Dusk Til Dusk And Back Again
Chapter Five- Mountains of Chinese Cuisine and Dev
We sat in the ‘garden’ and talked about the time we had spent apart. He told me about his trip to stay with his paternal grandparents on their farm in the middle of nowhere. I told him about how I had thought about how our generation is doomed and that I proved that Elvis is still alive and then forgot how I proved it.
He pulled himself up off the ground “It’s one thirty. I’d better get you back or Kate will come after me.”
“There will be no place to go!” I continued on dramatically
“I’ll have to hide in the mountains!”
“Egad! Now she is mountain climbing Barbie!”
“Oh what horror! Where will I go?!”
“The plains of Spain where it almost never rains! and make sure you take me with you when you go.”
“Will do.”
We went back to the Starbucks, ordered some coffees and sat down at a corner table inside.
“Fuck I’m hungry.” I grumbled.
“Me too. I’m thinking Chinese.”
“Yum! Get me some too.”
“Who says I’m getting it? You can walk just as easily into the food court and get it.”
“But...you’re the boy. Boys are meant to do all the work for the girls.” I whinged.
“You are an embarrassment to all feminists.” He said standing up.
“Thank you. Chicken Chow Mien and Sweet and Sour Pork…please?” I said flashing him a smile and batting my eyelashes in an imitation of my sister.
“You’re paying.” He said as he got up and started to leave
“I love you too honey pie sugar muffin baby!” I called after him.
And that’s when I saw them sitting at the table a few tables away staring at me.
“Um…hi.” I said slightly embarrassed to Mikey and Gerard.
“So that’s the boyfriend.” Mikey said
“Oh! No that’s just my Frank.” I said like that explained everything they had just seen.
“Right…” said Gerard
“So are you guys here for the shops?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject
“No, the coffee.” Gerard replied
“Oh I see. Another caffeine addict.”
“You?”
“Like a fish. I suggest that you stay away from here between the hours of 4-5. That’s when this place becomes a ritual-mating centre. Ever since they closed down the crack den on the corner they have no other place to go…” I said with a sigh and a coy smile.
“Oh don’t you hate it when they do that… I’ll be sure to take that advice.” replied Gerard.
“Now darling sweetie pie, they had run out of the crispy noodles that I know you like but I bought you a wonton instead, don’t be mad.” Frank said as he entered the room with a tray piled high with food. He placed it on the table in front of me and only after he had sat down did he notice Mikey and Gerard.
“Hey” said Gerard
“Um Frank this is Gerard and Mikey, Mikey and Gerard this is Frank.” I introduced “Gerard and Mikey just moved into that place on Wicker Lane.”
“Hi” Mikey said with a ‘Mikey’ smile. One of those ones that are unique to that person, very cute.
“Hey” said Frank “Um...you guys want some food?”
“No thanks we were just leaving.”
“Oh come on you just got here.” I encouraged “Come have some, there is loads. We always order way more than we can eat. It’s the only way to eat Chinese”
Gerard and Mikey looked at each other “Yea well okay.” Mikey said and they pushed two tables together and sat down.
For the first time in three or four years of Frank and I over ordering we actually got close to finishing everything on the tray. Three teenage guys and one runner can really pack it away. During the constant eating we talked about lots of random stuff, movies, music etc. Frank and Gerard got into a friendly but heated argument about which Iron Maiden record was the best and I only fell off my chair once (I tried to save a rogue wonton from rolling off the table and I leant a little too much).
By the time you could actually see the white polystyrene containers that held all the food Kate and Susie had returned with many full shopping bags from various stores.
“Thank God you’re back Jo!” said Kate throwing down her bags on the next table. “I found the most perfect outfit!”
“For me?”
“No, for me!” she said like I was an idiot “But now we have to find yours…you’ll need a wig too…”
“Who are you going as?” asked Gerard
“Sa--” I began but Kate cut me off
“You’ll have to come to kind out.” She said with a flirtatious smile
“Oh. I guess I’ll never know then.” Gerard replied with a gorgeous smile “Are you going Frank?”
“Oh yea. These two are making me go.”
“I’m not making you go. You are choosing to go so you can be seen in the company of two such gorgeous ladies.” I said standing up and striking a pose with Kate.
“They got you whipped!” Gerard laughed
“Devo is proud.” I said sitting down on Frank
“I guess it’s what happens when you’ve been around them for so long.” Frank sighed
“How long is so long?” Gerard asked
“Neighbours since kindergarten.”
“Oh how did you survive it?! I’ve known them less than a day and I’m already missing the freedom.” Gerard said with mock sympathy
“Hey!” I cried “We’ll knock that original thought thing out of you soon.”
“Look I need to head off. I’ll see you later, Kate.” Susie said picking up her bags. “Bye Jo.”
“See ya, Suze.”
“Bye boys”
“Bye Susie” they said in unison.
“Okay we need to go find costumes for you and Frank.” Kate said, “Frank are you coming to help look?”
“Um…” said Frank
“You don’t have to, I know your size.” I said
“I’m sure she does,” laughed Gerard dodging the punch I aimed at him.
