Intuition.

Part 2.
Recap.
“Coming,” I called, chuckling at Gerard’s laughter that was echoing through the house. When I got back into the lounge room Gerard was clutching his stomach with tears running down his face.

“Moley moley mole!” he shouted at me.

I had no idea what he was going on about but I had to laugh at the way he said it. When he saw the pizza in my hands he darted forward and helped me set it all out on the table, still laughing to himself.

“We have to rewind it so you can see the mole bit. Seriously, it’s the best part of the movie,” he enthused, already looking around the couch for the remote.

I don’t think I’ve laughed that much in my entire life. Tears from laughing so hard streaked down my cheeks while Gerard and I screamed ‘moley moley mole’ at each other, causing new fits of laughter every time.

I nursed my very stomach muscles while Gerard reached for his fourth slice of pizza. “Have another piece,” he said, traces of laughter still evident in his voice.

My hesitance made him look pointedly at me. “I win if you don’t,” he warned, trademark smile resting right on those cheeky lips of his.

“Fine,” I mumbled, giving him a joking stinkeye as I reached for another piece and started chewing.

We sat in a comfortable silence, both munching on pizza, while we watched the rest of the movie. When the credits started rolling Gerard sat back and rested his hands on the small bulge of his stomach.

“Oh my god, I am so full. How many slices did I eat?”

“Seven,” I replied matter of factly.

“You were counting?” he half whined.

I nodded gravely. “Yup. I had six. And there’s still five pieces left.”

“Well maybe you should eat one more to even it up, mate,” he grinned evilly.

Shit, shouldn’t have said anything. “Fine. But only because of this stupid competition.”

I reached for another piece and ate it tentatively. I was sure my stomach was going to explode sometime soon. The movie clicked back to the main menu and the opening music filled the room, easing up the atmosphere a little. Well, eased me up a little.

Halfway through my seventh slice, Gerard shifted his position until he was cross-legged and facing me on the couch. “So, you fancy anyone yet?”

I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “Captain Random, much?”

“Well, it’s a subject that should always be discussed at a sleepover,” he retorted, smiling cheekily.

“Well aren’t you all girly and feminine,” I laughed. He poked his tongue out at me and laughed along with me.

“But seriously, is there anyone you like or at least feel slightly attracted to? At all?”

“No, not really,” I replied, as I stretched out on the couch. I was being honest too. I sort of was attracted to someone and sort of wasn’t. That’s the equivalent of not really.

Gerard grinned down at me. “Please? Just tell me, there must be some guy you’ve been perving on. You may be batting for the male team but you’re still a teenage boy with raging hormones!”

I blushed. “Leave my hormones out of this. But…sure, maybe I have been checking out a few guys but that doesn’t mean I like them in the way you’re meaning. Getting romantically involved with any of them would be near impossible anyway.”

“Why near impossible?” Gerard looked confused.

“Well, where would I get my hands on some drug that would make them un-straight?” I laughed jokingly.

“You never know,” he muttered mysteriously, shooting me a somewhat knowing smile.

I gave him a peculiar look before continuing, “If there is any guy, I’ll tell you kay?”

I rolled my eyes when he punched the air. “No offence,” he smiled, “but it’s kinda cool and exciting having a gay friend. I don’t feel so alone anymore.”

That took me off guard. “Whaddya mean?”

“What do you think it means?” he laughed.

“Are you gay?” I asked bluntly, openly staring straight at him with serious eyes.

“Nope.”

“Then you’re straight?”

“Negative, little grasshopper,” he teased.

“Very informative,” I grumbled, frowning up at him a little.

“I’m just open to all forms of relationships, male or female,” he replied in a fake snobbish tone.

“You mean you’re just indecisive?” I teased, just as he was doing before.

He feigned shock and offence. “How could you say such a thing, man?!”

I laughed. “But seriously, I didn’t expect that.”

“Why not? Too masculine for you? Too manly?” He flexed his biceps.

“Yeah sure, sure. Such a man,” I said tonelessly.

“Stop it,” he said seriously. So seriously that it made me look up at him sharply.

“Stop what? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” I said hastily and wide-eyed.

“No, not that. Just being so serious all the time. Lighten up,” he said in a gentler tone, his muddy eyes boring into mine. His fingers were playing the zip on the pockets of his jeans.

“I am lightened up. I’m being un-serious.”

“Not enough. You just…get this look on your face like you’re in pain, emotionally. It flashes across your face all the time and you seem so distant sometimes.”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.”

“I don’t want to ruin our night, but tell me,” he pushed, looking sadly sheepish. “You still have some fake façade going on at times. Like I said the first time we played soccer together. Is it because of your mum?”

I stared at him a few moments before asking through gritted teeth, “what about my mum?”

“Because she’s not around? Is there a reason you can’t go live with her or something?”

I sighed. He didn’t know. How could I expect him to? He wasn’t in the class that one time when I burst out about not having one. And I hadn’t exactly said anything that indicated she wasn’t around, permanently.

“My mum is the reason my Dad is like the way he is,” I started softly.

“What did she do?” Gerard quietly asked when I paused for a while.

