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least he and Shelley could have a conversation about something besides computers and calculators. And she had promised to read his writing. Up till Gerard had met Shelley, he had put up with Edison’s behavior, and their lack of things in common.
In the days that followed, Gerard’s friendship with Edison had begun to deteriorate. Their conversations were short and curt and when they spoke to each other, their voices were hollow. When they saw each other in school they wouldn’t wave or go over to talk when their friendship had been whole. Both of them had reached the realization that they had nothing in common. Gerard was the writer, the artist. Edison was the technology genius.
During lunch as they got their trays, they stared at each other for a moment as if looking through a mirror. Then they looked away and pretended that the other did not exist.
Gerard did not completely understand Edison’s sudden cold-ness, but he felt responsible. That night he sat outside on the back porch. His mother and Luke were sleeping, and Gerard knew that’s what he should be doing too. But he couldn’t et to sleep. He sat outside in the cold night air wrapped in a blanket and eating corn flakes. He always ate cereal when he was upset or anxious about something. Since he was very young, that had been his habit. AS he sat there. He thought about Edison. Edison’s dramatics, his genius yet eccentric ways. Edison’s way of making him laugh when no one else could.
Ever since Gerard had met Shelley things had changed between them. Maybe because he had realized how little they had in common, and how immature Edison was.
Shelley was a real friend. He hadn’t known her long, but she had helped him in some ways. Edison didn’t really help him in any way , except to make him feel more like a loser. Gerard heard a distant church bell off in the distance telling him that it was three in the morning. He reluctantly went inside, taking the corn flakes with him.
It had been a week and a half since Gerard had seen Shelley. HE had been so wrapped up with the situation with Edison that he had neglected his only friend. AS he went on the long walk there, he looked at all of the pumpkins on people’s porches. They all wore sinister and evil looks, no unlike the evil grin donned by Chucky, the mutant doll from the popular horror film “Child’s Play.” IT had always been a favorite of Gerard’s. when he finally got to Shelley’s house she was waiting for him on the steps. Her two black cats Alicia and Kelso were sprawled at her feet.
Shelley wore a dark blue dress with a gray apron. She wore a straw hat and peered out through her spectacles looking severe for a moment. Then she brightened into a smile. “Hello Gerard, long time no see.” Gerard sat down next to her.
“I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in a while.” He said. He looked sad and he was. HE had lost his only friend at school. She put her arm around him.
“What’s wrong?”
“My so-called friend Edison ditched me recently. He started acting weird soon after these kids in our class made it well known that I am gay.”
He began telling her about what happened in the café, and when they went shopping. He told her in detail about Mr. Grant’s nervous breakdown, and she listened, her head resting on her hand her eyes bright behind her spectacles. Finally she said
“He didn’t sound like a very good friend.”
Gerard looked at the ground and shook his head.
“No, he wasn’t. or maybe it was just me. Maybe it was both of us. WE didn’t really have anything in common.”
