The Truth About Heaven
Chapter One.
June 23, 2007.
Everything was going good. He wasn’t failing in school; he was still with his girlfriend of two and a half years. He was finally getting used to the fact that his father was gone. His birthday was even coming up soon and he was turning 16. All he needed to do was ignore his mother’s constant new boyfriends.
He had a few friends, who were amazing. He had everything he could ever want. He was okay with how his life was going. His mother just needed to see that the men she brought home were dicks.
He smiled as he lay in the grass, staring at the sky. He loved this field behind his house. It was where he could just relax and spend some time to himself.
“Do you ever wonder what heaven’s like?”
Frank glanced at his younger sister and shrugged lazily. “I don’t know.”
She sat down beside him and sighed. “Mom’s angry at me. I decided to come out here to get away from it all.”
“Why’s she angry?” he asked, propping himself up on his elbows, eyeing her.
“We got into a fight about something.” Now she was the one who shrugged lazily. “It’s no big deal.”
“Alanna,” Frank prodded.
“It was just about her new boyfriend!” Alanna started to play with a blade of grass. “I don’t want anyone replacing dad. You remember what happened with the last boyfriend. I don’t want that to happen again.” She looked up with tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m scared, Frankie.”
Frank moved to hug her. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”
Alanna sniffed back her tears. “Why can’t it just be the three of us? It would be so much better that way. She always has to get some new guy who just wants some damn money for drugs.” She began wiping away the tears that rolled down her face.
“Alanna, come on, I swear, she won’t find anyone serious enough for marriage. They will all just leave. No one’s replacing Dad.” Frank sighed and hugged her again. “Last one to the end of the field gets to do the dishes tonight!” He hopped up and started running.
Alanna sniffed and yelled, “Hey! No fair! You got a head start!”
Frank laughed and stuck his tongue out. Alanna caught up to him and tackled him. “Ha ha!”
She smirked as Frank tried to wiggle away. “Alanna, my pants are falling down. Let go,” he said, laughing.
When Alanna didn’t let go, Frank twisted around and started tickling her. She gasped and started flailing her arms and legs. “Okay, okay!” she cried, laughing.
Frank scrambled up and tightened his belt. “How about we just both do the dishes?”
“Fine,” Alanna said with a laugh.
They started back toward the house. Once they were inside, they saw their mother’s latest boyfriend. Alanna huffed and went up to her room.
His mother told him that supper was ready. Frank grabbed his and Alanna’s plate and went upstairs.
He knocked on here door and heard, “Go away!” He opened the door anyways and set down her plate on her desk.
“Oh, sorry, Frank, I thought you were Mom.”
“Nah, that’s okay. Eat your supper. You going to be okay when I go over to Ashley’s house soon?” He felt guilty for leaving her.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just stay in here.”
Okay,” Frank said softly. Once they were done their supper, they went downstairs and quickly did the dishes, the whole time, Alanna avoiding eye contact with her mother.
“Well, I’m going to go over now, I’ll be back later,” Frank called from the door.
Alanna sighed. “Bye, Frank.”
Everything was going good. He wasn’t failing in school; he was still with his girlfriend of two and a half years. He was finally getting used to the fact that his father was gone. His birthday was even coming up soon and he was turning 16. All he needed to do was ignore his mother’s constant new boyfriends.
He had a few friends, who were amazing. He had everything he could ever want. He was okay with how his life was going. His mother just needed to see that the men she brought home were dicks.
He smiled as he lay in the grass, staring at the sky. He loved this field behind his house. It was where he could just relax and spend some time to himself.
“Do you ever wonder what heaven’s like?”
Frank glanced at his younger sister and shrugged lazily. “I don’t know.”
She sat down beside him and sighed. “Mom’s angry at me. I decided to come out here to get away from it all.”
“Why’s she angry?” he asked, propping himself up on his elbows, eyeing her.
“We got into a fight about something.” Now she was the one who shrugged lazily. “It’s no big deal.”
“Alanna,” Frank prodded.
“It was just about her new boyfriend!” Alanna started to play with a blade of grass. “I don’t want anyone replacing dad. You remember what happened with the last boyfriend. I don’t want that to happen again.” She looked up with tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m scared, Frankie.”
Frank moved to hug her. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”
Alanna sniffed back her tears. “Why can’t it just be the three of us? It would be so much better that way. She always has to get some new guy who just wants some damn money for drugs.” She began wiping away the tears that rolled down her face.
“Alanna, come on, I swear, she won’t find anyone serious enough for marriage. They will all just leave. No one’s replacing Dad.” Frank sighed and hugged her again. “Last one to the end of the field gets to do the dishes tonight!” He hopped up and started running.
Alanna sniffed and yelled, “Hey! No fair! You got a head start!”
Frank laughed and stuck his tongue out. Alanna caught up to him and tackled him. “Ha ha!”
She smirked as Frank tried to wiggle away. “Alanna, my pants are falling down. Let go,” he said, laughing.
When Alanna didn’t let go, Frank twisted around and started tickling her. She gasped and started flailing her arms and legs. “Okay, okay!” she cried, laughing.
Frank scrambled up and tightened his belt. “How about we just both do the dishes?”
“Fine,” Alanna said with a laugh.
They started back toward the house. Once they were inside, they saw their mother’s latest boyfriend. Alanna huffed and went up to her room.
His mother told him that supper was ready. Frank grabbed his and Alanna’s plate and went upstairs.
He knocked on here door and heard, “Go away!” He opened the door anyways and set down her plate on her desk.
“Oh, sorry, Frank, I thought you were Mom.”
“Nah, that’s okay. Eat your supper. You going to be okay when I go over to Ashley’s house soon?” He felt guilty for leaving her.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just stay in here.”
Okay,” Frank said softly. Once they were done their supper, they went downstairs and quickly did the dishes, the whole time, Alanna avoiding eye contact with her mother.
“Well, I’m going to go over now, I’ll be back later,” Frank called from the door.
Alanna sighed. “Bye, Frank.”