Another Memory
Three
Alison’s P.O.V.:
It was almost the end of the day now, and you could really feel it in the air. Mikey sat bouncing beside me as he was painting and I wondered how he was getting his brush in the right spots. I’d found out a few weeks ago that our art project was free choice, and so was working on a piece consisting of giant gummy bears roaming the forest. Mikey had liked it, and his friend Frank wanted it when it was complete. That sure was flattering, I’ll admit.
I groaned in frustration as I tried and yet again failed to find a texture for the gummy I was drawing, and Mikey giggled beside me.
“You just put your arm in paint,” he stated, then burst out in more giggles. I was glad I’d taken off my jacket previously. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t get the gummy right,” I sighed. I contemplated giving up, but knew better.
“Ohh, well maybe my brother can help you. He’s the sole reason I’m passing this class,” Mikey said. “He goes to art school.”
“Actually, that’d be heaps of help.” What kind of luck was that?
“Can you come over tonight then? I’m having my birthday party and you’re welcome to stay for that. I think I told you about it…” I smiled across at him.
“I was planning to make an appearance. I’ll be over at about 4.” He nodded before glancing up at the clock and hastily shoving all his books back into his bag, then taking his canvas and setting it by the window to dry. The bell went and he was off. I guess he had a lot of organising to do.
Mikey’s house was surprisingly not too far from my own. I’d walked there in no time at all, and so knew that getting back home after his party wouldn’t be such a problem after all.
“Come in!” I heard him yell as I knocked on the door for the fifth time. I entered, almost tripping over their coffee table as I did.
“Mikey, what the hell is your coffee table doing in the middle of the hall!” I heard him giggle and followed the sound, finding him struggling to reach the corner of the room as he hung up decorations.
“I have to move the furniture to make way for dancing, silly!”
“Whoa. How did you get your parents to let you completely rearrange the house?” I asked, amazed that they weren’t yelling down his throat for it at present.
“Well…they’ll never know. Gerard’s in charge whilst they’re away, and he’s a pretty cool brother. He’s in the lounge room, that way.” He pointed and almost lost his balance on the dining room chair as he did, regaining it before disaster struck.
“Be careful,” I warned him. I went off in the direction of the lounge room as Mikey had pointed out, stopping as I saw a guy sitting on the floor leaned over a large canvas. I hoped Mikey had asked his permission for me if I could get his help, but it became doubtful I realised, as he’d been kept pretty busy. His brother turned as he noticed me standing there and smiled, his tiny teeth making it seem all the kinder.
“Hi there. You’re a little early, aren’t you?”
“Mikey asked me to come early,” I explained, gripping tighter on the canvas concealed behind my back. He laughed.
“Did he manage to con you into helping him move the furniture?”
“Uhh, no. He said you might be able to help me.” He looked quite puzzled at that.
“And how on earth could I do that?” I took my canvas out from behind my back to show him. I was a little embarrassed by what I’d produced as I eyed the large canvas laying on the floor beside Gerard, though tried to remind myself that he was going to school for art. He ought to be a better artist than myself, who’d only ever taken art as a mandatory class in school. A smile immediately formed on his lips, and I felt a wave of relief wash right through me. The canvas he had laid out on the floor was much more detailed, more professional than mine, but he liked my piece none the less.
“I need some help with the gummy bears…” He got up and as he passed my side, pulled me along lightly to suggest I follow him. I did, down to the basement, and wondered what he was doing leading me down there. Upon entering the room, I realised that it was in fact his own. I admired the many drawings he had scattered about the place as I walked through dodging the things that shouldn’t have been on his bedroom floor before finally reaching his desk in the far corner. He moved a few things then took a blank piece of paper from his draw, beginning to draw upon it with the pencil he’d taken with him from the lounge room. His gummy bear was much better than mine, of course, and had a twisted look to it.
“Okay, so, if you do this,” he started, brushing over it with a few strokes, “it’ll give the bear some structure. Now, if you want to add a little texture and colour to it…” I watched on with great interest as he made the page before me come to life, the red gummy bear staring out at me from the page. He signed the corner and handed the finished product to me with a wink, and I just knew I was blushing like crazy. “I hope that helps, miss.”
“Ohh, my name is Alison.”
“I’m Gerard. I’ve heard your name quite a bit as of late,” he pondered, staring out at nothing in particular. “Mikey seems to think you’re quite a character.”
“Ohh…” I wasn’t sure as to whether that was a good thing or not.
“You should see what I got him for his birthday! Ahh, he’s gonna love it!” I smiled at the excitement in his eyes as he ducked beneath his bed and pulled out a long black box, lifting the lid to reveal a rather wicked looking sword.
“That’s pretty cool,” I commented. “All I got him was a few comics I’d heard him mention.” Gerard smiled, and I felt myself blushing once more. I really was a sucker for a lovely smile.
“Well that’s pretty cool too.” There was silence for a bit as I thought of something else to say, but realised I knew nothing about the man standing in front of me to start a decent conversation. My eyes roamed his room for something, anything, finding a container of medication poking out from behind a book upon his bookshelf and sticking there for far too long. He cleared his throat beside me, and I realised he probably knew what I’d seen.
“Sorry,” I said quietly. He shook his head then smiled that lovely smile before opening his mouth as if to say something, though no words came out. “I should probably help Mikey with this furniture,” I announced, slipping from his room and closing the door behind me. I hoped I hadn’t offended him at all, as the sight of meds was quite a familiar one to me.
