Well After All We'll Lie Another Day.
Chapter Six
Gerard POV:
I knew something was up with Mikey, but I didn't say anything. I couldn't drag myself away from the image of her in my mind. Our brief encounter in the rain earlier still played itself over and over in my mind. Why hadn't I found a way to keep her talking? I'd just not really thought about what to say to such a mysterious individual, for she was. An English rose, and a perfect summer diversion.
Not that it was turning out to be a good summer. Large raindrops dripped from Mikey’s hair and mine as we walked along, my mind slopping around like sick in a bucket. It was going to be a long summer.
Mikey POV:
"I'm going out." I said to Gerard. He was in his basement, drawing something, but he hid it as he heard me coming.
"K, back out into the rain you go then." he said hurriedly. I wanted to know what his latest creation was, but decided to just go.
For a few moments I just stared across at Cherise house, before going over and knocking on the door.
The door was opened by a tallish man, clean-shaven, cropped hair. He seemed very intimidating.
"Hi there!" I said in a small squeak,
"Hello." he said in a deep monotone.
"Is Cherise in? I'm a friend of hers, Mikey." He just looked at me.
At that point Cherise herself came bounding down the corridor,
"Hi Mikey!" then she turned to the man,
"Dad can Mikey come in for hot chocolate? He looks soaked through!"
Her father looked me up and down, taking my measure before saying,
"Just so long as he doesn't get water on the paintings."
"He wont dad. Come on in Mikey." I went inside trying not to drip too much on the thick carpet.
She led me along the corridor to her front lounge.
"Wait here, stick the telly on. I want to talk to you." She rushed out of the room. I put the TV on, but there wasn't much on. I started humming a bass line I had been playing earlier. I knew I hadn't been paying enough attention, but who could when-
"Here,"
I was stopped mid-thought by a thick purple towel hitting me in the face,
"Dry your hair. Tell me, how many people do you know round this way?"
It was an odd question, but I answered truthfully,
"Not too many, why?" but not the whole truth,
"Just because I made another friend today."
"Oh?" I said finally taking the towel to my dripping hair,
"Yeah, he aid he saw me moving stuff in or something, he seemed really nice." she paused, as if debating with herself, with a look of intense concentration that darkened her pretty face,
"D'know what Mikey, 'cos you're my only other friend, round here I think I’ll tell you, but, I think I have a little bit of a crush on him."
I could feel my heart drop in my chest, I swear I could hear it break, but I didn't let it show. I just smiled and said,
"What's his name then?"
"Gerard." luckily the towel was over my face so she couldn't see my mouth in a silent 'Oh'.
"Yeah," she continued, "we got talking and he seems pretty cool. But then it started raining so he gave me his number. How about hot chocolate?" I felt numb.
"Sure." I said absent-mindedly.
Gerard.
She liked Gerard.
Shit.
Cherise POV:
Mikey was a bit off with me after I told him about Gerard
*I KNEW I shouldn't have told him! *
So we went into the kitchen and I made hot chocolate with marshmallows. I drank mine down quickly, ignoring how it burnt my tongue. I looked up to see Mikey do the same. I smiled,
"You know what? I think you may just be my best friend."
This made Mikey smile. I could see from the kitchen window that the rain was easing off.
"I better be going," Mikey said, "it's getting late."
"OK, bye." I said, following him to the door, where I randomly gave him a hug. It looked to me as if he needed it. Then he left.
Later on I was watching telly when my dad walks into the room and sits down next to me.
"So." he said. And after a pause, "You've made a friend then?"
"Yeah." I looked up at him. "Do you like him dad?"
"He seems polite. He may be a good influence on you."
"Gee, thanks!" sarcasm seeping from every word.
"Listen," he began "how do you feel about spending a week or two alone here?"
"Fine. Why?"
"I'm going to an art auction in New York. I'm flying out tomorrow. Is that... ok?" I was the first time he had asked if something was alright with me.
"Yes. That's fine; I’ll be OK here. You enjoy yourself."
"Will do!" he said before kissing my forehead and going off to bed.
I woke the next day with a blanket over me and a note stuck to my head, which read: MONEY FOR FOOD ETC UNDER THE MICROWAVE. BACK IN TWO WEEKS. LOVE DAD.
Along with the name and number of the hotel he was staying with.