“She left us.” My eyes darted away.

“Can’t you go find her?”

“Yeah, I can.”

“Well, go see her and talk to her. Tell her what’s going on.”

“I have,” I said blankly.

“Has she done anything about it?” Gerard looked ready to be annoyed if I said she hadn’t. Why was I dragging this out? Why couldn’t I just tell him the truth straight out?

“She can’t,” I mumbled.

“And why not?” Gerard asked, exasperated.

“Because the dead can’t really do much,” I whispered.

There was silence. The only sound was the menu song from the DVD. I played with my fingers, looked at the walls and everything but Gerard. That wasn’t so hard. Painful, but not as difficult as I thought it would be…who was I kidding? It hurt.

“I’m really, really sorry,” Gerard finally said, reaching a hand out to me and then withdrawing it before it made contact. “Like, I’m really sorry.”

“You didn’t know, so don’t be,” I said, still playing with my fingers.

“Is that why you and your Dad are the way you are?” Gerard questioned softly, his gaze resting on me.

“Yeah,” I sighed, sitting up. “It’s been hard on both of us considering– uh, anyway next movie?”

Gerard dropped his head and mumbled an answer that I only just caught.

“So…scary?” I asked quickly, already moving to cross the room.

“Yeah, what do you have?” he asked, looking over at me as I knelt in front of the DVD’s. He had a weak smile on his face and it looked forced. It was making me uncomfortable; I just wish he’d smile like Gerard again.

“Uh, what about Shutter?”

“Nah. That’s not scary, just creepy and sad,” he answered.

“Well, umm…the Grudge?” The cover looked pretty freaky.

“Haven’t seen it but heard about it. Apparently it’s pretty scary,” Gerard replied, pulling his legs up onto the couch.

“I take that as a yes then,” I laughed softly. I put the movie and went back to the couch, curling up a little further away from Gerard than before. Tonight was weird; I’d have to go over it all later on.

When the menu came up I was already slightly freaked out. “Are you sure you want to watch this?”

“We can’t watch it without popcorn!” he burst out loudly.

I’m ashamed to admit that I jumped at the sudden loudness of his voice which pierced through the almost silence of the room. “C’mon on then,” I sighed, “we have some in the cupboard.”

“No, no. I brought some of my own,” he smiled, “the really buttery kind.”

My stomach turned in its place. “Let’s go get it then.”

“Don’t look so down. Buttery popcorn is the only way to have popcorn, man!” Gerard leapt from the couch and shot out of the room. I grudgingly followed with a short glance back at the creepy television screen.

When I reached the kitchen, he was already mucking around with the microwave, grumbling to himself. “Why is this thing so difficult?!”

“Maybe because you need to plug it in, genius,” I laughed, holding up the end of the cord. “We don’t use the microwave much so I never plugged it in.”

“Oh. I thought there was an on button or something and I couldn’t find it,” he chuckled, turning the microwave onto four minutes the moment I plugged the machine in.

“Knowing you, you probably wouldn’t find the button if there was one,” I said quietly with a cheeky smile.

Gerard looked over at me with a smirk adorning his features. “You’re so mean to me. My mum always told me that boys were mean to the people they like.”

“No, I just enjoy enlightening you to the truth, although I must say I do find you very attractive,” I joked.

“Oh really? I think I’m pretty fly-hot too,” he laughed, running his hands over his body in an overly dramatic seductive way.

“Pretty modest too.” I looked at the microwave, the bag had expanded and the popping was constant. A smile was plastered on my face and it felt nice. It was different to be smiling in this house, considering how often I was alone and had no reason to smile.

Once the popcorn was finished and put into a massive container, we went straight back into the lounge room and got comfortable.

“You ready for horror?” Gerard asked, evil-laughing and wiggling his fingers at me.

I raised an eyebrow at me. “Ready? I was born ready, man.”

“We shall see,” he laughed and then pressed play.

If I was apprehensive at first, now I have to say I will never watch a horror movie again. At least not at night, in the dark. Even Gerard was creeped out by the movie, the main girl was certainly scary and played her part exceptionally well.

“I swear I will not be able to sleep tonight,” Gerard said flatly as the credits started rolling.

“Makes two of us,” I replied in the same tone.

“We’ll have to entertain ourselves so we don’t fall asleep.”

I looked over at him and raised both eyebrows. “Are you serious?”

“…what?” He looked confused.

“Wait, don’t worry. Obviously my dirty mind took that the wrong way,” I laughed.

It took a moment before he caught on to what I was implying and his face lit with comprehension. “I didn’t mean that!” he laughed too, “but if you’d like…”

I laughed even harder at his expression when he said the last bit. His attempt at a seductive voice had failed in a way that could only be described as disastrous. His eyes crinkled at the side as he laughed along with me. Could I notice his smile or laugh anymore?

Even if it’s something I’m always thinking about it, I have to admit that just seeing his smile for the rest of my life wouldn’t be so bad. It’s always so cheery, I could totally imagine us being the best of friends, not needing anyone but each other.

“You’re an idiot,” I chuckled.