Just One More Minute

Chapter Four: Souls in the Fool's Night

I stared at the number for a moment on the bluish screen, trying to remember when Frankie added his number. It wasn’t there at lunch, when my phone had gone off. That also reminds me. I have to get a new ring tone later. Homecoming just doesn’t fit anymore.

I focused to Chorus with Mister Cook, the preacher impersonating music teacher, Mary, and Frankie. As Mister Cook blathered on and on about concerts coming up and the importance of being on key, all three of us were passing notes and playing rounds of twenty questions. After a round where Frankie immediately guessed that I thought of Teddy Roosevelt, he asked to see my phone. I gladly handed the tote over, while Mary started spazzing about my key chains of penguins again. Though, I didn’t really take notice to it until now.

I realized Frankie had taken my phone, and put his number in it. Obviously, that means he wants me to call him. After a moment of debate, I caved in, and dialed the number. After three rings, a familiar voice picked up.

“Hello?” he asked. I took a breath.

“Frankie?” I asked. I could almost hear him nodding.

“Hey Hayley,” he told me. He sounded bored. Wait. Bored? How could he be?

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Not a lot. I just finished my homework.” I looked at the clock. An hour had passed since school ended. Was my tutoring not helping at all, or was it something else?

“That’s cool,” I stated. I realized then, that I hadn’t started mine. Oh well. Not like I can’t do it on the bus, or when I get up for school.

I then remembered the reason I called. “Listen,” I started, “My mom kinda sold my stuff and gave me the money for a ‘new start.’ The thing is, I hate to shop alone. I was thinking, well, maybe you wanted to come with me.”

“Sure.” Wait. What?

“What?”

“I said that’s fine. Do you have a ride there, or do you want Jakob to get you?”

It took me a second to realize that Jakob was his brother. “Jakob, I guess.”

“Cool. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.” There was a little beep, and the phone was off.

As I dropped the phone, I fell back into the bed, thinking happy thoughts. I had a friend. I had a real, true friend to call my own. Hell, I might even have two friends. Or even five. That’d be nice.

But as always, nice thoughts came to a quick thought, and I thought of the fight downstairs with mom. Usually, I’d feel bad after five minutes, cave in, and go and apologize to her. But this fight was different. She was telling me not to hang out with my first friend just because of his sexuality. How did I not see her judging someone like that before? Then again, I’ve never had someone that “different” as a friend before. I didn’t feel bad one bit.

When she said “a fresh start,” she really did mean it, didn’t she? For the first time in my life, I’m free. I only have one ignorant mother, who really has no clue of what she’s doing. I have a group of friends to lean on. I know someone who can drive. It’s the open rode and me, and everything in the world is mine to look forward to. I have everything now.

Everything except dignity. Everything except acceptance. Everything except love. Everything except a dad...

A car horn outside snapped me out of having a breakdown. I ran to my window and looked to the road. Outside, I saw a beat up, old, black Volkswagen, with Frankie in the front seat, next to who I guessed was Jakob. Frankie waved to my window, and I waved back smiling. I quickly ran and got my blue sweatshirt and went downstairs. Mom was peeking out the window.

She turned to me as I stepped onto level ground. “Hayley, where are you going?” she asked.

“Out,” I told her. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted. Mom pushed the door into the lock again.

“Out where?” she asked.

“To the mall, to replace some of my stuff you sold.” I opened the door again. Mom pushed it back into place.

“With who?” she asked.

“Frankie,” I told her, “And his brother Jakob.”

“Hayley please,” Mom cooed, “Listen to me. You could have such a good life here, with wonderful people. You still have that chance. Don’t blow it away on some boy you met at school.”

“Mom, you listen,” I started, “I’m living that chance right now. I have a good life, and a group of good friends. It just so happens that Frankie is one of them.”

Mom stood there for a moment, stunned. I opened the door and looked out. Frankie was smiling at me. “I’ll be back before eight thirty,” I told her. And with that, I ran out the door and to the beat up car.

“Hey,” I said to Frankie. He got out and opened the back door for me.

“Hallo,” he replied, gesturing for me to get in. I thanked him courteously.

Frankie got back in the front seat, and Jakob hit the gas lightly. As we pulled away from the walk, I turned to the door. Mom was still looking at me, angrily, from the walkway. Well, I guess she’s pissed.

