The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

I tossed and turned violently in my bed, all too familiar with this routine, becoming entangled in my sheets, unable to sleep. Knowing Frank wasn't next door and I wouldn't be able to see him until tomorrow night was really starting to get to me. After spending a couple seconds kicking the twisted blankets away and freeing myself, I rose to my feet, my bare feet carrying me to my desk. I grabbed my iPod from next to my desktop lamp and stuck the earbuds in my ear. Hearing a light tap I looked up, a smile forming on my lips as my eyes roamed over the one multi-colored wall, that ass print still glowing as bright as it did on the first night it was put there.

I shrugged off the soft noise, going to turn my music on when, this time, a louder clank was produced. That one I couldn't just shrug off.

Skimming over the contents of my room, checking for anything that might have fallen or something, my eyes finally landed on the one, front window of my room. I had forgotten to draw my curtains, so the glowing moon was in clear view, along with the couple small rocks that had just bounded off my window. Panic and worry sketched across my face, I set my iPod back down and shuffled my feet towards the small hole in my wall.

What was I doing? I had no idea who was outside. For all I knew, it was crazy rapist. Then again, they probably would have just broke into the house if that were the case, not bothering to have the consideration to first throw rocks at my window and ask for my permission to enter my home.

Squinting my eyes once I was stood in front of the window, a dark, short figure came into view.

Despite the fact that it was utterly gloomy outside and a thin sheet of fog was rolling in, I could easily point out the silhouette; that pearly, beaming smile, the practically shimmering facial piercing, his big, bright eyes.

Without another thought crossing my mind, with the exception of the obvious 'what the hell is he doing here?', I ran downstairs to the front door, trying to be as quiet as possible. Stepping onto the porch and lightly pulling the door closed behind me, I turned to see Frank standing on the lawn with his arms open and inviting, a box in his left hand.

I sprinted down the couple of stairs and across the grass, bare feet and all, jumping into his arms once I'd finally reached him. He laughed as he stumbled back a couple feet, only resulting in my wrapping my legs around his waist.

"Happy birthday," he managed to say through laughs and short breaths. Why did it feel like I hadn't heard that voice in months? Boy, was I pathetic.

My cheeks flushing a million and one shades of red as I realized what I'd just done, I got back on my feet, removing all of my limbs from him.

Finally registering what he'd just said I looked up at him, confused. Maybe I should have checked my clock before running outside. He sighed and held up his wrist, allowing me to read the time of 2.32 a.m. on his watch.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice low for the sake of our neighbors', instead of using the high-pitched, squeaky, excited voice as I'd wished. "You said you wouldn't be home 'til tomorrow night."

He placed his hand on the small of my back and lead me back up to my porch, where we sat down, side by side, on the swing.

"Kelly, I'm disappointed. Have you forgotten who you're talking to here?" he asked, pointing to himself.

"Oh yeah. I remember now, Mr. I-have-to-make-everything-interesting-and-throw-everybody-off…Did I forget anything? Please, correct me if I'm wrong," I joked. He put on a thoughtful expression, scratching his chin with his right hand.

"Nah, that sounds pretty good to me." He nodded with a smile. Slowly, he became more serious though. "I just wanted to be the first person to see you as an adult."

I cringed, making him laugh. "Look, I even have something for you." He held up the neatly wrapped, small box he'd been holding, which I simply stared blankly at. Shaking his head, he picked up my hands and clasped them around the present, just before draping his arm over my shoulder, which I noticed to be clothed by the Black Flag hoodie I'd given him for his birthday - now decked out with random patches, pins and small holes.

"I told you not to get me anything," I said to Frank, 'accidentally' elbowing him in the ribs while I unwrapped the gift. He just smirked and poked me in the side. "By the way, tell Linda she did a fine job on wrapping this," I teased him, resulting in him sticking his tongue out at me.

I tore the wrapping paper, decorated with colorful balloons and confetti, to shreds, leaving me with a small, palm sized box, white box. Taking my time to open the box, I heard an impatient sigh come from next to me, just as I'd been expecting. I smiled and pulled the lid of the box completely off. Staring at the small contents of the box, then at my wrist, then at a beaming Frank, then back to the box, I simply gaped, completely speechless.