Frank's Last Words
A Chance
Lily couldn’t sleep because she was thinking of Frank. She’d come straight up to bed because she’d noticed the light wasn’t on in her mother’s study. She wanted to speak with her mother again, to tell her about Frank, about his tattoos, about his interests. To just tell her about him really.
She wondered what next. He knew where she lived but she didn’t know where he lived. They hadn’t exchanged phone numbers either. How did he feel about her? She knew she liked him and remembering their kiss put her fingers to her lips before she fell into a deep sleep.
**
Caroline couldn’t sleep because she was thinking of her Frank. Yeah, she wondered what he was doing. She’d made a point of not looking for him but knew he was famous now. His band were huge and well known, Lily even had their latest CD and she’d purposely not watched the Grammy’s because they were nominated for an award. A little part of her wanted to but she felt ashamed, ashamed because of the way they’d parted. She couldn’t face him, even though he’d have been on a TV screen.
She’d heard Lily come in but had pretended she was asleep, she could hear her daughter climbing the stairs and opening her bedroom door just to check she was OK then head off to her own room. Well she wasn’t OK, especially not after Pete’s call earlier. She’d half expected it really; it had been a long time coming. She’d sensed it. It was hardly a marriage and hadn’t been for some time so it wasn’t that much of a surprise to her but it would be to Lily, she was quite sure that Lily hadn’t guessed that her father had been living a double life. She herself had known for three years because she’d suspected and had got a private detective onto the case and he’d confirmed it, that her husband of 19 years had been living another life back in England with a woman and her three children and she was pregnant with his child. A child who would be almost three now, a half sister for Lily but Lily will never know her because her husband had kept it all from them. If only he’d come clean all those years ago, they’d be divorced now and Lily would have a half sister to visit on occasion.
He was coming home in a week he had said to her on the phone. He was coming home so that they could talk and sort things out. She’d told him she knew about the other woman and had known for three years and he was stunned. The stupid bastard didn’t even think that she’d find out.
She felt sad for Lily because she loved her father; he was good to her and supportive in many ways. She hoped it wouldn’t affect her any but was sure it would a little.
Caroline surprised herself by crying, not really because she was going to lose Pete but because she felt she’d been let down, made a fool of and for the mistake she’d made.
She shouldn’t have gone with Pete all those years ago, she should have followed her heart and stayed with Frank….
….She’d laughed so much that she had an aching jaw and her sides ached. He was so funny and she just loved listening to him, listening to his fabulous accent. They’d sat in Starbucks for two hours and had two hot chocolates when Caroline noticed it had grown dark outside and knew she’d have to get home otherwise her parents would be worried. She hated going home, they were always arguing and her brother was much older than her and was hardly ever there. It wouldn’t be long though; soon she could leave, get a job and do exactly what she wanted. The trouble is, what she wanted to do was to write and to make money writing you had to be successful. How could she become successful without her parents money?
“Can I call you Carrie?” Frank had said as they stood up from the table.
“Carrie. Yeah, I suppose. Nobody has called me Carrie before. Its fine.” She’d said.
“Do you live nearby?” Frank had asked.
“Yeah, not far, just a short walk.” I’d said. “Are you playing this evening?” She’d asked.
“Not this evening, its my day off, the other two are visiting British relatives. I haven’t got any so just decided to take a look around this town. I’m glad I did.”
The comment caused Caroline to blush. “Where are you staying?” Caroline asked as she left Starbucks, Frank opening the door to let her through.
”We’re staying in this pub for a few more nights. They have loads of rooms and we’ve played there a couple of times. The landlady gives us breakfast. I think she likes us.”
“I’d love to hear you play, are you playing at the pub tomorrow?” Asked Caroline hopefully. Yes, just to get out of the house for another evening, away from her warring parents would be great.
“Yeah, it’s the King’s Head, just along from here. It would be great if you could come, do you know it?” Frank asked.
“I know it. Yeah, I’d love to come. Listen, I can walk myself from here, it’s a little out of your way.” Caroline said, not wanting her mother to see her with anyone. She wouldn’t approve of someone like Frank with his messy punk hair and his scruffy clothes and she’d definitely[/]hate the tattoo on his arm.
“Its OK. Please let me walk you.” He said, “and give me these books, they look as though they weigh a ton.”
How could she refuse? She let him walk her to the corner of her street where she said her goodbyes, took her books from him and promised that she’d see him tomorrow.
She couldn’t wait.
**
“Its 5am man,” said Mikey then yawning noisily.
“Just one more run through of the last number,” said Gerard. “Everyone else OK with that?” He said.
It was a good job the neighbours were away thought Frank, they’d been playing loud music for hours in Gerard and Mikey’s home. He didn’t feel tired at all but knew that once he’d stopped playing it would hit him and he’d need to get some sleep. He was going to call round to Lily’s tomorrow to take her with him while he got tattooed. He liked her, liked her a lot, even though she appeared to be some well off kid in a huge house that he could only dream about living in. She led a different life to him but she was a talented dancer, she was cute and pretty and they’d had fun.
“You OK Frank?” Said Gerard, sensing his friend wasn’t with him for a second.
“Yeah, I’m ready when you are.” He said trying to ignore the fact that he liked Lily, very much but was concerned about the conversation he’d had with Zach who had called him up after he’d said goodbye to Lily.
Perhaps it wasn’t worth pursuing this thing with Lily, after what Zach had told him about her, he really couldn’t be bothered with all the hassle right now.