“You’re Hayley, right?” Jakob asked. I turned to him. He looked a lot like Frankie, but his hair was a little shorter, and without pink streaks. He sounded a lot like Frankie too, only he lacked a German accent.

“Yeah,” I replied, “You’re Jakob right?” He nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” he said. Silence fell over us as we drove a bit more down the road. We went over the train tracks and into the next part of town. I looked out the window, wondering if the mall was close or further away.

“So Hayley,” Jakob started, “How’s school?”

“Good I guess,” I started, “The first day is always a bit... interesting.”

“Isn’t it always?” Jakob asked. All three of us chuckled.

The rest of the car ride was filled with chatter of school, home, and life all together. I was filled with eager questions, and Jakob and Frankie answered all. There were no secrets between any of us. Well, I had my secrets, but I wasn’t quite ready to share.

In the twenty minute drive from Bayport to Ronkonkoma (which was where the mall was), I learned so much about the two brothers. Jakob went to a private school on scholarship, and was on his way to an early graduation. He worked at the CVS in town to pay for bills. Mom had been right. They did live on their own.

The question that was eating at me then was a rather dreadful one. I wanted to find out about their families. If they were triplets, where was their other brother or sister? Where were their parents? Why wasn’t another family member helping them? Were they the only part of their family left?

All the questions ate at me as I laughed along with jokes and answered what Frankie wanted to know. I had to try my best to appear untouched, but my best was never enough. “Hayley,” Frankie started, “Are you all right?”

“What?” I replied, startled from the sudden snap out of my thoughts. “Yeah. Totally cool. Why?”

“You seemed anxious,” Frankie explained, “Or even scared about something.”

“I’m fine!” I exclaimed. He raised a brow. Uh oh. I answered to fast. “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he said, starting to turn to face front. I held my breath, which was a good thing, for Frankie turned around to face me again.

“You know you can always talk to me right?” he asked. “You understand you can trust me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I replied, “I’ve just got a lot running through my mind right now. You know, everything’s rushing to me at once, and it’s all soaking in and setting now.”

“I understand,” he told me. I nodded. I knew he did.

“We’re here,” Jakob told. I looked out. The building was a large scale, one story building, with triangular designs covering the actual wall, giving the building an abstract shape. The entrance was blue, green and yellow, and had a few restraunt entrances neighboring the big glass doors. There were buildings over by the department store, that seemed to circle a small courtyard.

The actual building impressed me to bits. It was as close to Seattle as I’d get.

Frankie opened the door for me and I stepped out onto the curb. I gazed at the building while Jakob talked to Frankie.

“Guys, I gotta go,” he started, “I have work in an hour.”

“Awww Jake!” Frankie groaned, “I thought maybe you’d hang out too for once.”

“Sorry Eff,” he told.

“You have to think of a better nickname.”

Jakob laughed. “Okay. I’ll pick you guys up at eight-thirty, ‘kay?”

“Okay,” Frankie agreed, “Bye Jake.”

“Bye Jakob,” I said to him, waving.

He waved back. “Bye Hayley. It was nice meeting you.” He then said goodbye to Frankie and drove off to the nearest exit. After a few moments passed, Frankie pulled me along, up to the entrance of the spectacularly crafted building, and brought me inside.

The inside of the building amazed me more. In the food court, there was a giant, glass ceiling that was as oddly shaped as the outside. There were rafters too, that had caught a few birthday balloons. At that moment, a something darted by between rafters. After a second, I came to the realization that it was a bird.

“Yeah,” Frankie started, “Birds get in a lot.”

“Does anyone do anything about it?” I asked. Surely someone had complained.

“I’m not sure,” he explained, “I think a manager of a store or something usually holds open the door and lets them out. Though, it’s a little troublesome in the winter.”

We both laughed and watched the pigeon fly back and forth for a while, until eventually it flew out the glass doors when someone was holding it for a mother will a screaming toddler on one shoulder, and a sleeping baby in the stroller. Then, Frankie beckoned me to follow him, and we headed down the hall.

“So what exactly do you need?” he asked. I thought back to the creepy porcelain dolls and the Partrich Family bedspread. I shuddered at the thought.

“I need a bedspread, a carpet, some posters, a clock, blankets, and paint,” I told him. He nodded solemnly. “Where would we find those?”

