Sequel: Hold Me Down ›
Autumn's Monologue.
Twenty-One Questions.
“You’re coming—sweet! I’m excited!”
Frank grinned at me and I felt my heart stop. He really doesn’t know how beautiful he is. There I go again; I really need to stop this. Nothing is going to come of this; my feelings are unrequited so why do I even bother?
“Come on little brother, let’s go, Ray’s waiting patiently on his porch.”
We filed out into Gee’s car, I sat in the back while Frank and Gee climbed in the front. Remember how I said Frank would be doing all of the talking and how he loves questions? Well his favorite car game is ’21-Questions’.
Three guesses as to who his lucky ‘contestant’ was today—me.
“What’s one thing you learned in school today?”
I rolled my eyes.
“I learned that I’m the only one in my geometry class who can make a three-dimensional trapezoid and get everything correct.”
“Really?”
I just nodded. We hadn’t even pulled out of my drive and he had begun. I hoped he didn’t make all twenty-one questions during this ten minute care ride, but something told me he was going to.
“What’s your favorite class?”
I smiled.
“Language Arts.”
“Why?”
“I like to read and write things.”
“You write?”
I just nodded and stared out the window. I could feel his eyes on me, he just learnt something about me—I wasn’t that fascinating.
“Would you let me read something you wrote?”
I shook my head. My writings were personal, even my school papers were personal.
“Why not?”
“I don’t like sharing my writings with people. Ray hasn’t even read them.”
I noticed the street we pulled onto, and there, a few houses down stood the form of my best friend. I smiled as we got closer and remained smiling as we stopped and Ray climbed into the back with me.
“Hey Mikes! Thanks Gerard. Hi Frank.”
We all chorused hello back and headed to the pizza place.
“What’s your biggest fear?”
I rolled my eyes again.You finding out I love you.
“Failing at life.”
He turned all the way around to look at me, shock written on his face. I did say ‘failing at life’ right?!
“You couldn’t fail at life even if you tried Mikey, you’re a fucking genius. You and fro-boy back there. It’s like you know everything about everything.”
Ray and I grinned at each other.
“What would you do for a Klondike bar?”
I raised an eyebrow at him—was he serious?
“I’d get some money, walk into the store and buy one.”
“You’re no fun.”
I just shrugged, not caring if he saw or not.
“Erm, how come you’ve never had a girlfriend?”
I felt the atmosphere in the car tense up—Gee knew, Ray knew, Frank was the only one who didn’t know about my preference.
“I don’t like girls.”
“Really?”
“Frank, play another game.”
“But Gee, wait, you knew and you couldn’t tell me?!”
“It’s not my place Frank.”
“It’s okay really; he was bound to find out someday.”
I felt my cheeks redden—were we there yet?
“How come you never told me that before?”
“Because walking around and telling everyone you meet, ‘Hi I’m Mikey, I’m gay, how are you today?’ would seem a bit strange.”
Ray and Gerard just burst out laughing; honestly because that’s how I told both of them. Frank looked as if he were left out of some inside joke—he was, but we weren’t going to tell him that.
“Do you hate me?”
I just shook my head.
“Do you think I’m annoying?”
I shrugged; I heard him huff a little at that.
“Do you want me to stop asking questions?”
I shrugged again.
“How come you have unicorns in your room?”
I heard Ray snigger.
“How do you know I have unicorns in my room?”
“I was curious one day and you weren’t home so I peeked inside. I didn’t touch anything I just looked around. Sorry.”
I just nodded. He had been in my room. Was it clean when he went in? Was it a mess? Were my undies and boxers off the floor? Was my bed made? Get a grip man. I really did think too much.
“What’s your favorite thing to write with?”
“A number two pencil.”
“What’s your favorite thing to write about?”
“It’s personal and I’d rather not say.”
“Do Gee and Ray know?”
I nodded and I heard Ray laugh. I hit him in his arm as he scoffed at me. I just smirked and he just grinned.
“Will I ever find out?”
I shrugged.
“You only have one more question just so you know.”
He furrowed his brow; I guess he wanted to make his last one a good one. He didn’t say anything as we parked the car or as we climbed out. He did, however, pull back and walk beside me, tugging my arm before he and I entered the establishment.
“I’ve got one last question, but I want you to really think about your answer and what this question means.”
His eyes were hiding something, he was embarrassed about what he was going to ask me, either that or nervous. I only hoped my own eyes weren’t screaming how much I loved him, how much my arm tingled in the one spot his hand is still touching.
Nor how fast my heart is racing and how hard it’s pounding in my chest. I don’t know a thing about the boy in front of me but I know love him—that confuses me to no end. I hate being confused.
“Are you free next Friday night?”
With that he left me standing there. He simply walked into the parlor and found Gee and Ray who were talking casually, sipping on sodas. Did he just really ask me that? Did he just ask me—the living nerd—on a date?
