Status: Finished
God Bless the Children of the Beast
The innocence of childhood
It had been two long years since I met my best friend. We were rivals in every respect, yet inseparable. Words can’t describe how pissed he was last summer when I got an acoustic guitar. He was even more pissed when I said he could practice on it but his mom suddenly took him away for the summer. He came back looking more depressed than ever. The third grade had begun only two weeks ago. Our town was small so we were fortunately in the same class again. It was our first year with a man teacher, and Frank liked to piss him off as much as possible. Last week at recess he climbed up a tree and refused to come down. The principal had to come out and yell at him and threaten to call his grandma before he finally jumped down. It did them no good though, he just ran away.
“Hey Caroline,” he said, handing me another chip, “wanna come over tonight? Nona said you could. It will be fun. We have a little TV that we can watch movies on, maybe you could bring your guitar?” I sighed and nudged the dirt with my shoe. “I don’t know, my mom and dad haven’t been getting along lately, they may yell at me if I ask.” He frowned, then kicked the dirt I had been poking at. Suddenly he looked up at me and placed his hand over mine. I started and looked up at him. “Please?” he asked. His eyes looked watery. I nodded. “I’ll come.” I promised, not sure if I could. The bell rang then, and he let go and ran away. I stared after him. He was the weirdest kid sometimes.
I walked in my house quietly, running upstairs to set down my backpack and take my notebook out of it. I set everything on my desk and started digging out an extra set of clothes which I stuffed in the bag. I grabbed my little teddy bear and threw him in too. I heard my mom and quickly disposed of the bag. Then I went back downstairs to see her. Her face was red, her cheap makeup running. She was going to make her usual cup (or a few) of her afternoon coffee. I ran up and hugged her, not expecting her to joyously hug me back like she used to. I let go and put on the best innocent smile I could. “Mommy can I go to Franky’s house for the night to watch movies?” She sipped her coffee and looked down at me like I was a stranger. “Who?” she asked sadly. I frowned dramatically. “Mommy, Franky, my best friend. Please?” She nodded absently. “Have fun.” She said, but her smile had long since vanished. I ran upstairs and grabbed my bag and guitar before my father could come home. Frank lived only a few blocks from me. He’d introduced me to Nona before, but I had never stayed the night. I walked quickly.
When I got there Frank was sitting on the porch swing swinging his feet. He heard me and looked up, his eyes almost sparkling. “You came!” He yelled, jumping up. “I said I would.” He instantly looked at my small acoustic. It was children’s sized and cheap, but it still played a tune. “Here” I said, handing it to him. He took it and sat down. “I have no idea what to do.” He laughed nervously, like he was holding a prized heirloom. So, for the remaining time until sundown, we sat on the porch and I instructed him on the ways of the guitar. He seemed fascinated. When it was well past dark Nona finally dragged us inside and sat us in front of the TV where black and white images portrayed strange stories. I fell asleep after about an hour of this, totally uninterested. I much preferred books.
I woke up to Frank standing over me nudging my arm. Through his open window moonlight illuminated his smiling face. I had no idea how I had gotten in his room, but I guessed Tom had come home late and carried me in. I yawned and sat up. “What is it Frank?” I asked in my tired voice. “Follow me.” He whispered. So I did, and out his open window we climbed, somehow staggering onto the roof. We sat above his room staring at the stars, the cool night wind gently brushing our hair. I yawned once more, I couldn’t help it, but I was amazed at the view. “Pretty isn’t it?” He asked. I nodded my agreement. He sighed. “I couldn’t do this at Mom’s house. It was in some city. I like Nona’s house better.” I looked over at him. “We won’t get in trouble up here?” He smiled. “Of course not. I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t get hurt.” We looked back up at the stars for a while. “Hey, Caroline?” He whispered. “Yeah?” “Can I try something I saw in a movie once?” I held back a giggle. Him and his movies. “What is it?” I looked over at him. Then he kissed me.