“I’ll pick you something.” I said, “You can stay and teach these two about the ways of the force. Be good and play nice.”
“Yes mum.”
He pulled himself up off the ground “It’s one thirty. I’d better get you back or Kate will come after me.”
“There will be no place to go!” I continued on dramatically
“I’ll have to hide in the mountains!”
“Egad! Now she is mountain climbing Barbie!”
“Oh what horror! Where will I go?!”
“The plains of Spain where it almost never rains! and make sure you take me with you when you go.”
“Will do.”
We went back to the Starbucks, ordered some coffees and sat down at a corner table inside.
“Fuck I’m hungry.” I grumbled.
“Me too. I’m thinking Chinese.”
“Yum! Get me some too.”
“Who says I’m getting it? You can walk just as easily into the food court and get it.”
“But...you’re the boy. Boys are meant to do all the work for the girls.” I whinged.
“You are an embarrassment to all feminists.” He said standing up.
“Thank you. Chicken Chow Mien and Sweet and Sour Pork…please?” I said flashing him a smile and batting my eyelashes in an imitation of my sister.
“You’re paying.” He said as he got up and started to leave
“I love you too honey pie sugar muffin baby!” I called after him.
And that’s when I saw them sitting at the table a few tables away staring at me.
“Um…hi.” I said slightly embarrassed to Mikey and Gerard.
“So that’s the boyfriend.” Mikey said
“Oh! No that’s just my Frank.” I said like that explained everything they had just seen.
“Right…” said Gerard
“So are you guys here for the shops?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject
“No, the coffee.” Gerard replied
“Oh I see. Another caffeine addict.”
“You?”
“Like a fish. I suggest that you stay away from here between the hours of 4-5. That’s when this place becomes a ritual-mating centre. Ever since they closed down the crack den on the corner they have no other place to go…” I said with a sigh and a coy smile.
“Oh don’t you hate it when they do that… I’ll be sure to take that advice.” replied Gerard.
“Now darling sweetie pie, they had run out of the crispy noodles that I know you like but I bought you a wonton instead, don’t be mad.” Frank said as he entered the room with a tray piled high with food. He placed it on the table in front of me and only after he had sat down did he notice Mikey and Gerard.
“Hey” said Gerard
“Um Frank this is Gerard and Mikey, Mikey and Gerard this is Frank.” I introduced “Gerard and Mikey just moved into that place on Wicker Lane.”
“Hi” Mikey said with a ‘Mikey’ smile. One of those ones that are unique to that person, very cute.
“Hey” said Frank “Um...you guys want some food?”
“No thanks we were just leaving.”
“Oh come on you just got here.” I encouraged “Come have some, there is loads. We always order way more than we can eat. It’s the only way to eat Chinese”
Gerard and Mikey looked at each other “Yea well okay.” Mikey said and they pushed two tables together and sat down.
For the first time in three or four years of Frank and I over ordering we actually got close to finishing everything on the tray. Three teenage guys and one runner can really pack it away. During the constant eating we talked about lots of random stuff, movies, music etc. Frank and Gerard got into a friendly but heated argument about which Iron Maiden record was the best and I only fell off my chair once (I tried to save a rogue wonton from rolling off the table and I leant a little too much).
By the time you could actually see the white polystyrene containers that held all the food Kate and Susie had returned with many full shopping bags from various stores.
“Thank God you’re back Jo!” said Kate throwing down her bags on the next table. “I found the most perfect outfit!”
“For me?”
“No, for me!” she said like I was an idiot “But now we have to find yours…you’ll need a wig too…”
“Who are you going as?” asked Gerard
“Sa--” I began but Kate cut me off
“You’ll have to come to kind out.” She said with a flirtatious smile
“Oh. I guess I’ll never know then.” Gerard replied with a gorgeous smile “Are you going Frank?”
“Oh yea. These two are making me go.”
“I’m not making you go. You are choosing to go so you can be seen in the company of two such gorgeous ladies.” I said standing up and striking a pose with Kate.
“They got you whipped!” Gerard laughed
“Devo is proud.” I said sitting down on Frank
“I guess it’s what happens when you’ve been around them for so long.” Frank sighed
“How long is so long?” Gerard asked
“Neighbours since kindergarten.”
“Oh how did you survive it?! I’ve known them less than a day and I’m already missing the freedom.” Gerard said with mock sympathy
“Hey!” I cried “We’ll knock that original thought thing out of you soon.”
“Look I need to head off. I’ll see you later, Kate.” Susie said picking up her bags. “Bye Jo.”
“See ya, Suze.”
“Bye boys”
“Bye Susie” they said in unison.
“Okay we need to go find costumes for you and Frank.” Kate said, “Frank are you coming to help look?”
“Um…” said Frank
“You don’t have to, I know your size.” I said
“I’m sure she does,” laughed Gerard dodging the punch I aimed at him.
“I’ll pick you something.” I said, “You can stay and teach these two about the ways of the force. Be good and play nice.”
“Yes mum.”