*Now I can relax*
I knew something was up with Mikey, but I didn't say anything. I couldn't drag myself away from the image of her in my mind. Our brief encounter in the rain earlier still played itself over and over in my mind. Why hadn't I found a way to keep her talking? I'd just not really thought about what to say to such a mysterious individual, for she was. An English rose, and a perfect summer diversion.
Not that it was turning out to be a good summer. Large raindrops dripped from Mikey’s hair and mine as we walked along, my mind slopping around like sick in a bucket. It was going to be a long summer.
Mikey POV:
"I'm going out." I said to Gerard. He was in his basement, drawing something, but he hid it as he heard me coming.
"K, back out into the rain you go then." he said hurriedly. I wanted to know what his latest creation was, but decided to just go.
For a few moments I just stared across at Cherise house, before going over and knocking on the door.
The door was opened by a tallish man, clean-shaven, cropped hair. He seemed very intimidating.
"Hi there!" I said in a small squeak,
"Hello." he said in a deep monotone.
"Is Cherise in? I'm a friend of hers, Mikey." He just looked at me.
At that point Cherise herself came bounding down the corridor,
"Hi Mikey!" then she turned to the man,
"Dad can Mikey come in for hot chocolate? He looks soaked through!"
Her father looked me up and down, taking my measure before saying,
"Just so long as he doesn't get water on the paintings."
"He wont dad. Come on in Mikey." I went inside trying not to drip too much on the thick carpet.
She led me along the corridor to her front lounge.
"Wait here, stick the telly on. I want to talk to you." She rushed out of the room. I put the TV on, but there wasn't much on. I started humming a bass line I had been playing earlier. I knew I hadn't been paying enough attention, but who could when-
"Here,"
I was stopped mid-thought by a thick purple towel hitting me in the face,
"Dry your hair. Tell me, how many people do you know round this way?"
It was an odd question, but I answered truthfully,
"Not too many, why?" but not the whole truth,
"Just because I made another friend today."
"Oh?" I said finally taking the towel to my dripping hair,
"Yeah, he aid he saw me moving stuff in or something, he seemed really nice." she paused, as if debating with herself, with a look of intense concentration that darkened her pretty face,
"D'know what Mikey, 'cos you're my only other friend, round here I think I’ll tell you, but, I think I have a little bit of a crush on him."
I could feel my heart drop in my chest, I swear I could hear it break, but I didn't let it show. I just smiled and said,
"What's his name then?"
"Gerard." luckily the towel was over my face so she couldn't see my mouth in a silent 'Oh'.
"Yeah," she continued, "we got talking and he seems pretty cool. But then it started raining so he gave me his number. How about hot chocolate?" I felt numb.
"Sure." I said absent-mindedly.
Gerard.
She liked Gerard.
Shit.
Cherise POV:
Mikey was a bit off with me after I told him about Gerard
*I KNEW I shouldn't have told him! *
So we went into the kitchen and I made hot chocolate with marshmallows. I drank mine down quickly, ignoring how it burnt my tongue. I looked up to see Mikey do the same. I smiled,
"You know what? I think you may just be my best friend."
This made Mikey smile. I could see from the kitchen window that the rain was easing off.
"I better be going," Mikey said, "it's getting late."
"OK, bye." I said, following him to the door, where I randomly gave him a hug. It looked to me as if he needed it. Then he left.
Later on I was watching telly when my dad walks into the room and sits down next to me.
"So." he said. And after a pause, "You've made a friend then?"
"Yeah." I looked up at him. "Do you like him dad?"
"He seems polite. He may be a good influence on you."
"Gee, thanks!" sarcasm seeping from every word.
"Listen," he began "how do you feel about spending a week or two alone here?"
"Fine. Why?"
"I'm going to an art auction in New York. I'm flying out tomorrow. Is that... ok?" I was the first time he had asked if something was alright with me.
"Yes. That's fine; I’ll be OK here. You enjoy yourself."
"Will do!" he said before kissing my forehead and going off to bed.
I woke the next day with a blanket over me and a note stuck to my head, which read: MONEY FOR FOOD ETC UNDER THE MICROWAVE. BACK IN TWO WEEKS. LOVE DAD.
Along with the name and number of the hotel he was staying with.
*Now I can relax*