Watching From Afar
The Way He Looks At You
Franks P.O.V
“What do you want Mikey?” I asked trying to get my arm out of Mikeys grip.
“Have you noticed how Gerard is looking at you?”
“No.”
“Well you should. I think he likes you. Like likes you likes you. Which he probably won’t act on it any more than he is right now since he’s on the football team and all that stupid stuff but I think he might be gay.”
I swallowed hard. Mikey didn’t know how close to the truth he was. “Mikey that’s impossible. I’ve seen how your brother treats girls. He’s definitely not gay.”
Mikey had started to pace and the more worked up he got the more his arms started to flail as he talked. “Then he could be bisexual! I don’t know Frank, but I know he isn’t straight. He treats and talks to you way better than he talks to looks at any girls. I always wondered but I didn’t think it was true. I mean playing football and being gay or bi…” he shuddered at the thought.
“Mikey what’s so wrong with playing football and being bi or gay?”
“Football players are sort of known for hitting each other on the ass! To know that my brother could like that, oh goodness.”
“Mikey do you have a problem with your brother being gay?” I asked hoping that he would say no and that would be the end of the conversation.
“No of course not. I could care less if he likes a little burn, what I have a problem with is him possibly liking being smacked on the ass by a jock! The only reason he plays is because he loves football. He doesn’t like hanging with the team. That’s why he hangs with me a lot.”
Somehow I knew that wasn’t going to be the end of the conversation.
A guy, who looked familiar, walked down the aisle we were at and it was probably weird to walk up to since neither of us were looking for comics and Mikey still had his hands held dramatically in the air.
We both grabbed a random comic and started slipping through the pages. As soon as the guy moved to a different part of the store we put the comics back.
“I kind of figured that’s why he hangs with you. But if he's only playing for the sport than you know he doesn’t get any pleasure from that stuff.”
“I know. But what if he does?” Mikey said looking sort of worried.
“Hey,” I said putting my hand on his shoulder. “You don’t even know for sure that he’s like that so don’t start thinking of people you don’t want him getting pleasure from. Just focus on what you do know.”
“But nothings for sure Frank. Like I said I don’t know if he's straight, so that means I don’t know if I should jump to conclusions or not.”
“Just don’t. And I think if this worries you so much you should talk to your brother about it. Not tell me what you’re worried about.”
“Okay, thanks Frank. So here’s a question…are you gay?”
Gerard’s P.O.V
As soon as Matt had left Jake took me to the back where they kept more of their comics. Mikey and I had been coming here for so long that anybody who was working would just take us where the extras were kept since all of the comics that were on display we had already read or we owned.
“There was one that Mikey wanted, but I can’t remember what it was called. I’ll go ask him what it was and then I’ll come back here.”
Jake nodded and I headed back to the main part so that I could find Mikey. Thankfully Mikey was taller than the shelves so it wasn’t very hard to find him. Once I saw his head I walked toward him, seeing his hands flailing all over the place as he talked. He must have been pretty worked up since that’s the only time he does that. I shrugged and kept walking.
I got closer and I started to hear what he was saying.
“Mikey what’s so wrong with playing football and being bi or gay?”
“Football players are sort of known for hitting each other on the ass! To know that my brother could like that, oh goodness.”
What? They were talking about me being gay? It didn’t sound like Frank had told Mikey that I actually was, Mikey just knew me well enough that he noticed the way I looked at Frank.
“I kind of figured that’s why he hangs with you. But if he's only playing for the sport than you know he doesn’t get any pleasure from that stuff.”
“I know. But what if he does?”
At least I knew that Frank was defending me by acting like he didn’t know. But I was kind of worried since Mikey was so worried about this. I really wanted to walk up to them and either tell him or lie my way out, but they didn’t know I had heard or even that I was there so I knew interrupting would be sort of rude.
I started walking back toward the back. I would just text Mikey and ask him what the comic was called. I really didn’t want to hear the rest of their conversation.
