I Drew You Once in Art Class

One Hundred Two

The Date:

Christmas Day.

Post-Dance.

"Come on, Mom!"

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!"

Frank stood with the door half open, his arms full of gifts, sighing exasperatedly at his mother's untimeliness. "Moth-er! It's gonna be the new year by the time we leave!"

Last night had been something out of a movie. Frank had run to get Hayley, who he'd found sitting on the stairs to the second floor, lacing up her yellow converse. Her heels lay discarded on the ground next to her, and her red hair hung in her face as she leaned down. Frank took a seat next to her. She finished the knot on the shoe, and tucked her hands in between her knees, twiddling her fingers against the lavender fabric of her dress. "You don't have to say anything."

He didn't know what to say anyways.

"I feel bad."

Hayley looked at him, her eyes pooling. "I know you're happy when you're around him. I've seen how you are when you're not. I just want what's best for you, man."

"But what about you?"

She laughed, a broken sound accidentally escaping her throat in the process.

"I'll find someone," she smiled. "It's just not my time right now."

They sat there for a minute longer before Frank stood, and held a hand out. "My mom is probably waiting for us," he said. Hayley, with the line of a black smudged around her eye, took his hand. Suddenly, she grabbed the sleeve of his oversized suit jacket and wiped away the smudge.

He protested, and Hayley cackled. "We're still friends! I'm still allowed to piss you off!"

~~

His mom hopped down the stairs, holding her shoes in her hands. "Okay! I'm ready."

They got in the car. Frank's mom started the ignition before turning to him. "You know, you really should be driving. Most kids your age have already-"

"Just go!"

~~

Gerard giggled. He and his family had matching, red footie pajamas with white snowflakes on them, and Gerard thought they were the coziest things ever.

It had snowed all last night, and they had been excited to wake up to the shimmery white covering their yard. Neither Mikey nor Gerard were very much play-in-the-snow people, but they enjoyed sitting on their front porch and watching the snow glittering in the sun. Pete had slept over the night before, so he was here, too.

He was now in the living room with Mikey and Pete. Donna was making breakfast.
The sound of a car crunching on the crispy street-snow across the road made Gerard's head perk up. "They're here!"

Frank stumbled around the car, the metal glinting in the bright sunlight. He was trying to stick his converse in as little snow as possible and tiptoeing around in the most inconvenient way. Gerard laughed at him. Why hadn't he just worn boots, the idiot? Gerard hopped off the couch, put on his own boots, and went outside to help them. Frank was wearing a hat with a pom-pom on top, and Gerard was fighting every urge he had to giggle at it and call him cute. Linda popped her head out from behind the trunk. "Hey, Gerard!"

Now holding three wrapped boxes in her arm, she shut the trunk and walked toward him. "Nice pajamas."

"Thanks!" Gerard jogged across the street to hold the door open for her.

"Wowww, what a gentleman!" she said, pointedly narrowing her eyes at Frank. She was smiling, though, so she didn't mean any genuine harm.

The house was warm, and Frank couldn't help but giggle when he saw all the Ways in their matching footie pajamas, and Mikey and Pete sitting together on the carpet.

They exchanged presents not long after Frank and Linda arrived. Linda got Frank new drawing pens, Donna a bottle of wine (accepted without comment), and everyone else got Santa hats (she tried, okay?)

Donna got Gerard a new guitar pedal, Mikey a new cartridge for his old-ass Nintendo, Pete, Linda, and Frank got socks saying "I'm too old for this shit" beneath a disturbed-looking Santa (She tried! Go, moms!).

Mikey got Frank slippers that looked like deer, with antlers made of soft brown fabric, Gerard got a coupon for a car wash ("I found it on the street, and your car is disgusting"), and Pete got probably the coolest gift, this ancient-looking typewriter that Mikey had said he'd got at a thrift store.

Pete made Mikey a mixtape. Yes, a literal mixtape. He didn't have anything for everyone else.

They soon after had French toast that Donna had made, happily enjoying each other's company, even if not in full disclosure.

It was a good day.