I glanced over at the clock, the flashing LEDs telling me it was six thirty. I decided I was going to get up off my lazy ass and make my way into town to explore.

I climbed my basement stairs and then the stairs to Mikey’s room. I popped my head in the door, where I saw him sprawled on his bed with his two legs in the air.

“Hey Mikey, do you wanna…”

He cut me off with a hissed “be quiet”, and pointed at the phone in his hand which I’d failed to notice earlier.

“Alicia,” he mouthed.

I smiled, glad that Mikey had found someone who liked him so quickly. I was doubtful that I’d find a gay guy in this town who liked the Misfits and art.

I closed the door again and plodded down the stairs to our kitchen. I rooted around the cupboards until I found a travel flask, and poured myself out some coffee. Well at least I know coffee will never get a girlfriend and abandon me.

I carefully picked up my flask and grabbed my keys from the table beside the front door. I called out a goodbye to mom, and left the house.

I clicked the car doors unlocked and sat in, putting the keys in the ignition and turning them. I placed my coffee in the cup holder, and twiddled with the radio knobs until it started blasting my Queen CD from the sound system.

I pulled into a parking lot outside a hardware store and fished my chunky black Nokia out of the glove compartment. I keyed in a text and sent it to Josh.

U free to come in 2 town? I’m in the hardware store lot.

Almost immediately my phone beeped with a reply.

On my way. Taylor’s coming 2.

I sat, listening to Queen and watching the people go in and out of the store until I heard a tapping on the passenger side window. Josh opened the front door and sat in the passenger seat, and Taylor took the back. Josh turned down the volume of the music and said “So what did you drag us away from very important GameCube duties for?”

I heard a British twang to his accent that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Well, um, I’ve been here nearly a week and I never went exploring…” I mused, trailing off.

“And you want us to show you the sights.” Taylor finished.

“Dude, you should have said so earlier.” Josh chirped, “Swap seats man, I’m gonna take you on a magical mystery tour.”

I reluctantly got out of the car and sat into the passenger seat, still warm from Josh. He sat into the driver’s seat and took a deep exaggerated breath, as if bracing himself. He shrieked in excitement as the engine roared to life.

“You… have a license, right?” I said unsurely.

“Got it three weeks ago,” Josh said, a sparkle in his eyes as he pulled out of the lot.

He drove us to the end of the main street and cruised back down again, pointing out the stores and telling me which ones to avoid, which ones had cheap beer and which ones had sexy counter girls. I remained silent through all of this, nodding in appropriate places and feeling relieved that they still thought I was straight.

Josh pointed at a greengrocer and began to tell a story.

“Okay, so a few weeks ago, me and Ray and Tay were having a… contest, like Monday night.”

Taylor shuffled awkwardly in the back seat.

“And Tay got the girl who works behind the till in that store. She was so drunk, dude, totally hammered. Tay had her and she just went along with everything! And then he came back and told me he’d laid her, and that she was real good man.”

I could see Taylor was still fidgeting in the back, pulling at his hoodie strings and fiddling with his phone.

“I wasn’t getting any that night, so I went back to her and was like, I heard you laid my friend, and she was so pissed that she couldn’t even remember fucking some dude like ten minutes ago. But I got her in the end.” He laughed to himself. “So moral of the story, you want easy sex, get her drunk.”

I laughed, and said “I’ll keep that in mind.”

I don’t think Josh has ever thought about anything that isn’t sex or alcohol. It’s good to have a friend like that though, to keep you grounded.

I’d noticed that Taylor hadn’t enjoyed the story telling at all, in fact, it seemed painful to him. I promised myself I was going to ask him what was up later, when I got him alone. I changed the subject to music, and he seemed relieved, shooting me a grateful look.

The ‘magical mystery tour’ went quite well. Josh showed me all the main social meeting places in the town, and even took us down a little side street to the football pitch and basketball court.

“Even if you’re like me, not into sports, the games that go on here are pretty fun to watch. Always hot chicks here.” he grinned.

Of course.

After we’d cruised for about an hour, Josh handed the car back to me and I dropped him home. I tried to get Taylor to take my ride home but he wanted to walk.

“It’s only a few blocks down,” he insisted.

I said goodbye to them both and that I’d see them at school tomorrow. I’d originally intended to drive straight home, but decided to continue on into Overton. I texted my mom, telling her I was going exploring, and I would be late home. I wanted to try and find a record store to buy the new Green Day album that Ray had been talking about in Chemistry earlier that day.

I parked my car, locked it and made my way onto the streets of Overton. It reminded me a lot of Jersey, with the smells of car fumes and industrial smoke twirling their way up your nostrils and infecting your lungs. But I didn’t mind, in fact I liked it. It was a smell that reminded me of one of the only good things about home.

I found three record stores in total, but it was only when I searched the third one that I was able to find the record I was looking for, called Dookie. The dude at the counter also recommended I pick up an EP by this new band called Blink-182. It was only five bucks, so I did.