“What do you want Mikey?” I asked trying to get my arm out of Mikeys grip.
“Have you noticed how Gerard is looking at you?”
“No.”
“Well you should. I think he likes you. Like likes you likes you. Which he probably won’t act on it any more than he is right now since he’s on the football team and all that stupid stuff but I think he might be gay.”
I swallowed hard. Mikey didn’t know how close to the truth he was. “Mikey that’s impossible. I’ve seen how your brother treats girls. He’s definitely not gay.”
Mikey had started to pace and the more worked up he got the more his arms started to flail as he talked. “Then he could be bisexual! I don’t know Frank, but I know he isn’t straight. He treats and talks to you way better than he talks to looks at any girls. I always wondered but I didn’t think it was true. I mean playing football and being gay or bi…” he shuddered at the thought.
“Mikey what’s so wrong with playing football and being bi or gay?”
“Football players are sort of known for hitting each other on the ass! To know that my brother could like that, oh goodness.”
“Mikey do you have a problem with your brother being gay?” I asked hoping that he would say no and that would be the end of the conversation.
“No of course not. I could care less if he likes a little burn, what I have a problem with is him possibly liking being smacked on the ass by a jock! The only reason he plays is because he loves football. He doesn’t like hanging with the team. That’s why he hangs with me a lot.”
Somehow I knew that wasn’t going to be the end of the conversation.
A guy, who looked familiar, walked down the aisle we were at and it was probably weird to walk up to since neither of us were looking for comics and Mikey still had his hands held dramatically in the air.
We both grabbed a random comic and started slipping through the pages. As soon as the guy moved to a different part of the store we put the comics back.
“I kind of figured that’s why he hangs with you. But if he's only playing for the sport than you know he doesn’t get any pleasure from that stuff.”
“I know. But what if he does?” Mikey said looking sort of worried.
“Hey,” I said putting my hand on his shoulder. “You don’t even know for sure that he’s like that so don’t start thinking of people you don’t want him getting pleasure from. Just focus on what you do know.”
“But nothings for sure Frank. Like I said I don’t know if he's straight, so that means I don’t know if I should jump to conclusions or not.”
“Just don’t. And I think if this worries you so much you should talk to your brother about it. Not tell me what you’re worried about.”
“Okay, thanks Frank. So here’s a question…are you gay?”
Gerard’s P.O.V
As soon as Matt had left Jake took me to the back where they kept more of their comics. Mikey and I had been coming here for so long that anybody who was working would just take us where the extras were kept since all of the comics that were on display we had already read or we owned.
“There was one that Mikey wanted, but I can’t remember what it was called. I’ll go ask him what it was and then I’ll come back here.”
Jake nodded and I headed back to the main part so that I could find Mikey. Thankfully Mikey was taller than the shelves so it wasn’t very hard to find him. Once I saw his head I walked toward him, seeing his hands flailing all over the place as he talked. He must have been pretty worked up since that’s the only time he does that. I shrugged and kept walking.
I got closer and I started to hear what he was saying.
“Mikey what’s so wrong with playing football and being bi or gay?”
“Football players are sort of known for hitting each other on the ass! To know that my brother could like that, oh goodness.”
What? They were talking about me being gay? It didn’t sound like Frank had told Mikey that I actually was, Mikey just knew me well enough that he noticed the way I looked at Frank.
“I kind of figured that’s why he hangs with you. But if he's only playing for the sport than you know he doesn’t get any pleasure from that stuff.”
“I know. But what if he does?”
At least I knew that Frank was defending me by acting like he didn’t know. But I was kind of worried since Mikey was so worried about this. I really wanted to walk up to them and either tell him or lie my way out, but they didn’t know I had heard or even that I was there so I knew interrupting would be sort of rude.
I started walking back toward the back. I would just text Mikey and ask him what the comic was called. I really didn’t want to hear the rest of their conversation.