Sister, I'm Not Much a Poet but a Criminal
Chapter 6
When nobody said anything else, I sighed.
"Okay, get out," I grumbled at Ariella.
"You can't tell me to get out!"
"Sure I can. I want to sleep, and you just so happen to be sitting on my bed."
She opened her mouth to argue further, but Ray stopped her. "She's right. I think we all need some sleep."
As everyone began moving toward the bunks, I reached out and caught Frank by the elbow.
"What happened in here? I know that you guys were talking about me."
"It was nothing. Just a stupid argument."
"Please?"
He grabbed my shoulders and guided me to the couch. We sat down, and I waited for him to speak.
"You know as well as I do that your sister and I don't always get along perfectly," he began, seeming unsure how to continue.
"Yeah, she and I have the same problem."
"Well, she seems to think that I'm spending too much time with you, and that I'm a bad influence."
I laughed, but it sounded bitter. "She needs to mind her own fucking business."
"She's worried, Molly. It might seem like she's being a bitch, but she's got good intentions."
I was surprised by the way he defended her.
"Mikey thinks that there's something going on between us."
"Yeah, I think your sister does, too. I think that's what brought this whole thing up. I really don't want to make you angry with her, but she made it sound like you were the kind of girl who... gets around."
"She called me a slut?" I couldn't contain my anger. "What the hell does she know? We haven't lived together for three years, and I don't exactly have that kind of reputation. If anything, I'm considered frigid!"
"I didn't mean for you to get mad-"
"It's much better that you told me. Thank you."
"Get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning," he stood and left me alone.
It took me a long time to fall asleep that night, but morning seemed to come all too soon. I opened my eyes when the scent of coffee filled my nose. Frank was smiling widely.
"Feeling better today?"
"Not really. I don't know what to feel right now."
"Understandable. She's going to be pissed that I told you, though."
I turned my head and stared out the window. "You believe me, don't you?"
"Believe what?"
"That I'm not... well, that I'm not a whore."
He laughed, and the sound lifted my spirits a little. "Of all the things I wonder about you, Molly, I've never once thought there was even a possibility that you were like that."
"Good," I turned back to him. "What do you wonder about me?"
"Well, for starters, how you could be related to Ariella. I mean, what kind of person says that about her own sister? You're a good person."
"Deep down, so is she. She just... doesn't show it often. I don't know what to do about it. What could I possibly say about all of this?"
"Maybe nothing for now. You'll know what to say when you have to."
"I really hope you're right."
For the remainder of the day, I couldn't even look at Ariella. The sight of her made my blood boil, and I couldn't calm down. So I avoided her as much as was possible on the bus.
When the concert that night arrived, I stayed on the bus. It gave me time alone to think. When everyone came back, Frank and I went out for a smoke.
"Why did I have to be born into this family?" I asked.
He turned to me, surprised. "Sort of a random thought, but okay."
"I don't fit in there. Honestly, if my own sister thinks I fuck every guy who says hello to me, where does that leave me?"
He sighed lightly and wrapped his arm around me. I felt so safe there, so wanted. Suddenly, I realized that Mikey had been right. Maybe there was something between us. Maybe I did want Frank to be more than just a friend. Maybe I was falling for him.
"Someday, you'll find some guy who will love you for everything you are, not everything your family is," he attempted to comfort me.
I let out an angry breath and pulled away. "Yeah, some guy."
I turned and started to walk away. I could hear his footsteps as he followed.
"Molly, wait," he grabbed my elbow and I unwillingly turned to face him.
Before I even had a chance to look at him, he caught me in a kiss. It took me a moment to realize what was happening, but I felt his lips on mine and felt my whole body charge with the sparks that were flying. I pulled back and gave him a confused look. He shrugged.
"You've got to get me a drink before I'll make out with you, remember?" I reminded him.
"Oh, yeah," he began to walk away, but I grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Kidding."
"I wasn't."
"I don't want a drink, Frank. Right now, I just want you."
"You're crazy, you know that?"
"That's what they tell me."
We went back to the bus a few minutes later, but everyone else was already in bed. He kissed my cheek lightly.
"Goodnight, Molly."
"Night."
This time when I couldn't fall asleep, it was because I was too busy thinking. Tonight I wasn't thinking about Ariella or any other problems in my life. I was thinking of Frank.
