Status: In progress of next chapter. :)
Intuition.
0009.
When Monday came around I was still thinking of what Gerard had said on the way back from the pool.
“Wouldn’t mind or just wouldn’t be around to care?”
It got me thinking. Maybe he was right, even if he hadn’t intended for me to hear what he said. Dad wasn’t home that night. Or the next day. He came home this morning just as I had left.
“Hey son, how was your weekend?” he had asked. I noticed the bags under his eyes and the way he held his body; tiredly.
“Good. How was the surgery?”
“That’s why I’m coming home actually. They want me to get some sleep because I need to go back in. It wasn’t as successful as we’d all hoped. The patient isn’t doing to well but we think we can save them,” he explained, suddenly looking for old.
“Good luck, Dad. I gotta go,” I replied, even when I just wanted to stay home with him. Even if he was sleeping in the room upstairs it’d be nice just knowing that he was actually in the house.
I’d left quickly before my Dad would see the small tear that I couldn’t stop from trickling down my cheek.
At school Gerard was already mucking around with a soccer ball out-tricking all the others who had joined in. I couldn’t help but chuckle at Ray’s frustrated expression as he tried to get the ball. It was all fun and games but Ray was determined to get the ball.
Gerard was helping Ray train for his team outside of school.
“Hey new kid!” Gerard called, not once looking up from the ball. He’s amazing like that, he can concentrate solely on the ball yet hold a semi-coherent conversation at the same time. Not always, but most of the time. It gets him into trouble on the field though.
“Hey Gerard,” I replied, standing back and watching Gerard’s feet dance around the ball. Abruptly Gerard stopped causing Ray to stumble over the ball. Gerard and I snorted, trying to hold in our laughter. Ray’s cheeks turned slightly pink and he picked up the ball mumbling, “Thanks a lot Gerard.”
“No problem, mate.”
I shook my head at Gerard. He was always smiling. But his remark on the weekend still echoed in my mind. “Wouldn’t mind or just wouldn’t be around to care?”
I’d decided that it was true, to some extent at least.
“Oi! New kid, come on.”
I jumped, startled. “Huh?” I said stupidly.
“Off with those damn hot fairies again?” Gerard asked, a playful gleam in his eyes.
“Yep,” I replied, playing along. “They’re fucking awesome. Nice bodies, great sex, good food. Yum.”
Gerard laughed, his grin lighting up his face even more. How many times would I notice his smile or grin? I swear I must have said something about his smiling billions of times. I laughed along with him as we headed into the building that held our classes.
At recess we played soccer. Gerard and I were both in defensive positions so contact between us was minimal. The game soon got pretty boring though as none of the other players could manage to get past us. The crowd watching us all play was beginning to get restless too.
After I blocked another goal and took the ball up the field, passing it to a midfielder, I asked one of the forwards if he’d swap with me. I think his name was Chris or something suburban like that. He agreed and I quickly moved into my position.
Gerard, seeing the swap, did the same. We grinned at each other when the crowd started cheering; they knew what would happen next.
I got the ball and I dodged my way up the field, keeping an eye fixated on Gerard as he readied himself. Before I got anywhere near the goals, he attacked. His feet were nimble and light as he tried to gain control of the ball that was twisting around and under our feet.
Half of the crowd was cheering for Gerard and the other half for me. Their shouts mixed with the players on the field so I didn’t know what team members were calling out that they were free for me to pass to them. So the battle between Gerard and I went on.
It was a cycle that went on and on, never-ending. He would gain control for all of two seconds, I’d steal it back and then he’d steal it off me, repeat. We both grunted, ignoring the beads of sweat that dripped down our faces, concentrating on beating each other.
The bell rang and we stopped abruptly.
“Saved by the bell, new kid,” Gerard panted, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
“Yeah,” I replied, “Lucky.”
That afternoon before I left school I asked Gerard about the weekend. “Would you like to come over? Or do you have any other assignments?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I’m free. What night?”
“Friday? Then you can just catch the bus home with me.”
“Yeah, sure,” he answered, his grin widening. “I’ll give you a call tonight, yeah?”
I nodded, already walking away to my bus stop. I turned halfway there and waved, smiling. Gerard waved back before he got into his Mum’s car. I had spring in my step when I got on the bus and my heart beat was slightly accelerated.