Frankie merely pointed to a store in the mall I actually remembered. It was painted jet black, and had a sign in front of it telling of how to win concert tickets for a tour coming up next month. I ran to it, pulling Frankie along by the wrist. And then the night commenced.

We spent a good hour in my dark sanctuary. There, I was able to get the bedspread I wanted, which had Alice and her cat on it, a really cool purple lamp, a throw, a few rather dead looking plushies, and a clock I could put my ipod into. A lot of the money was then spent on posters from the music store down the way, and really good coffee at Starbucks. And the coffee, of course, came from Seattle.

As the end of the night approached and eight-thirty was nearing closer and closer, Frankie and I started to get closer as well. We were becoming great friends and the night wore on, and wanted to spend more and more time together.

Eventually, the clock struck eight and Frankie called Jakob’s cell phone, to let him know we would be outside by the bookstore. He made me call mom too, to make let her know I’d be home in an hour. She’d asked where I was, and I told her the mall. She didn’t believe me, and said we’d have a long talk when I got home. Great.

I clicked the phone’s off button and put it in my bag. “What’d she say?” Frankie asked. I sighed, and thought back to his words back in the car. No more secrets? For real? I could at least give it a shot.

“My mom’s a bitch,” I told him.

“That kind of,” he paused, “sucks.”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Do you want to tell me why she’s a bitch?” he asked. I thought for a moment. No secrets. No more.

“She, well,” I took a deep breath, “She hates you.”

“Why?” he asked. I shrugged.

“She says it’s because she thinks you’ll be a ‘bad influence on me’,” I paused, “But I know her real reason is because of your living situation, social status, and possibly because you’re gay.”

“That’s a lot of dumb reasons for hating somebody,” Frankie alerted.

I nodded. “I know.”

“So,” he let the silence overcome us for a moment. But only a moment. “Your mom doesn’t want us to hang out anymore? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Yes,” I told him, “But quite frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. Mom needs to learn to give people a chance before she judges them. I hate her attitude completely, and I can’t say I can change it, but i can at least show her I’m not gonna take her shit. I won’t let her step all over me.”

“Good for you,” he told me, “It must be hard though. I wish not to get you in trouble.”

“I know you don’t,” I answered, “But I can handle it. Really.”

“Okay,” he said. And for the first time, he pulled me into a hug. It was warm, and full of love. Soft too. It was kind of like hugging a giant teddy bear, only they could answer back and hug back. I embraced him.

“You know I’m here for you, right?” he asked me. I nodded in his shoulder and smiled. I could really, truly feel him smile back. And at that moment, a horn honking pulled us apart. Jakob was waving and smiling from the Volkswagen, and Frankie and I rushed over immediately.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Hello,” Frankie and I replied.

“Listen, if we wanna get Hayley back by nine, we have to leave now,” he told. I looked at the clock on the dashboard of the car. it was already eight forty-five.

“Shit!” I screeched. Frankie pulled open the car door for me and I jumped into the back. Frankie did too, to save time. He slammed the door shut and Jakob pushed on the gas. We exited the mall as fast as we could (which wasn’t that fast, due to traffic), and were on the road home again after a good five minutes. I kept praying that we would make it back in time, but I guess God wasn’t in my favor. We got to my house at nine o’ five. Shit.

I ripped open the car door and ran down the walkway, only to come face to face with mom, who had opened the door in a fit. “Hayley Rosalie Evaleigne Bhloo!” Mom yelled. Shit Shit Shit! “Where in the world have you been?!”

At that moment, I cringed back, and was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Tears were about to fall now. I’d never heard Mom get so mad before. Usually, she just scolds me and tells me to get in the house/car, and moves on. But I guess I’ve been so difficult lately, she’s just gotten so pissed. Now, the guilt was getting into my skull, along with fear. I felt sick, and was quietly crying now. Suddenly, I felt an embrace around my shoulders.

“I believe she was with me madam,” Frankie explained, “We tried to get her back on time as best as we could, but my brother was running a little late from work. I hope you can forgive this mistake. I can assure you it won’t happen again.”

Mom sighed angrily and looked at me. It was dark, so she couldn’t see the tear stains or swollen eyes. Her piercing stare got into my head as she opened the screen door. “Get in the house Hayley,” she directed, “Now.”

