Scans went good I think. Have a new nurse, he’s kinda weird but nice and his hair is like wow. The Frank dude is cool. Pete wants to visit tonight give him a lift plz J xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mikey always sent a weird amount of x’s. At first he did it to take the piss out of his ex who was one of those girls who never left her preteen years. Now he does it habitually and it weirds out people like Bob and our mom.
I unlock my phone and reply Good to hear about the scans. I met the nurse, ray right? Happy guy... yea I’ll get P tty then J.
When I leave Bob to lock up I’m so I tired I could sleep now rather than try keep up with Pete.
I pick him up outside his apartment block. He jumps in the car and immediately starts talking. “Fucking hell man guess what! My dick is gone viral, again. Like what the fuck I only sent it to three girls in the history of ever,” and it continues like this. I like Pete but man the guy can talk.
We walk into the hospital room and Pete makes a dive at Mikey. The bed across is empty.
“Missed you man! How are you? How’s your ass? Stop taking it up the butt and you won’t have this problem” Pete laughs.
I sit down in the corner and take out the sketch book I brought. I knew I’d have to let Pete have a long talk at my brother so I came prepared.
After about half an hour while Pete was telling Mikey about their other friends and this apprentice he had come work with him call Brendon, the door opened and Frank was wheeled, looking exhausted. He pulled himself into bed and sighed.
“Hey, you okay?” I ask from the corner.
“No. I’m not o-fucking-kay,” he snaps. Then he sighs again and softer says, “Sorry I’ve just been through four fucking hours of chemo and my chest hurts.”
“Yea it was kind of a dumb question anyway, sorry. How long have you been in treatment?” I say. I guess I’m just desperate to talk to this hot guy. Even looking soggy from chemo I want to just, like, kiss him.
“Long enough for my insurance company to hate me and my family to stop visiting daily,” he laughs, “Nah I’ve had this fucking cancer for two and a half years. What are you drawing anyway?”
I look ashamedly down at my sketches. “Uh nothing really. Some character ideas for comic books and stuff.”
“Can I see?”
“Uh yea sure. Warning they’re shit.” I pass him over my sketch book and watch his smile grow.
“These are fucking awesome man! Can I look at the others?” he asks smiling. I nod and he flicks through it eyes growing wide. I feel embarrassed like he was seeing me naked or something. “Dude these are amazing are you like an artist or something?”
“No way! I work in Bryar’s music store. I sell CDs and band shirts and amps and shit” I say kind of hoping he’d strike up a conversation about music.
“Nice, I think I bought a guitar there before I was hospitalized. I had this band Pencey Prep,” Frank said and started talking about his influences and his band and his songs. I just stared at his mouth as he formed the words and had to hold back the urge to stop them with my mouth.
After a while Pete realised Frank was here and the whole room was alive with the debate Blink 182 vs Green Day.
After about two hours the smiley big haired nurse came in to tell us to leave and started piling medication onto Frank’s bedside locker.
I dropped Pete home and pulled into my own. As soon as I hit the pillow I fell asleep and dreamed about Frank.

The next morning I drank two pots of coffee before heading to work. Bob was just unlocking when I turned up. “New shipment of nirvana stuff today. So many girls buying their shirts. Not only do they not know the band but they don’t know what they stood for you know?” And here began Bob’s rant of the day.
At lunch I stood in the back room for a smoke and to eat a sandwich when two texts light up the screen.
Are you coming over today? If yes bring that drawing you did if me to show Frankie he won’t shut up about your drawings xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From Mikey and then one from Pete
Do you like that Frank dude? Mikey says you do and we have a bet. If you don’t I get his bike –P
Nice one Mikey. I decide not to reply to Pete and tell Mikey that I would.
The day drags on as we sell nirvana merch while Bob scowls from the music equipment side of the shop.
I stop home to pick up the drawing before heading to the hospital. Ray is in the room talking quietly to Frank and gesturing at a sheet of paper. For the first time he’s not beaming. Mikey is asleep so I just sit down beside his bed and listen to music until Ray leaves.
“Hey,” I say pulling my earbuds out, “How are you doing?”
“My body is trying to kill me but elsewise I’m excellent. Is that the drawing?” He says sitting up.
“Yea, here” I hand it over to him. I know better than to ask but I really want to know what Ray was saying.
“Mikey wears glasses?” he asks.
“Yea just not here I guess.”
“This is fucking amazing dude. Could you draw me?”
I nod. Drawing his face is mesmerising, all its lines that fit perfectly to make this incredibly hot guy. Drawing the sweep of his neck and then the scorpion.
“Here it’s done,” I hold out the page to him and he starts to grin.
“Fuck that’s amazing! Can I keep it?”
“Yea if you want.”
“Thanks man. Hey Mikey, your brother is awesome where can I get one” he laughs.
Mikey is sitting up in his bed grinning. My cheeks are red hot and when Frank turns away Mikey winks knowingly at me. “Hey Gee, me and Pete had this bet right, I think he just lost.”

Notes

Introducing Pete Wentz