We walked like seemed for hours.

They welcomed us.

Immediately they both went in another room.

I sat alone in the living room.

Tv was on – Johnny Carson.

Who I liked, but not that night.

Deliberately ignored.

And sulked.

One of the girls name was Joanne.

She ignored me – wouldn’t look my way.

I knew who she was because she and her family lived next door to us for a while.

Her sister was in my brother’s same grade. Wendy.

Our cat had kittens and Wendy took one. I remember her being sort of nice but my brother said she was dumb.

I’m guessing he secretly liked her but she wouldn’t give him the time of day. And I didn’t blame her.

Joanne was older than me and never smiled.

I remember she always wore tight jeans which looked kinda nice, but she had this odd stutter step that made me think she was carrying a turd or something in there. Kinda weird. The whole family. Except Wendy.

Her brother Bruce was younger than me but I played with him sometimes.

He cried when he didn’t get his way.

When we left, Frank let me smell his fingers.

They smelled sour, I think.

I was jealous.

And alone. Seemed like always.

I decided I never liked Joanne, and I never saw the other girl so not sure if I didn’t like her either.

Still, I felt like a creep.

I imagined my future life, my future wife. In love. In lust. Having fun.

My family moved and Frank and I never spoke again.

I had heard he married, had 3 children, and divorced. He sold insurance somewhere down south.

And Joanne died tragically in a car accident. She was drunk. Not sure if anyone else was hurt.

I moved to Toledo and work in a factory. Third Shift. I have a black cat named Jeff.