It was almost the end of the day now, and you could really feel it in the air. Mikey sat bouncing beside me as he was painting and I wondered how he was getting his brush in the right spots. I’d found out a few weeks ago that our art project was free choice, and so was working on a piece consisting of giant gummy bears roaming the forest. Mikey had liked it, and his friend Frank wanted it when it was complete. That sure was flattering, I’ll admit.
I groaned in frustration as I tried and yet again failed to find a texture for the gummy I was drawing, and Mikey giggled beside me.
“You just put your arm in paint,” he stated, then burst out in more giggles. I was glad I’d taken off my jacket previously. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t get the gummy right,” I sighed. I contemplated giving up, but knew better.
“Ohh, well maybe my brother can help you. He’s the sole reason I’m passing this class,” Mikey said. “He goes to art school.”
“Actually, that’d be heaps of help.” What kind of luck was that?
“Can you come over tonight then? I’m having my birthday party and you’re welcome to stay for that. I think I told you about it…” I smiled across at him.
“I was planning to make an appearance. I’ll be over at about 4.” He nodded before glancing up at the clock and hastily shoving all his books back into his bag, then taking his canvas and setting it by the window to dry. The bell went and he was off. I guess he had a lot of organising to do.
Mikey’s house was surprisingly not too far from my own. I’d walked there in no time at all, and so knew that getting back home after his party wouldn’t be such a problem after all.
“Come in!” I heard him yell as I knocked on the door for the fifth time. I entered, almost tripping over their coffee table as I did.
“Mikey, what the hell is your coffee table doing in the middle of the hall!” I heard him giggle and followed the sound, finding him struggling to reach the corner of the room as he hung up decorations.
“I have to move the furniture to make way for dancing, silly!”
“Whoa. How did you get your parents to let you completely rearrange the house?” I asked, amazed that they weren’t yelling down his throat for it at present.
“Well…they’ll never know. Gerard’s in charge whilst they’re away, and he’s a pretty cool brother. He’s in the lounge room, that way.” He pointed and almost lost his balance on the dining room chair as he did, regaining it before disaster struck.
“Be careful,” I warned him. I went off in the direction of the lounge room as Mikey had pointed out, stopping as I saw a guy sitting on the floor leaned over a large canvas. I hoped Mikey had asked his permission for me if I could get his help, but it became doubtful I realised, as he’d been kept pretty busy. His brother turned as he noticed me standing there and smiled, his tiny teeth making it seem all the kinder.
“Hi there. You’re a little early, aren’t you?”
“Mikey asked me to come early,” I explained, gripping tighter on the canvas concealed behind my back. He laughed.
“Did he manage to con you into helping him move the furniture?”
“Uhh, no. He said you might be able to help me.” He looked quite puzzled at that.
“And how on earth could I do that?” I took my canvas out from behind my back to show him. I was a little embarrassed by what I’d produced as I eyed the large canvas laying on the floor beside Gerard, though tried to remind myself that he was going to school for art. He ought to be a better artist than myself, who’d only ever taken art as a mandatory class in school. A smile immediately formed on his lips, and I felt a wave of relief wash right through me. The canvas he had laid out on the floor was much more detailed, more professional than mine, but he liked my piece none the less.
“I need some help with the gummy bears…” He got up and as he passed my side, pulled me along lightly to suggest I follow him. I did, down to the basement, and wondered what he was doing leading me down there. Upon entering the room, I realised that it was in fact his own. I admired the many drawings he had scattered about the place as I walked through dodging the things that shouldn’t have been on his bedroom floor before finally reaching his desk in the far corner. He moved a few things then took a blank piece of paper from his draw, beginning to draw upon it with the pencil he’d taken with him from the lounge room. His gummy bear was much better than mine, of course, and had a twisted look to it.
“Okay, so, if you do this,” he started, brushing over it with a few strokes, “it’ll give the bear some structure. Now, if you want to add a little texture and colour to it…” I watched on with great interest as he made the page before me come to life, the red gummy bear staring out at me from the page. He signed the corner and handed the finished product to me with a wink, and I just knew I was blushing like crazy. “I hope that helps, miss.”
“Ohh, my name is Alison.”
“I’m Gerard. I’ve heard your name quite a bit as of late,” he pondered, staring out at nothing in particular. “Mikey seems to think you’re quite a character.”
“Ohh…” I wasn’t sure as to whether that was a good thing or not.
“You should see what I got him for his birthday! Ahh, he’s gonna love it!” I smiled at the excitement in his eyes as he ducked beneath his bed and pulled out a long black box, lifting the lid to reveal a rather wicked looking sword.
“That’s pretty cool,” I commented. “All I got him was a few comics I’d heard him mention.” Gerard smiled, and I felt myself blushing once more. I really was a sucker for a lovely smile.
“Well that’s pretty cool too.” There was silence for a bit as I thought of something else to say, but realised I knew nothing about the man standing in front of me to start a decent conversation. My eyes roamed his room for something, anything, finding a container of medication poking out from behind a book upon his bookshelf and sticking there for far too long. He cleared his throat beside me, and I realised he probably knew what I’d seen.
“Sorry,” I said quietly. He shook his head then smiled that lovely smile before opening his mouth as if to say something, though no words came out. “I should probably help Mikey with this furniture,” I announced, slipping from his room and closing the door behind me. I hoped I hadn’t offended him at all, as the sight of meds was quite a familiar one to me.