Rollercoaster
Chapter 15
Frank's POV
I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier as I drove up yet another street with the same devastating feeling. The rain began to beat down on the car roof. The loud droplets on the tin roof kept me awake and I continued to search the streets. Although it was quite difficult to see out of the window now...
I found a parking lot nearby and decided it would be better at this stage to search for her on foot. Reaching for my cell phone in case of emergencies and got out into the pouring rain. Locking the car I entered the streets alone in search of one person. I didn't bother putting my hood up as the cold droplets dripped down my dark brown wavy hair and rolled down my forehead.
New Jersey wasn't exactly the place you'd want to be in late at night. I remember when I was young looking out from the inside, always wanting be there. My mum never let me though, and I'm grateful for it. Everyday you'd always hear about another mugging in the local park, another body in the rivers. Twenty years later and it still hasn't changed much. I shivered thinking about Aimee. God, she was just a kid. What would she do if someone approached her, fight them off? I somehow don't think she would be strong enough...
I pass yet another alley. My heart skips a beat as I hear some dustbins rattling in the shadows. I run towards it as a cat jumps from out of it, an old fish in its mouth. My heart stops, tired now of all the delays. But I wasn't going to give up that easily...
I must have passed about fifty alleys after that, I knew I was lost, but I wasn't going to go home now. Just then I felt something on my leg. I looked down. My cell phone was ringing. It could be news of Aimee! I struggle to get it out of my deep pockets.
"H-hello?" I stammer, as I flip the lid.
"Frank? Where the hell are you man?" It was Gerard. He sounded really worried. Well I guess he would have been, I told him I was going to pick Aimee up then go straight to his place.
"Oh. I'm sorry Gerard, I'm so sorry. You were right, you were so right.." My voice gets dry and I find myself crying again.
"Frank? What are you talking about? Where are you? Where's Aimee?" His voice stayed calm and serious, though I knew he was getting restless.
"She ran away Gerard. Just like that. There's more to it, more I don't understand. You were right. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have got so attached. I'm sorry, Gerard, so sorry." Salty tears are flowing down my cheeks now, and my eyes are burning.
There's an awkward silence. He's probably thinking about what the hell I'm on.
"Frank, listen to me. It's okay dude, we'll get it sorted out. We'll find her, don't worry. But it's half three in the morning. You need rest! Please, come back and we'll contact the police." I smiled. I was always the one to cheer the guys up when they were down, but now I was such a mess and Gerard was the one comforting me.
"I can't, Gerard. I can't leave her here." He tried to interrupt me, but I continued talking. "Look, I need to stay here in case she tries to come back, or something. Don't worry about me. I've got the porche, I can sleep in it for the night. Don't tell the guys what happened, I don't what the police to find out yet... In case they spread some rumour and it makes her worse. Ya know? Please Gerard, you have to trust me in this. I'm a grown man!" I chuckled, not many would class me as a grown man, more of a child inside a grown man's body.
He listened intently without interrupting me once. "You sure you're okay?"
I say a brave mm hmm.
"Well you better be! And I better see you tomorrow, both of you. Keep safe, Frank."
I swallowed back tears as I mumbled a meer, "Later dude."
I mean, don't get me wrong, it was great to know that he was fine with Aimee being around now, but I just prayed I would find her by then...
I sadly scuffed my shoe against the wall of the car park as I entered it. I can't believe I let her down, after I promised her.
Her voice echoed in my mind as I curled up in the front seat of the car.
Don't make promises you can't keep....
I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier as I drove up yet another street with the same devastating feeling. The rain began to beat down on the car roof. The loud droplets on the tin roof kept me awake and I continued to search the streets. Although it was quite difficult to see out of the window now...
I found a parking lot nearby and decided it would be better at this stage to search for her on foot. Reaching for my cell phone in case of emergencies and got out into the pouring rain. Locking the car I entered the streets alone in search of one person. I didn't bother putting my hood up as the cold droplets dripped down my dark brown wavy hair and rolled down my forehead.
New Jersey wasn't exactly the place you'd want to be in late at night. I remember when I was young looking out from the inside, always wanting be there. My mum never let me though, and I'm grateful for it. Everyday you'd always hear about another mugging in the local park, another body in the rivers. Twenty years later and it still hasn't changed much. I shivered thinking about Aimee. God, she was just a kid. What would she do if someone approached her, fight them off? I somehow don't think she would be strong enough...
I pass yet another alley. My heart skips a beat as I hear some dustbins rattling in the shadows. I run towards it as a cat jumps from out of it, an old fish in its mouth. My heart stops, tired now of all the delays. But I wasn't going to give up that easily...
I must have passed about fifty alleys after that, I knew I was lost, but I wasn't going to go home now. Just then I felt something on my leg. I looked down. My cell phone was ringing. It could be news of Aimee! I struggle to get it out of my deep pockets.
"H-hello?" I stammer, as I flip the lid.
"Frank? Where the hell are you man?" It was Gerard. He sounded really worried. Well I guess he would have been, I told him I was going to pick Aimee up then go straight to his place.
"Oh. I'm sorry Gerard, I'm so sorry. You were right, you were so right.." My voice gets dry and I find myself crying again.
"Frank? What are you talking about? Where are you? Where's Aimee?" His voice stayed calm and serious, though I knew he was getting restless.
"She ran away Gerard. Just like that. There's more to it, more I don't understand. You were right. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have got so attached. I'm sorry, Gerard, so sorry." Salty tears are flowing down my cheeks now, and my eyes are burning.
There's an awkward silence. He's probably thinking about what the hell I'm on.
"Frank, listen to me. It's okay dude, we'll get it sorted out. We'll find her, don't worry. But it's half three in the morning. You need rest! Please, come back and we'll contact the police." I smiled. I was always the one to cheer the guys up when they were down, but now I was such a mess and Gerard was the one comforting me.
"I can't, Gerard. I can't leave her here." He tried to interrupt me, but I continued talking. "Look, I need to stay here in case she tries to come back, or something. Don't worry about me. I've got the porche, I can sleep in it for the night. Don't tell the guys what happened, I don't what the police to find out yet... In case they spread some rumour and it makes her worse. Ya know? Please Gerard, you have to trust me in this. I'm a grown man!" I chuckled, not many would class me as a grown man, more of a child inside a grown man's body.
He listened intently without interrupting me once. "You sure you're okay?"
I say a brave mm hmm.
"Well you better be! And I better see you tomorrow, both of you. Keep safe, Frank."
I swallowed back tears as I mumbled a meer, "Later dude."
I mean, don't get me wrong, it was great to know that he was fine with Aimee being around now, but I just prayed I would find her by then...
I sadly scuffed my shoe against the wall of the car park as I entered it. I can't believe I let her down, after I promised her.
Her voice echoed in my mind as I curled up in the front seat of the car.
Don't make promises you can't keep....