Conscious Sedation

Having Henry

“Like you’ve met my dad…”

“I haven’t met him. I just saw a picture of your mom and dad at your place. You three looked so happy. How old were you back there?”

“Ten years old.” I replied with a sigh. He might have noticed this and he immediately changed the conversation, asking me what I would order.

The girl on the stall looks at me, while she waits for our order. She chews her gum very impolitely and spits it just inches beside 308. Talk about Rude!

“I’ll just have fries. Can we have it in your place? It kinda looks like it’s gonna be raining cats and dogs.” He said and I looked up at the sky. Dark and starless as usual.

“Sure.” I told him and then turned to the girl on the stall. “I’ll have a cheese burger, two regular sized coke and two large fries with sour cream dips. Oh and some coleslaw. All to go.”

She was quick to serve my order in a really cute ‘to go box’ that is really handy. I handed the French Fries to 308 but he told me he’ll eat it later so I placed them back in the boxy thingy.

We walked towards our apartment building with my hand on his elbow and I can’t just help but notice this contagious smile that's plastered on his face. If it’s a sin to not want a person to be happy then I’m guilty because it’s like there’s a connection between his smile to the butterflies on my stomach, wanting to come out of my mouth. And it feels ... different.

“What?” He asked.

“Stop smiling.” I said, keeping a straight face to keep my butterflies at bay.

“Wha… Is that a crime nigh?” He said and laughed. He laughed. And don’t judge me if this sounds cheesy but it sounded beautiful. Like Gerard Way’s laugh but ten times cuter. Like an innocent angel that you just want to grab and cuddle.

I didn’t have control as my cheeks heat up like a campfire. I can’t even cover my face because I was holding the take outs and the brown bag full of leaves. And that’s it, I laughed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know why I said that.” I said and laughed again.

“That’s just the most absurd house rule I ever heard.” He said as we entered the building and climbed up the stairs.

“That’s not a house rule. You were just too cute so…” I stopped. What the fuck brain? Why did you let mouth say that? “I mean your smile was contagious.” I added and turned away from him to jam my keys on the door.

“Did you just say I’m cute?” He said, hiding what seemed to me like pure bliss.

“Yes and don’t be so cocky about it. Come in.” I opened the door for him and he got in. “You can stay on the couch. It’s designed to be a bed too actually.” I said as I closed the door.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay? I mean your boyfriend might come here in the morning. He might think otherwise.” He said, setting the curtains aside and looking outside the window.

“Harvey? No, he’s not my boyfriend.” I raised my voice for him to hear as I was on the kitchen heating up my burger and mixing the fries in a bowl.

“Well, with all the flowers an’ perfume. I bet he thinks he is.” He said, making his way to the sofa which is going to be his bed for the night. “He’s ‘uge. I bet he works out lashings. Do you fancy guys loike that?” He asked as I laid down the coke with the cup holder and the bowl of fries on the living room table.

“Yeah he’s huge. But I don’t know, I mean he’s nice and sweet but I don’t know.” I honestly didn’t know.

308 sat beside me, laying his back on the reclined sofa. “He seems to really loike yer.” He said and I turned to answer him. But as I did I was left to study him for the first time in two years of having him as a passerby in my everyday routine.