This Blood Is Gonna Wake the Night
My room. . . really?
Frank’s house was pretty. It was two floors with two bedrooms. He claimed that the guest room was mine for as long as I needed it; rent free, much to Russ’s disgust. He felt that I was gonna’ use all their resources up and should be paying ‘my share’.
Frank, on the other hand, insisted that I didn't need to worry and I didn't have to pay rent. He claimed that Russ was a cheapskate sometimes. I laughed and nodded, following them into the house.
It was a nice hall, magnolia walls and a wooden floor. There was a photo of Frank and his parents when he was a little kid. I briefly wondered what happened to Mr. Iero, did he still work?
"What happened to your Dad?" I questioned, looking at the photo.
"Oh, he and Mom er. . . divorced," He replied sadly, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh, I'm sorry-"
"Don't be," He said with a brave smile "They're better off now!"
I smiled and nodded awkwardly, following him down the hall. I was shown the kitchen, the living room and dining room. Then the bathroom and the room I'd be staying in. It was painted a dark crimson, with a huge double bed with black bed sheets. There was a mirror on the wall, above a set of drawers. Frank leant against the doorframe, laughing as I sat on the bed and wriggled around a little.
"Is this really where I'm gonna' sleep?" I questioned in awe.
"Yeah," He shrugged as if it were nothing "It's not the best room, but there's no way Russ would let you sleep in our room and I doubt you'd want to anyway, if you get my meaning," He said with a wink.
No, not really.
I smiled and nodded, pretending I knew exactly what he was talking about. He asked if I had any stuff I'd left at my hotel and I shook my head, telling him I only had what I was wearing; clothes loaned to me from Bert. I did have the fistful of cash he'd given me so I intended to go buy something that actually fit me properly at some point.
"We can't have that!" He exclaimed "We're going shopping first thing tomorrow!"
"What?"
"We're going out and we're getting you some clothes!" He said "My treat, obviously!"
"No, I can't do-"
"You can and you will!" He said firmly, leaving the room as Russ suddenly screeched his name.
I didn’t like Russ one little bit. He was loud, rude, obnoxious and demanding. Everything had to go his way or it was hell. I’d learned that in only a few hours.
I flopped back onto the bed, groaning softly at how good the soft mattress felt against my back. I'd never felt so good to lie down in bed before. I was lying windmill fashion, arms outstretched and eyes closed. I was losing myself in a sweet black vortex. Then someone jumped down on the bed next to me. I opened one eye lazily to see Frank grinning at me in a hyperactive manner. A lazy smile was my response.
"You like the bed, by any chance?" He questioned, mock groaning.
"Possibly," I replied mysteriously.
"Thought so," He replied.
I smiled and closed my eyes again, relishing the feeling of lying on this bed out of the pure kindness of an old friend's heart. I couldn't believe Frank was being so good to me after only being reunited for a few hours. I glanced over at him, lying there with his eyes closed.
"Thank you, Frankie."
"For?" He questioned.
"Letting me stay here. . . and being so good to me and stuff."
"It's fine," He insisted "There's no need to cry," He said, reaching out and wiping away the tear I didn't know was present.
I smiled shyly, earning a smile back. He was still that little kid my brother and I used to play with. He had the same smile. The same eyes. The same little button nose.
"FRAAAANK!" Came the screech.
Due to my heightened hearing, that hurt. I winced and rubbed my ear as the screech came off to a halt. Ouch.
Frank rolled his eyes and apologised, getting up and trailing off to see what his highness wanted.
Frank, on the other hand, insisted that I didn't need to worry and I didn't have to pay rent. He claimed that Russ was a cheapskate sometimes. I laughed and nodded, following them into the house.
It was a nice hall, magnolia walls and a wooden floor. There was a photo of Frank and his parents when he was a little kid. I briefly wondered what happened to Mr. Iero, did he still work?
"What happened to your Dad?" I questioned, looking at the photo.
"Oh, he and Mom er. . . divorced," He replied sadly, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh, I'm sorry-"
"Don't be," He said with a brave smile "They're better off now!"
I smiled and nodded awkwardly, following him down the hall. I was shown the kitchen, the living room and dining room. Then the bathroom and the room I'd be staying in. It was painted a dark crimson, with a huge double bed with black bed sheets. There was a mirror on the wall, above a set of drawers. Frank leant against the doorframe, laughing as I sat on the bed and wriggled around a little.
"Is this really where I'm gonna' sleep?" I questioned in awe.
"Yeah," He shrugged as if it were nothing "It's not the best room, but there's no way Russ would let you sleep in our room and I doubt you'd want to anyway, if you get my meaning," He said with a wink.
No, not really.
I smiled and nodded, pretending I knew exactly what he was talking about. He asked if I had any stuff I'd left at my hotel and I shook my head, telling him I only had what I was wearing; clothes loaned to me from Bert. I did have the fistful of cash he'd given me so I intended to go buy something that actually fit me properly at some point.
"We can't have that!" He exclaimed "We're going shopping first thing tomorrow!"
"What?"
"We're going out and we're getting you some clothes!" He said "My treat, obviously!"
"No, I can't do-"
"You can and you will!" He said firmly, leaving the room as Russ suddenly screeched his name.
I didn’t like Russ one little bit. He was loud, rude, obnoxious and demanding. Everything had to go his way or it was hell. I’d learned that in only a few hours.
I flopped back onto the bed, groaning softly at how good the soft mattress felt against my back. I'd never felt so good to lie down in bed before. I was lying windmill fashion, arms outstretched and eyes closed. I was losing myself in a sweet black vortex. Then someone jumped down on the bed next to me. I opened one eye lazily to see Frank grinning at me in a hyperactive manner. A lazy smile was my response.
"You like the bed, by any chance?" He questioned, mock groaning.
"Possibly," I replied mysteriously.
"Thought so," He replied.
I smiled and closed my eyes again, relishing the feeling of lying on this bed out of the pure kindness of an old friend's heart. I couldn't believe Frank was being so good to me after only being reunited for a few hours. I glanced over at him, lying there with his eyes closed.
"Thank you, Frankie."
"For?" He questioned.
"Letting me stay here. . . and being so good to me and stuff."
"It's fine," He insisted "There's no need to cry," He said, reaching out and wiping away the tear I didn't know was present.
I smiled shyly, earning a smile back. He was still that little kid my brother and I used to play with. He had the same smile. The same eyes. The same little button nose.
"FRAAAANK!" Came the screech.
Due to my heightened hearing, that hurt. I winced and rubbed my ear as the screech came off to a halt. Ouch.
Frank rolled his eyes and apologised, getting up and trailing off to see what his highness wanted.