I began the walk back to where I’d parked my car, feeling very pleased with myself and eager to listen to my new music. I pulled my hood up and tugged my hoodie closer around me. It was pretty cold out.

I was thinking about a new drawing I wanted to begin work on, one of a couple making out as they both got shot in the heads. It was going to be pretty gory but it would be awesome.

I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of deep male voices coming from an alley I was passing. I couldn’t hear their exact conversation but I heard the words “fag”, “asshole”, “disgusting” and “boyfriend.” I fully intended on walking on by and not causing a scene, but I couldn't help glancing over to them, instantly stopping in my tracks when I saw who was being harassed.

It was Frank.

He caught my eye and held my gaze for a second or two. It was as if there was lightening crackling through the air between us. I felt these sparks deep inside of me and the only thing my heart was telling me to do was run. Run to Frank. Save him. But my brain had other ideas. It turned me and hid me behind a rubbish skip.

“What are you looking at, fag face? Your boyfriend isn‘t coming to save you.” snarled the leader of the group.

The rest of them, three in total, sniggered delightedly at his comment. Four versus one. Or four versus two. I didn’t like the odds.

I heard a grunt, and looked up to see that one of the quieter ones had thrown a punch at Frank, connecting with a painful thud.

Frank didn’t try to fight back or even defend himself. He just stood there and took it with a defiant look on his face.

Another stepped in, punching Frank in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. His fall was taken as a signal for the other two to join in , and they began brutally kicking Frank, his face, his back, his legs, his stomach, his crotch, his chest…

The entire time, Frank remained still, his eyes lightly closed and his arms by his side.

The largest of the group signalled for them to stop, leaning down and picking Frank up by his hair.

“Don’t you ever fucking talk to us like that again, you hear?” he spat.

“Cunt,” Frank mumbled through his split and swollen lip, earning a smile from me. He still wasn’t going to give in.

“Fuck you!” the leader roared, throwing Frank down.

He hit the ground hard, and I heard a bone crack with a sickening crunch.

The group moved to leave, and I thought that they were gone. I stumbled out to where Frank was lying, blood seeping onto the concrete. He was so messed up.

“Oh God, oh God…” I repeated franticly, unsure of what to.

I began to fuss over him, afraid to touch him in case I made him any worse. He needed to get to a hospital, pronto. I was about to call 911 when I heard a shout.

“What do we have here? Another little faggot?”

I turned to see that the group had returned. They backed me into a wall before I had a chance to escape. My heart was beating like a snare drum and my whole body was trembling. I had never been so fucking scared in my life, and I was even more terrified I was going to wet myself. I saw Frank’s lips move, forming words, but the sound of rushing blood was so loud in my ears that I couldn’t hear anything above it.

One of them grabbed me and slammed me against the same bin I’d been hiding behind, another reaching in to punch me. I was hit right in the eye, and I fell to the ground. All that I felt for the next minute or so was searing pain, pulsing through every cell of my body as I was beaten to oblivion.

My mind was just starting to go blank as an ear piercing scream echoed through the air. It sounded guttural, almost animal like. I felt a gust of wind, and heard the sound of several soft masses hitting the tarmac with a thud.

“I told you not to fucking touch him.” someone growled.

I felt a shadow cover my face, and I grimaced, waiting for the next blow to land. It never did.

“Hey, don’t be scared, it’s only me.”

I opened my eyes to see Frank’s strangely perfect face looking down at me. And by perfect, I mean: perfect. His skin was smooth, airbrushed even, his lips were plump, definitely not split, and his eyes were piercing hazel. The beaten-to-a-pulp Frank I’d seen under a minute ago was gone, and in his place, this immaculate human being.

“Your… Your face, your whole body, it was all shitty… and now it’s…” I whispered hoarsely, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Hush,” Frank whispered, placing a finger on my lips, “I’m the last of my worries. All I care about right now is you.”

He gently touched all of my wounds, with the lightest touch. Instead of hurting, it kind of tingled, like there was some kind of energy passing between us. He touched my neck, in the place he’d touched it with his breath earlier on that day, and I shivered.

“Did I hurt you?” he murmured, sounding genuinely concerned.

“No,” I breathed, “no…”

I freed my hands from underneath me and pushed myself upwards until I was sitting on the ground beside where Frank was kneeling. I wavered and his hands sprung out to catch me. We sat there, him holding me and just staring into each other’s eyes. I noticed he had a lip ring.

Frank jerked suddenly, standing up and beginning to pace in circles. My eyes followed him and he noticed me watching him. He gave me a look, as if to say “What?”

“I kind of can’t get up by myself…”

“Oh right, of course!” he exclaimed, and ran over to help me up.

When our hands touched, this time I was sure I felt something. Sparks flying or something equally sappy.

I leaned on him, feeling surprisingly good for someone who’d just been bet up. Once I was standing, Frank went and stood with his back against the wall of a building, putting his hands in his jacket pockets and kicking a stone with his foot.

