The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

For the final thirty or so minutes of the class period, I sat around with Dahlia on the bleachers, anxiously waiting for one or both of my friends to walk through the doors.

Dahlia attempted to make small talk with me to distract me, but it wasn't working. I was already too caught up in my own thoughts.

Shouldn't Mikey have been back by now? Or at least Frank, to apologize for being an ass?

By the time the bell rang and Dahlia and I were dressed in our normal clothes, they still hadn't returned.

I was hoping that Mikey had found him and had talked some sense into him or something, but that seemed very unlikely to me as the final class of the day, mine and Frank's favorite class, passed by and he still hadn't showed up.

"Hey, hon," Dahlia's familiar voice filled my ears, along with the many other students in the hallways as I walked out of my classroom. "How are you doin'?"

"Fine," I lied, knowing Dahlia could see right through my hard exterior.

"Kel, Mikey will talk to him," she promised, linking her arm with my own.

"So he hasn't yet?" I asked, biting my lip nervously. Why was Frank acting so stubborn and childish?

"Well. . .I don't actually know for sure. But I'd assume that’s what they're doing now, or, at least, attempting to do. 'Cause Frank skipped last period, right?" she confirmed, receiving a nod from me. "And Mikey isn't answering his cell phone, so I'm sure they're still together," she said calmly. If I was in her position and I had no idea where my boyfriend and his best friend had gone off to, I'd be freaking out right now.

"There's no need to worry, Kelly. I'm sure he'll be on his knees, begging for your forgiveness right when you get home," she said with a slight smile.

Dahlia still wasn't completely aware or what exactly it was Frank and I were arguing about - neither was I, to be honest - but she seemed to have understood most of it - no doubt from today at lunch.

"Thanks, D," I sighed, giving her a tight hug before walking towards the entrance doors of the school.

Dahlia's words had been repeating themselves in my head for the whole duration of my cold, lonely walk home, hoping that she'd been correct about Frank. That he was on his knees, begging for my forgiveness right when I got home.

Walking up the pathway to my house, a sigh left my lips as I noticed not only my porch, but the Iero porch, was empty, as well, and no movement coming from his house.

I pulled open my front door, immediately noticing my grandma standing on a step stool and decorating the fake pine tree stood in a corner of the room with lights and ornaments.

"Hey sweetie," she greeted me, smiling brightly as she stepped down from the ladder to grab more ornaments. "How was school?"

Knowing this was my grandma and I didn't have to be ashamed of any emotions I might feel, I allowed myself to break down in front of her.

"Oh, grandma, it was terrible! Frank isn't talking to me and I don't even know why," I said, feeling like some over-dramatic thirteen year old girl who couldn't get along with one of her friends, as oppose to the seventeen year old, civilized young adult I was expected to be, as tears fell from my eyes at their own will.

"Ssh," she hushed me as she set down the ornaments in her hands and wrapped her fragile arms tightly around me, rocking us gently back and forth.

"Now what happened, dear?" she asked softly, pulling our bodies down onto the couch.

"I'm not quite sure," I admitted through tears, wiping my damp cheeks and eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie. "I ate lunch with some new friends today, and then Frank acted like a total jerk with me in third period. . .and he ended up walking out of class. So I didn't even have a chance to talk to him because he never came back for fourth period," I explained, watching my grandma nod in understanding, hoping she would be able to help me out with this whole confusing argument between Frank and I, since he clearly wasn't planning on talking to me. . .

"So Frankie was jealous, was he?" grandma asked with a knowing smile.

I nearly doubled over in laughter at her words. What would Frank be jealous of?

"Why would he be jealous?" I spoke my thoughts aloud, wiping the remaining tears from my face. Grandma's 'joke' seemed to ease the falling of them.

"Oh, I don't know. . .these new friends of yours. . .were any of them. . .boys?" she questioned me, the smile not leaving her face.

"Sure. Skyler was the one who asked me to join them. Why?" I said, raising my eyebrows in confusion. What could Skyler inviting me to eat lunch with him and his friends have anything to do with this?

"Are you serious Kelly? You sixty year old grandmother can see the wrong in that picture, but you can't?" her voice held a high pitch of disbelief.

I just continued to stare at her in confusion, silently urging her to finish what she was saying; what, apparently, she could see, but I couldn't.

"Honey, Frank was jealous that you were hanging out with other boys," she told me, sounding so sure of herself.

For a second I could feel my eyes bulging out of my head. I quickly racked my brain for something to throw in as to debate this idiotic theory of hers. But, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It was crazy to believe, but there was no other explanation I could think of for Frank to explode on me like he had.

"But I hang out with the guys all the time," I tried to argue, knowing it was a wasted attempt.

"Yes, but he doesn't have to worry about them liking you, now does he?" she pointed out knowingly.

"He doesn't have to worry about anyone liking me. Frank and I are just friends, you know that grandma." I could feel more tears starting to escape my eyes, this time from frustration instead of sorrow. Grandma seemed to grasp this, and changed the subject slightly.

"Just give him some time. He'll be back once he realizes what a fool he's been. You've just got to wait for him though, okay? You can't go to him," she said almost sternly, receiving a nod from me. "Good. Well then, if you're in the mood for it, you can help me decorate the Christmas tree," she offered with a bright smile, standing up with me still attached to her side.

"Sure," I smiled, too.

Maybe spending the evening helping my grandma decorate the house for the upcoming, 'joyous' holidays, as oppose to wallowing in my bedroom, would put me in a better mood and distract me; keep my thoughts from Frank.