Thank You, Gravity
Spaghetti With Parmesean Kisses
That night, Dad makes spaghetti for dinner even though Joe tries to insist he make steak. I keep my mouth shut so I don’t get slapped. The meal is pretty quiet. Anything said is met with a response from me, but a cold silence from Joe.
“Joeseph,” Dad seethes, putting his fork down loudly at one point after all his attempts at conversation are just met with grunts. He looks at Joe, sitting next to him. “You had better stop being such a smartass, or I’m kicking the two of you onto the streets.” Frankie looks over at me awkwardly and Joe just rolls his eyes again. He’s just seeing how far he can push Dad.
Joe just kind of jerks his head purposefully, picking up his plate and going to the sink. puts his plate in the dishwasher after rinsing it off and leaves the kitchen silently.
“See that, Nick?” Dad snarls at me. “That’s your boyfriend being a bitch and then running away from his problems like he always does.” I don’t say anything. I just get up and put my plate away, going upstairs. I find Joe sitting on the couch in the den watching the television. The scowl is still stuck on his face.
“Joe,” I mutter, sitting down on the couch next to him. “You need to chill.”
“Isn’t he great, Nick?” Joe says with a big, fake smile. A short pause. He picks my arm up gently and holds it in front of my face, making me look at the light purple stripes on my wrist. “Don’t you just love our dad?” I don’t know what to say to this. His eyes meet mine for a moment before he lets go of my arm and then his gaze switches back to the TV.
“Joe, honestly, you need to be a little more mature. Dad’s actually being nice to us for the first time since he found out, and I’d like it to stay that way.”
“More mature?” Joe repeats. He shifts his position on the couch a little bit, turning more towards me. “I love you, Nick, I’d do anything for you and he just can’t accept that. I’ve seen the crap he does to you just because of it, you want to let him keep treating us like this? You want to let him treat you like that, fine, but I won’t.”
“It’ll only get worse. We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, can’t you just.. try to get along with him until then?”
“No,” Joe says stubbornly, glaring back at the TV again.
“Joey, please?” I sigh, leaning in, getting closer to his face. The scowl starts to fade. “For me? Just do it for me.” I put my hand on his shoulder lightly.
“Fine,” Joe sighs as our eyes meet for a moment. “Only for you.”
“Thank you, that means a lot.” I lean in and our lips touch just for a moment before I pull away. “Lets go help do the dishes.”
“No thanks,” Joe says loudly, getting up from the couch. I sigh and follow him as he goes into the bathroom. He leans over the sink and turns the faucet on, splashing some water over his face. I sigh through my nose and head over to him.
“I’m going to go help. Are you going to come or not?”
“Not,” Joe states, turning the water off and wiping his face off with a towel by the sink. I just shrug and kind of shake my head, going back downstairs to help out.
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Dad hasn’t followed through with his promise to kick us out yet. Last night, I snuck into bed with Joe and right now I’m waking up to the door opening and him coming into the room. I sigh and brace for something, tightening my grip around Joe’s waist.
Nothing happens. I hear the door close again and steal a glance at it, and Dad’s gone.
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Dad’s gone to work and left us here alone, with Frankie at school as well, by the time we wake up again. I’m in the kitchen, trying to read the back of the frozen pizza box for lunch. I need contacts. I lean over the counter, where there’s light from the window. I hear Joe approach me from behind and turn around to face him.
“Morning,” he says, and puts his hands on my hips, pulling me towards him slightly.
“Hey,” I say, smiling at him before I pull away to look at the box again. Joe puts his hand on my sides and pulls me towards him again. I tilt my head back against his chest to look up at him. “Joe, what the..?” I giggle.
“I can’t do this when Dad’s around,” he smiles playfully, kissing my forehead. I smile and turn around to face him, letting him kiss my nose. I push myself off the counter with my hands and kiss him on the lips quickly. He kisses back gently and I part my lips slightly, pressed against the counter, and press my tongue against his. I pull away after a few seconds, only to open the box and preheat the oven. I can’t wait till we leave tomorrow so we can finally be alone together.
