Lily Baby.

Frank’s POV

We had to wait for Lily today after school because Donna had to go to the dentist. I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know how to deal with her. You know, what kind of road safety does she know and all that.

Me, Gee, Bert and Mikey were sitting on the fence when she came into view, she was walking with this kid who looked about our age but I knew for a fact he wasn’t in my class. They were holding hands. And skipping but still. It sort of hurt. When I like a girl, I just go straight for the kill, but I can’t do that with this one. She’s different. She’s special…
Anyway, I’m sidetracking, Lily was with this kid who I assumed was from special ed, so I asked Gerard, “Who’s that guy?”

“That’s Quinn…” he mumbled, catching sight of the kid, “they’re best friends.”

I nodded and looked at ‘Quinn’ wondering what was so great about him.

He had brown hair that was sweeping to the side of his head and he wore this really clean shirt with a bow tie. That’s what always gets me about the kids in special ed. They all dress like their parents, or what their parents want. I mean, Lily’s mom dresses nothing like her I guess but I’m certain Donna wouldn’t let her out the house dressed like some of the girls in our school. That’s just her charm I suppose.

By this time I was getting bored of just staring at them so I jumped off the post and jogged towards them, “Hey,” I panted.

“Frankie!” Lily squealed, waving with her free hand, her other wrapped firmly around Quinn’s wrist.

“Lily, we’ve got to get going… you’re mom will worry about you if we’re not back by four,” I said, attempting any way of getting them apart.

“We walk Quinn home?” she said, her eyes big.

“I don’t know… Shall we ask Gerard?”

“Gee-Gee!” she cried, running to the fence with Quinn in tow, who seemed to be laughing hysterically.

I followed after them and said, “Lily says we should walk Quinn home…”

“Yeah, mom said we should,” he said, nonchalantly.

“Oh,” I said, feeling stupid for trying to act all clever and mature and followed the group as we made our way to our homes.

“What did you do in school, Lily?” asked Gerard.

“We did letters.”

“That’s awesome, Lil,” smiled Gerard, linking arms with his sister who was still clinging to Quinn like a bad smell.

“Oh, Quinn, this is Frankie, and that’s Bert,” Gerard said, gesturing to me, smiling, “If you ever need anything when you’re at school, come to me or Frank or Bert, okay? Just don’t go to Mikey- he’s being a total asshole lately.”

Mikey scowled from behind us and muttered something under his breath.

Quinn giggled and smiled at me, bearing all of his teeth- it was possibly the single creepiest thing I have ever seen, “Friend?” he said to me.

I sighed, “Yeah, I’ll be your friend…”

Quinn hugged me so hard we all had to stop in motion. Mikey tapped his feet impatiently. I couldn’t help notice Quinn’s scent- across between Play-doh and solvents. He pulled away smiling widely and we resumed walking. I watched Lily un-latch herself from Gee and Quinn and sidle over to me. She grabbed my hand and walked home by my side. To anyone walking by, we would have looked like a couple. Maybe they would think we were a cute couple, I don’t know, but my heart was racing so fast that I thought it would jump straight out of my shirt.

Her fingers were all warm and smooth. I just wanted to rub them against my face but I knew that would be way too weird, even for her to comprehend.
So I just relished every second I was in her presence since I wasn’t in any of her classes during the day, so I couldn’t treat her like all the other girls. If I saw her all the time I’d probably spend all day staring at the back of her head and secretly stalk her around the school. It was a nice change that I didn’t have to.

Bert ruined my daydream by coughing too loudly, stupid, inconsiderate Bert. He’s always so rude. Lily simply stared at him as we walked, our hands still firmly attached to each other. He was making a show of it really. I was glad to see him cross the road at the fork in the road and wave at us as he made his way to his home, but there was still the matter of Quinn who kept turning to look at Lily and me in confusion. She smiled reassuringly but I wasn’t reassured. Quinn still makes me nervous, I don’t like him and that’s a horrible thing to say because I barely know the kid, he just creeps me out, the way he laughs, the way he stared at me most of the journey home, the looks he gave me: like they were something more than just a look. As if he was trying to communicate something that he couldn’t say. But then again, it could just be a look, and I’m, as usual, being stupid.

Again, I was happy to see Quinn go when we got to his house. His mom came out to see him and got all excited, “Are you Quinn’s friend?”

I just nodded since I barely knew the guy and didn’t feel like making up some story to tell his mom, so I just nodded vaguely and gave her my best smile. She was so happy, you could tell, it made me feel horrible about thinking some bad things of Quinn. He was obviously a nice enough guy, and I assumed that the looks were just how he was.

Quinn hugged Lily before we went and they started going on about something that I didn’t understand so I waited for her at the door with Gee (Mikey had gone home already, “I don’t have to wait for her…”).

I nearly escaped without being suffocated by Quinn but then he saw me sidling out the door and jumped on me- I thought his mom might have joined in at one point but she was exercising her self control and just grinned.

I sighed when we finally got outside, wishing I had gone with Mikey when I had the chance, but one smile from Lily made it all worth it.

“Frankie…” she sighed, wedging herself in-between me and Gee, “Are you coming with us?”

I assumed she meant to their house and I nodded, as I’d never really been there whilst Lily was around seeing as she used to have so many extra curricular activities at her special school, and now she did nothing after school, so we walked to their house in a comfortable silence which was broken only by Lily who pointed at things, giggling, causing the rest of us to laugh too.

I’ve always loved Donna. She always gave me special things to eat and drink and she was like my second mother- she always made sure I was okay.

When we got inside I could smell strawberry jam. I got so excited I almost jumped for joy, “Fuck yeah! Donna’s jam!”

At that second Donna flew out from the kitchen, looked at me and Lily (still holding hands) and frowned, “Hello there Frankie, please don’t use profanities in front of Lily.”

I nodded solemnly and shoved my hands in my pockets, before we both started to laugh at the look on each others face. Donna always jokes around with me.

“I believe that’s the first time I’ve told you off since you tried to shove skittles down Mikey’s nose,” she chuckled.

I nodded, still chuckling quietly, “Donna’s jam,” I mumbled.

“There’s a pot in the kitchen, dear,” she sighed, as I ran to the kitchen, “Don’t eat it all at once!”

“I won’t,” I mumbled, spooning jam into my mouth with excitement. I was soon joined by the others. I caught a good view of Mikey glaring at me from the living room- I just stared back in confusion.

What did I actually do now?

“If you get a stomach ache from all the bloody jam, Frank, do not come crying to me,” Donna sighed, “And don’t tell your mom I gave it to you- I promised her I wouldn’t anymore.”

I laughed manically, concentrating on my pink splodgy treat.

“You’re gonna tell Linda aren’t you?” she said, sighing, “Or she’ll guess…”

“No, I won’t…” I knew I wouldn’t be allowed sugar for a while if my mom knew about the jam. I’m supposed to be on a diet, not because I’m over weight, I’m just supposed to stop getting so hyper. Apparently, I get quite distracting and annoying around the house after a trip to the Way residence.

“Sure you won’t,” she muttered, “So, Lily, did you make friends today?”

Lily smiled, “Yes! Lots.”

“What’s you’re favourite one’s name?” Donna asked, excitedly. I hate the way people talk to Lily. Like, way to over enthusiastic and a little condescending. I'd rather be treated like a normal human being i guess.

“Frankie!” she giggled, pointing at me.

Donna looked at me curiously, “Oh really…”