Careful

Chapter 3

"Is that...all the clothes you have?"

I peered into, what was now, his closet in shock.

"Yeah." He answered awkwardly, reaching up and back to scratch the back of his neck.

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. He had put all of his clothes at one end of the rail and took up barely a foot of it.

"Well, that's just my shirts. My pants are in the draws and-"

"Frank, it's okay." I interrupted, "In fact, my mum can take you shopping for more if you like."

"I don't need to be taken pity-shopping." He snapped.

"Okay, then. Sorry, it was just a suggestion."

"Yeah, a bad one." He was growing increasingly angry, I could tell.

"Look, I'm just going to go...downstairs..." I began making my way out of the bedroom, when I thought I heard a small whimper. I looked back to see if it was Frank, but his back was turned. I brushed it off and began to walk downstairs to my mother.

I wasn't even at the top of the stairs when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder.

"Look, Gerard, I'm sorry." He breathed as I turned around to face him, "I just...I get insecure about not having much. Y'know? Oh god, I've never...I've never told anyone that before."

"Hey..." I answered sympathetically, "It's okay, really, I was just trying to be helpful. But I understand." I paused, "Why did you tell me?"

"What?"

"You said you've never told anyone that before, why did you tell me?" I asked.

"Oh..." he shrugged, "I don't know. Does it matter?"

"Nah, I guess not." I smiled, which he returned. And god, it was the first time I had seen him smile, rather than smirk, and I melted. I genuinely melted inside when I saw his white teeth peep through his pink, slimy-looking lips.

"Would she- your mum...would she really buy me new clothes?" He asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, of course."

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Dinner was a success. Frank was polite to my mum and even offered to help clean up afterwards, which she declined, of course.

I lay in bed, my alarm clock was ticking away.

Tick, tick, tick.

That was irritating the fuck out of me. I rolled over towards it and saw the time. It read 1:37. I groaned, why couldn't I just go the  fuck to sleep!?

I rolled away from it again, it was strangely patronising, when there was a knock at my door.

"Gee?" I heard a small timid voice, muffled through the thin wood.

Gee? No one called me Gee.

"Yeah...?" I asked suspiciously.

"Um, its Frank. I um..." there was silence, "Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." I answered, confused.

The door opened and Frank walked in with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pyjamas on. His hair was a fucking mess, he must have been tossing and turning a lot.

Neither of us spoke for a long time. Frank had closed the door and was simply standing there. I had sat up and we looked at each other.

"I- I like your pjs." I managed to choke out.

"Huh? Oh, yeah thanks."

And more silence.

"Frank?" I began, "What's wrong? Why did you come in here?"

He sighed, "I...I- I don't like being alone. And this is an unfamiliar environment so...it was harder for me, I guess. I'm sorry, I'll go." He started walking towards the door. 'I should stop him' I thought. So I did.

"Frank?" He spun around to look at me.

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to go." I smiled sympathetically, patting the bed next to me.

"Gerard, I don't want to be an inconvenience. This is weird- are you sure?" He stuttered out.

"Yes." I nodded. "C'mere, Frankie."

He was hesitant at first, but smiled eventually and padded over to the bed.

I shifted to the other side of my double bed and he clambered under the covers.

"Frank?" I whispered into the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for knocking."

"That's okay. It's what you wanted."

There was a short silence.

"Hey Frank?" I whispered again.

"Yeah?" He exhaled, turning to look at me. We were now both on our sides, looking at each other.

"Why'd you call me Gee?"

He paused, as if in thought. "Why'd you call me Frankie?"

I simply nodded.

Touché.