Drawn to you

Is it wrong that I’m so excited about going to the Scarlet Party that I actually woke up early this morning? Like 5am early? It’s only 8am now and I already have my dress ironed and ready… I know – who even irons these days? But I’m all fidgety with nothing else to do today but wait until it’s time to meet everyone at the uni bar. I think I’m driving my mum crazy with my constant pacing. She works from home as a Virtual Assistant to various small companies that can’t afford to hire someone to work for them full time. So I guess me walking around the house aimlessly is ruining her concentration.
“Would you just go for a run or something?” she says eventually, her eyes closed as she forces her voice to stay calm.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m happy hanging around here,” I reply, clapping my hands together as I continue to pace.
“Honey, I insist. Please, get out of this house and work off some of that excess energy.”
“But I have uni in an hour,” I retort.
“Then you can get ready and walk to the uni instead of catching a train. Please Frank, I can’t concentrate with you huffing and puffing out there.”
I hesitate in the doorway of her office, it’s already fairly warm outside, and I don’t want to have to wear a giant hat to protect my fair skin from the bright February sun.
“Go!” she commands, shooing me away with her hand.
“Um… ok,” I call, grabbing my bag as I head out the door.
It takes me a good forty-five minutes to make it on campus, and the first thing I do is head to the café to grab a cold bottle of water. As I stand outside, I lean against the wall in the shade to cool down before I go to class.
“Hey, I thought that was you,” says Aaron as he approaches me. “How does it feel to officially be an adult now?”
“The same so far. I haven’t done any 18-year-old things yet,” I reply taking a mouthful of water.
He raises his eyebrows at me as a grin spreads across his lips. He knows full well that I’ve done plenty of 18-year-old things. I just haven’t done them legally yet.
“I mean I haven’t been able to officially use my ID yet.”
“Well, we will fix that for you tonight. Are you going to crash at your new place or do you want to crash at mine?” he asks, taking the bottle from my hands and taking a mouthful for himself.
“I hadn’t thought about it. I was actually just planning on going home. I only have tonight and tomorrow before I move out. So I thought I might be responsible and not drink too much tonight to freak the parental unit out.”
He hands the bottle back. “Thanks,” he says. “Yeah, that might be a good idea. We can go out again next week if you want to have a big one.”
“We can go out any time. I’m about to be granted my freedom. The rules will soon be mine to make,” I smile.
“You know, it’s strange thinking of you as eighteen. You seem so much older all the time,” he muses as we begin to make our way to the lecture hall.
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or if you’re telling me I look haggard,” I laugh.
“No Frank – it’s a compliment. You’re so far from ever being called ‘haggard’ and you know it. I guess it’s just that we started uni at the same time, and I’ve always thought of you as the same as me. You’ve never seemed as though you were five years younger than me.” Besides the mature age students, Aaron is actually one of the older students in third year. Most students started straight out of high school. But Aaron didn’t start until he was twenty – he took a year off to work and travel before focusing on his studies.
“You’re just saying that to be nice,” I say.
“No. It’s true - you’re amazing.”
He stands aside to let me into the row of seats ahead of him, and I’m glad to be able to turn away from him, and glad that the lecture hall has dim lighting. His compliment has caused a deep flush to heat my cheeks. I’ve always thought he was pretty amazing too.
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“Show me, show me, show me!” my mother sings as she makes her way up the hallway to the bathroom where I’m getting ready for my night out. I've spiked all my hair up pinning my fringe back with jel and applied a deep pink lip stain so my lips stand out. For my eyes, I’ve kept it simple, by brushing red eye shadow over my lower lid and smudging it at the corner, topping it off with some black mascara and with my eye liner go over it.” 'Yes I look girly but I look hot, love yourself if no one else doesn't'
“Oh honey,” she breathes, looking me up and down. “You look gorgeous. Wait there, I want to take a photo to show your father.”
“No mum please,” I beg.
“Just one,” she says, dashing off to grab her phone.
When she returns, I turn around and let her take her photo, feeling like an idiot as she clicks away.
“Just one more. Can you smile in this one - please? You look so handsome.”
I give my mum the smile she’s after, as a horn honks outside, letting me know that Aaron is there to pick me up.
“Isn’t he going to come in to get you?” she asks, glancing out the window at his parked car.
“It’s not a date mum,” I remind her, as I pick up my bag. 'My mother knows my bi sexual'
“Doesn’t mean he has to beep at you,” she comments.
Smiling, I ignore her quip. “Thank you for the clothes mum,” I say to her as I start to leave.
"no problem Frankie baby, Have a great time tonight. Stay out as long as you like Be good – and drink if you wish. I promise to deal with your father.”
“Thanks mum,” I whisper, giving her quick hug.
On my way out, I can’t stop smiling as she leans against the door jam and keeps calling out for me to have a good time. I’m now wondering who’s more excited about this. Me or her?
“Holy shit Frankie. You look smoking hot tonight,” Aaron remarks as I get in the car.
“Thank you,” I smile. “You don’t look so bad yourself. I like this look on you.” He’s wearing a pair of red jeans with a fitted black t-shirt. You can actually see the hours this man puts in at the uni gym through his clothes, and I wonder why he still doesn’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend. I don’t really think he’s dated much at all since we broke up.

