Butterfly Boys

by Cameron James

  “That’s too cute.” Frankie said in a gasp, as I nodded.

  “Let’s all have some cake.” Alistair said as he stood back up, passing the knife to zir, who held it with Caleb to cut straight through the middle.

  “What was it you wanted to ask?” Frankie asked as we sat on the windowsill opposite each other a piece of cake in a napkin in our hands.

  “Oh.” I said, he rose an eyebrow at me.

  “Oh.” He repeated amused as he picked at the cake.

  “Some guys from my course are having a Halloween party.” I said, Frankie nodded. “I was wondering if you’d come with me.”

  “Yeah of course.” He said nodding, “do you have a costume yet? Or is that my job?”

  “I…” I began then shook my head, “I don’t have a costume.” I said, he laughed.

  “Okay, I got you Sammy.”

  Caleb seemed appreciative of the extra hands when I turned up at their door. They smiled, stepping aside to let me into the house, directing me upstairs towards the bedrooms. I found Frankie in the room I was directed too.

  “Hey Sammy.” He said cheerfully, coming in for a hug with me, cuddling me tight and running his fingers through my hair so I laughed, then turned as Enzo placed two big pots of paint down in front of us.

  “We’re painting the entire room white.” Enzo said, we nodded back to zir. “Then we’ve got some gorgeous wallpaper.” Zie sighed as zir stroked over zir stomach. “Up to the challenge?” Zie added, Frankie nodded as I took the paint pot from Enzo, and poured it out into the little trays.

  Frankie and I took the left side of the room, Enzo took the right until zie began to laugh so I turned smiling as Emma ran in in a rain mac ready to help us paint. Caleb followed not far behind. Directing Emma towards the middle wall and giving her a paintbrush. She giggled childishly as she varied between painting the wall and painting Caleb.

  I watched her, smiling until I felt a paint brush down my arm so I turned gasping at Frankie as he mock gasped at me, then squeaked as I painted him back. Laughing at the white stripe down his dungarees that he was also looking at. He tutted at me, shaking his head then painting me back so I grabbed him, wrapping my arms around his and turning him away from the wall as he laughed, and laughed.

  “Flirt later we’ve got a nursery to paint.” Enzo said, I looked towards zir as zie smiled at us. I blushed, Frankie turned to look at me, then painted my face. I gasped as Emma began to laugh, turning her attention from Caleb to me, so I picked her up. Holding her upside down and feeling as she struggled in amongst her giggles.

  I sat, back against the wall Caleb and Emma had painted earlier looking at the now wallpapered wall, that was a soft grey with loads of little clouds over it. Frankie was at my side drinking from a glass bottle of coke and covered in white paint.

  Frankie grinned at me, resting his head on my shoulder and taking in a deep breath. I did it back, knocking my head against his, closing my eyes and taking in my own deep breath.

  “I asked Frankie on a date.” I said, Olly choked on the tea he was drinking.

  “You asked, Frankie, as in your friend Frankie, on a date?”

  “Yeah.” I said softly,

  “You like Frankie?”

  “You didn’t know I liked Frankie.” I said raising my eyebrow at Olly. He laughed as he shook his head then took another drink of tea. I watched as he appeared to process the information.

  “I guess that makes sense.” He said nodding, “you do kind of love him.”

  “Thanks Olly.” I said laughing, he smiled softly.

  “Did he say yes? Are you boyfriends now? Because that’ll be the best end of this story.”

  “I don’t think he took it as a date.” I said, Olly gasped as he shook his head. “I think we’ve been friends so long, that he just…”

  “What did you ask him to do?”

  “Come to a Halloween Party with me.” I said, he almost laughed.

  “Of course, he didn’t think it was a date Sam. You’ve gone to hundreds of Uni parties together. It’s a friend thing to you now, you need to ask him to go to something that you’d only ask someone you love too.” He said, I frowned.

  “Like what Dr Love?” I asked, he smirked.

  “Like… what don’t you and Frankie do together now?” he asked, I shook my head. “What? You do everything.”

  “Basically. Everything just short of sex.”

  “I take it, unfortunately.” He said, I pulled a face at him so he giggled into his cup of tea. “You can’t already do everything together.”

