The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

"Where to now, my love?" Frank asked, grabbing a hold of my hand once more as he used his other hand to carry the piece of cardboard acting as a protective shield for the picture from the rollercoaster that it contained.

"Where ever. It's your birthday," I answered, seeing him smile at the mention of his birthday.

"Ferris wheel cool?" he asked, looking at me for my answer.

I smiled and nodded, watching as Frank squealed in excitement for about the fifth time tonight and then pulled me through the people and towards the brightly lit up Ferris wheel.

The Ferris wheel line was even shorter that the roller coaster line so we were able to get on within a few minutes.

As I sat down on the right side of the green seat's booth, Frank placed his picture in one of the cubbies before joining me.

"I can't believe you bought that," I smiled helplessly referring to the picture.

"It was a good picture. You looked like you were having fun," he answered with a grin as the guy working the Ferris wheel pulled the bar down to keep us in securely.

We slowly started moving, stopping every once and a while to let people off and on.

"Everything looks so pretty from up here," I said in awe as I admired the view from where we had stopped directly on top.

"I think you look pretty from up here," Frank's cheesy comment made my cheeks glow a bright red that, thankfully, didn't show too much through the dark atmosphere.

"You know what I just realized?" Frank asked, draping his arm over the back of the seat as he leaned against it.

"Hmm?" I asked, noticing the temperature change from being so high up, so I huggedFrank's my jacket tighter around me.

"I've known you for over a month and know nothing about you," he said.

"That didn't stop you when you tried to kiss me yesterday," I pointed out, smirking slightly at how true my statement was.

He breathed out a small laugh and then shrugged beside me. "I said I was sorry about that."

"I know, and I forgive you," I smiled. "Now what did you want to know about me?" I asked to change the subject so I wouldn't dwell on the past and become even more regretful of pushing Frank away last night, feeling the Ferris wheel start to move once more.

"I don't know. . .why are you living with your grandma?" he asked.

Wasn't it obvious? I broke a chick's nose during a soccer game.

"Because my father hates me," I said simply and immediately.

"How could anyone hate someone as perfect as you?" he asked, tucking some of my faded black and purple hair behind my ear.

I almost laughed at the words spilling from his lips.

"I'm far from perfect, Frank. Trust me on that one," I said, chuckling lightly at how Frank, of all people, would call me perfect.

"Whatever you say," he rolled his eyes. "Now what are the reasons for your father to hate you?"

We sat there for about a minute in silence as we continued to slowly spin through the air and I thought of a way to tell Frank without scaring him off.

"Kelly?" Frank said in a sing-song voice as he waved a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry. . .why my dad hates me," I said, seeing him nod in the corner of my eye. "Well, for starters, like I said before, I'm not the son he always wanted."

I had barely spoken to or about my father in over a month and the resentment was already building up, waiting to spill over.

"That's not a good enough reason to hate someone, Kel. That just means he has issues," Frank smiled.

I tried to smile as well at his attempt to lighten the mood, but the outcome was rather. . .scary.

"That's not all," I said uneasily.

"Oh. . .?" he hinted for me to continue, but didn't say anything as to not force anything out of me that I wasn't comfortable telling him.

Too late for that though.

"I'm also. . .kinda. . .the reason my mother left him," I managed to get out, my eyes pinched tightly closed the whole time.

It's not like I was confessing to murder or anything, so I shouldn't have been so worried to what Frank's reaction would be.

I just didn't want him to judge me.

Like everyone else seemed to.