Something I Could Hold Onto
Some of us find fault in the sin, & not the sinner
"Strangers waiting up and down the boulevard!"
Frank groaned into his pillow, flicking the small lamp on and snatching the phone roughly from the wicker table. Cold air rushed against his bare chest as he sat up in bed, examining the dim screen. Another sigh of exasperation brushed past his lips as he put the cool plastic against his ear.
"Hello?"
"Frankie!" a woman slurred, her voice thick with drunken affection. "Happy birthday, sweetie!"
He rolled his eyes, letting a cynical breath slip through his lips. Typical."Thanks, mom, what's up?" he yawned.
Her tone shifted to one of regret. "Did I wake you up? Oh, I knew we should have waited until this morning."
"It's fine, Ma; I actually just went to bed."
"You just went to bed? Excuse me, young man, did I hear you correctly? You just went to bed?"
He smirked, amused by her feigned distress. "Yeah, about ten minutes ago."
A gasp shot down the line. "Ten minutes ago?! Frank, what have I said about this late-night routine of yours? It's not
good for your system-"
"Yes, I understand that," he said with a small smile. "Me and a friend just went to see a movie after the concert."
The sound of a lighter igniting cracked loudly in his ear. "A friend, eh?" she asked, her voice muffled. "A lady friend?"
He couldn't help but smirk at her naivety. "No, mom, not a lady friend."
... The conversation drifted along for several minutes longer, until all small talk had been exhausted. Frank could hear the cigarette smoke against the receiver as his mother's voice picked up again.
"Listen, babe, I need you to stay in New York for a couple days longer."
A frown overtook his face. "Why's that?" he questioned, not even bothering to protest.
"I have another friend in town, and he needs somewhere to stay," she said casually. "I offered him your place-"
"What?!" he shouted, cutting off her nonchalant demands. "It's my fucking apartment, mom, I don't want your little crackhead friends ripping shit up-"
"Relax, Frankie! God, I pay for that apartment anyway; I can rent it out to whoever I damn well please! Besides, it's only until next Wednesday. I'll send some money up to your lazy ass..." she continued speaking, but Frank had stopped listening.
He sighed, allowing her harsh words to fall upon deaf ears. There was no chance of compromise in the situation, nor was there any chance of discouraging her endeavors.
Finally, her speech had ended. "All right, sweetie. Well, mommy has to go to sleep."
He sighed, disheartened by the routine. "All right, ma. Lock the doors and open a window."
"I know, I know," she cooed. "There's not a lot of smoke tonight, though; I'm lucky!"
His laugh escaped through chapped lips, pessimistic and practiced. "G'night mom."
"G'night, baby. I love you."
Click.
Frank groaned into his pillow, flicking the small lamp on and snatching the phone roughly from the wicker table. Cold air rushed against his bare chest as he sat up in bed, examining the dim screen. Another sigh of exasperation brushed past his lips as he put the cool plastic against his ear.
"Hello?"
"Frankie!" a woman slurred, her voice thick with drunken affection. "Happy birthday, sweetie!"
He rolled his eyes, letting a cynical breath slip through his lips. Typical."Thanks, mom, what's up?" he yawned.
Her tone shifted to one of regret. "Did I wake you up? Oh, I knew we should have waited until this morning."
"It's fine, Ma; I actually just went to bed."
"You just went to bed? Excuse me, young man, did I hear you correctly? You just went to bed?"
He smirked, amused by her feigned distress. "Yeah, about ten minutes ago."
A gasp shot down the line. "Ten minutes ago?! Frank, what have I said about this late-night routine of yours? It's not
good for your system-"
"Yes, I understand that," he said with a small smile. "Me and a friend just went to see a movie after the concert."
The sound of a lighter igniting cracked loudly in his ear. "A friend, eh?" she asked, her voice muffled. "A lady friend?"
He couldn't help but smirk at her naivety. "No, mom, not a lady friend."
... The conversation drifted along for several minutes longer, until all small talk had been exhausted. Frank could hear the cigarette smoke against the receiver as his mother's voice picked up again.
"Listen, babe, I need you to stay in New York for a couple days longer."
A frown overtook his face. "Why's that?" he questioned, not even bothering to protest.
"I have another friend in town, and he needs somewhere to stay," she said casually. "I offered him your place-"
"What?!" he shouted, cutting off her nonchalant demands. "It's my fucking apartment, mom, I don't want your little crackhead friends ripping shit up-"
"Relax, Frankie! God, I pay for that apartment anyway; I can rent it out to whoever I damn well please! Besides, it's only until next Wednesday. I'll send some money up to your lazy ass..." she continued speaking, but Frank had stopped listening.
He sighed, allowing her harsh words to fall upon deaf ears. There was no chance of compromise in the situation, nor was there any chance of discouraging her endeavors.
Finally, her speech had ended. "All right, sweetie. Well, mommy has to go to sleep."
He sighed, disheartened by the routine. "All right, ma. Lock the doors and open a window."
"I know, I know," she cooed. "There's not a lot of smoke tonight, though; I'm lucky!"
His laugh escaped through chapped lips, pessimistic and practiced. "G'night mom."
"G'night, baby. I love you."
Click.
♠ ♠ ♠
The title is from "Sum of Us" by Jurassic 5. They broke up last year, but I still adore them. If you're into rap at all, you should give them a listen.The ringtone on Frank's phone is "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey.
[That's right, Emily ;3]
I'm sorry for the delay and I'm sorry for the length!
If there's ever a substantial amount of time that I leave you update-less, please get on my ass about it :]]
I have a tendency to not update for a couple weeks, and I don't want that happening to this story.
Also, I'm up to forty-one subscribers!
Thank you all!