Just You and I, Your Starless Eyes Remain

if living was the hardest part…

We walked up the cobblestone path up to his house; he lived in a nice little brick house. As we approached the door I noticed that I only lived three blocks away from him. Frank playfully raced me up the three stairs and pushed the door open. Our laughter echoed throughout the foyer of the house.

“Frank; is that you?” A kind women’s voice questioned.

“Yessum!” Frank exclaimed back. He grabbed my arm and dragged me with him as he followed the woman’s voice into the kitchen.

“So Frank, dear, how was your first day at school?” She spun around from her position at the sink and looked at me. “Oh, and who is this?” She said sweetly.

“This…” Frank smiled, pulling me in front of him, “…is Alice!” His smile highlighted the tone in his voice.

“Oh, well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Alice,” the woman smiled.

“And this, Alice, is my mom,” Frank exclaimed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” I smiled sweetly as I said this. I was in awe due to the memories of how sweet a family could really be.

“Well, Frank, I’m so happy to see you’ve met such a nice friend already; and a pretty one too.” As Frank’s mom said this, I blushed slightly.

“Well, we’re going to go upstairs. Bye mom.” Frank smiled and took my hand and led me up the stairs to his room.

His room was nothing big, yet it wasn’t too small either. It was just a regular white wall, though you barely saw it due to all the band posters hung up. His bed mattress was placed up against one of the walls and was doused in black sheets with a red pillow. Pilled by a plain dresser with chipped white paint were three boxes. I guessed this was still unpacked from their move.

“So, how do you like it?” Frank beamed at me.

“It’s really nice. It really is.” I smiled up at him. He was short, just like me; yet he still beet my height. His 5’4” frame beet mine by 2 inches.

Frank unzipped his black hoodie and tossed it onto his unmade bed. As he did this he gestured for me to sit down. I took his lead and sat across from him on his bed.

“So, um…, how’d you like your first day?” I looked at him questionably. I couldn’t think of a reason why one would possibly like that school, yet, I did hope that I made some change to his opinion on it.

“Well, honestly, it wasn’t that bad.” Frank smiled at me. “I mean, it’s school; and that kinda sucks. The people kind of suck too, well, I mean, you don’t, but that group of those guys and girls do.”

“I know what you mean.” I sighed. “They’ve been giving me hell ever since…” I stopped for a second. Should I really be dumping my problems out on the smiling, optimistic, perfect, lovely, significant, absurdly amazing boy?

He looked at me, as if to beckon my continuation. I wouldn’t be ranting if he wanted to hear, would I? I took his signal as a hint to continue.

“Well…ever since my parents died.” I tried to shrug it off so that it wouldn’t completely kill the mood.

“Alice, I’m,” Frank looked at me, his eyes wide with genuine sorrow. “I’m really sorry. I mean, my dad walked out when I was 8; but, I mean, I still had my mom. I can only imagine what that must have been like for you. I’m really sorry.”

“Frank, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I mean, it happened four years ago, when I was 13. It’s really okay. I mean, of course it’s upsetting. But I had to move on, right?”

With those words, Frank leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me, suppressing me into a huge hug. After a few moments passed he let go and looked me straight in the eyes and smiled half way.

“Thank you,” I whispered. This just made him smile more, and how couldn’t I, myself, smile after looking into his sweet eyes.

“Frank! Are you and Alice hungry?!” Frank’s mom yelled up the stairs.

“I’ll race you!” Frank giggled, and before I knew it we were racing each other down into the ktchen.

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School was great with Frank by my side. When ever any of the ‘clique’ seemed to cause me any troubled Frank would find something about them to laugh at, and we’d march off, victoriously. Of course the teasing didn’t stop completely, but it didn’t matter to me any more with Frank by my side.

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It was late Friday night on October 31st.

“Ohhh, Frank, my love! So where are we going to celebrate your birthday tonight?” I smiled, and I was sure he could see it; even though we were talking over the phone.

“Oh, well my dear, I thought I’d stop by your house and pick you up. We could go back to my house and watch a bunch of horror movies and play some video games.”

“Ooh awesome! But I hope you won’t get too upset when I kick your ass!” I snickered.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” He taunted me.

“Oh! It’s on, love.”

“Okay, you can bet on loosing! I’ll be there to pick you up in about a half hour, sugar.”

And with that we bid each other good bye and I set off to get ready.

“Hmm, what should I wear?” I asked myself quietly. I finally settled on a pair of black skinny jeans and my fitted skeleton crew “I am a monster” t-shirt. I zipped up a black hoodie on over it and applied my eyeliner. I put my converse on and checked the time. Wow, time didn’t pass at all. I still had 20 minutes until Frank came to pick me up. I threw myself onto the tattered couch and turned on the small T.V. That’s when there was a nock at the door.

“Frank’s here early, isn’t he?” I asked my self quietly. Not, that his arrival was a bad thing. I was estatic that he was here early. I jumped up to the door and pulled it open. There, stood my nightmare.

“Hello Love.” Alex sneered.

“Surprised to see us here?” Lisa snickered.

“Um…” I swallowed hard. I had no idea what they were doing here.

I gathered all my courage and asked, “Um, what are you guys doing here?”

“Oh, us? Just here to deliver a special gift for you for Halloween.” Leah spat.

“Yeah Freak!” Jonnie spit on the ground at me.

With that Leah pulled me outside and pushed me to the ground onto the hard cement. I protested with all my might, yet my voice became hoarse and I felt as if I really couldn’t scream. It was like in all those nightmares, when you scream, yet nothing comes out. Alex kicked me when I tried to pull myself back up. Then I felt hands yanking at me and pulling me up; my shoulders feeling like they were being ripped out. Rob punched me hard in the face and in the stomach and I began to cough up something salt like. I realized I was coughing blood. Leah pushed me once more onto the ground, and Lisa kicked me in the stomach and spit right next to me.

“Happy Halloween, Freak,” Leah laughed. I started coughing up blood again, this time I was choking.

“Aw, poor baby. She’d be better off just like her parents.”

“Don’t…d…don’t bring m..my.. parents…,” I struggled for words. But they were already halfway down the steps outside. “…into this.” I ended quietly, in a whisper.

My head felt like it was about to explode. I heard ringing, wait no! That was my phone inside, but I would never be able to bring myself to get it. The cold concrete, doused in blood. My body lay shamefully over it. I shook as the breeze passed.