Death Is Strange

EIGHT

Frank's eyes flew open, and for a moment, he wasn't sure what had startled him. Then he heard a rustling noise from the corner and saw Gerard, hunched over something hidden in the bottom dresser drawer.

"Gee? You okay?" He mumbled. The alarm clock read 9:45, but if it weren't for the sunlight straining to get through the closed blinds and curtains, he would have thought it was still nighttime.

Gerard straightened quickly, turning to him. "No." He held up a blue and white sweatshirt, emblazoned with the Converse logo. "I found some of Bert's clothes he'd left in here." He tossed it aside and picked up a yellow shirt. "This was my favorite, but he got yelled at by every teacher and staff for wearing it." It looked as if it had once had a print of a palm tree on it, but that had faded away, and Bert had written in large letters across the front, BUTTSEX IS ITCHY.

Frank laughed sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "That's fucking awesome."

"Yeah. He liked to make offensive t-shirts and see how long he could wear them before someone yelled at him. It was kind of a game for him and his friend Jeph." Gerard paused. "Wait, we should talk to Jeph."

"Is he a lot like Quinn?"

"What? No, not at all. He's chill. I have no idea where he is these days. Last I heard he was joining a band. He's a talented guitarist. I bet I can track him down; I texted him a few times a long time ago. God, how did I not think of this sooner?" Gerard shook his head, wadding up the clothes and putting them back in the drawer.

Now that Frank was fully awake, his gaze fell on what Gerard was wearing. "Where did you get those pajamas?" he asked, not sure whether to laugh or tackle Gerard onto the bed.

"Oh. These? I don't know. I'm a pajama guy. They have to either be one piece or matching, so I loved this." He smiled slightly. "I probably got them around Halloween last year."

The zip-up pajamas were loose-fitting, black, and depicted a full skeleton, with even a hood with a skull on it. Gerard smiled sheepishly. "I went to shower and took these with me to change into. I'm so glad nobody was in the bathroom. I wasn't thinking."

"No, you made a good choice," Frank said quickly. "They remind me of an x-ray. My only complaint is that they're not transparent."

Gerard blushed a deep red and came to sit on the edge of the bed; Frank was still sprawled beneath the blankets, his hair tousled and a sleepy look on his face.

"Did you sleep okay?" Gerard whispered.

"Yeah. You thrash around a lot in your sleep, but it didn't really bother me."

"I bet it would if you slept with me for a week straight," Gerard muttered.

"I would sleep with you for a week straight," Frank said mischievously.

"No! I mean, yes, but, I didn't mean..."

"You wouldn't be able to walk when I finished with you," Frank whispered, rolling out of the bed and pulling on his clothes. "Have you heard from Ray or Mikey?"

Gerard sighed. "Ray said Mikey showed up early this morning, completely out of it, tripping really bad. Couldn't even remember where his room was, so he collapsed on the floor by Ray's bed and slept there until like thirty minutes ago. Ray didn't know what to do. He's freaked out, but personally I'm just so relieved Mikey's back. Ray said I need to stay put for a little while until Mikey knows what's going on. He said I'd panic, and I believe him. God, I hope he's just high."

"What about that Ukranian kid?"

"Denis? I don't know, I didn't ask. You should ask Ray."

Frank nodded. "I'm gonna go get ready now. I'll ask him. Do you want me to come back when I'm done? I can help you track down Jeph or something. Whatever you're up to."