Distractions.

It was early morning, the sun not even up yet, and I could see the puff of my breath clouding in front of me in the dim light of my front porch light. I was shivering, even in my snow gear, and was becoming slightly impatient.

I walked into my house a few steps before calling up the massive staircase in front of me, “Mum! We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry!”

“Hang on! Two seconds,” she shouted back. I could tell from the way her voice carried that she was up in the bathroom. Probably applying make-up.

“I’ll wake Morris up and get him to drive me!” I threatened, not even caring to lower my voice. I knew that Mikey and the others who lived here, in what could only be called a mansion, wouldn’t be able hear me.

It was a few moments later before my mum appeared at the top of the stairs, decked out in pink, and came scrambling down them in her black ballet flats. “Ta-da!” she smiled.

I couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Okay, you’re done now. Can we go?”

“Yes.” She sighed, still smiling at my eagerness.

It only took twenty minutes, as opposed to the forty it usually takes for me on the bus, in her new car to get to the front of the school. I made her take the most inconspicuous car we owned. Not that inconspicuous if you ask me.

Before my Mum had even taken the keys out of the engine, I was out of the car and waiting impatiently at the boot of the car. My breath was coming out normally but was still creating puffs of fog in front of my face in the dimly lit school car park.

“Alright, alright. Hold your horses. No need to tap your foot like a gay man,” my mother huffed as she got out of the car. I wasn’t even aware that I was tapping my foot.

“Hurry up!” I whined but smiled at her. She smiled back and walked extra slowly to the boot of the car. I ended up just taking the keys off of her and unlocking the boot myself. She helped me carry my bags over to where a crowd of students were gathering, waiting for the first bus to arrive.

“Gerard! Over here!”

I turned to see Ray, waving at me from the group I usually hung out with, and swiftly made my way over to him. My Mum followed, lugging my big suitcase alone with her.

“Hey Ray. It’s chilly this morning isn’t it?” I said, almost laughing out loud at Ray’s attempt to stick a beanie over his hair.

“Yeah,” he grumbled, rubbing his hands together.

My Mum coughed behind me, obviously hinting that I should introduce her. “Mum this is Ray, he’s a friend. Ray, this is my Mum.”

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Way,” Ray said politely, sticking out his hand.

“Call me Donna,” she replied, shaking Ray’s hand. They smiled at each other and then warily backed off. Ray was the second friend of mine my mother had ever met, the first being Jess. As if I had said it out loud, my mum asked about her.

“I don’t know where she is, Mum. She and I aren’t on good terms at the moment,” I mumbled. There was a short oh from my mum before I was tapped on the shoulder which saved me from having to explain further. I turned, only to see the one person who managed to make me want to tear my hair out strand by strand but also make me be completely honest about everything at the same time.

That doesn’t even make sense to me.

“Hey Frank,” I murmured. He smiled back at me, just about to say something but he was cut off by my mother.

“And who’s this, dear? Mum asked, her voice sounding extremely pleased at the prospect of me having a few friends. It’s easy to tell that I never took any friends home, I didn’t want them to know that my family had ashit load bit of money.

“This is Frank,” I answered grudgingly. “He’s a friend.”

Frank stepped past me and smiled politely at my mother, hers and his fog breaths mixing.

“Morning ma’am. How do you do?” he said, sticking his hand out. My Mum’s eyes lit up and she looked extremely pleased.

“Morning Frank, I’m good thank you,” she smiled, shaking his hand enthusiastically. Before anything else could happen, I shoved Frank towards the bus that had just pulled up in the parking lot.

“Err, save me a seat, yeah?” I said quickly. Frank looked surprised but just nodded before saying goodbye to my mother and loping off towards the bus.

“I better get on the bus, Mum,” I mumbled. I was sorta hoping that she wouldn’t say a word, nothing about Jess or Frank.

“Okay, sweetie. I’ll put your bag with the others when you get on the bus. Don’t hurt yourself too badly, okay?” She brought me into a quick hug and kissed the top of my head.

A little embarrassed, I laughed. “I won’t, Mum. And thanks.”

I said goodbye quickly and ran over to the crowded bus. I somehow managed to push through the crowd and get on. I looked for Frank, knowing that he had been one of the first to get on. He was situated about three quarters of the way up the bus, setting up his bag at his feet so I could only see his head.

I walked up the aisle to the seat next to Frank and plonked down on the aisle seat.

He looked over at me, “Do you want to sit on the window seat? I prefer the aisle seat.”

I nodded, “Yeah, thanks. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Nah.”

I stood to let him out and then I crawled over the seat to sit in the window seat, not exactly an easy task. He sat down beside me and we watched as the bus filled up with students, all chattering and excited about the day ahead of them.

I looked out the window into the darkness, and wondered how long it would be until the sun rose. Frank and I didn’t speak to one another until the bus had left the city which took a good forty minutes. It was unusual, Frank not having something to say. But he made up for it when he finally spoke.

“So…I’m a friend now am I?” he asked, his tone hinting at amusement.

I inwardly groaned. “I guess so. What else would you be?” I replied grudgingly.

“I don’t know…enemy, arch nemesis. Take you pick.” It sounded like he was on the verge of laughing out loud.

“You’re not that bad,” I mumbled.

Frank’s POV.

“You’re not that bad,” he mumbled, glaring out the window. I wanted to laugh, he was trying to convince me that he didn’t like me at all but he was failing. From what it looked like, he couldn’t even convince himself.

“Nice to hear,” I said softly, smiling a little. He glanced at me quickly before looking away again, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks in the dim light. The bus rumbled along mixing with the chatter of many adolescents all excited about the day ahead.

Gerard and I were silent for a while and when I next looked at him his eyes were drooping. He yawned, his eyelids threatening to close any moment. I waited for him to fall asleep, which didn’t take all too long.

His head lolled against the window, getting whacked every few moments from the motion of the vehicle we were in. I couldn’t stand to see him bash his head against the window anymore so I gently eased him over so he was leaning against my side, his head resting softly on my shoulder.

I smiled at his expression. He tried to act like he was tough and extremely mature but the truth was, he was still just a kid at heart and it showed through when least expected. He looked so adorable, his chest rising softly with the in and out of his breathing.