Learning to Fall

Miranda shot me an ice cold glare from where she stood next to the stainless steel fridge, taping her gel tip fingernails on the marble bench top.

“What is going on, Gerard?” My wife finally said, her mouth forming into an impressive snarl. “Who is that man out there? What is he doing to my party?”

I frowned at her. “You mean Frank?” I asked slowly, unsure as to why she thought he was ruining her party.

“Yes, of course I mean Frank,” Miranda snapped back. “I don’t see anyone else out there taking over the whole party! You didn’t even discuss inviting him with me, and suddenly he is the star of the whole party.”

“He is Sophia’s dad, and if you paid a speck of attention to anyone’s life but your own, you would know that Sophia is Ella’s best friend!”

Miranda snorted, clearly under the impression that she knew better. “I don’t believe they are best friends for a second, they barely know each other. Plus Ella is not playing with the other children because of this girl, she is appearing rude and disinterested.”

“Well maybe if you paid a minute of attention to your daughter at this party, and not your work friends who you spend all of your time with anyway, you would see that Ella hates those other children,” I told her, waving my hands dramatically in the air.

Miranda crossed the room, her fierce expression somewhat unsettling me. “Don’t you dare say I don’t know my daughter, I know her well enough to know when someone isn’t good for her.”

“I would hardly say you do, Sophia is very good for her. She is kind and sweet, just like her dad!” I exclaimed, defending Frank and his daughter.

Miranda’s face grew angrier at the mention of Frank’s name. “Yes, let’s talk about your new friend Frank, shall we?”

I nodded once and folded my arms, waiting to see what she would come out with now.
“He is a delivery boy, dresses like a 16 year old boy and has less class then our two year old.”

Miranda’s argument was hardly groundbreaking, it was obvious she didn’t like Frank but her reasoning for it was shallow and I was sure deeper meaner hid beneath it.

“Yes, being a UPS man does make you a terrible person, how dare I even think of inviting him to this party,” I said sarcastically.

“Well you didn’t consult me on it, I would have appreciated that…or does Frank make the decisions now?” Miranda asked with a slight snarl.

“He is obviously bad news because he has a lipring, wears band tee’s and has holes in his pants. How dare I defy you darling by bringing such trash around,” I replied sarcastically, waving my arms around.

“He is not the sort of person we want our children to be around,” Miranda said coldly. “I just want the best for my babies.”

I really liked how Miranda was suddenly extremely protective of her children, when in reality she didn’t usually care at all who they hung around with, so long as their parents were wealthy and they dressed nicely.

“Logan adores Frank, as does Ella and I enjoy having Frank around, I certainly don’t need your permission for that, or to invite him to my daughters birthday party,” I retorted.

Miranda scowled. “Our daughter,” she corrected and sighed. “I just don’t think he is a good influence. Him, or his daughter.”

Miranda was becoming ridiculous now, her argument had no merit and I could see clearly that she was more jealous of Frank then anything.

I narrowed my eyes, placing both hands on my hips. “What are you more upset about? The fact he is ‘blemishing’ your picture perfect party, or the fact that our kids would rather hang out with Frank then you?”

Miranda stiffed visibly.

“Unlike you, I want the best for our children. A UPS man with horrid piercings, long unwashed hair and appalling manners is not what is best for them, I just don’t know why you cannot see he is a bad influence.”

“And you’d rather our kids playing with whiny stuck up brats that get the entire world handed to them on a silver platter by parents who suck up and kiss ass for a living,” I replied and gave a dramatic sigh, throwing a hand on my forehead. “I am so glad I finally see it your way.”

Miranda looked at me skeptically, missing the sarcasm that was heavily laced through my previous statement. “You finally see it my way?” She questioned, raising a perfectly sculptured eyebrow.

I smiled coldly. “Of course, darling, now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to find Frank.”
Miranda stepped forward, placing a hand on my chest as I went to move away, preventing me from leaving the kitchen.

“Gerard Way, I have dealt with your weird music, sometimes grunge appearance, foul language and penchant for horror,” Miranda started, venom evident in her tone. “What I will not deal with is something that impacts on our children. Do not bring that man here, or near our children again.”

“And if I do?” I asked, folding my arms and staring her down. I was not going to allow her to walk all over me this time, it was one fight she was not going to win.

“There will be consequences.”

I almost laughed at Miranda’s response, wondering what type of “consequences” she would have in store for me when I inevitably broke her newly imposed rule.

