Home Alone

When Frank wakes up the next morning, his mother is, in fact, already gone. He searches the house to make sure, then puts a CD into the giant stereo in the living room, and proceeds to head-bang to music that is way too loud. He jumps up on the couch to show off his mad air-guitar skills to no one, but tumbles over and lands on the coffee table.

"Ow," he says, picking himself up and deciding, Yeah, no more air-guitar while jumping on the couch. His dance session is then interrupted by the doorbell ringing two or thirteen times. Frank presses pause, then goes to open the door.

Mrs. Rainey from next-door is standing there, looking quite angry. "Franklin. I can hear that music all the way in my house. You better turn that down, young man. I'm not afraid to tell your mother."

Frank's thinking, My name's not even Franklin! It's just Frank. And, really? You're gonna tattle on me? But he doesn't say anything, because Mrs. Rainey is really old, and actually really nice, and she likes to give Frank candy and tell him not to tell his mother, like it's illegal to have a couple gummy bears before dinner.

"Oh, and here, take this lollipop. I got it at the bank yesterday; thought you would like it. Don't tell you're mother I'm giving you candy, you hear?" She says, winking. "You're a nice young man, just a little loud. "

Frank smiles at her and says, "Thank you, Mrs. Rainey." Then she smiles, nods, and heads back to her house.

Frank closes the door shaking his head. He looks at the round, blue lollipop for about ten seconds, before ripping off the plastic cover and sticking it in his mouth.

The rest of his first day alone is rather un-eventful. He watches TV, trying to ignore all the 'back to school' commercials that are on way too soon, and plays his guitar most of the time. Donna stops by around six o'clock. She gives him a piece of paper with her home and cell numbers, "Just in case."

Frank stays up on the computer until about 3 in the morning, then passes out on his bed.

****

Today is going to be a lazy day.

Frank is thinking this as he slumps down the stairs, still in his pajamas, and sits down on the couch. He stretches, then decides it's way too hot, and takes his shirt off, throwing it in the general direction of the stairs. He walks over to the DVD rack and picks out five DVDs, before nodding to himself and putting the first one in the player. Yes. Day number two is DVD day. He sets the rest of the DVDs on the coffee table, and turns on the TV, laying horizontal on the couch and using the remote to press 'play'.

The little girl, Olive, is running around on the screen, packing and talking to her stuffed animals, when Frank falls asleep.

He's awoken a few hours later by the door bell. The TV is playing the DVD's menu screen. He goes over to the door and opens it, to see a boy looking extremely bored standing on the other side.

The boy looks Frank up and down and asks, "You Frank?"

"Yeah," he replies, eyebrows coming together in confusion. He wraps his arms around his bare torso, feeling just a little exposed.

"Are you still alive?" The boy asks, facial expression not changing at all.

"Uhh," Frank jerks his head back and his eyes dart around, though he's not sure what he's looking for. "Yeah, last time I checked."

The boy just nods and says, "My work here is done," then turns and starts to walk away.

"Hey! Uh.. Sorry but, who the hell are you?" Frank shouts before he's too far away.

"Oh," he says, turning around. He looks up like he's trying to remember something and says, "My mother, Donna, sent me here to check on you because she had to go to the grocery store and pick up my little brother from," he pauses and closes his eyes tight, then opens them, still looking up, and goes on, "fucking.. karate or something, and she is sorry, and she will see you tomorrow, and she wants to know if you would like some broccoli casserole, because she's making some anyway and there's always left-overs, so she thought it'd be nice to offer you some." He makes big hand gestures as he talks, but they don't look as planned and rehearsed as the actual words sound. He takes a big breath and then nods, looking at Frank again. "I think the casserole was supposed to be my idea, as like, a peace offering or something, but it wasn't. My idea. So, just, do you want some or not?"

Franks mouth is slightly open, and he looks at the other boy like he's crazy. "Yeah, uh, that's fine," he says, before adding a quick, "please."

The boy doesn't say anything, just nods his head a little and turns away, heading back to the Way house.

Frank closes the door and heads back into the living room, throwing himself back onto the couch.

Okay, then..