Hello Stranger, I'm a Disaster

“Hey Gerard!” Mikey exclaimed as he pulled me into a hug. I gently returned the gesture before
I pulled away from him, clearing my throat.

“Yeah, sorry. I forgot you don’t like physical contact.” His voice was playful, but his facial expression revealed his annoyance. “Well, shall we get going?”

I hesitated before I faintly nodded my head and followed Mikey out the door. He doesn’t own a car; he walks everywhere he goes, as do I. We walk up the street in awkward silence, the slap of our shoes on the concrete and the city in the background were the only sounds to be heard. Neither of us know how to break the silence, or even really want to, so I get wrapped up in my thoughts instead. I thought about my mother, becoming suspicious of the evenings plans. Why does she want to see me now when she hasn’t talked to me in three years. Not since… I shuddered at the thought of it. I quickly changed the subject of my thoughts to something more pleasant. My mind settled on the friendly tattooed barista named Frank.

Before I knew it we were climbing the stairs of an apartment building that I didn’t recognize. Mom must have moved, but of course she wouldn’t tell me that. We came to a halt in front of a door on the third floor and Mikey gave a quick knock before letting himself in.

When I entered the open entryway I was sure Mikey had let us in the wrong apartment. I expected the place to be dim and cramped, overflowing with useless knick-knacks like I her old apartment. This entryway was painted white, lit well, and simple décor adorned the walls. As I walked deeper into the apartment I noticed the whole place was set up the same. The living room featured a pristine white furniture set arranged around a glass coffee table with a stack of magazines laying out on it.
When we entered the dining room I was caught off guard by the arms that immediately embraced me.

“Oh Gerard, I’m so glad you could come.” My mom said in my ear as she squeezed me half to death. “Honey, please have a seat. You too Mikey, I’m just about to take dinner off the stove.” She quickly gave Mikey a peck on the check before disappearing into the kitchen.

I pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table. It was set with fine china plates, complete with place mats and everything. I looked up to see Mikey staring at me. He smirked at my confused and slightly alarmed expression. What the hell was going on? All of a sudden my mother was Martha Fucking Stewart, and I didn’t like it.

Mikey sat down across from me as mom returned to the dining room holding a salad bowl in one hand and a bowl of pasta in the other. She set them down and took her place at the head of the table. Mikey immediately started dishing up his plate as soon as she sat down.

“So, Gerard, it’s been a long time. What have you been up to?” Mom asked me as she passed me the food.

“Um…” I hesitated. “The usual?” I can’t believe she’s talking to me like this. Since when does she care? How exactly am I supposed to respond to this?

“Well, are you working? What do you do for a living?” She smiled at me.

I studied her face before answering. Her smile looked like it was stuck on her face like a stamp, and her eyes reminded me of someone that belongs in the nut house. “I work at a comic book store.” Oops, not anymore.

“Oh really? Are you well off in your job then?” She asked in between bites.

“Uh, yeah,” I decided to lie. “I actually just got promoted. Hiring manager.” Where the hell did that come from?

“That’s wonderful sweetheart! I’m so proud of you. So how are your friends? You’re not still hanging out with that guy are you? What was his name? Ben?” She exchanged a disgusted glance with Mikey, but smiled when she looked back at me.

“Bert, and no mom. I’m not. You should know that.” My expression turned sour at the memory.

“I’m glad to hear so. He was a poisonous influence on you anyway. So tell me about your friends then. What about your girlfriend?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I didn’t exactly have any friends, and I definitely didn’t have a girlfriend. Mikey noticed that I was uncomfortable so he changed the subject by asking mom about the recipe she used tonight. She seemed to forget about questioning me as she passionately talked about her new cooking obsession.

The rest of dinner was uneventful, and desert turned out to be delicious. I might have been suspicious about my mom’s transformation, but I wasn’t going to complain about homemade apple pie. Once we were done eating and I had helped clean up the dishes I decided it was an acceptable time to leave, claiming I was tired and I needed to prepare for my new position at work tomorrow.

As I was walking back to my apartment I tried to figure out what the hell was going on back there. I didn’t believe that mom just decided to change her lifestyle because she felt like it. There was something Mikey wasn’t telling me.

“Hey!” A voice behind me startled me from my thoughts.

I turned to see who was calling after me. I was paralyzed with shock when I saw the long black hair and strong jaw. Speak of the devil.

“Hey princess, did ya miss me?” he had caught up with me by now.

“Bert!” I spluttered. “W- what are you doing here? I thought you were-“

“They let me go! I’m clean. I’ve promised to be a good citizen.” Bert made a crossing gesture over his heart with a smug smile.

“Wow man. That’s awesome!” I can’t believe Bert actually gave up his drugs. I thought he would never get away from his parents.

Bert snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. “So, do you wanna come over to my place?”

I smiled widely. “Hell yeah I do!” I agreed, the memory of our last meeting wiped from my mind.