Smiles Echo In My Memory

On the way home from school, it was horrible. It was windy, raining, and the type of atmosphere that feels like you’ve just eaten a ton of ice.
I and Frank were walking in our usual position, with his arm draped around his waist. He held me tighter today, due to the cold. I was wrapped up in my big black hoodie, a pair of dark blue wash skinny jeans, and a plain purple top poking out from underneath my hoodie. My legendary pair of all-black converses adorned my feet, and they were starting to get a little damp. Frank was wearing a red Misfits tee, a black jumper and a grey jacket with its hood up, and his light blue ripped jeans and a pair of black and grey Etnies.

When we got to the edge of the park, Frankie glanced over at me. “Mine?”
“Sure,” I smiled, shrugging. I’d been to Frankie’s a few times before, but it was usually to pick him up to go meet up with some friends, or to drop off some Psychology notes or something. I’d yet to meet his mum, who had always seemed really nice and really cared a lot for her son.
“Oh, yeah – Mom will be home this time… She’ll probably embarrass me and might make you feel a little uncomfortable, so sorry in advance…” Frank explained, mumbling the last part. I giggled, hitting his arm playfully. “I’m sure she’s not that bad,”
“Oh, she is,” he replied, giggling himself. God, he really was a pansy! Even though, he was so… beautiful in what he did. When he laughed, giggled, smiled, whatever, his whole face lit up and makes you feel… whole.
About ten minutes later, we arrived at Franks’. He fished around in his back pockets for his keys, eventually pulling them out. “Brace yourself,” he joked, smiling, while unlocking the scarlet door. He led me into the kitchen, where the smell of fresh coffee was lingering.
“Mom! I’m home!” Frank called, handing me a diet coke from the fridge. We heard some rustling noises from the living room and a small figure emerged in the hallway, walking towards the kitchen entrance. She had long, dark brown hair, and the same amazing hazel orbs that Frank had obviously inherited. She was also rather small, and had the same nose as Frank.
“Hey, Frankie,” she said, kissing him on the cheek, and swiftly placing her coffee mug on the table.
“Mom, this is Sazzy,” Frank said, gesturing towards me. I smiled at her, mumbling a ‘hi’.
“Ohh, Sazzy! I’ve heard a lot about you,” she explained, smiling at me warmly.
“Mom!” Frank whispered, obviously started to get embarrassed. I giggled slightly, and Frank’s right hand, which was knotted in my left, clenched, and he smirked. Frank’s mum noticed, and gave him a look, as if to say ‘what’s going on here?’ He just shrugged in a reply and she continued.
“Well, anyways… Need anything? …Coffee? Do you want a glass for that coke, hon?”
“No, thanks, Mrs. I,” I said politely.
“Aw, call me Linda, hon. And, unfortunately, I don’t have the same name as Frank. It’s Thomas,” she stated, grinning at me and cocking her head to the side. She had the same smile as Frank, I noticed.
“Anyways,” Frank spoke, looking up from his shoes. “Me and Sazzy’ll be upstairs, Mom,” he called, dragging me up to his room.

After that time at Franks’, I’d gotten on really well with Linda. She was like another mother to me, and she always treated me like her own. Linda had also got on well with my own mum, and both were close friends.

It was the 20th of October, a week and 4 days until Frankie’s birthday, and 4 days until mine. I still had no idea what to get him, and I was sitting down with Linda in her kitchen, having a coffee with her while Frank was getting ready to go out with me to town.
“Linda!” I moaned, stretching the ‘aaahhh’ at the end, slumping into my chair. She smirked at me from the other side of the table. “Sazzy…?”
“I still don’t know what to get Frank for his birthday!” I whispered urgently, so Frank wouldn’t hear. She sipped from her mug thoughtfully.
“Hon,” she started, putting her mug down. “I don’t know what the hell to get him.”
I groaned at her answer, wrapping my hands around the warmth of my coffee mug and looking into it. It was then that we both heard the crashing sounds of music notes being strummed, and I immediately recognized it from the song ‘TV Casualty’ by The Misfits. I giggled, mouthing the words along with Frank’s voice, which we heard from upstairs.

“There are paint smears, on everything I own!
The vapor rub is lying on a table of filth!
Christmas cards, to which I never reply,
My eyeballs absorb only blue-filtered light!
TV CASUALTY, TV, CASUALTY!”

“That boy,” Linda whispered, shaking her head. “AND he wants a electric one… I don’t know…” she started to complain, mostly talking to herself. I smiled at her, and then my eyes widened in realization. Linda obviously noticed.
“Oh, no, you’re going to… You’re gonna-”
“Yup!” I said excitedly, grinning like a madman. I was so happy that I finally found out what to get Frankie for his birthday.