  “We do, sometimes we even shower together. We just like being around each other. Unless…”

  “Unless?” Olly repeated,

  “Shit.” I whispered, he frowned. “What if, what if he doesn’t like me, so he knows it was a date ask but he wanted to let me down gently.”

  “No.” Olly said, I watched as his video froze,

  “No?” I repeated, as his video began to move quickly until it caught up to where he was.

  “No.” he snapped, I almost laughed. “No way Sam, you’re wrong because there’s no way on this earth that Frankie doesn’t love you back.”

  “Yeah, right.” I said, Olly sighed.

  “What’s coming up in the next few weeks Sam?”

  “Do you want my full schedule?” I asked, he tilted his head at me.

  “Halloween.” I said nodding, “party, Friday, we’re going apparently as friends.”

  “Costumes?” he asked, I nodded.

  “Frankie’s on it.” I said shaking my head then I shrugged, “there’s the Rainbow Connection vigil.” I said, Olly almost laughed.

  “I wouldn’t really say that, that is a date thing.”

  “No. I wasn’t suggesting.” I sighed as I rubbed my forehead.

  “You could take him out for a meal?” he said, I pulled a face so he gasped.

  “It was only a suggestion.” He said, then he sighed as I leant my chin on my hands looking at him as he seemed to think over the next few months. “Do you have a timescale in mind?”

  “It’s been four years Olly, preferably before our fifth-year anniversary.”

  “Which is?”

  “November Twentieth.” I said, then I sat up as he rose an eyebrow at me.

  “You know the exact day you guys met.” He asked, I nodded.

  “Only because it was the day I started Rainbow Connection.”

  “Yeah, sure. Of course.” Olly said, I laughed.

  “You’re getting dry as we get older Ol.”

  “Chandler’s teaching me sarcasm.”

  “How is that going?” I asked,

  “Well.” He said, I watched as his expression became amused, so I smiled.

  “Was that sarcastic?” I asked, he nodded as he bit his tongue. “I love you Olly.” I said as I laughed, he grinned happily.

  “I’ll be coming home for Christmas, in a few weeks.” He said nodding, “I think Chandler’s coincides too.”

  “I should hope so, Christmas tends to happen around the same time for everyone.” I said, Olly frowned at me, tilting his head almost like a confused puppy so I sighed fondly. “I’ll look forward to seeing you.” I said, he laughed.

  “I hope you and Frankie are a thing by then.” He said, I sighed.

  “If not Ben’s always an option.”

  “Oh my god Ben.” Olly said fondly, then he shook his head. “Ben?”

  “I think I might need to update you on something.” I said, Olly nodded slowly as he rose an eyebrow at me.

  "Oh my god." I said, when Frankie came out of his room, he instantly covered his mouth.

  "Too much?" He said lightly, so I laughed.

  "Amazing." I said simply, he’d come out as a witch, one of those witches with the corset, which sat perfectly at his midriff, and created the illusion of a waist. Attached to the bottom of the corset was a multi layered skirt, with layers of netting and material, it was all dark green and black. He then had black and green st
ripped, I think, tights on with black Chuck Taylor's.

  There was obviously a witch’s hat, an actual hat, which he was using to cover his face, his face which looked perfect. I'm not sure what he had done, but he almost looked airbrushed, and had a spider’s web over his left eye, which was all glittered. His lips were black, his eyes green, and his pupils white. "How did you even do that?" I asked, he laughed,

  “I didn’t.” he said shaking his head. I rose my eyebrow at him as he pointed towards Oakley’s room.

  “Oh.” I said, he grinned as he came towards me, running his fingers down my front. Our costumes of course matched, with my dark green shirt, and black waistcoat. My slacks where white pinstriped. I was also wearing black Chuck Taylors and had a top hat which had a dark green strip around its rim.

  “I don’t say this a lot.” Frankie said, so I met his eyes, “but, you look fit.” He said happily so I smiled as he laughed. “This a halls party?” Frankie asked, I shook my head.

  “House.” I said softly. “We’re third years Frankie.” I said widening my eyes at him.

