m not going through all this to get back at my parents. I’m not another teenager going through a phase. I just had enough of all the years of emotionless parents and for some reason, I didn’t want Rick to see me as that way. I didn’t want him to see me as some child acting out against his parents. It’s more than that.
I lifted my head up, it was beginning to get dark and any chance of stealing some food was gone. I’d just have to go tonight with any. The Christmas lights of the city would be going up soon, and I knew, as much as I didn’t want to, I’d have to go back to my parents. At least for a little while.

The familiar sound of banging drums knocked me out of my train of thoughts. The noise sounded angry, furious even but then mellowed into beats of sadness. It’s what Rick did, he poured his feelings into his drum kit and that’s what made his drumming flawless.

“Theo, come on, get up,” I licked my chapped lips and sat up. Rick stood there with a coffee in his hand and this time no cigarette. There was a thin layer of ice covering the ground and it seems only Rick and I were the only living things around. He held out his hand with the coffee in it, giving it to me. I hadn’t had anything as warm as this in days.
“Look, I want to apologize for yesterday,” he said, pressing his lips into a thin line, “I was thinking maybe we should get you cleaned up, and maybe go somewhere. Wendy’s been missing you.”
I stared up at Rick, he stood there awkwardly trying to look at me without looking away. I just shook my head and adjusted myself into a standing position. Rick nodded and began walking.
As soon as I got into Rick’s “flat”, or room if you will, Wendy was all over me. I picked her up and nuzzled her against my face.
“Get a shower, I’ll make some tea and go down the stairs and put your clothes into the washing machine, hopefully by the time you’re out they’ll be clean and then we’ll start the day,” Rick spoke, pointing to a door. I took it as the shower and went in, I stripped off my clothes and then threw them out to Rick, I had never been so excited to shower in my life.

I turn the shower off and peered around the curtain to see if Rick had left my clothes back in, but he hadn’t. I got out and wrapped a towel around myself and made my way out of the bathroom. Rick wasn’t there, but there was a cup of tea sitting on the table and a few nibbled biscuits sitting beside it. I shook my head, knowing full well Wendy did it. A door open and closed behind me, Rick came in with my clothes and smiled awkwardly as I stood in a towel with a cup of tea beside me.
“They’re dry and all,” he said, I nodded and took them from him, going back to the bathroom yet again.
“Where are we going?” I said, coming out feeling all clean and refreshed.
“I just thought maybe we’d go for something to eat maybe, or to the cinema even, something you deserve and haven’t did in a while,” Rick smiled. I squealed a little inside, the thought of going anywhere that’s not to steal food or money is brilliant with me. I drank the rest of the tea, and we got a taxi to a restaurant.
“I didn’t really know where you’d like to go, so yeah, here we are,” Rick said uneasily, holding the door open for me. We got to the front desk and requested a table for two, earning us a few looks, we got led to a table surrounded by mostly couples, where we sat down awkwardly. Rick ordered straight away, whereas I stared at the menu.
“Sorry, I came here a lot with my parents when I was younger, I’ve always ordered the same thing,”
“Yeah, well, I’ve always pretty much sucked when I go out to eat, I’m an awful awkward eater,” I continued to glare at them menu, and then finally settling on something. Some of the people around us looked uncomfortable at the image of two guys in a restaurant together. Rick turned to look at me and put his hand over mine.
“Now Theo darling, I do hope you got rid of those awful crabs. I’m dying of not being able to have our wonderfully gay sex,” he fluttered his eyelashes and giggled. I bit my lip trying not to laugh, when our food came and we dived on it like animals. All the awkwardness was gone and it was like too old friends reunited again.