The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

Stepping through the front door of my house, an insanely happy smile on my lips, I kicked my shoes off and walked into the kitchen, where I was positive my grandma would be.

Sure enough, there she stood, her back to me, as she stirred something at the stove.

"I'm back," I sighed happily, sitting myself in one of the chairs in the kitchen's nook.

"You seem to be in a better mood," grandma noticed, turning her head to look at me, that same knowing smile on her lips.

"Frank and I made up," I said simply, my smile growing at the realization of my words.

She nodded and went back to stirring. "I told you that boy cares about you too much to let something that silly tear you two apart."

"I know," I sighed once more, remembering how he'd told me he loved me - even if it was purely friendly, it meant the world to me.

"Do you need any help, grandma?" I asked, rising to my feet and walking towards her.

"Actually, I'm just about done here. But if you want, you can start picking up around the house for when your father comes over tomorrow," she said.

I nodded and walked off into the living room to begin 'picking up around the house.'

Having just finished cleaning downstairs and most of my bedroom, I grabbed a towel and entered my bathroom, deciding it would be easier to shower tonight rather than tomorrow when I'd have a million things to do. As I walked across the hall, I caught a glimpse of the hummingbird clock hanging with all the other pictures in the long, narrow hallway, seeing that it was now 7:30 in the evening. Just enough time to take a long, hot, relaxing shower before going to bed early for the night.

I was tired after all. It had been a long day of various emotions, making up with my best friend, and cleaning house.

Walking into the bathroom, I hung my towel over the shower curtain, turned the water on and stripped my clothes off. As I was about to step under the hot water, I heard my cell phone go off in my pants pocket.

I sighed, irritated, and quickly wrapped my towel around me before picking my pants up from the floor and retrieving my phone.

"Yeah?" I asked, not bothering to check the ID or hide the irritation in my voice.

"Hey Kelly. It's your dad. How are you?" my dad's familiar voice met my ears as I sighed once more.

"Hey dad. I'm good. What's up?" I asked, trying to get to the point of his calling me when he'd see me tomorrow so I could get in the shower quicker.

"Can't a father call his daughter and wish her a Merry Christmas Eve? You know, if you're not good, Santa might bring you coal," he laughed at his own joke.

"Of course you can call. I was just about to get in the shower, that's all," I explained in my normal voice.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. Love you, Kels," he said.

"Love you, too, dad. See ya tomorrow," I said, hanging up my phone.

Just as I set it down on the counter and was walking back towards the shower, it started to ring again.

"For the love of God!" I exclaimed dramatically, sure my grandma could hear me and was probably worried for me right now.

"What?" I asked irritably in the phone.

"Jeesh. Is someone in a bad mood?" Frank asked, a smile in his taunting voice.

"Oh, hey Frank," I said, sitting down on the bathroom counter in my towel, aware of the still running water. All signs of irritableness disappeared at the sound of his soothing voice. "I'm not in a bad mood, just trying to get in the shower." I laughed at how silly I must've sounded.

"Having trouble getting in, are we? If you'd like, I can come over and help you," he offered, and I could practically hear the smirk as he spoke to me.

"Tempting, but no thanks," I smiled. How had I survived a whole week without hearing that beautiful voice of his? Or hearing his sarcastic, sexual comments? "But you can help by hanging up," I hinted at him.

"And here I was, calling to tell you something important," he said, pretending to be offended.

"Alright. What is so important that it can't wait for after my shower?" I asked, hopping down from the counter.

"Okay, go to your bedroom," he instructed. I turned the shower off, confused, but obliged and walked into my bedroom, flipping the light on as I did so.

"Now what? I'm in my bedroom," I said, pulling the towel closer around me. For all I knew, Frank was in here, planning on scaring me or something.

"Now walk to your window and pull up your blinds," that smirk was back.

"I swear to God, Frank, if something jumps out at me or you try to scare me, you won't live to see Christmas tomorrow," I said seriously.

He didn't say anything, simply laughed, as I walked to my window. I pulled on the strings so my blinds were lifted to the top of my window.

I looked out it, seeing nothing but darkness and little puffs of falling snow.

"What the hell, Fr-" I started until I saw a light turn on in the house next door, just before Frank appeared in the window of that room; his room.

"Damn," he sighed, almost inaudibly into the phone, nodding in approval.

"What was this important thing you needed to share with me, Frank?" I asked, trying to get to the point of this conversation like I had with my dad; only my dad couldn't see me in just my towel, nor would he be speculating as much of me as he could, as Frank currently was.

"Oh yeah, I just wanted to tell you that I love you," he smiled, leaning casually against his window sill.

"And what was the point of me coming all the way to my bedroom for you to say that?" I asked with raised eyebrows. He smiled guiltily at me, pointing an accusing finger in my direction.

"You made the mistake of telling me you were about to get in the shower," he pointed out, receiving a death glare from me.

"Perv!" I practically yelled, flipping him off while helplessly smiling to myself.

"Alright, I won't keep you from your shower any longer," he laughed. "Love you, Kelly."

". . .Love you, too," I sighed, unable to be mad at Frank.

We both hung up and I closed my blinds, this time getting in the shower with no interruptions, just the same smile that had graced my lips when I'd arrived home from making up with Frank had returned.