It was short, and a little awkward seeing as how we were third-graders, but it was sweet. It was innocent. After all, we had no idea what would happen in the future back then on the rooftop. We just thought we were friends. We figured friends always kiss in movies, why couldn’t we do it once in a while on that rooftop looking at the sky together? Things never grew between us. Especially since that’s the year his mom took him away again, and I never saw him after that. Ever. Until now.
“Hey Caroline,” he said, handing me another chip, “wanna come over tonight? Nona said you could. It will be fun. We have a little TV that we can watch movies on, maybe you could bring your guitar?” I sighed and nudged the dirt with my shoe. “I don’t know, my mom and dad haven’t been getting along lately, they may yell at me if I ask.” He frowned, then kicked the dirt I had been poking at. Suddenly he looked up at me and placed his hand over mine. I started and looked up at him. “Please?” he asked. His eyes looked watery. I nodded. “I’ll come.” I promised, not sure if I could. The bell rang then, and he let go and ran away. I stared after him. He was the weirdest kid sometimes.
I walked in my house quietly, running upstairs to set down my backpack and take my notebook out of it. I set everything on my desk and started digging out an extra set of clothes which I stuffed in the bag. I grabbed my little teddy bear and threw him in too. I heard my mom and quickly disposed of the bag. Then I went back downstairs to see her. Her face was red, her cheap makeup running. She was going to make her usual cup (or a few) of her afternoon coffee. I ran up and hugged her, not expecting her to joyously hug me back like she used to. I let go and put on the best innocent smile I could. “Mommy can I go to Franky’s house for the night to watch movies?” She sipped her coffee and looked down at me like I was a stranger. “Who?” she asked sadly. I frowned dramatically. “Mommy, Franky, my best friend. Please?” She nodded absently. “Have fun.” She said, but her smile had long since vanished. I ran upstairs and grabbed my bag and guitar before my father could come home. Frank lived only a few blocks from me. He’d introduced me to Nona before, but I had never stayed the night. I walked quickly.
When I got there Frank was sitting on the porch swing swinging his feet. He heard me and looked up, his eyes almost sparkling. “You came!” He yelled, jumping up. “I said I would.” He instantly looked at my small acoustic. It was children’s sized and cheap, but it still played a tune. “Here” I said, handing it to him. He took it and sat down. “I have no idea what to do.” He laughed nervously, like he was holding a prized heirloom. So, for the remaining time until sundown, we sat on the porch and I instructed him on the ways of the guitar. He seemed fascinated. When it was well past dark Nona finally dragged us inside and sat us in front of the TV where black and white images portrayed strange stories. I fell asleep after about an hour of this, totally uninterested. I much preferred books.
I woke up to Frank standing over me nudging my arm. Through his open window moonlight illuminated his smiling face. I had no idea how I had gotten in his room, but I guessed Tom had come home late and carried me in. I yawned and sat up. “What is it Frank?” I asked in my tired voice. “Follow me.” He whispered. So I did, and out his open window we climbed, somehow staggering onto the roof. We sat above his room staring at the stars, the cool night wind gently brushing our hair. I yawned once more, I couldn’t help it, but I was amazed at the view. “Pretty isn’t it?” He asked. I nodded my agreement. He sighed. “I couldn’t do this at Mom’s house. It was in some city. I like Nona’s house better.” I looked over at him. “We won’t get in trouble up here?” He smiled. “Of course not. I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t get hurt.” We looked back up at the stars for a while. “Hey, Caroline?” He whispered. “Yeah?” “Can I try something I saw in a movie once?” I held back a giggle. Him and his movies. “What is it?” I looked over at him. Then he kissed me.
It was short, and a little awkward seeing as how we were third-graders, but it was sweet. It was innocent. After all, we had no idea what would happen in the future back then on the rooftop. We just thought we were friends. We figured friends always kiss in movies, why couldn’t we do it once in a while on that rooftop looking at the sky together? Things never grew between us. Especially since that’s the year his mom took him away again, and I never saw him after that. Ever. Until now.