I nodded, even thought she couldn’t see me and gave Frankie a hug goodbye. “Please be careful,” he told me, “I wouldn’t want a fragile thing as you getting hurt.”

“Don’t worry about me Frankie,” I told him, “I’ll be fine.”

We said “Good Night” and pulled apart. Frankie was nice enough to wave to Mom as he walked back to the car. mom didn’t wave back, just as Miss Dullsmith hadn’t. She just grimaced at me as I entered the house, scared out of my wits of what awaited. The door closed, and Mom glared at me.

“I’m sorry Mom,” I told her, “I’m sorry I yelled at you before. But I just can’t let Frankie go. He’s everything to me, and if he was taken away, I don’t know what I’d do.” I took a breath and thought of what to say next. But my heart was faster than my mind, and beat my brain to the punch line. “I love him Mom.”

She breathed out heavily and looked down at the floor, as did I. She swallowed hard and looked at me. “Go upstairs and do your homework Hayley,” she told me, “It’s been a long day, and I’m sure you and I are both exaughsting. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”

I nodded and walked up the stairs, bags in hand, to my room. I opened the door only to find that everything had been rearranged. Mom had put my bed in the spot it been in when we lived in Seattle, up in the corner by the window. The couch was now closer to the door, and had a few of my old, favorite yellow chairs near by. There was a desk too, which was new and a dark cherry color, which had my laptop resting on top. There was a new throw carpet on the floor, and the shape of a rainbow star. There were fake flowers decorating my bare night stand. The bed was stripped down to white sheets.

Now, I was about to cry. I wasn’t sure if Mom was playing the guilt card at first, but something inside of me made me know she wasn’t. She wouldn’t have gone this far unless she knew she’d upset me. Was she apologizing for her judgment? No. Probably not. But at least I knew she was sorry for something, and somewhat cared.

I pulled out all of my new things and placed them throughout the room. The lamp went on the desk, and my clock went on the night stand with the plushies. The throw went on the couch, and the bedspread across the sheets. I lay down afterwards and let my mind wander off into Neverland.

I thought of Frankie, who I knew I loved deeply, like an older brother figure. I thought of Jakob, who was probably the nicest and most responsible person I know. I thought of Mary, Jen, Kelly, and everyone, and what might await tomorrow.

But I mostly thought of home, and what I’d left behind. Good friends, like Kia, Marie, Karina Kate, and Sadie. Good times, like going to Tully’s and watching snow fall last Christmas. I thought of Jared, and his football games, and cheerleaders swooning over him at the water cooler. I thought of Karina Kate’s party again, which I immediately shook out of.

But I mostly thought of Dad, with his brown stubble and kind blue eyes. Everyone said I’d gotten his looks and personality, which didn’t really help ease the pain of losing him. I thought of the night Mom had said those last two words after two years of fighting nonstop. He seemed sort of relieved. Not for himself though. He seemed relieved that the torture he and Mom had put me through was finally over at thirteen.

The last night under Seattle’s rainy day parades and lights, Dad had taken me to Tully’s one last time, and gotten me hot chocolate, even though I was already a caffeine addict. He’d sat me down at a table outside, with a big red and white umbrella that covered our already soaked bodies.

We’d sat there and talked for hours nonstop. I could still remember those words he said to me.

“Your mother and I have been victim of a New Moon a while now,” he had told me, “And it must be a relief for you to not have to cover your ears with your pillows and headphones every night.” I had nodded. “So when I tell you this, don’t forget my angel. Even though your mother and I haven’t been well for years, you have to know that we’ll always have one thing in common: We both love you to bits. Listen to your mother. Let her get you through these harsh times in you life, like puberty and boys.

“Let her hold you when you take your hand and guide you through this hell hole of a world. Let her watch, hold you, and be there. You’ll only have her and I for so long. And it may be difficult at first, but it will eventually get easier. I know that your mom can be a bitch at times, but know that I’m always with you. Remember that no matter where you are and what situation you’re in, you’ll always have a home in your heart.”

That had been the last time I’d seen or talked to my dad. Now, since moving out and making plans on where to go, it’s been a good two weeks, and Dad hasn’t called or written. Was he allowed to, or had mom filed a restraining order for now? i know Dad would never leave me after her told me those words.

But I hope he’s okay.