  “Oh, so sorry. Me a mere second year does not know these things.” He said, I pulled my tongue at him so he laughed doing it back, then turned as Oakley came out of his room. He grinned happily at us as he held his arms up showing off his red short dungarees and red t-shirt combo, he wore long red socks and red vans.

  He grinned as we both examined him. “Bend over, we’ll be able to see your breakfast.” Frankie said, Oakley scoffed then threw a cushion from the couch at him, making him cackle like the witch he was dressed up as.

  “What are you?” I asked, he smiled going to reply then he turned and grinned even wider as Skylar came out of their room. In almost the same outfit just all white. They turned when they reached Oakley, who pinned a pair of fluffy wings to their back. “Angel and Devil.” I said, Oakley nodded as I laughed.

  “How on earth did you decide who was who?” Frankie said shaking his head, “I mean, Sky, the angel?” he said, Skylar grinned as they put a halo headband on.

  “We figured blue hair went better with the angel, than the devil.” Oakley shrugged lightly then stroked through Skylar’s hair, taking the halo down and putting it back on. Skylar grinned at him, then they kissed.

  “Aw.” Frankie said, so I looked at him. “How sweet. Where are you two going?”

  “RC party.” Oakley said nodding,

  “Followed of course by drinks in town.” Skylar said, Frankie hummed as he nodded.

  “Forgot about the RC party.” Frankie said, I rose my eyebrow at him.

  “Do you want to go to that?”

  “No.” he said, I laughed. “No, but I do want you to take a picture of how fabulous we look.” He said, reaching into the corset and giving me his phone, I laughed as I opened up the camera nodding to him as he stepped between Oakley and Skylar. I looked at them through the camera as Oakley and Skylar raised their arms above their heads and Frankie put two fingers up.

  ❋

  Chapter Seventeen

  “How do you know this guy then?” Frankie asked as we walked towards the house that was alive. The Monster Mash seeping out onto the street.

  “He’s literally just in my class. It was kind of a general invite to everyone.”

  “So, how long are we here before we go out into town?” he asked as we walked down the path. I hummed as I shook our hands together.

  “Eleven.” I said, “if it’s crap, we’ll go into town. If not… we’ll stick around. Deal?”

  “Deal.” He said nodding. “I just want as many people to see my outfit as humanly possible.”

  “Fair” I said amused, he grinned back his arm slipping around my waist as we walked into the house.

  “Cider?” I asked, Frankie nodded softly as he looked around, smiling occasionally at costumes he spotted until he landed back on me.

  “Yes please.” He said nodding, so I walked away from him, “if there’s no cider.”

  “Beer.” I said then turned and walked backwards. “If there’s no good beer, vodka and cranberry. I got you.” I said, Frankie laughed it almost looked disbelieving.

  “You do seem to.” He said nodding so I nodded back and went into the kitchen. I came back with two red cups. Passing one to Frankie then walking alongside him as he examined the clientele of the party. “I like your course. The boys are, exciting.” He said, I laughed.

  “Concentrating can be hard.” I teased, he laughed gleefully sitting on the arm of a couch, so I sat beside him. Letting him swing his legs over mine as he continued to examine the room.

  “Will you dance with me tonight?” he asked, I frowned up at him. “Well you’re in front of your classmates you might get all embarrassed about being my Sammy.” He purred, I laughed.

  “I’m going to dance with you.” I said nodding, “I mean, hold me down if the Time Warp comes on.” I said, then I bit my lip as I looked at his grin.

  “Really?” he whispered, I nodded.

  “Yes.” I whispered back, he laughed drinking from his cup happily as he swung his knees side to side and continued to look around the room.

  We danced, and danced well into the night. The music frequently jumping between Halloween classics and techno beat pop songs, until Frankie tugged on my waistcoat, pulling me closer to him, turning my head so his lips were at my ear.

  “Bathroom.” He said, I nodded, pointing up the stairs. He frowned lightly, then took my hand laughing as he spun us and walked me up the stairs with him. Navigating the maze that was the house, until we found the bathroom. He pulled me in with him, so I sat on the bath as he went the toilet. We both frowned when my phone began to vibrate against the bathtub. The sound echoing around the room. Frankie turned to look at me as he washed his hands then reached for his own phone frowning at it himself. “Sky.” He said, I looked at mine,

  “Two missed calls. Oakley.” I said, Frankie came to sit next to me, looking at his phone, until it came back to life with SKYLAR IS CALLING.

