by: bj
in sum: i'm afraid i can't/look away from you/i'm worried that i'm not/as well as they'd hoped/i'd be.
label: bright. bright/colin. amy/colin.
rating: g.
sissies: "the unveiling."
legalities: don't own, don't sue.
i say: because, dammit. title/summary by sid screamed.
you say: all comments appreciated, answered, and archived. allcanadiangirl@lycos.com.
comingover
Bright heard a knock at the door. His parents were nattering at each other in the kitchen. Amy yelled from upstairs, "It's Colin! I'll get it."
Bright answered the door. He opened it wide as she ran down the stairs. Colin looked up. Colin smiled at him. "Hey, Bright."
Bright didn't smile back. He nodded. "Hey."
Amy grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way, pushed in front of him. "Hey, Colin," she said. "Come inside. They're just leaving."
Colin let Amy take his good hand and bring him into the house. She led him into the living room and they sat on the couch. Bright stood with the door open. Nobody told him Colin was coming over. He hadn't known.
His parents walked arm in arm down the foyer, talking to each other. His father gave Bright a condescending, puzzled look. "Thank you, Bright," he said. "Have a good night, guys," he said to Amy and Colin.
They sat half-tangled on the couch, heads together. Amy flicked her gaze to her parents.
"Have fun," his mother said.
Amy smiled. "You guys too."
"Under no circumstances are you to have fun," his father said, squeezing his mother's hand.
Amy rolled her eyes. "You guys too."
They laughed. Colin didn't move, Bright knew. Bright didn't look anywhere but at him.
His mother touched his shoulder as they left. "There's twenty dollars on the kitchen counter if you want to go out."
He nodded. His face felt numb. "Yeah. Thanks."
His father said, "Just don't forget your key or your curfew."
"Okay."
And he shut the door after them. He went upstairs and changed into warmer clothes. He came back down, looking away from the living room-in his periphery he saw a mess of colour and her hair over his face. He took the twenty off the counter, shoving it in his wallet, his key in his pocket. He put his parka on and his heavy boots. He opened the back door, about to leave without a word, but thought better of it.
He cleared his throat and called, "I'm going out."
"Stop it," Amy whispered, giggling. "Okay," she shouted back. "See you later."
"Bye!" Colin shouted.
He wanted to slam the door hard enough to shake the whole house, shake them apart, shake Colin to his senses. He pulled it closed, feeling the click of the latch in the pit of his stomach.
And he wandered around for two hours. He walked all through their neighbourhood, around the curbs of the cul-de-sacs and down the unpaved alleys. He turned toward town and hit the main drag, the flood of light from the bar and the pool hall. He could see the glowing triangle of the theatre's marquee. He walked past Dr. Brown's offices and past his father's, he walked all the way down to where Palmer crossed Main Street and then he turned back. He passed the sports store and he passed the street that led to Dr. Brown's house.
He let himself in at the back door, and by the quiet of the house knew his parents weren't home yet. He shed his outerwear, he put the twenty back on the counter. He put the kettle on for some cocoa. He steeled himself and went down the hall to the living room. He knew they'd probably be too warm for cocoa, but it was only polite to ask. He wanted to look Colin in the eye and know he'd rather be with her.
The couch was empty. He went upstairs. He had the vague notion of interrupting them, of scaring them, of threatening to tell his parents. He wanted to see if Colin looked happy with her.
Amy's bedroom door was not latched. He pushed it open an inch, to get the lay of the land. He saw them. He saw Colin on his back and Amy on her elbows above him. He saw her tuck her hair behind her ear and lean down. He saw Colin put his hand on her neck and pull her closer. He closed his eyes. He heard their lips smack together.
"You're such a messy kisser," she said. She didn't sound annoyed.
Colin laughed. "I'm learning," he said. "I'm still learning."
"You definitely need more practise."
He opened his eyes and Amy had pulled Colin onto his side. They were facing each other and he stepped away from the door.
He didn't pull it closed. He went into his room and sat on the bed and tried to shut out the sounds they were making.
He'd thought he didn't care anymore. He'd thought he was over it, that he knew Colin was not the same person and didn't remember and that he was okay with reality. He'd thought he was saved.
He lay back on the bed and listened to them. He was wrong.
End.