Angel With A Devilish Angle

I had never felt so sick in my life. Probably because I'd never uttered those words to Zachary James Baker, let alone screamed them, because I'd never had to. Sure we'd argued and we'd even got to the point of not speaking to each other for almost a month on one occasion but never before had I hated him.

Until now.

Lugging my things with tears streaking down my face I hurried back to Frank's bus. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye first. I decided to call home and let my parents know I would be getting a flight home. Somehow I managed to get the damn thing from my pocket.

Fumbling, I got my parents number up before pressing the call button; Frank's bus was in sight now and I could see the lights on so I figured they were still sorting Gerard out, unless they'd gone and left them on. I hoped not; I wanted, nay needed to say goodbye to them before I headed home to Orange County.

Finally the call kicked in and I heard that familiar soothing voice of my mom, making me realise just how much I had missed her while I was away. "Hello, Baker residence who is calling?"

"Mommy," I choked. Yeah, I'm twenty-two and I still say 'mommy' when I'm upset, so shoot me. I was my mom's little girl, I'd always been closer to her than dad, but then Zack was closer to dad too so it kinda worked out really.

"Faith? Is that you?" Her voice sounded so motherly and concerned, so detached from that polite voice that had answered the call.

"Ahuh," I cried.

"Oh my baby, what's the matter? What's happened?"

"Z- Zack," I stuttered out, tears now streaming down my face. I'd reached the bus now but found I'd stopped and dumped my things on the floor as I spoke. I leaned forward, pushing my hair from my face with my free hand before screwing up my eyes and pressing my forehead to the side of the bus.

"What's he done?"

"R- ru-uined my...my life," I sobbed out. Or wailed even. "He purposefully has been stopping me from having boyfriends because he's an asshole!! He ruined my life mom, I've been miserable for so long because I could never get a boyfriend, because I've never even had one and I found out it was his fault because he was warning guys off me mom!!" I sucked in a deep breath. "And now I have my own friends but apparently that isn't even good enough!!! I feel like he's controlling my life I hate him!"

"You can't mean that, surely Faith?" Mom replied, her voice full of shock.

"I can, and I do," I said quietly, trying to wipe tears from my face. "I'm twenty-two years old, yet Zack has wrapped me up in cotton wool, bubble wrap and shoved me in a box, all the while trying to live my life for me. All these years I thought there was something wrong with me, maybe that I was too short or too ugly for guys to like me when really what was wrong with me was him!"

"Oh baby," Mom said softly. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"I don't care, but I'm coming home. I'm gonna get the next-"

"You can't go home." I looked away from the side of the bus, through my tear filled eyes and to that kind, perfect face of Frank as he watched me, slightly upset looking at what I'd just said to my mom, I'm guessing.

"Mom, I'll call you back," I cut the call off and shoved the phone recklessly into my pocket; so recklessly it fell out and clattered on the floor. I crouched down hastily, noting the shake in my hands and by the time I had stood my bags were all in a pile behind Frank.

I could only see half his face but he didn't look happy and the way he had moved my bags away from me to a pile behind him was almost as if to confirm he didn't want me to go. Actually, I didn't know that he didn't want me to go. All he'd said was that I couldn't; that could have any number of meanings.

"You can't go home, Faith," he said quietly, keeping his hazel eyes on mine.

"I have to," I replied in a voice between quiet and a whisper, almost like a hiss I guess.

"Well I'm not going to let you," he then said defiantly, folding his arms across his chest. I screwed up my eyes and titled my head down towards the floor, tears slipping down my face.

"Frank, I have to go home, so please give me my bags?"

"What could possibly be so bad that forces you home to Orange County and leave us huh?" Frank now asked softly stepping closer to me, a fact I knew since I saw his feet move towards me. "What's so bad that you have to leave me here?"

I sucked in a breath between my teeth as the tears got heavier and looked up to him. "I can't be somewhere with a guy who still feels the need to tell me who I can and can't talk to, let alone like."

"So you're running away rather than putting up a fight?"

"Frank please don't try and change my mind."

"You can stay on our bus with us!" He pleaded grabbing my hands in his but I refused to look at him, and continued to stare at our shoes.

"Frank!" I heard Ray yell suddenly. "A little help please?"

"Frank you have enough on your plate with Gerard, you don't need some whiny kid like me moving in and complaining about her life."

"Faith, I'm not inviting you anymore," he now said, even more defiantly than before and I thought that maybe he had finally given in but he hadn't finished his little speech. "I'm ordering you. Now get on that bus."

"But-"

"Faith, do you really want me to carry out drastic measures?" He asked walking towards me and I walked back until I felt cold metal through my thin top; he pressed a hand to the side near my head bringing his face so close to mine I could literally feel his warm cigarette and beer scented breath on my skin.

"D- drastic?" I stuttered, keeping my eyes firmly on his as my mind went into overdrive at what was happening. My heart was racing and my skin shivered with delight at having him so close to me.

Frank leaned even closer now, his lips hovering near mine. "Yeah," he whispered, though I never got to find out what those measures were because Ray appeared, interrupting us. Frank instantly stepped away from me, instructing Ray to pick up some of my bags, before turning to look at me and indicating for me to get on the bus.

I peeled myself from the side of the bus, wiping my wet eyes and hurried onto the bus to find Gerard passed out on the floor right at the top. Bob held a hand out for me with a smile and helped me up and over him before taking the bags from Frank. Frank remained where he was though, frowning at Gerard.

"I see," he scratched his head.

"Just leave him there," Brian now said from where he was sitting and not even looking over at us. "Unless you fancy trying to move him."

None of them said anything but went back to what they were doing, and shoving my things in a safe place. Oh, and rooting out my laptop to fiddle around with it in Mikey's case. He flashed me a toothy smile and I shook my head amused. "If I find a pop tart in the disc tray you can buy me a new one Mikey."

Mikey just 'mmmhmmed' in response, pushing his glasses up his nose as his eyes kept a firm eye on the wires he was connecting. I felt a hand on the small of my back and I turned to see Frank smiling kindly at me, before he inclined his head towards the bunk area.

I frowned in confusion but he just took my hand in his and pulled me along, the pair of us both stepping over Gerard who grunted in his sleep, before we disappeared to the bunks. Frank began to root before handing me a top and some boxers and pushing me towards the bathroom.

Then when I came back from the bathroom, even more confused now, he pointed to his bunk. I climbed in and he slipped in beside me, laying on his side and watching me carefully for some reason. I yawned and rubbed my sore eyes. "I knew you would be tired," he said, gently brushing my hair behind my ear.

"Were you gonna kiss me out there Frankie?" I asked, moving my eyes from the pictures to meet his, but the moment I'd asked he looked away and pulled the covers over me, as if he was trying to avoid answering the question. I frowned and yawned some more.

"Just go to sleep Faithy," he replied softly, kissing my forehead.

I closed my eyes and snuggled into the covers and the pillow, inhaling the smell of Frank's cologne that was all over the pillow and finding that oddly enough it was calming down my tattered and frayed nerves. All the while I could feel Frank running his fingers through my hair.

And as I fell to sleep that night there was only one thing for certain in my mind:

What I felt for Frank went far beyond friendship now.