Free Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist by K. A. Merikan Page A

rat ballerina? You dress up stuffed animals?”
    Ethan looked up at him over the table, and Rob couldn’t work out what his expression meant. “Sometimes. I’m still experimenting. My bird skull necklaces are very popular, but I like dealing with small animals, like rats or squirrels. I also buy vintage taxidermy of bigger animals sometimes and make sculptures out of them. My biggest project this year was making a mouse house inside the neck of an old elk trophy head.”
    “Isn’t that inventive.” Ethan’s dad stroked his son’s head like he were a five-year-old.
    Robert raised his brows, biting the inner side of his lips. He was happy his mother didn’t treat him like a child in front of his friends. “That... sounds unusual. Is it done?”
    “Mostly. There’s still finishing touches I need to do.” Ethan licked some sauce off his lips and went silent for a moment. “You wanna see it?” he managed to ask before any of his parents sneaked in a word.
    Robert did the same. “Sure.”
    Ethan’s dad cleared his throat, but kept a smile on his lips. “I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea. Maybe you could show him a picture sometime.”
    “No, he can see it if he wants.” Ethan frowned. “I worked so hard on it.”
    “Okay, okay, but don’t be afraid to say if it makes you uncomfortable, Robert.” Ethan’s mom added to her son’s deep, long sigh.
    Robert, whose mouth was at this point packed with chow mein, nodded at her. The food was delicious, crispy, well seasoned, and fresh. He supposed Ethan’s parents used a proper restaurant as their supplier. The taxidermy thing was intriguing. He knew Ethan was making jewelry but art? That was new.
    The rest of the meal passed on pleasant conversation, with Ethan generally staying quiet but adding his two cents every now and then. He kept looking up at Robert though, which sent imaginary sparks of excitement toward Rob. It was as if they were having an entirely different conversation across the table. One that didn’t involve patronizing Ethan, but instead consisted of many innuendos and promises of cocksucking. All silent.
    Robert was happy to be released from the table, and even as he helped to stash the dishes on the kitchen counter, his eyes kept returning to Ethan across the room. Would they do it again?
    Ethan helped his mom in the kitchen, but he kept dropping things, so in the end she sent him off to show Robert his ‘den’.
    “I’m not usually this clumsy,” Ethan huffed as soon as they left the dining room and walked down the corridor toward the door.
    “You know, just be careful for now, yeah? You’re still adjusting to it all.” Robert cleared his throat, following him out of the house. He was tempted to touch him but it wasn’t safe with the parents around. After all, the light coming from inside the living room could be enough for them to spot any suspicious behavior.
    “I’ve read that people with one eye drive cars, but I’m not allowed,” he sighed and put on a black hoodie with fur lining.
    Robert rubbed his hands together. He didn’t know what he’d do without a car. It would feel like losing an arm. “Will you ever be allowed to again?”
    “Not in the foreseeable future. You know, the doctors are afraid a headache might hit me when I’m on the road, so… yeah.” It sounded more like a general complaint than some attempt at guilt tripping Rob, but it still made him want to apologize.
    “You know, if you needed to go somewhere, I could give you a lift.”
    “You could?” Ethan looked up at him with that glint in his eye. Robert loved being tall enough to see the top of his head, it made him feel all big and hunky. Plus, Ethan’s hair was healthy, and for some reason, the pale glint of skin at the parting made him think of that herbal scent he liked so much.
    “Sure, as long as you don’t ask me to take you across the country for the weekend,” chuckled Rob.
    “No! No, I’d only ask you when I really need it.