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I’d already taken Gerard and his ‘date’, ‘It’s not a date!’ Gerard squeaked, out to some beautiful looking Italian restaurant. Apparently, according to the Way brothers, if you’re Italian or have Italian blood in you it’s necessary to go to Italian restaurants. It’s a matter of being respectful to your heritage. Whatever. As soon as Gerard was gone, Mikey admitted that Gerard only liked Italian restaurants because he loved pasta. I shook my head, trust Gerard.

I had three hours of sitting uncomfortably on a couch with a boy I didn’t really know. Maybe I should give him some alcohol. That made him more talkative usually. I grinned, knowing that that was a bad idea. Mikey shuffled around, pulling his legs up under him and sitting on his knees. He sighed.

‘So, having fun babysitting me?’ Mikey mumbled, leaning back

‘I… Huh?‘ I was sort of surprised to hear him talk, he laughed

‘That’s what you’re doing isn’t it?’ Mikey shrugged, giggling at me

‘Aren’t we just hanging out?’ I asked, scratching my head

‘Is that what Gerard told you?’ He questioned, flicking the TV remote around in his hands, picking it back up if it dropped into his lap, ‘That’s code for baby-sit. He doesn’t like to say it cause it sounds degrading but he’s just worried to leave me on my own’

‘Why’s that?’ I enquired, intrigued that one minute he doesn’t say a word and now he was quite talkative

‘Cause I stick forks in toasters’ Mikey retorted, completely serious

‘Re…ally?’ My eyes were wide, that answer threw me off

‘Yeah,’ Mikey nodded sadly, ‘Just one time! My toast was stuck and… You think I’m stupid’

‘I don’t think you’re stupid’ I said genuinely, ‘I’m a bit distant myself… I once accidentally…’

I stopped myself, realizing that I was about to bring up ‘that’ again. I didn’t like talking about it usually. I was staggered that Mikey almost got that out of me so easily. I suppose it was because Mikey actually seemed interested in what I was saying.

‘You once accidentally… What?’ He asked, scanning me

‘I… Never mind’ I really didn’t want to tell him, I’d only know him for a short time and didn’t want to ruin his opinion of me already
‘Come on’ Mikey beamed, prizing some more, ‘It can’t be stupider that putting a fork in a toaster’

‘I once..’ I couldn’t believe I was going to tell him, ‘sorta accidentally pulled a medicine cabinet down on top of myself and then took too many painkillers’

Mikey blinked at me for a few seconds. My stomach flipped. Great, now he thinks I’m nuts. Instead of actually telling me how crazy I am he started to laugh.

‘Did they think you tried to kill yourself?’ Mikey chuckled, though I wasn’t sure why that was funny

‘Uh.. Yeah..’ I answered, confused

‘Oh my god!’ Mikey snorted, his eyes closing and opening in amusement, ‘Oh, same happened to me sorta. I took this electric heater into the bath with me’

Completely unintentionally, I double up in laughter. Maybe me and Mikey had more in common than you would have thought. We were both equally as dopey that was sure.

‘Jesus…’ I answered airily, ‘So, did it, like, fall in?’

‘No,’ Mikey shook his head, ‘But Ray came into the bathroom and went insane. He was yelling for Gerard, grabbed the heater and pulled it hard away from the bath edge. I was soooo pissed off because it smashed. It was just really cold in the bathroom, is all’

‘God, we’re both just as bad as each other’ I shook my head in disbelief, ‘Why are you telling me all this anyway?’

‘I dunno’ Mikey shrugged, ‘Suppose I like having someone to listen’

‘You have Gerard,’ I pointed out, ‘And Frank.. And Ray… And Bob’

‘They listen..’ Mikey’s lips screwed up in consideration, ‘But it’s like they don’t hear me really.. You know?’

I knew what that felt like. I like to think that Patrick really heard me. Sometimes though it was like he was registering what I was saying but it just didn’t stick and he shrugged it off as a passing comment. Mikey seemed to actually hear me. He hung on every word. Is suppose he was such a good listener because he knew what it was like to be ignored.

‘I know what you mean’ I sighed

‘I think it’s because I’m just a kid’ Mikey shrugged sadly, turning the TV on but muting it

‘Well, you’re not exactly a kid Mikey’ I snorted, he threw his arms up

‘Exactly, try telling them that!’ He laughed, ‘I mean, Gee thinks I still need a babysitter for god sake.’

‘Don’t worry about it’ I nodded and smiled, ‘I’m here to hang out with you not baby-sit you’

‘Thanks Pete’ Mikey blushed, as if suddenly remembering himself after talking so heatedly

‘No problem’ And it wasn’t really, I enjoyed talking to him

Mikey flicked the TV over to the music channels. Finding a random song and letting it play he kicked his legs back out over the edge of the couch. The song was quite good actually. It was a calm acoustic track. Mikey bobbed his head and tapped his foot.

‘I love this song’ Mikey nodded

‘Who is this?’ I asked, making Mikey look at me like I was crazy

‘The Smashing Pumpkins’ Mikey announced and was shocked when it caused no response from me, ‘You’ve never heard of them?’

I shook my head because really I hadn’t. Mikey’s jaw dropped. He hopped up from his safe, warm spot on the couch and disappeared for a few seconds, leaving me wondering what I’d done. He returned in no time, clutching a CD case to his chest like it was the most precious thing that belonged to him. Standing in front of me he stretched the object out for me to take. I very gently grabbed it and read the front.

‘Siamese Dream?’ I asked, looking up at his grinning face

‘Take it, listen to it, return it next time you’re asked to babysit…’ Mikey nodded with each point

‘Next time I choose to hang out..’ I interrupted

‘Next time you choose to hang out with me,’ Mikey corrected himself, ‘Then you can thank me for changing your life’

I agreed, knowing that he was probably right.