Frank grinned at me and I felt my heart stop. He really doesn’t know how beautiful he is. There I go again; I really need to stop this. Nothing is going to come of this; my feelings are unrequited so why do I even bother?
“Come on little brother, let’s go, Ray’s waiting patiently on his porch.”
We filed out into Gee’s car, I sat in the back while Frank and Gee climbed in the front. Remember how I said Frank would be doing all of the talking and how he loves questions? Well his favorite car game is ’21-Questions’.
Three guesses as to who his lucky ‘contestant’ was today—me.
“What’s one thing you learned in school today?”
I rolled my eyes.
“I learned that I’m the only one in my geometry class who can make a three-dimensional trapezoid and get everything correct.”
“Really?”
I just nodded. We hadn’t even pulled out of my drive and he had begun. I hoped he didn’t make all twenty-one questions during this ten minute care ride, but something told me he was going to.
“What’s your favorite class?”
I smiled.
“Language Arts.”
“Why?”
“I like to read and write things.”
“You write?”
I just nodded and stared out the window. I could feel his eyes on me, he just learnt something about me—I wasn’t that fascinating.
“Would you let me read something you wrote?”
I shook my head. My writings were personal, even my school papers were personal.
“Why not?”
“I don’t like sharing my writings with people. Ray hasn’t even read them.”
I noticed the street we pulled onto, and there, a few houses down stood the form of my best friend. I smiled as we got closer and remained smiling as we stopped and Ray climbed into the back with me.
“Hey Mikes! Thanks Gerard. Hi Frank.”
We all chorused hello back and headed to the pizza place.
“What’s your biggest fear?”
I rolled my eyes again.You finding out I love you.
“Failing at life.”
He turned all the way around to look at me, shock written on his face. I did say ‘failing at life’ right?!
“You couldn’t fail at life even if you tried Mikey, you’re a fucking genius. You and fro-boy back there. It’s like you know everything about everything.”
Ray and I grinned at each other.
“What would you do for a Klondike bar?”
I raised an eyebrow at him—was he serious?
“I’d get some money, walk into the store and buy one.”
“You’re no fun.”
I just shrugged, not caring if he saw or not.
“Erm, how come you’ve never had a girlfriend?”
I felt the atmosphere in the car tense up—Gee knew, Ray knew, Frank was the only one who didn’t know about my preference.
“I don’t like girls.”
“Really?”
“Frank, play another game.”
“But Gee, wait, you knew and you couldn’t tell me?!”
“It’s not my place Frank.”
“It’s okay really; he was bound to find out someday.”
I felt my cheeks redden—were we there yet?
“How come you never told me that before?”
“Because walking around and telling everyone you meet, ‘Hi I’m Mikey, I’m gay, how are you today?’ would seem a bit strange.”
Ray and Gerard just burst out laughing; honestly because that’s how I told both of them. Frank looked as if he were left out of some inside joke—he was, but we weren’t going to tell him that.
“Do you hate me?”
I just shook my head.
“Do you think I’m annoying?”
I shrugged; I heard him huff a little at that.
“Do you want me to stop asking questions?”
I shrugged again.
“How come you have unicorns in your room?”
I heard Ray snigger.
“How do you know I have unicorns in my room?”
“I was curious one day and you weren’t home so I peeked inside. I didn’t touch anything I just looked around. Sorry.”
I just nodded. He had been in my room. Was it clean when he went in? Was it a mess? Were my undies and boxers off the floor? Was my bed made? Get a grip man. I really did think too much.
“What’s your favorite thing to write with?”
“A number two pencil.”
“What’s your favorite thing to write about?”
“It’s personal and I’d rather not say.”
“Do Gee and Ray know?”
I nodded and I heard Ray laugh. I hit him in his arm as he scoffed at me. I just smirked and he just grinned.
“Will I ever find out?”
I shrugged.
“You only have one more question just so you know.”
He furrowed his brow; I guess he wanted to make his last one a good one. He didn’t say anything as we parked the car or as we climbed out. He did, however, pull back and walk beside me, tugging my arm before he and I entered the establishment.
“I’ve got one last question, but I want you to really think about your answer and what this question means.”
His eyes were hiding something, he was embarrassed about what he was going to ask me, either that or nervous. I only hoped my own eyes weren’t screaming how much I loved him, how much my arm tingled in the one spot his hand is still touching.
Nor how fast my heart is racing and how hard it’s pounding in my chest. I don’t know a thing about the boy in front of me but I know love him—that confuses me to no end. I hate being confused.
“Are you free next Friday night?”
With that he left me standing there. He simply walked into the parlor and found Gee and Ray who were talking casually, sipping on sodas. Did he just really ask me that? Did he just ask me—the living nerd—on a date?
♠ ♠ ♠
that math bit, with the only one in the class being able to make a 3D trapezoid and get it correct...yeah, that was totally me in 10th grade. i'm such a dork!