Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist by K. A. Merikan

appetite now, I’ll get it back.”
    Robert’s gaze swept over the bare toes, but despite the temptation, he didn’t touch them, even though they seemed so cold and in need of socks. After disposing of the glass, he got himself some tap water and drank it all in one go, pretending not to notice the attention. But he could feel it, and it tickled his ego all over. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t like to be admired. He even liked the way girls spun around him at school. Having a guy so clearly ogle him was new and exciting, since it could actually lead somewhere.
    He put the glass into the sink and glanced at the pale face. “Ready.”
    Ethan’s chest rose as he inhaled a big gulp of air, but then he slid down to the floor. “You wanna go to my room?” He stared at Robert as if he were the core of his being, lips slightly parted, the single blue eye hazy.
    Robert exhaled and reached out to take Ethan’s small hand. “Sure.” His skin had a few little cuts and scabs, like he hadn’t been careful enough while cutting bread or something. Not all that surprising considering how Ethan had broken the glass just moments ago.
    Ethan squeezed Rob’s hand and led him out of the kitchen and through the spacious living room, back to the corridor. His moves were rushed, and he almost walked into a standing lamp at one point, but they managed to walk through the house without Ethan hurting himself.
    Robert swallowed and glanced at their feet, curious how Ethan would manage with the stairs in his own house. He was ready to help if it were needed, but there was a fair chance this staircase would be familiar enough for Ethan to use it without any trouble.
    Ethan himself didn’t seem so certain. He looked up the steep way upstairs, tightening his grip on Robert’s forearm. He didn’t say a thing, but after a few seconds, he started the slow climb, with his other hand resting on the railing. Slow but steady. “My mom wanted me to move downstairs, but I like my room too much,” he said, watching his own feet.
    “Is it getting easier?” Robert sighed. The covered-up eye was facing him, so he couldn’t read Ethan’s face as well as he’d like to. Now that they were so close, he could appreciate the soft skin, immaculate and flawless without the aid of any cosmetics. He rather liked that, even on someone who wore freaky bird skull accessories.
    The moment Ethan turned to smile at Rob, he stumbled but somehow managed to keep his balance by holding on to him. “It’s easier when I know the stairs, and I’m really used to these, so it’s not as bad as the ones at school,” he explained.
    “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s a bit like moving in the dark.” Robert was tempted to be a normal guy and just kiss the two soft cushions of Ethan’s mouth, but he feared it would be crossing boundaries too sharply. He promised himself to wait till he was in college. Getting attached to someone so close to graduation was a fundamentally stupid idea. Sex would be fine though, didn’t other guys hook up all the time? He could do that with someone, who thought he was just bi-curious.
    “I won’t let it stop me, I’ll get used to it. It’s more annoying than anything else,” Ethan opened the heavy door to his attic room and invited Robert with a gesture. “Do you have a preference? I have condoms, I’m sorry I forgot last time.’
    Robert swallowed, feeling his cheeks heat up. He cleared his throat and shook his head.
    Ethan walked into that insane room of his, in which he looked oddly at home. Rob couldn’t imagine anyone else fitting into this den of crazy. There was a stuffed bat in the corner of the sloped wall and a weasel approaching it upside down. The place could have doubled as a museum of curiosities.
    “You sure? ‘Cause you seemed… um… not really all that… I mean…” Ethan frowned and bit his lips.
    “Because the situation was shit for me.” Robert cleared his throat and turned his face away to look