“Joeseph,” Dad seethes, putting his fork down loudly at one point after all his attempts at conversation are just met with grunts. He looks at Joe, sitting next to him. “You had better stop being such a smartass, or I’m kicking the two of you onto the streets.” Frankie looks over at me awkwardly and Joe just rolls his eyes again. He’s just seeing how far he can push Dad.
Joe just kind of jerks his head purposefully, picking up his plate and going to the sink. puts his plate in the dishwasher after rinsing it off and leaves the kitchen silently.
“See that, Nick?” Dad snarls at me. “That’s your boyfriend being a bitch and then running away from his problems like he always does.” I don’t say anything. I just get up and put my plate away, going upstairs. I find Joe sitting on the couch in the den watching the television. The scowl is still stuck on his face.
“Joe,” I mutter, sitting down on the couch next to him. “You need to chill.”
“Isn’t he great, Nick?” Joe says with a big, fake smile. A short pause. He picks my arm up gently and holds it in front of my face, making me look at the light purple stripes on my wrist. “Don’t you just love our dad?” I don’t know what to say to this. His eyes meet mine for a moment before he lets go of my arm and then his gaze switches back to the TV.
“Joe, honestly, you need to be a little more mature. Dad’s actually being nice to us for the first time since he found out, and I’d like it to stay that way.”
“More mature?” Joe repeats. He shifts his position on the couch a little bit, turning more towards me. “I love you, Nick, I’d do anything for you and he just can’t accept that. I’ve seen the crap he does to you just because of it, you want to let him keep treating us like this? You want to let him treat you like that, fine, but I won’t.”
“It’ll only get worse. We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, can’t you just.. try to get along with him until then?”
“No,” Joe says stubbornly, glaring back at the TV again.
“Joey, please?” I sigh, leaning in, getting closer to his face. The scowl starts to fade. “For me? Just do it for me.” I put my hand on his shoulder lightly.
“Fine,” Joe sighs as our eyes meet for a moment. “Only for you.”
“Thank you, that means a lot.” I lean in and our lips touch just for a moment before I pull away. “Lets go help do the dishes.”
“No thanks,” Joe says loudly, getting up from the couch. I sigh and follow him as he goes into the bathroom. He leans over the sink and turns the faucet on, splashing some water over his face. I sigh through my nose and head over to him.
“I’m going to go help. Are you going to come or not?”
“Not,” Joe states, turning the water off and wiping his face off with a towel by the sink. I just shrug and kind of shake my head, going back downstairs to help out.
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Dad hasn’t followed through with his promise to kick us out yet. Last night, I snuck into bed with Joe and right now I’m waking up to the door opening and him coming into the room. I sigh and brace for something, tightening my grip around Joe’s waist.
Nothing happens. I hear the door close again and steal a glance at it, and Dad’s gone.
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Dad’s gone to work and left us here alone, with Frankie at school as well, by the time we wake up again. I’m in the kitchen, trying to read the back of the frozen pizza box for lunch. I need contacts. I lean over the counter, where there’s light from the window. I hear Joe approach me from behind and turn around to face him.
“Morning,” he says, and puts his hands on my hips, pulling me towards him slightly.
“Hey,” I say, smiling at him before I pull away to look at the box again. Joe puts his hand on my sides and pulls me towards him again. I tilt my head back against his chest to look up at him. “Joe, what the..?” I giggle.
“I can’t do this when Dad’s around,” he smiles playfully, kissing my forehead. I smile and turn around to face him, letting him kiss my nose. I push myself off the counter with my hands and kiss him on the lips quickly. He kisses back gently and I part my lips slightly, pressed against the counter, and press my tongue against his. I pull away after a few seconds, only to open the box and preheat the oven. I can’t wait till we leave tomorrow so we can finally be alone together.