I Drew You Once in Art Class

Thirty-Six

The grocery store was not far from Frank's house at all, and they exited each holding a Monster Energy and a pack of M&Ms, which they'd discovered they shared a love for. Without talking, they walked themselves to the playground, sitting on a bench facing the structures. There were maybe 8 kids running around, tagging each other and screaming at the top of their little lungs, innocent to the problems unknown them, unaware that their parents were probably depressed and reading the self-help book. They sat and they drank their Monsters.

Frank looked over at Gerard, and a feeling started bubbling in his tummy that he could have chalked up to the energy drink if he knew it wasn't something else.

Somehow just the way Gerard sat there made him perfect. He wasn't even doing anything impressive, just breathing, and sitting there and being alive. I think that's what Frank loved so much about Gerard, the fact that he was just alive. Not alive in the sense of living and breathing, although that too, but alive in that he danced in record stores, and he played guitar on Frank's bed, and he hated grape soda, and something about that just knocked the breath out of Frank, like he felt like his heart would explode or something. And as he sat there, drinking the bubbling, overly-sweet liquid, he realized just how stupid and silly he sounded.

But you know what?

That was okay with him.