Gerard's pov:
me and mom were sitting on the coach drinking coffee when the door bell rang, I went to get it when I opened the door I came face to face with the funniest site in the world. there was a short and tiny person standing there with about ten boxes in his hands. you couldn't even see his face because the boxes were blocking the view and they looked like they were going to fall at any moment.
"can I come in?" oh it was a girl?
"emm....eh..ehemmm..."
"hello sweetie come on in, Gerard why are you just standing there and watching? help her with those"
so mom knew her? maybe she was my cousin? how come mom never mentioned me having a cousin?
I took the boxes from her and took them inside they were firkin heavy what the hell were these anyway?
I put them on the coffee table.
now I could see her face she was tiny. she had big eyes but her mouth and nose were small. her eyes were brown and her hair was black. she was wearing black skinny jeans with boots that came up to her knees and a black turtleneck shirt and she was sniffling .she was cute.
"we went for a trip to Milan and I bought you some gifts. we only just got back but I wanted to give them to you as soon as possible, here" she gave mom one of the boxes" what the fuck?
"I picked out all of them myself see if you like them." then she went silent for a moment "I wanted to pay you back for all the things you have done for me, this is not much but..."
"no sweetie this is great. you didn't have to this, really. I didn't do anything. you can come here any time and you can ask me for anything, don't feel like a stranger consider this your own home, you are like my own child."
seriously, what the FUCK? my own child? then she hugged her.
"em ...ehem...ehem" I started clearing my throat a few times to bring their attention back to myself
"oh..em..this is my son Gerard. Gerard this is Jessica. she is our neighbor, she lives right across the street from us. she is also a very good friend of mine."
"hi" she said in a tiny voice. she was shy.
"hey" and we shook hands.
I could see why mom was so fund of her, I was liking her already
"do you want anything to drink? tea? coffee?"
" coffee would be great thank you"
mom went in the kitchen to get some coffee.
" so you are a neighbor?"
"yeah there was this one time that I had forgotten my keys so I was locked out of the house she offered me to stay at your house till my brother got home and opened the door so I came in and we talked and now we are really good friends."
"so what do you do? you go to school?"
"no, I graduated high school last year I'm still not sure what I want to study or if I wanna go to college at all so I took this year off, your mom tells me you are gonna graduate high school this year?"
"yes and I'm looking forward to it"
"so that means you are in our team then?"
"your team?"
"the quiet geeky freaky lonely weirdoes all over the planet team?"
"I was born in that team baby"
she started laughing and somehow her laughs got to me and I started laughing as well
"so we are team mates now?"
"we are practically family now, that team is one big international family"
we both started laughing again, god I haven't laughed like that in ages and I didn't even know what I was laughing about and I was sure she wasn't laughing like a maniac just because of her earlier comment.
there was this happy atmosphere in the room I was laughing because I was generally happy I
"I would say more like the most dysfunctional family of history well excluding the Hitler's" I said between my giggles and then we fell into another feet of laughter .
try to understand that it's not about the subject anymore it's more like all those years of not laughing were catching up with me I was in hysterics now tears were running down my face and my cheeks hurt from all the laughing Jessica was doubled over laughing and that when my mom came in the room with a tray in her hands oh she had brought the coffee she had gone to get the coffee I had forgotten that then I fell in another feet of laughter because suddenly the idea of my mom getting coffee was such a funny taught
my mom was shocked to say the least. she had just frozen in her place with the tray still in her hands and just stared at us mouth a gap and then we were laughing at the site of my mom standing there in complete shock. well see my mom doesn't see me laugh that often and that's because I DONT laugh that often. that might be an understatement. I don't laugh AT ALL. in the occasions that I do laugh however mom and Mickey act really weird and stuff? I remember that one time that I suddenly started laughing at Mickey's poor attempts to make me laugh at my birthday mom spilled her drink and Mickey ran to get the camera.
to this day Mickey thinks that I laughed at one of his stupid jokes but what actually made me laugh was his dumbass attempts to make me laugh anyway it's not like I'm a sad person. I'm not sad, I just don't find humor in the many things that other people may think funny and I do smile on occasion I'm just not really used to laughing . so you get that when my mom saw me like that it wasn't just the shock of me laughing uncontrollably and for no real reason it was the shock of me LAUGHING.
"so what were you kids talking about?"
"about how...how we are praccc...practically family...now" Jessica forced that out between her giggles and then we both started laughing again. we just couldn't seem to stop and technically we were laughing at nothing and my mom had this confused look on her face, god it was priceless. finally after a few minutes we were able to control ourselves but the smiles stayed intact.
we drank our coffees and mom asked Jessica some stupid questions about her trip.
I should go now it's getting late and I have work tomorrow. this was really fun thank you for the coffee."
"you are welcome sweetheart."
so she started to get up I got up and walked her to the door. she stepped out on the porch then she turned around
"hey it was nice meeting you" she was smiling
"you too" I said smiling back.
"does that mean we are friends now?"
I thought about her question for a second. maybe having a friend wasn't such a bad idea after all. I always avoid friendships. I don't like getting attached besides I have never seen anyone worthy of being my friend but this one...
I think one friend wouldn't hurt
"sure" I raised my hand she took it and we shook hands once again
"friends it is then" she was smiling even bigger if it was humanly possible I couldn't help but smile back.
"so yeah I should go now"
"yeah, goodnight"
" 'night"
and with that she turned and walked away I stayed and watched her as she disappeared in the house across the street. well she was really something, I sighed and went inside. as I went back I couldn't stop smiling.
"well..?"
my mom was standing there folding her hands on her chest looking at me expectantly
"well...?" I said asking her what she meant
"what was that?"
"what was what?"
"you know what, I have never seen you laugh like that since... well since a long time ago. don't play dumb with me young man."
I dropped down on the coach and put one of the cautions in my lap.
"well she is funny." I wasn't looking at mom I was thinking about her question
'really, what was that?'
mom sat down next to me.
"so does that mean you like her?"
"well of course I like her. we were laughing together just seconds ago. dah?"
I turned to give my mom a why did you even ask look and that's when I got what she meant
"oh like that, I dunno"
I stared at the opposite wall
"I mean I don't even really know her"
"but would you want to know her?"
"of course"
then there was silence for a few moments.
I was staring at the wall but I could feel my mom smiling.
"hey mom I think I just made my first friend."
she started laughing
"well congratulations honey"
"I think I'm going to go to bed now"
"ok sweetheart good night"
"good night mom"
I was about to walk up the stairs when my mom called me again
"hey Gerard" I turned around
"it wasn't just YOUR laugh that surprised me tonight, hers is just as rare"
I just smiled and then went to my room. I brushed my teeth and changed into my pjs but before going to bed I want to check on Mickey. I kneeled beside his bed. I felt like I missed him. he was asleep for a whole afternoon. I couldn't wait for him to wake so we could talk. I wanted to tell him all about Jessica
poor Mickey look what that jerk did to him. I caressed the bruises on his face with the back of my hand.
"hey Mickey you are the best little brother anyone could ever ask for. I wouldn't trade you for the world" I whispered in his ear, I know he wouldn't hear me but I didn't need him to, I just needed to say that. then I kissed her forehead and went to bed.