Frank's Last Words

Lily felt slightly embarrassed that she’d fallen asleep on Frank. Fallen asleep because she was exhausted from crying. She felt his fingers brush a strand of hair from her face. Halloween fingers she thought then looked up into his eyes. She must look a wreck but he didn’t seem to notice.

“You OK?” He said looking at her with concern.

“I…think so,” Lily said sitting up slightly and noticing the mess on his t-shirt and blushed. “But you’re t-shirt’s not.”

“It’ll come out in the wash. Don’t worry about it.” He said. He was still staring and she felt awkward. “Listen Lily I think you should go and see your mother, she’ll be worried about you.”

Lily turned away knowing that she should contact her mother. May be she’d overreacted after all.

“I’ll come with you, we’re not playing until much later,” said Frank worried about this girl that he’d grown attached to. There was something about her that had struck him the first night they’d met. She was different, they could laugh together easily and she was so pretty, unusually so with her jet black hair that she’d always got tied up, her pale skin and dark blue eyes.

“No.” Said Lily abruptly. She didn’t want Frank to meet her mother, she wasn’t ready. Not ready to show him her house. She was sure it would put him off, the fact that she was rich and could have everything she wanted. She got everything her parents thought she wanted, the latest ipod, the most up to date of cell phones. Everything. But it wasn’t what she really wanted, she craved family times and closeness, being able just talk to someone. That’s what she really wanted.

“Oh, right.” Said Frank slightly put out. May be Zach was right after all.

“No, its just that, she wouldn’t want to see you in these circumstances, she’ll be upset and I need to talk to her alone,” said Lily hoping that she hadn’t offended Frank. That was the last thing she wanted.

“I have a confession.” Said Frank. “I used your phone to text your mother.”

Lily span round to look at him and he couldn’t read the expression on her face.

“What did you say?”

“You can read it for yourself.” He said reaching for her phone, now worrying whether he’d done the right thing or not.

HI. THIS IS LILY’S FRIEND FRANK. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SHE’S OK AND IS WITH ME. I’LL TAKE CARE OF HER AND BRING HER HOME WHEN SHE’S READY.

He watched her smile as she read it.

“Thanks,” she said simply, thinking how thoughtful this guy was. “I feel awful now for running out on her, I should let her explain, it’s probably been awful for her too.”

“I should guess it has. Give her a chance.” Said Frank as he watched Lily stand up and get her coat but as she did so she noticed a familiar book lying open on the coffee table. It was her mother’s most successful book, Bloodsuckers and her name C S Wilson jumped out at her.

Frank must have seen her looking.

“Have you read this?” He said picking up the book.

Of course she’d read it, she’d helped her mother with the final chapter, helping her decide on one of three endings that she’d written.

“Yes…yes I have.” Said Lily who blushed slightly but Frank wouldn’t have noticed as he was too busy flicking through the book’s pages.

”This is the second time I’ve read it. It’s fantastic. C S Wilson is my favourite horror writer and this is my favourite of his. There’s rumours that it may be made into a film. Have you heard anything about that?” He said his eyes bright as they met hers.

“I hadn’t.” But she had. The film company had approached her mother about two months ago and her mother was so excited about it. There were many big names rumoured to want to be in it.

“I can’t wait if they do, it’ll make a great movie.” Said Frank lying the book down on the table. “I also heard that this C S Wilson guy has never been seen so nobody knows who he is.”

“Yeah I heard that too,” said Lily but wanted to change the subject away from the author of Bloodsuckers who of course was her mother but who Frank thought was a guy. “Thanks for listening,” she said putting her coat on and turning to him. He looked so cute there sitting on the sofa, she’d never felt as close to anyone as she did to Frank but she was unsure about her feelings. Did he feel the same about her or was it just her? He’d probably had loads of girlfriends. He’d think she was too posh for him, she just knew it but didn’t want to spoil things. Take it slowly a little voice said inside her head. Just…take it slowly with him and it’ll be fine.

