Frank's boyish eyes cried more tears that day than an eight year old should ever have had to. Standing at the makeshift grave sight, he released a sort of physical manifestation of the emotional anguish that welled up inside of him when he thought of how he would never hear his beloved dog's bark again; how he would never see Oliver's shiny golden shag sprinting through his green and yellow backyard again. Most of all, Frank's sorrow stemmed from the fact that he would never be able to snuggle up against his loving golden retriever's side and fall asleep during a horrible thunderstorm again. No. He could never do any of that anymore. All because of Gerard. The boy down the street. The boy that no one ever bothered to play with. The boy that had a reputation that was as dark as the color of his eyes. Frank had stood there. Hovering over Oliver's barely warm body, focusing on his chest. Waiting for him to breath again, to blink, to get up and lick his chin lovingly like he used too. Nothing. Standing on the side of the curb, next to the grieving Frank, stood a guilty looking child. His face was as pale as the pavement he was planted on motionlessly, and his eyes were as wide as the moon peeking over the horizon. Gerard looked at the lifeless heap of fur lying on the floor in front of him. He hadn't mean to drive him away. He hadn't meant to scare him in the street. He didnt know that truck was coming, he didnt plan on the dog freezing in front of the car like a deer caught in headlights. He also didnt know another thing, what to say to Frank. Gerard looked up from the shag and placed his eyes on the flustered boy who had his eyes squeezed shut and his tender fists balled up. "You know.. This happened to my dog once. My mom buried him in the backyard. And then we had another one a few days later. Maybe you should try that?" That sentence was innocently said. Good intentions his behind it. But as Franks eyes zipped towards Gerard's, he instantly knew that he had said the wrong thing. The small boy in front of him scrunched up his nose and buried his small face in his minuscule hands. "You idiot." He spat at him. "Dogs don't just come out the ground. Oliver was special! He was my dog. My mom gave him to me as a birthday present. He... He was my bestfriend..." As his rage filled shouts turned into harsh whispers, a year rolled down his nose and cast a dark spot on Oliver's coat. Again the two boys stood motionless in the middle of the street. Frank, because he couldn't get his words out over the lump in his throat, and Gerard because he was afraid that anything else he said would make his only friend any more upset. "I-I'm sorry." Those words escaped Gerard's frail shaking lips. The vowel was left hanging in the air as the silence continued. Frank snapped his head towards Gerard, his once immobile legs were now antsy. "No." Was all that rolled of franks tongue. He looked away. More tears splashing his beloved dogs fur. He couldn't handle looking at him any more. He couldn't stand standing next to this dog killer. He couldn't breathe. He had too get home. Franks wobbly knees curled in as he slowly bent down to touch his cheek to Oliver's lifeless body once again. Oh how he would miss him. He shakily stood up and then turned to face Gerard. With wide eyes they stared each other down. Silently establishing what they were from here on out. Enemies. Frank wanted nothing to do with the 'murderer' that stood before him. "No." Again was all, and only, had been said for the next 8 more years. Frank looked across the street to his house, and away he ran. Without looking back. Trying not to think of what had just happened. He left the boy clad in a t-Rex shirt and army pants standing alone in the cold evening air. Gerard hadnt meant to hurt Oliver. Gerard had only wanted to pet him, too pet his new friends dog. To show Frank that he could be a normal boy too and play with dogs. But as the air swirled into Gerard's lungs as he choked in sobs, he knew that Frank would never be his friend again.

Notes

Hello, my lovely children of gay (Marina's Term). This story was previously up here, but my co-author Marina and I had some terrible miscommunication in where both of us thought the other didn't want to continue, so I deleted it. We talked. And now I am re-uploading it. Chapters 3 & 4 are in the works right now.

xo Bunny.