  “Sky?” Frankie said, then he frowned sitting up straighter as he shook his head. “Sky, Sky calm down. What’s happened?” he said, then looked at me. I rested my hand on his leg. “Is Oakley okay?” he paused. “Are you okay?” he stopped. Turning to look at me his eyes wide, his face draining of all colour. “Which hospital?”

  We ran together down the corridors of the hospital, never really getting anywhere until we were stopped.

  “A hospital on Halloween night? Isn’t there a better place for you two to be? Especially dressed so well?” the Nurse said as she examined us, we did it back. Her tag said Nurse Mitchell, and had a little pin of a gay flag next to it.

  “Our friends here.” I said, because Frankie’s voice was unreliable.

  “Your friend?” she asked, we both nodded.

  “Oakley May. He was brought in by the paramedics.” I said, Nurse Mitchell frowned as she walked towards the nearest desk, then she sighed.

  “And Skylar Reynolds?” She asked, I frowned as Frankie whimpered.

  “What’s happened to Sky? Is Sky okay?”

  “Come with.” Nurse Mitchell said then turned on her heel and led us through the wards, until she stopped at one and pulled back the curtain. Skylar was sat on the bed, their legs swinging as they still sat in their angel costume but their halo and wings on the bed next to them. Skylar gasped as the curtain was pulled back, then accepted the hug Frankie threw at them.

  “What happened Sky?” Frankie asked shaking his head. “What happened?”

  “We, we…” Sky said then shook their head rubbing their eyes then wincing as Frankie examined them.

  “Blood.” Frankie said as he stroked his fingers over Sky’s dungarees. “Why is there blood?”

  “Skylar has had a few stitches.” Nurse Mitchell said, I frowned at her. “The back of their head.” She added so I walked around the bed, almost losing my breath when I saw the line of stitches in their hairline.

  “What happened?” I asked,

&n
bsp; “He hit me.” Skylar murmured, I frowned as they turned to look at me. “They hit Oakley, over and over. I pulled him off. I punched him and he fell, so I ran to Oakley. He wouldn’t wake up.” They swallowed hard, their Adams apple bobbing apprehensively. “I called an ambulance, then I called you both, Sam on Oak’s phone. You on mine, because I figured one of you would answer eventfully.” They swallowed. “Then he hit me.”

  “With a blunt object by the look of it.” Nurse Mitchell said, then almost looked sympathetic as Skylar lightly fingered the back of their head. “We’ll need to keep you in tonight.” She said, Skylar sighed as they nodded. “Just to make sure you’re not concussed. I’ll call your Dad in the morning, to bring you home.”

  “Thanks Catherine.” Skylar said, Nurse Mitchell nodded.

  “What about Oakley?” I asked, she sighed then looked between us all.

  “Oakley May is in surgery right now. I will come and find you when he comes out.”

  “Thank you.” I whispered, as Frankie hugged Skylar again. Nurse Mitchell nodded, she looked sorry then she left the ward. Frankie sat on the bed beside Skylar.

  “What do you mean he hit Oakley?” Frankie whispered; Skylar closed their eyes.

  “We were between clubs. Walking down a side street to get to gay town, we weren’t even doing anything bad we were just walking. We weren’t even holding hands.” They paused as their voice stuttered, “this guy appeared. He was dressed up, as… you know that one from Halloween.”

  “Jason.” I said, Skylar nodded thoughtfully.

  “He had what I guess was a baseball bat.”

  “What the fuck?” Frankie said, Skylar looked down.

  “He was lingering around the outskirts of Gay Town. It was because of that.”

  “How do you know?” I asked quietly, Sylar turned to look at me.

  “He called us for everything, every gay slur under the sun. Then he swung and hit Oakley.” They swallowed, then sniffed hard as they wiped their cheeks. “He wouldn’t stop, he just kept hitting him, until…”