You Give Love a Bad Name

As Frank, who graciously stayed over and helped me, and I babysat my two little cousins, the fact that uncle Todd and his family would be arriving today completely flew out of my mind. I was reminded when I heard two knocks and laughter outside.

"I'll be right back," I told Frank, Emily, and Jason. "I'm gonna go see who that is."

All three of them nodded, still too preoccupied in the game we were playing; Candy Land.

I smiled to myself as I left the living room. The atmosphere was peaceful and borderline on perfect. Emily, Frank, and Jason were sitting on the floor, the board game spread out in front of them. Emily was sucking her thumb with concentration, looking at her brother, who was trying to take a peak at the cards. Frank was watching both of them with an amused smile, hood over his mop of unruly, black hair.

The positive outcome of this 'game time' was that Emily and Jason were getting sleepier by the moment, which meant that the house was now occupied by soft giggles and conversations, and not by screams and shouts like it was a mere couple of hours ago.

As soon as I opened the door, I knew that the rest of the day was ruined. The reason? She was looking down at me with an angelic smile from the doorstep, red hair framing her perfect face like some sort of wild fire.

"I thought you weren't coming," I said briskly, opening the door wider.

"Jeez, Helena, say it with a little more menace, will you? It didn't sting enough," she retorted, walking past me and into the corridor. "If you must know, Christie's family cancelled their trip to Cancun at the last minute, so here I am. Stuck with family in New Jersey."

I looked at my cousin with a cold smile. "Aww, don't look so sad, Valerie - I'll make this trip worth your while."

We stared at each other for a couple of seconds - neither saying a word. Our silence was broken when we heard a soft voice from behind.

"Val?"

Valerie turned around, looking somewhat surprised. "Do I know you?"

Frank took a few steps towards us. "Yeah, we met a couple of years back when you were visiting. Frank Iero, remember?"

"Oh!" I could see her brain doing the math. Trying to remember. "Frankie! Is this really you?"

"Um," he did that little half-smirk that he usually did when he was talking to a hot chick, "yeah, that's me. The one and only."

I rolled my eyes as my best friend almost got mauled in a tight hug by my oldest cousin. I mean, come on, the chick only met him once, four years ago, and she was acting like she got reunited with a long-lost relative or something.

Drama Queen.

"...know what he said to me?" Uncle Todd's voice boomed outside, coming closer and closer with every second. "He told me - and get this - he told me, 'No, Todd, I do not remember you save that man from those Jap bombs.' Can you believe this guy? After all I've done, too!"

I had only enough time to realize that it was another one of his war stories, before I was swept into a bone-crushing bear-hug.

"Lena! It's amazing how much you have grown, girlie!"

I smiled tightly. He was being nice - I've been five foot three for the past two years. "It's good to see you too, Uncle Todd."

"And who is this, young fellow?" he boomed again, pointing at Frank, who was standing with a surprised expression next to Valerie.

"That's Frank," I replied, taking his hand and pulling him away from Valerie, towards my uncle. "You've met him before. Frank Iero?"

"Oh!" Uncle Todd turned towards my aunt. "Look, Susan, it's that Iero boy! Remember how puny he used to look a few years back?"

I coughed to try and cover up my snort, looking over at Frank, who looked insulted and irrigated.

"Don't they grow up fast," my uncle continued his rein of embarrassment, "let's see that handshake, boy."

After about five minutes of loud conversations and me and Valerie starring daggers at each other, Frank could take no more and said his goodbyes.

"Wouldn't last a day in the army, that Frank," Uncle Todd mumbled thoughtfully, watching Frank's retreating back.

I groaned silently, wanting to walk away with Frank into the night more than anything in the world.