You Know How I Feel

CHAPTER 5

I woke up in my room the next morning, alone.

The tv is turned off.

The plates from last night missing from my night stand.

The only beam of sunlight allowed through, peaks through my dark curtains.

Apparently I took my shirt off last night.. I see my bare chest and find my shirt on the floor beside the bed.

I grab the shirt and slip it on , making my way to the kitchen for coffee.

-

The tile is cold on my feet.

I see someone sitting on the counter facing away from me.

Only it wasn't my brother like before.

"Hey Frankie what are you-"

Frank jumps off the counter startled, and spills his coffee on his shirt.

"Hooooottt. Oh my god, it's hot."He says jumping up and down yelling.

I run over to him.

"Frank calm down. Take off your shirt." I tell him gesturing for him to hurry.

He looks at me nervously, but doesn't hesitate too long before his shirts off.
I grab paper towels from the counter behind me. I reach for his stomach when he pulls away. "Frank, c'mon. It's hot isnt? It's gonna be sticky too. Let me help." I say sternly

I wipe his stomach down till its dry, and look down to his pants.

"Well there's nothing we can do about that. They're soiled with coffee." I say wiping down his yoga pants a bit which didnt really help much..

Frank stands there as stiff as a board. I think he might've been holding his breathe too.

I stand up straight and look him in the eyes, he looks embarrassed...

".. So I'd change your pants if I were you. And I'd also take a shower to get rid of the coffee smell, and the stickyness... I'm sorry about that , I didn't mean to scare you.. When your finish washing up, we can go out and I'll buy you food or something. Just in effort to make up for the accident." I pat him on the shoulder and give him a small smile.
-

I took Frank to this little diner downtown. He didn't eat or talk much while we were there.

Once we were done, Frank did talked to me about wanting to stay at my house longer.

I told him we could walk to his house, which wasn't too far, and get him clothes and other things he'll want to pack.

"Gee.. what are you afraid of?" Frank asks, kicking a stone from the gravel in front of us.

I think for a moment before I answer,
"Well.. I'm afraid of chage.. stuff like, you think you know something and you get used to it and then something and or someone fucks up and you have to start over. It scares me not knowing what's gonna happen next. But that's life I guess. Everyone has to deal with it.."

I look over to Frank who looks like he's really trying to concentrate on what I had said.

"Sorry, I'm rediculous.. did that make any sense?"

He grins, "Perfect sense."

I laugh. He probably thinks I'm crazy. I'm surprised he hasn't ran away yet. I mean it's been almost 10 years, he's probably sick of me. But he's still here. Why?

"What about you? What scares you Frankie?"

Frankie doesn't answer. He continues to kick his rock along. Every once in a while the rock would roll to my side of the sidewalk, so I'd kick it forward like Frank had been doing. Finally Frank clears his throat and speaks up.