But it wouldn’t be fine, not at all, she should just have trusted Frank that little bit more.

The Present Day

Lily glanced across at her mother watching the world go by as she glanced out of the taxi window. It was raining outside and the rain droplets ran quickly down the window and she could see her mother’s reflection. She looked apprehensive.

She must be feeling a little nervous thought Lily, she must be. I feel nervous for her but also feel nervous because of Frank, but then felt guilty because she was a married woman and she shouldn’t even be thinking of Frank at all.

Her mother did look beautiful in a black halter neck dress, her fair hair up in a loose bun and she did feel for her after her father had left and remembered the time she’d gone home after she’d ran to Frank, she’d gone home to find her mother upset and alone and she’d gone on to explain all about her father and his other woman.

They’d hugged each other and at the end of it all she turned to Lily and said, “Frank seems such a thoughtful kind guy, don’t spoil things with him you know Lily.”

”I’ll try not to.” She’d said but Lily thought she saw a faraway look in her mother’s eye and for a fleeting moment she wondered if her mother was thinking about the guy Frank that she’d mentioned. One day, she thought, I’ll ask her about it but now doesn’t seem the time but it seemed her mother had other ideas and had spent the rest of the day explaining all about what had happened with her Frank.

And she was surprised at what she was told, that her mother had fallen in love with this Frank guy who was a drummer in an American band. She’d fallen in love with him and they’d spent so much time together. She loved him so much that she stole some money from her parents and ran away, taking her passport with her and went to him in America. She spent three months with him, she toured with him and his band and had such a great time until she found out she was pregnant and that’s when things changed. Frank wanted to settle down but they had hardly any money and she wasn’t sure what to do. She desperately wanted to write and had loads of ideas going on in her mind for some books but at the same time knew she’d have to get a job to pay her way so she made a decision she’d regretted ever since.

She told Frank she couldn’t have his baby and she said she’d never forget the look on his face when she told him. It had killed him but she’d gone ahead and had an abortion anyway and as soon as she’d had it she regretted it. She called up Frank, told him what she’d done and told him she was leaving him because she couldn’t bear to look at him knowing what she’d done to him, let alone live with him. And his last words to her were, “I’ll always love you Carrie. Please think about your decision, we can make it work. Please.” He’d practically begged her but she’d ignored it. She hated herself, hated all that she’d become and couldn’t live with Frank knowing what she’d done to him. She didn’t deserve him.

So that’s when she met Pete. He found her in a motel, he took care of her and that was it. She decided to stay in America, Pete helped her, he was rich and she was able to write her books while he worked and paid for everything so she felt she owed Pete so married him and had Lily but all the time regretting her decision and wishing that she’d stayed with Frank all those years ago, many a night hearing his last words to her and thinking that he probably hated her now.

Lily was shocked at this confession and she now knew what her mother meant by not spoiling things with Frank.

She just wished she’d known what she’d done for him to end it so abruptly she thought as the taxi pulled up outside the venue for the movie.

There were crowds of people lined up on the pavement and as she looked out she noticed that the rain had subsided and she could hear some muffled cheers. Peering more carefully out she saw some guys on the red carpet that led up to the double doors. She recognised them, a trio of famous punk Americans who’d become big just lately. She even had their CD, she smiled being a fan of there’s and hoped to get to speak to them.

That’s when she felt her mother’s hand grip hers. It gripped it just a little too tight so Lily glanced at her mother, her face pale and the shock evident.

“Frank’s here.” Said her mother.

“I know, they sung the theme tune, remember,” said Lily smiling at her mother’s forgetfulness.

“No. Not that Frank, of course he’ll be here but…look over there. Lily, its my Frank.”

So Lily looked and it was then she realised who her mother’s Frank was.

It was the drummer from the band that were standing on the red carpet getting their photographs taken. Everyone knew them as Green Day and the drummer whose real name was Frank was better known as Tre Cool.