“He is my friend, he is welcome here as much as he likes, day, night, whenever,” I informed my ignorant wife. “I’d also like to see you try and tell Ella that she can’t have Sophia around anymore.”

Miranda didn’t seem to think this would be an issue, judging from the hand she waved airily. “Oh I will, she will be upset initially but in time she will get over it,” Miranda said confidently. “You can do what you like with your life, just don’t mess with theirs.”

Miranda gave me one final glare before marching away, taking an extra champagne bottle with her and striding out onto the lawn, a fake smile already plastered on her face in place of the scowl.

I ran my hands through my hair, feeling a surge of irritation at how annoying Miranda could be. She was never one to give anyone a chance if their social status was not equal or above her own. I took a sip of the coke that was sitting on the bench next to me before finally making my way back out, determined to find Frank and show Miranda that her words had little effect on me.

I spotted my brother over to the side of the grass, watching Logan play with some of Ella’s new toys.

“Hey Mikey, where is Frank at?” I asked, after scanning the lawn and not seeing Frank or his daughter anywhere.

Mikey grimaced. “I’m not sure, he went inside to get a knife when I dropped the one I was using, but then he came back out, grabbed Sophia and just left,” my brother informed me, as my daughter came rushing up.

“Daddy!” Ella cried, launching herself at me. “Sophia left! Why did she have to leave?”
I frowned to myself, puzzled as to why Frank had abruptly left as I stroked Ella’s hair comfortingly.

“He just…left?” I looked at Mikey, who nodded his head in confirmation.

“I want Sophia back!” Ella wailed, causing a few of the other children to shoot her a strange look at the sight of her actually showing emotion.

“Yeah, he looked pissed at something,” Mikey told me.

“Daddy, call Frank!” Ella cried. I put my arms around her and drew my little daughter close to my body, making soothing noises as I tried to figure out what had happened.

“He just got Sophia, and left,” Mikey finished and sat down on the grass next to Logan, who was pushing around a Barbie convertible and making “car noises.”

My face paled in complexion as I realized that Frank would have gone to the kitchen to get a fresh knife, and had probably overheard Miranda talking so nastily about him. I knew he wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying if he thought he was welcome here, especially by my mean wife. Miranda didn’t like Frank, but that was certainly no reason for him to stop seeing the rest of my family. I felt a surge of anger towards my wife, knowing she would be incredibly pleased Frank had left, bringing his daughter with him.

“Where did he go to get the knife,” I asked Mikey slowly, dreading the response.

My brother looked at me like I was an idiot. “The kitchen, where else do you go to get a knife?”

“Shit, shit, shit,” was my response as my son looked at me in horror.

“Swear!” Logan exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

“Not now, Logan,” I snapped, pulling my arms away from Ella and instead fisting my hands in my hair.

“What is it?” Mikey asked, beginning to show signs of worry at my panic.

I hastily pulled my phone out of my pants pocket and searched through it for Frank’s number, instantly pressing the green button as soon as I saw it. The phone rang a number of times before Frank’s chirpy recorded message came on, informing me he was not able to take my call.

“Frank, it’s me! I was just wondering where you had gone, Mikey said you had just left the party suddenly so I really hope nothings wrong…ah, give me a call as soon as you get this,” I said, leaving a hurried message on his voice mail before snapping my phone shut.

I took one look at Ella’s sad face and knew just how disappointed she was. It was enough to make me open my phone and dial Frank’s number again, just in case he hadn’t heard his phone ringing the first time because he was in a loud area. The phone rang a few times before once again going straight to voice mail.

“He’s not picking up, El,” I told my daughter gently, knowing any minute now her face was going to crumble and she would burst into tears.

“Try once more, daddy,” she requested, her lower lip sticking out. I gave a nod, knowing it wouldn’t work but at this point I was willing to do anything to keep Ella happy.

I dialed once more, waiting patiently as the phone rang a few times.

“Hello?”

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head when I realized Frank had actually answered this time.

“Frank!” I exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. “Where are you? What’s going on? Why did you leave?!”

There was a moment of silence before he responded.

“Don’t call me anymore, Gerard.”

“What, Frank, why?” I asked quickly,now panicking on the inside.

My jaw dropped as a beep noise came through my phone’s speaker, telling me Frank was no longer on the line. I instantly started redialing his number, wanting answers to the millions of questions in my head, but this time, his phone was completely turned off.