I walked over and joined him, mimicking his body movements. He noticed and said, “Stop copying me, you freak!”

I knew he didn’t mean it and so I didn’t stop. In fact, I made my copying even more obvious.

“Seriously, I’m going to start copying you now!” he joked.

“Great!” I said, making jazz hands and stepping a jazz square, and laughing as he copied.

I don’t know why I did it, but some instinct or gut feeling deep inside me moved my hand to his face. He flinched when I touched him, but he kept his side of the game and shyly placed his hand on my face.

“My turn,” he whispered, his voice so quiet that I barely heard him. He cupped my face in his two hands and pulled it down to his. He paused, as if looking for permission, and then closed the gap between my lips and his.

Whatever I’d felt when our eyes met or our hands touched, nothing compared to this. It felt like my whole body was consumed in white fire, pure and clean and oh-so good. It just felt so right, like the primal, natural progression of what had been happening between the two of us.

Frank put his arms around my neck, and I responded by putting my hands on his waist, joining them behind his back. All I could taste was Frank. All I could smell was Frank. All I could see was Frank. All I could feel was Frank. All I could sense was Frank, with the sound of a bustling city in the background.

I don’t know how long our kiss lasted, but however long it was, it wasn’t long enough. His arms dropped from my neck and his lips parted from mine. I didn’t take my arms from around his waist and we just stood, looking at each other for a few minutes. This was the best moment of my life.

Frank stood on the tips of his toes, planting a kiss on my cheek and stumbled off towards the top of the alley. I watched him turn left, but saw him cross the street and turn right again. He soon disappeared out of sight.

I just stood there, the taste of Frank still on my lips, and watched the world go by.

***

I somehow managed to get back to my car, almost tripping over the four bodies that were scattered across the ground. I still had no idea how Frank had done that, or how he was suddenly so perfect again, but my mind wasn’t worried. All I could think about was Frank’s beautiful eyes, his perfect little nose, pierced with a ring of metal on the right side, and his lips. His soft lips that had been one with mine such a short time ago.

I pushed my new CD into the radio, and it began to pump out punk music. I happily let myself fall into a daze, until the lyrics of the eleventh song caught my attention.

Seventeen and strung out on confusion
Trapped inside a roll of disillusion
I found out what it takes to be a man
Now mom and dad will never understand.

Secrets collecting dust but never forget
Skeletons come to life in my closet
I found out what it takes to be a man
Now mom and dad will never understand
What's happening to me.

Seventeen and coming clean for the first time
I finally figured out myself for the first time
I found out what it takes to be a man
Now mom and dad will never understand
What's happened to me.

The lyrics touched my heart because I realised that this song put to words everything I’d been feeling for the last few days. I was seventeen, confused about what I was. I was afraid of mom’s reaction to me coming out. I’d lost my virginity to a girl. I’d forced myself to keep it a secret. But at the end of it all, I’d told her and Mikey, and now I felt content.

I pressed repeat and before I’d reached home, I knew the words off by heart and they had become a never ending echo around my skull.

It was after midnight when I pushed open the front door, but I didn’t really care. My mom was in the kitchen, reading a book, and she looked up and smiled when I came in.

“Have fun?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, grinning dumbly.

She could never even begin to understand.

“Buy anything nice?”

“Yeah, two new records.” I responded.

I was already tiring of this conversation, and mom knew it. She bid me goodnight and pottered off to bed.

I soon followed her, descending the stairs to my room and shutting the door quietly. I shrugged off my clothes and climbed into bed wearing nothing but my boxers. I didn’t usually sleep like this, I’m a pyjamas sort of guy, but I was just so tired that I was oblivious. As I reached over to turn off the light, the canvas with the painting of a face caught my attention. Because it wasn’t just any face. It was Frank.

I don’t know how I didn’t realise it before, but I now recognised it because I had looked into those eyes and tasted those lips.

I had to get up and look at it. I couldn’t believe my hands had created this - this masterpiece. I stumbled into the bathroom, looking for brushes I’d left soaking, and glanced at my reflection.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

My face was flawless. Angelic, even. The skin that I’d expected to be bruised and broken was smooth and perfect. I realised I’d totally forgotten about the beating because of Frank’s kiss. But I remembered one thing; it was brutal.

Then I remembered how Frank’s face was perfect too. And how he’d touched my face, fingers brushing over all of my wounds…

No. I shook my head, trying to lose my thoughts. Frank hadn’t done this. It obviously just hadn’t been as bad of a beating as I’d thought. The bruises would probably be up in the morning.

I left the bathroom, plonking myself back onto my bed. I flicked the light off, my mind flooded with images of Frank. It was only when a memory of Frank using his tongue to twist his lip ring that something occurred to me.

That had been the most passionate and energy filled kiss of my life, and we hadn’t even used tongue.

It’s funny the things you remember.

Notes

Song played in car: Coming Clean - Green Day
Title credit: Demolition Lovers - My Chemical Romance