I woke with a start, peeling my skin too quickly off of the table top. The sky outside had turned shades of oranges, as the sun started setting.
“Aw, shit…” I rubbed my face and rolled my head on my neck, a soreness washing over me. I eased out of the booth and made my way to the bedroom, looking around briefly before beginning the search for an Advil. I rifled through my dresser drawers, slamming one after another as I came up with nothing. Finally, lost amongst miss-matched socks and a small, locked box, I found the medication. I opened the top and tipped the bottle, shaking two out with care.
“Gerard?” I jumped and let out a yell, Advil falling to the ground and spilling across the carpeting.
“Fuck, Gee, I’m sorry!”
“Mikey, you can’t do that!”
“I thought you heard me come in. I’m so sorry,” he stuttered apologetically, bending to help me pick up my mess.
“Mikey?” I heard a voice call faintly from the other end of the house, slider door shutting. My head jerked up and my eyes locked with my brothers, whose were filled with obvious panic.
“What did you do?” I whispered, nervous sweat forming at my temples and in my palms.
“I had to. I had to, for your own good, Gerard.” He reached out and pushed some hair behind my ear, a small, sympathetic smile forming in the corner of his crooked mouth, fingers lingering on my cheek. I looked away and continued picking up the tiny Advil off my dirty floor as footsteps neared my doorway. Mikey got up and left, shutting the door behind him. There was muffled speaking outside my room, growing quieter as they walked down the hallway. I came to a stand, scratching my head and turning to look at myself in my mirror. I shuttered and leaned closer, observing my hair and skin. My clothing was tattered and stained, too big for my withering frame. Sighing, I opened a bottom drawer and pulled a dark long sleeve out of its folded resting place, tugging my own dirty sweatshirt over my head before replacing it with the shirt. I ran my fingers through my hair nervously, poking around a bit before deciding on a pair of jeans. After removing my sweat pants, I tugged the jeans over my knobby knees and hips, sighing as I discovered further weight loss- another pair of pants that didn’t fit. I pulled the shirt down over the top of the pants in hopes of disguising the loss from Mikey.
Shuffling out of my room and down the hall, nervousness swallowed me whole. I began to feel myself shake with nerves. To know that a stranger had entered my home with the intention of meeting me was sickening. I wanted to turn and run back to my room, but my feet moved mechanically towards the kitchen. Mikey saw me coming and rose from his sitting position, and I could see the head of his seated friend. He had a dark, full head of hair.
“Gerard,” Mikey started, and his friend rose, facing me. I felt the color drain out of my face and the breath get pulled out of my lungs.
“This is Frank.” I tried to articulate words, but found myself stuttering and sputtering nonsense sounds. I licked my lips and nodded.
“Hi,” I managed, giving a small wave. He blushed and looked down at his feet.
“Hi,” He said, smiling, and gesturing to a small carrying container on the stove.
“I baked us a pizza.”
Suddenly, for the first time in a long time, I felt hungry.

Notes

I'm sorry this took so long, but here it is!!!