"Okay, get out," I grumbled at Ariella.
"You can't tell me to get out!"
"Sure I can. I want to sleep, and you just so happen to be sitting on my bed."
She opened her mouth to argue further, but Ray stopped her. "She's right. I think we all need some sleep."
As everyone began moving toward the bunks, I reached out and caught Frank by the elbow.
"What happened in here? I know that you guys were talking about me."
"It was nothing. Just a stupid argument."
"Please?"
He grabbed my shoulders and guided me to the couch. We sat down, and I waited for him to speak.
"You know as well as I do that your sister and I don't always get along perfectly," he began, seeming unsure how to continue.
"Yeah, she and I have the same problem."
"Well, she seems to think that I'm spending too much time with you, and that I'm a bad influence."
I laughed, but it sounded bitter. "She needs to mind her own fucking business."
"She's worried, Molly. It might seem like she's being a bitch, but she's got good intentions."
I was surprised by the way he defended her.
"Mikey thinks that there's something going on between us."
"Yeah, I think your sister does, too. I think that's what brought this whole thing up. I really don't want to make you angry with her, but she made it sound like you were the kind of girl who... gets around."
"She called me a slut?" I couldn't contain my anger. "What the hell does she know? We haven't lived together for three years, and I don't exactly have that kind of reputation. If anything, I'm considered frigid!"
"I didn't mean for you to get mad-"
"It's much better that you told me. Thank you."
"Get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning," he stood and left me alone.
It took me a long time to fall asleep that night, but morning seemed to come all too soon. I opened my eyes when the scent of coffee filled my nose. Frank was smiling widely.
"Feeling better today?"
"Not really. I don't know what to feel right now."
"Understandable. She's going to be pissed that I told you, though."
I turned my head and stared out the window. "You believe me, don't you?"
"Believe what?"
"That I'm not... well, that I'm not a whore."
He laughed, and the sound lifted my spirits a little. "Of all the things I wonder about you, Molly, I've never once thought there was even a possibility that you were like that."
"Good," I turned back to him. "What do you wonder about me?"
"Well, for starters, how you could be related to Ariella. I mean, what kind of person says that about her own sister? You're a good person."
"Deep down, so is she. She just... doesn't show it often. I don't know what to do about it. What could I possibly say about all of this?"
"Maybe nothing for now. You'll know what to say when you have to."
"I really hope you're right."
For the remainder of the day, I couldn't even look at Ariella. The sight of her made my blood boil, and I couldn't calm down. So I avoided her as much as was possible on the bus.
When the concert that night arrived, I stayed on the bus. It gave me time alone to think. When everyone came back, Frank and I went out for a smoke.
"Why did I have to be born into this family?" I asked.
He turned to me, surprised. "Sort of a random thought, but okay."
"I don't fit in there. Honestly, if my own sister thinks I fuck every guy who says hello to me, where does that leave me?"
He sighed lightly and wrapped his arm around me. I felt so safe there, so wanted. Suddenly, I realized that Mikey had been right. Maybe there was something between us. Maybe I did want Frank to be more than just a friend. Maybe I was falling for him.
"Someday, you'll find some guy who will love you for everything you are, not everything your family is," he attempted to comfort me.
I let out an angry breath and pulled away. "Yeah, some guy."
I turned and started to walk away. I could hear his footsteps as he followed.
"Molly, wait," he grabbed my elbow and I unwillingly turned to face him.
Before I even had a chance to look at him, he caught me in a kiss. It took me a moment to realize what was happening, but I felt his lips on mine and felt my whole body charge with the sparks that were flying. I pulled back and gave him a confused look. He shrugged.
"You've got to get me a drink before I'll make out with you, remember?" I reminded him.
"Oh, yeah," he began to walk away, but I grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Kidding."
"I wasn't."
"I don't want a drink, Frank. Right now, I just want you."
"You're crazy, you know that?"
"That's what they tell me."
We went back to the bus a few minutes later, but everyone else was already in bed. He kissed my cheek lightly.
"Goodnight, Molly."
"Night."
This time when I couldn't fall asleep, it was because I was too busy thinking. Tonight I wasn't thinking about Ariella or any other problems in my life. I was thinking of Frank.