Hidden From Reality

32

Gerard

1 month later

I breathed in Frank's cologne as the movie started. It seemed like forever ago when he had walked up to my house, but my life had gotten so much better. My nightmares had stopped completely, with lots of help from Frank. Mikey and Pete had hooked up, and now both couples were curled up on the couch as the Star Wars marathon began. Frank's dad had to go back overseas, but before he left, he had bought his family a new house. One big enough that all three kids could have their own rooms, though Frank and I spent most of our time in each other's. My mother had gotten arrested, and the wounds from the needles were nothing more than pale scars dotting my arms. I occasionally caught Frank staring at them, and always assured him that I was fine. I cuddled further into Frank's neck and he kissed the top of my head. He hugged me gently, seemingly pleased that I was recovering from being tied to my bed for a week. I looked up at him and smiled. He was too focused on the movie to notice, and I managed to sneak in a kiss on his neck. He laughed and smiled down at me. I curled up to avoid him tickling me, though I was a little too late. I heard Pete giggle as I squirmed, and Mikey kicked Frank in the leg, telling him that he was trying to watch the movie. Frank stopped tickling me and kissed me instead. I melted into the kiss, relishing the warmth and safety of being near Frank. Somehow, I had a feeling we were going to be together forever. Even with his fake proposal at prom, and the fact that prom had two kings this year, I knew just how much Frank cared about me. And that made me actually hopeful for the future.