The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

What Frank did next was not the reaction I was expecting from him.

He laughed.

"Why is that so funny?" I demanded, using the back of my hand to hit him firmly in the chest.

"You make it sound so horrible. My parents are divorced and I've gotten over it," he shrugged.

Okay, so I was going to have to make myself more clear.

"I don't mean it in that way," I said quietly, looking down at the people below us awkwardly.

"Oh. . .so. . .how exactly were you the cause of your mom leaving your father?" he asked timidly, still unsure of what I meant.

I took in a deep breath, preparing myself to tell someone for the first time, other than three specific people, about my mother.

"About four years ago, my mom and I had a fight. And whenever she was pissed off or needed time to cool down or clear her thoughts, she would aimlessly drive around for hours. This fight was no different. And, so, when five, ten hours past, dad and I thought nothing of it. Then we got that call from the hospital. She had been in an accident and died almost instantly," I told him as he just sat there, listening. "Dad didn't let me live it down for a while."

I finally looked at him, his eyes already boring into my own.

"Wow, I'm sorry, Kel. That must've been hard for you. . .How'd you learn to live with that?" he asked, placing his hand on mine reassuringly.

Our cart stopped moving once more, signaling people were getting off.

"Well, I made a couple really bad choices," I shook my head at the memories.

"Like what?" Frank asked curiously. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I had no idea what he would think of me after, and I couldn't bear to lose him as a friend.

"Kelly. . ." He whispered. I looked at him, his eyes appearing to be a little glossy, though that could have been my imagination. "You didn't. . ." he shook his head.

My eyes quickly darted away and back at the scenery around me, everything gradually appearing closer and larger.

We were then helped out of our cart and I still hadn't made eye contact with Frank, not even when we had made it back to the entrance.

"Kelly," Frank said, resulting in me turning to look at him.

I figured he was going to ask me something or continue his sentence, but, instead, he grabbed my hand and pulled it towards him so he could roll up the sleeve.

He studied it for a little while, his eyes going wider with each passing second.

"What is this?" he asked, turning my now bare wrist slightly to show me the thin scars lining it, his expression hurt and angry.

I looked at my feet in shame. "One of my bad choices," I whispered, trying to hold back the tears.

"One?f" he said in a high pitched, squeaky voice.

"That was also the point I had let Brandon into my life," I explained. I looked up to his pain stricken face.

Half of me was expecting him to turn and run the other way, instead of just standing there looking at me. I would have thought he'd think something less of me, and just kicked me to the side and continued with his life like I'd never entered it.

"Look, Frank, I totally understand if I've frightened you away and you never want to see me ag-" I started, but the light pressure put on my lips by Frank's cut me off.

I didn't even have time to enjoy it, let alone register it, because just as soon as they were put there, they were pulled off.

And I temporarily forgot what we had just been talking about or where we were, until his next comment reminded me.

"You're my best friend, Kelly. I'm sorry if my reaction freaked you out a little, but that was a lot for me to take in in such a short period of time, you know?" he asked, placing his hands on my cheeks.

I nodded, feeling the need for a hug as I collapsed into his warm arms.

"What do you say we find the others and head back to my place?" he smiled as we pulled away, receiving a nod fromhis best friend me in response.