Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist by K. A. Merikan Read Free Book Online

with his cell phone, he rang the bell. Each second seemed to stretch endlessly as he waited for an answer.
    At least Ethan wasn’t already naked when he appeared this time. All dressed in black as usual, his pale blue eye looked up at Rob, and Rob had no idea what was expected of him anymore.
    “Hi,” Ethan said with that serious expression on his face. “Come in.”
    Rob frowned, his stomach plummeting. “What is it?”
    “Huh? What do you mean?” Ethan looked around the empty, spacious corridor. The high ceilings in the house gave it a high-class touch.
    Rob cleared his throat and walked inside. “Dunno, you’re just so... different here.” And he already knew why. Here, Ethan was the one holding all the cards.
    “I don’t get it.” Ethan reached out to Robert and slowly grabbed his hand. He did so with caution, as if he expected a slap on the wrist. Next thing Rob knew, he was pulled along into yet another massive room with a table fit for a family of ten.
    “You know, you’re so quiet at school.” Rob looked down at their hands, surprised by the gesture. What was going on? Wasn’t it all business this time?
    “I’m not the most sociable of people, I agree.” Ethan sighed and pulled out a chair for Robert. The situation was pure surrealism, but the food on the table was beyond mundane: some toast with peanut butter and jam on two individual plates.
    Robert cleared his throat but slowly lowered himself to the seat. He wasn’t sure what interested him more: the fake antiques and real artwork on the walls, or the fact that Ethan seemed to think this was some kind of dinner date at home.
    Ethan sat on the opposite side of the table and nudged one plate toward Rob before biting into the sandwich himself. “Go on, have some.”
    Robert cleared his throat. “Am I too early again?” He reached for the food, wondering if it would be too much to ask for something to drink.
    Ethan looked at the large grandfather clock behind him. “No, you’re on time. Are you in a rush?”
    Robert shrugged. “I just thought I interrupted you when you were eating.” He bit into the sandwich and closed his eyes for a moment. The jelly was delicious. Homemade? Maybe. Definitely high quality stuff.
    “I made it for you.” Ethan went silent for a moment and placed the sandwich back on the plate. His moves were oddly stiff.  “I know that what we have is maybe… not optimal, but I don’t want you to have a totally horrible time.”
    “Are you autistic?” Robert leaned back in the chair, but he kept on chewing, in hope that if they ran out of uncomfortable topics of conversation, there was always food talk.
    Ethan swallowed and looked at his plate. His eye patch added to the surreal atmosphere. As if he were some archvillain sitting behind the table in his lair, and Rob stumbled upon this place by accident. “Who knows. I do have some brain damage.”
    Robert hid his face behind his hands and bumped his forehead into the tabletop. No, he would not mention autism was not a result of brain damage. His hands were aching with the need to slap someone. “You really think it’s all okay as long as you give me some peanut butter? What the fuck?”
    Ethan cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair, with his only remaining eye on the tabletop rather than Robert’s face. “N-no… I just… I thought we could talk… Maybe. Not make it so impersonal. I think, maybe I was too eager last time. But I’ve never done it before, and I sort of panicked.”
    “Surprise, I haven’t sucked cock before either!” Robert uncovered his face and started stroking the edge of the plate, keeping his eyes on its decorative pattern. It was squeaky clean. His life was not.
    Ethan took a deep breath, his face gradually pinkening. “But you’ve been in all sort of sexual situations, I can imagine. Thinking back, maybe I should have worn jeans or something. I’m not sure.”
    Robert swallowed and pulled on his index finger, just as his