Gerard was…indescribable.
“Wouldn’t mind or just wouldn’t be around to care?”
It got me thinking. Maybe he was right, even if he hadn’t intended for me to hear what he said. Dad wasn’t home that night. Or the next day. He came home this morning just as I had left.
“Hey son, how was your weekend?” he had asked. I noticed the bags under his eyes and the way he held his body; tiredly.
“Good. How was the surgery?”
“That’s why I’m coming home actually. They want me to get some sleep because I need to go back in. It wasn’t as successful as we’d all hoped. The patient isn’t doing to well but we think we can save them,” he explained, suddenly looking for old.
“Good luck, Dad. I gotta go,” I replied, even when I just wanted to stay home with him. Even if he was sleeping in the room upstairs it’d be nice just knowing that he was actually in the house.
I’d left quickly before my Dad would see the small tear that I couldn’t stop from trickling down my cheek.
At school Gerard was already mucking around with a soccer ball out-tricking all the others who had joined in. I couldn’t help but chuckle at Ray’s frustrated expression as he tried to get the ball. It was all fun and games but Ray was determined to get the ball.
Gerard was helping Ray train for his team outside of school.
“Hey new kid!” Gerard called, not once looking up from the ball. He’s amazing like that, he can concentrate solely on the ball yet hold a semi-coherent conversation at the same time. Not always, but most of the time. It gets him into trouble on the field though.
“Hey Gerard,” I replied, standing back and watching Gerard’s feet dance around the ball. Abruptly Gerard stopped causing Ray to stumble over the ball. Gerard and I snorted, trying to hold in our laughter. Ray’s cheeks turned slightly pink and he picked up the ball mumbling, “Thanks a lot Gerard.”
“No problem, mate.”
I shook my head at Gerard. He was always smiling. But his remark on the weekend still echoed in my mind. “Wouldn’t mind or just wouldn’t be around to care?”
I’d decided that it was true, to some extent at least.
“Oi! New kid, come on.”
I jumped, startled. “Huh?” I said stupidly.
“Off with those damn hot fairies again?” Gerard asked, a playful gleam in his eyes.
“Yep,” I replied, playing along. “They’re fucking awesome. Nice bodies, great sex, good food. Yum.”
Gerard laughed, his grin lighting up his face even more. How many times would I notice his smile or grin? I swear I must have said something about his smiling billions of times. I laughed along with him as we headed into the building that held our classes.
At recess we played soccer. Gerard and I were both in defensive positions so contact between us was minimal. The game soon got pretty boring though as none of the other players could manage to get past us. The crowd watching us all play was beginning to get restless too.
After I blocked another goal and took the ball up the field, passing it to a midfielder, I asked one of the forwards if he’d swap with me. I think his name was Chris or something suburban like that. He agreed and I quickly moved into my position.
Gerard, seeing the swap, did the same. We grinned at each other when the crowd started cheering; they knew what would happen next.
I got the ball and I dodged my way up the field, keeping an eye fixated on Gerard as he readied himself. Before I got anywhere near the goals, he attacked. His feet were nimble and light as he tried to gain control of the ball that was twisting around and under our feet.
Half of the crowd was cheering for Gerard and the other half for me. Their shouts mixed with the players on the field so I didn’t know what team members were calling out that they were free for me to pass to them. So the battle between Gerard and I went on.
It was a cycle that went on and on, never-ending. He would gain control for all of two seconds, I’d steal it back and then he’d steal it off me, repeat. We both grunted, ignoring the beads of sweat that dripped down our faces, concentrating on beating each other.
The bell rang and we stopped abruptly.
“Saved by the bell, new kid,” Gerard panted, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
“Yeah,” I replied, “Lucky.”
That afternoon before I left school I asked Gerard about the weekend. “Would you like to come over? Or do you have any other assignments?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I’m free. What night?”
“Friday? Then you can just catch the bus home with me.”
“Yeah, sure,” he answered, his grin widening. “I’ll give you a call tonight, yeah?”
I nodded, already walking away to my bus stop. I turned halfway there and waved, smiling. Gerard waved back before he got into his Mum’s car. I had spring in my step when I got on the bus and my heart beat was slightly accelerated.
Gerard was…indescribable.