Wow it's been a hot minute for this book, sorryyyyyy
Well, I don't have much of an excuse so
Enjoy!
——
Ray woke up early. He made his bed, took a shower, got dressed, dried his hair, and ate breakfast while sitting down to watch TV. Simple. As he bit into his toast, a knock came at the door. Early. He set the plate on the coffee table in front of him next to the remote, and swiped some crumbs and dust into his hand, tossing them in the trash as he walked to the door and swung it open with a smile.

"Good morning, Frank," he greeted, leaning against the open door.

"Hey man. Thanks again for doing this. I gotta go, I'm already late, but here's the key. Text me if you need anything, 'kay?" Frank rushed out, handling Ray a lone copy of his key. "Thank you so so much!" He was already inching away.

"Of course. Go, I'll see you later. I'll go over there in--" He checked his watch. "--An hour."

"Perfect, thanks!" Frank sped away to the other side of the hall, clicking the elevator button repeatedly in a rapid-fire. Ray waved to him as he walked in and the doors closed in front of his smiling face. He took a step back and shut the door, turning the handle to make less sound. He tapped the frame twice and walked back to the couch, plopping down on the leather covering. Fifty-nine minutes, 17 seconds. The seconds ticked by slowly.

~~~

Two sharp knocks.

Ray tapped his foot on the patterned carpet that lined the whole hallway as he waited for the door to open, revealing a tired-looking Gerard wrapped in a blanket. He offered a tight smile to Ray that neither reached his eyes nor made the skin around them wrinkle as it should have.

"Good morning." Ray scratched the back of his hand and smiled.

"Hi," Gerard managed, "it's Ray, right? Come on in."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, dropping his hands and strolling in, and shut the door. Two taps on the frame. "How are you?" He tried to sound casual.

Gerard gave him a look, raising his eyebrow and sighing. "Ray, please, save us both the awkwardness. Don't worry about it. I know Frank asked you to 'check up on me' or whatever, but you don't need to." As he spoke, he walked to the kitchen counter, where a white mug stained with coffee along the rim and a small white and red box which Ray further identified as a pack of cigarettes sat. Gerard picked up the latter and broke the plastic wrap, exposing the now open box and carefully pulling out one of the lightweight sticks. He placed it between his lips; it dangled from them, keeping to one side as it bobbed up and down as he spoke. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?"

"Uh, no, thanks. Aren't you gonna light that?" Ray pointed to the unlit stick in his mouth.

"What? Oh, this." He pulled it out of his mouth and spun it between each of his fingers. "No. I just like the feeling. Tastes kind of weird, y'know, without the smoke, but it's whatever. And coffee helps." He brought the aforementioned drink to his lips and took an elongated sip, as if to emphasize his point, and placed the death-stick between his lips again, although now rendered useless by intentional lack of flame. How curious. "You don't have to stay, y'know. I mean, you can. But..." he trailed off, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Right. Uh, well is it alright if I hang out for a bit?" Ray ventured. Gerard nodded and waved his hand to the living room, probably trying to seem inviting. "Thanks." Ray followed and sat on the couch, looking around the room.

"So, Ray, do you just, like, not have a job or something?"

He was taken aback by Gerard's question and blinked several times. "What?"

Gerardd shook his head at himself. "Sorry, it's just that... well, you're here with me on a Thursday morning. You don't have anywhere better to be?"

"I'm self employed, sort of," he explained with a shrug.

"Sort of?"

"Well, I'm a musician."

"Oh, cool." He looked like he had something more to say, but remained silent. "Um, I'm gonna go. Feel free to raid the kitchen," said Gerard as he waved to the kitchen and walked off through the dark hallway into what Ray assumed was his room.

Once alone, he dusted off the coffee table with the back of his hand and checked his watch. After some quick mental math, he decided to stay for a little bit longer.

Some minutes later, Gerard walked out of his room, now sporting a pair of black jeans and a faded t-shirt. He poured some more coffee into a thermos and drank the last couple drops straight from the pot.

"Uh, hey?" Ray stood and walked to Gerard, who was now fiddling with something on the counter, reaching into cabinets and drawers every few seconds. "Are you, uh, going somewhere?" He tried to look over the other's shoulder, but his vision was obscured by Gerard moving around again. Gerard mumbled something inaudible to Ray. "Gerard?"

"Yeah. I'm just- I'm going out."

"Where?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

Gerard opened a drawer and left it sitting there agape and neglected. "No it doesn't. And look, no offence but I don't even know you, so please stop."

"No offence," Ray sighed to himself and rubbed his eyes. "Gerard," he said, now directing his words directly at the unruly man before him, "I don't feel comfortable letting you leave right now. You don't seem alright. You've just lost so--"

"Don't." Gerard froze, dropping a utensil into a drawer.

"Okay." Ray gulped. "But still."

"I just want to go for a walk."

"But--"

"I just want to go for a walk, Ray. Can't I go for a walk?"

Ray's lips suddenly felt very dry. "I'll go with you."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

He frowned. "That's not a reason. Just give me a moment, I'll get my shoes and call Frank and we can go."

"No! Don't call him." Gerard still hadn't turned, but his shoulders were shaking. "Please."

"You're not making any sense, Gerard." He was acting like a child!

"You're not my mother." An absolute child.

"No, but I'm the closest thing to it right now."

Gerard was out of the room before Ray could even close his mouth.

Not simple.

1070 words

December 18, 2019