But a little thing deep inside him told him that she was worth it and he had to give her at least once chance.
She wondered what next. He knew where she lived but she didn’t know where he lived. They hadn’t exchanged phone numbers either. How did he feel about her? She knew she liked him and remembering their kiss put her fingers to her lips before she fell into a deep sleep.
**
Caroline couldn’t sleep because she was thinking of her Frank. Yeah, she wondered what he was doing. She’d made a point of not looking for him but knew he was famous now. His band were huge and well known, Lily even had their latest CD and she’d purposely not watched the Grammy’s because they were nominated for an award. A little part of her wanted to but she felt ashamed, ashamed because of the way they’d parted. She couldn’t face him, even though he’d have been on a TV screen.
She’d heard Lily come in but had pretended she was asleep, she could hear her daughter climbing the stairs and opening her bedroom door just to check she was OK then head off to her own room. Well she wasn’t OK, especially not after Pete’s call earlier. She’d half expected it really; it had been a long time coming. She’d sensed it. It was hardly a marriage and hadn’t been for some time so it wasn’t that much of a surprise to her but it would be to Lily, she was quite sure that Lily hadn’t guessed that her father had been living a double life. She herself had known for three years because she’d suspected and had got a private detective onto the case and he’d confirmed it, that her husband of 19 years had been living another life back in England with a woman and her three children and she was pregnant with his child. A child who would be almost three now, a half sister for Lily but Lily will never know her because her husband had kept it all from them. If only he’d come clean all those years ago, they’d be divorced now and Lily would have a half sister to visit on occasion.
He was coming home in a week he had said to her on the phone. He was coming home so that they could talk and sort things out. She’d told him she knew about the other woman and had known for three years and he was stunned. The stupid bastard didn’t even think that she’d find out.
She felt sad for Lily because she loved her father; he was good to her and supportive in many ways. She hoped it wouldn’t affect her any but was sure it would a little.
Caroline surprised herself by crying, not really because she was going to lose Pete but because she felt she’d been let down, made a fool of and for the mistake she’d made.
She shouldn’t have gone with Pete all those years ago, she should have followed her heart and stayed with Frank….
….She’d laughed so much that she had an aching jaw and her sides ached. He was so funny and she just loved listening to him, listening to his fabulous accent. They’d sat in Starbucks for two hours and had two hot chocolates when Caroline noticed it had grown dark outside and knew she’d have to get home otherwise her parents would be worried. She hated going home, they were always arguing and her brother was much older than her and was hardly ever there. It wouldn’t be long though; soon she could leave, get a job and do exactly what she wanted. The trouble is, what she wanted to do was to write and to make money writing you had to be successful. How could she become successful without her parents money?
“Can I call you Carrie?” Frank had said as they stood up from the table.
“Carrie. Yeah, I suppose. Nobody has called me Carrie before. Its fine.” She’d said.
“Do you live nearby?” Frank had asked.
“Yeah, not far, just a short walk.” I’d said. “Are you playing this evening?” She’d asked.
“Not this evening, its my day off, the other two are visiting British relatives. I haven’t got any so just decided to take a look around this town. I’m glad I did.”
The comment caused Caroline to blush. “Where are you staying?” Caroline asked as she left Starbucks, Frank opening the door to let her through.
”We’re staying in this pub for a few more nights. They have loads of rooms and we’ve played there a couple of times. The landlady gives us breakfast. I think she likes us.”
“I’d love to hear you play, are you playing at the pub tomorrow?” Asked Caroline hopefully. Yes, just to get out of the house for another evening, away from her warring parents would be great.
“Yeah, it’s the King’s Head, just along from here. It would be great if you could come, do you know it?” Frank asked.
“I know it. Yeah, I’d love to come. Listen, I can walk myself from here, it’s a little out of your way.” Caroline said, not wanting her mother to see her with anyone. She wouldn’t approve of someone like Frank with his messy punk hair and his scruffy clothes and she’d definitely[/]hate the tattoo on his arm.
“Its OK. Please let me walk you.” He said, “and give me these books, they look as though they weigh a ton.”
How could she refuse? She let him walk her to the corner of her street where she said her goodbyes, took her books from him and promised that she’d see him tomorrow.
She couldn’t wait.
**
“Its 5am man,” said Mikey then yawning noisily.
“Just one more run through of the last number,” said Gerard. “Everyone else OK with that?” He said.
It was a good job the neighbours were away thought Frank, they’d been playing loud music for hours in Gerard and Mikey’s home. He didn’t feel tired at all but knew that once he’d stopped playing it would hit him and he’d need to get some sleep. He was going to call round to Lily’s tomorrow to take her with him while he got tattooed. He liked her, liked her a lot, even though she appeared to be some well off kid in a huge house that he could only dream about living in. She led a different life to him but she was a talented dancer, she was cute and pretty and they’d had fun.
“You OK Frank?” Said Gerard, sensing his friend wasn’t with him for a second.
“Yeah, I’m ready when you are.” He said trying to ignore the fact that he liked Lily, very much but was concerned about the conversation he’d had with Zach who had called him up after he’d said goodbye to Lily.
Perhaps it wasn’t worth pursuing this thing with Lily, after what Zach had told him about her, he really couldn’t be bothered with all the hassle right now.
But a little thing deep inside him told him that she was worth it and he had to give her at least once chance.