As we approach the campus Bar Café, I’m feeling a little overdressed. Most of the people milling about the campus are wearing casual jeans and t-shirt type outfits as they move from class to class. My phone goes off in my back pocket, signalling that I have a message.
Still coming? It says.
I smile as I reply to Elliott, Yes, we’re outside.
When the bar comes into view, my smile grows wider as I see Elliott and Anthony, both in skinny jeans and red vest, leaning against one of the outside tables, talking to a few other people dressed in a similar fashion.
“Yay! You made it,” Elliott squeals, dancing about excitedly as he holds a bottle of beer above his head.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I return, grinning like crazy. I’ve been to the uni bar before, but I’ve never been able to go out with everyone afterward. I’ve always had to keep to my curfew. Now suddenly, I don’t have one, and I can’t stop smiling.
“I love that outfit,”Elliott says. “I wish I was small to wear something like that to show my curves Skinny jeans make me look like a giant,”he laughs.
“There has to be a benefit to being a small man,” I laugh in return.
“We haven’t been to one of these pool competitions before. Are they any good? Anthony asks, directing his question toward Aaron.
“Um, yeah. They’re not too bad. I normally buddy up with a few friends. That’s them over there,” he says, nodding toward a group of people we know from our classes.
“Can you play pool Franklin?” asks Elliott, as he lifts her bottle of beer to his lips.
“A little, I know the rules. But I’m rarely here long enough to play,” I reply, hoping they don’t really expect me to play in the tournament.
Our other friends wave us over to their table. “Let me introduce you to our friends,” Aaron offers, guiding us all over to our usual group of Jenny, Kylie, Daniel, Carl and Adam, who are already seated and drinking at an inside table. Kylie jumps up and hugs me. “Happy birthday! We thought we’d sit inside today since your legal now,” she bounces.
“It was your birthday?” Elliott asks.
“Yeah Thursday,” I smile, turning to introduce them before everyone gets caught up discussing my age again. “Everyone, this is Elliott and Anthony . They’re going to be my housemates as of this weekend,” I tell them all proudly.
“Oh my god! You found something already? That’s fantastic,” squeals Jenny.
“And I hear you’re coming out with us tonight,” Carl adds.
“I sure am,” I grin.
“Does that mean he can sub in for me with this pool thing?” Adam asks. He seems to be all arms and legs and from what I hear, is solely responsible for the constant losses this group is amassing in the pool competition.
“Don’t try and rope him in,” Jenny puts in. “Adam you’ll be fine. The men play the pool and the women sit around and drink and giggle. It’s the rules, and it has been for years.”
“What’s going on?” I ask Aaron.
“Adam doesn’t want to play,” Carl explains.
“But we need a forth,” Aaron responds.
“Frank can do it,” Adam insists.
“Alright, well if you want me to – I’ll play. I can sink the balls, I just can’t do any fancy tricks,” I offer, realising that I’d actually prefer to play pool more than I’d prefer to watch for a change.
“Sounds perfect. Of course you’ll partner with me,” Aaron smiles.
“Of course,” I grin back.
Aaron and Karl rise from their seats and make their way over to the sign up area. It’s at that moment I get a prickling sensation dancing over my skin. When I look around for the reason, I notice Gerard, sitting at the bar, beer in hand, watching me.
The moment I catch his eye, he tilts his glass toward me and smiles, giving me a wink. The corner of my mouth twitches as I try to fight my smile, although the blush comes anyway and I’m sure he notices because he laughs a little as he takes a sip of his drink.
“We’re all set,” Aaron says as he makes his way back over. “Can I get you a drink?” he offers, pointing toward the bar.
“Yeah, actually. That’d be nice,” I smile, glancing toward the bar where I just saw Gerard. He’s still there, but he’s joined by two other guys now as well as that Bec girl who was at his room on Monday. She catches me watching and smiles, like she’s some sort of a feline, playing with her prey as she slides her arm over the back of Gerard’s shoulders before whispering something in his ear.
"What'll it be?" Aaron asks, stealing my attention away.
"Surprise me," I smile, unable to force my attention away from Gerard and Bec long enough to decide for myself.
He laughs. "I'll try and get you something nice.”
"Thanks.”I smiled
"LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED"we all in sync throwing our bottles in the air

Notes