This Still Belongs to You and Always Will

Elena’s P.O.V:

*Two months later*

“Hey, Dad,” I greeted, coming into the living room.

“Hey,” He smiled back “Everything okay?”

I nodded, my newly cut hair bouncing around my face. I was going to get it bleached with Mom next week. Dad and Frank both thought I was going with Katie, though. And Katie was covering for me; she was also coming along so she could meet Mom properly. I’d just been out with Mom too. She’d taken me out to lunch in an Italian restaurant. We’d had fun together.

Not telling Dad was kind of crappy but he was so freaked out over the whole Bert/Mom thing that I’d decided to keep it quiet so he didn’t work himself up. It was for his own good. He didn’t need to give himself a panic attack over something so trivial. Mom and I were awesome and Bert and I were cool too. But Dad didn’t need to know that either.

I sat next to Dad and reached into the pack of Doritos he was snacking on. He mocked being shock and then grinned, putting an arm around me and kissing the top of my head. I smiled up at him innocently. I looked around, noticing a distinctive lack of bubbly-ness.

“Hey, where’s Frankie?” I asked.

Dad shrugged.

“God knows where that man gets himself off to,” He replied.

The edges of his lips curled.

“You’re lying!” I said bluntly.

“What? No I’m not!” Dad insisted “Honest.”

“Yes you are!” I replied “You can’t keep a straight face! What are you hiding?”

“Nothing!”

“You liar! What are you hiding?!”

Dad cracked a grin and snorted with laughter, calling me Miss Marple. I narrowed my eyes. Who the hell was Miss Marple, anyway? Luna stood at my feet, her tail hanging.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask Frank!” I threatened.

Dad burst out laughing, still struggling to stop himself. I growled lowly. Luna mimicked me. Whenever I made that noise or I shouted, she’d pick up on my tone and growl at the person in question.

“Okay, you do that!” He shrugged “And you’ll get the same answer you’ve gotten from me!”

I stomped my foot grumpily, narrowing my eyes even more. I didn’t like being left outta’ the loop. I wanted to be told what was happening. It wasn’t fair!

“Now,” Dad began “If you’re done conducting your investigation, that poor dog needs a walk.”

“Couldn’t you have done it?” I demanded.

“What was it you said for about seven years or so? ‘I promise I’ll take care of it, myself! I’ll walk it and feed it and clean up after it!’ You need to learn some responsibility, Elena. She‘s your dog.”

“Couldn’t you have done it once?”

“I walked her yesterday morning for you and Frankie’s been cleaning her messes up for the last week! You promised you’d look after her yourself. Plus, it’d do you some good to get some air!”

“I’ve just been out!”

“Well it won’t hurt you to go out again for half an hour or so!”

“Fine!” I snapped venomously, storming into the hall and snatching up Luna’s lead.

Dad chuckled after me. I growled again. I hated this. Being left out made me feel stupidly young and sheltered. I hoped Luna was up for a vigorous walk because I wasn’t in the mood for idly wandering along while she looked pretty at my side.

Who the hell did Dad think he was? Keeping secrets from his own daughter?! It was disgusting. And Frank would be just as bad if he wouldn’t tell me either. The pair of them were crap. Mom and Bert wouldn’t keep secrets from me like that! It was crap.

It was crisp and chilly outside. I shoved my hands deep into my pockets, gripping tightly to Luna’s leash. She yapped as I tugged sharply. My fringe flew upwards as a sharp gust of wind assaulted me. I growled, struggling onwards. This was just pure crap. I deserved to know what was going on.

This was just crap. I hated this. I could kill Dad. Why was I always being left out like this? I was old enough to be involved in the family affairs. And I deserved it. If I kept secrets from them, they’d go mad! They’d both blow up on me.

Luna trotted along by my side, struggling to keep up with my fast pace. Poor thing. Well, at least she was going to get a vigorous session of exercise. So was I, it would seem. At least I wasn’t going to get fat.

I’d ask Frank what was going on later.

* * *

Frank was back when Luna and I got home. He was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner - some kind of homemade pasta sauce. I let Luna loose from her leash and she dived straight for her bed in the living room.

“Hey, Elena,” Frankie grinned as I wandered into the room “Everything all right?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” I nodded “I just. . .”

“You just?”

“Just wondering where you were earlier,” I replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

He looked up and smirked, letting a small giggle escape his lips. I hated it, it made me feel small and insignificant. It was like he was still trying to convince me it was a fat guy with a big beard who brought my Christmas presents.

“I was somewhere,“ He replied mysteriously.

I frowned, my innocent disguise forgotten. Thunder clouds started to gather as I grew more and more frustrated.

“Look, for God’s sake, why won’t you tell me what you’re hiding from me?!” I demanded, trying my hardest not to shout.

“Because,” He answered calmly, chopping rapidly at some peppers.

“Because what?!” I spat, stomping my foot.

“Ooooh, look at you,” He teased, stepping around me to get to the fridge and pulling out some mushrooms “Look, Elena, it’s a very delicate subject, okay? It’s awkward, it’s great, it’s sensitive, it’s important-”

“How can you keep it from me, then? It must be really important to be all those things!”

“You’re right,” He nodded “It is really important. But we haven’t told anyone yet. It’s very personal and we don’t want anyone to get their hopes up.”

My jaw dropped as he began chopping at the mushrooms. They weren’t telling me because they were worried I’d get my hopes up?! What did I have to get my hopes up about?! This was getting dumber and dumber by the minute. I wanted to be clued in.

Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. went the knife as it was swiftly brought up and down again, slicing effortlessly through the vegetables on the chopping board. Frankie paused briefly, closing his eyes and resting a hand on his forehead.

“Frankie, please!” I begged, watching him wander over to the medicine cabinet and pulling a pack of ibroprofen out “It’s not fair that you leave me out of this and have a giggle over whatever you’re hiding!”

“Believe me, we’re not having a giggle over it,” He replied, swallowing two of the tablets with a quick gulp of water “It’s been a nightmare! Now, will you please just let it go, Elena?”

“But-”

“Look, Elena,” He snapped sharply “I have a filthy headache, I’m trying to cook dinner, it’s been a long day, I’m tired, I’m hungry and all I wanna’ do is go to bed! Can’t you see this isn’t the right time to be badgering me about where I’ve been?!”

He blinked and put a hand over his mouth quickly. I blinked back. Frankie never yelled at me. Ever. He sighed heavily and rubbed his head again.

“Look, Elena, I’m sorry, okay?” He apologised “It’s been a stressful time and awkward suggestions are coming up and I’m freaked and a bit uptight at the moment, okay?”

I nodded grudgingly.

“Good girl, now why don’t you go do some homework? Then you have the whole weekend to do whatever you want!”

“Already done it,” I grumbled.

“Well. . . go-go watch TV then.”

I turned and swept from the room, stormed into the living room and snatched the phone off of the base.

“Where are you taking that?” Dad questioned.

“Upstairs,” I replied “I’m making a phone call.”

And off I swept, dialling as I sped upstairs. The phone was ringing by the time I’d dived onto my bed.

“Hello?” The honey-sweet voice answered.

“Hey, Mom,” I replied.