Adventures in Babysitting
Chapter Sixteen: Marc
Chapter Sixteen: Marc
The next came quickly. Adele got me up and ready at five o’ clock. Ugh. What happened to sleeping in late on Saturdays and watching cartoons in bed. Does that not work when you’re a parent or guardian? You can’t watch Superman or Tom and Jerry anymore? Well that sucks!
I walked into the kitchen area, completely out of it as usual. Gerard was already up, drinking his seventh cup of coffee for the day. “Morning princess,” he said to me. I looked around the room. Not Adele in sight. I gave Gee the finger. He gasped. “Shame on you Frankie!” he said to me.
“Bite me,” I replied. I began to make my coffee.
“Ew. Why would i want to do that? You wouldn’t taste good!”
“Kiss my ass.”
“You’re so mean Frankie!”
“Who said I wasn’t mean?” I told him. I sat down and sipped my coffee, “Your own fault for fucking with me in the morning.”
Gerard stared at me for a minute. Wait. What? “That came out wrong, didn’t it?” I asked. Gee nodded his head. “Sorry.” I laughed silently. I took another sip of coffee. Gee sat down next to me.
“You okay?” he asked. I nodded.
“Yea. Just tired. You know me.”
“Yea, but you’re acting strangely. What’s bugging you?”
“Nothing.”
“Frank..”
“It’s nothing,” I replied, “It’s just...Adele’s bothered by something in her nightmares, and she’s not talking about it.”
“She’s still having those?” Gee asked. I nodded. I had told him after the first few nights. He simple told me ‘It’ll go away soon enough. Don’t worry about it.’ Well, now I’m worried.
“Yea,” I told him. I finished my coffee as Gee finished his. I took his cup and put them in the sink. Silence fell over us.
“Hasn’t it been almost a month now?” Gee asked. I nodded and turned to face him. I leaned on the counter edge.
“I just don’t get it,” I said.
“What?”
“The nightmares,” I told him, “What’s so scary about them that she can’t tell me about them? What could freak a little kid who wants to watch Saw out so much?”
“I’m not sure,” Gee replied, “But they aren’t effecting her in a huge way. She seems fine right now. If it starts to eat away at her, then we’ll do something about this. For now, let’s just leave it at that.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. With that, Adele came rushing into the room, attacking my legs. I smiled down at her. She looked up at me and smiled back. She’s so sweet and adorable when she’s happy. I hope she stays that way....
+++++++++++++
The rest of the day went by quickly. Mikey came out from the bunks around four, still sulking. He really wanted to see Strawberry Shortcake didn’t he? Well, I’ll have to remember to buy it for him for his birthday next year. Wait. Wasn’t taking him his present from us this year? Oops. Maybe we’ll take him next week.
“You okay Mikes?” I asked him. H looked at me like I was on weed. Now I stopped that shit way before I met him and Gee. Back when I had dreads. But whatever.
“I’m just disappointed, that’s all,” Mikey replied. He walked over to the couch and sat down. I chuckled. I still can’t believe he wanted to see that. But hey, it’s Mikey! The kid that loves unicorns and sticks forks in toasters. Oh, and takes heaters into showers. And tvs. Hell, even radios. And leaves the tea on overnight. But I’m getting off track!
Ray and Bob came out next. Bob had wanted to see Disturbia too, so he kind of invited himself along. So, yea. He’s gonna be gone too. Well, at least I won’t feel like I’m being stalked in this bus anymore. He still wouldn’t quit the staring. I’ve tried to kick his ass, but he’s just won’t flinch at all when I come at him. That’s no fun.
“Hey, we’re leaving!” Ray yelled. I said goodbye to Adele and the guys, and they took off. Silence fell over the van. Well, this is boring. I’ll go find Gee.
I went into the bunk area to find Gee drawing again. I looked over his shoulder. He was drawing someone, but i couldn’t tell who. “Whatcha drawing?” I asked. He didn’t move. I knew if I grabbed the drawing from Gee I’d be in deep shit, so I waited for a response.
After five minutes passed, Gee raised his head. “What?” he started. I raised a brow, “Oh. Sorry. Um...just someone I know.”
“Who?”
“Secret.”
“Do I know them?”
“Yea.”
I tried to think. Who would Gerard be drawing? Mikey? No. He’s drawn Mikey a million times already. Bob? No. i mean, it’s Bob. Who would want to draw him? I’m kidding. He probably wouldn’t go for it though. It’s like a photograph, and we all know what he’s like when he’s near a camera. Ray? With all of his hair, it would take days to draw him. He’s an artist’s worst nightmare.
“Who?” I asked. I needed to know.
“Gee sighed, “Look for yourself.” he pushed the unfinished drawing towards me. That’s weird. He never shows a drawing to anyone when it’s undone. Weird. I looked at the paper in my hands. My mouth almost dropped.
It was almost perfect. It’ll be perfect when it’s done. it was a picture of me and Adele holding hands on the first day. Everything was the same. The road signs, the plants, the details in mine and Adele’s clothes. It was amazing. “Gee, how’d you remember all of the details?”
“I had my camera phone with me. I took the picture and drew it from there,” he told me. He looked over at his phone, which was open, on the bed. “The battery’s almost dead now though.”
“It’s fucking amazing,” I replied. Gee smiled.
“Thanks.”
At that moment, Astro Zombies by The Misfits started playing. Gee looked over to his phone and picked it up. “Hello?” he said. I watched him on the phone until my thirst got the better of me. My thirst for...coffee. You thought I was gonna say blood didn’t you?
“Hey Gee,” I whispered. He looked at me. “I’m going to Starbucks. If you want, meet me there when you’re done.” He nodded and continued to listen to the person on the phone. I got up and went to Starbucks.
When I got back, Gee was still on the phone. Who the fuck could he be talking to for the past twenty minutes? Well, he was in the kitchen now, and it sounded like he was saying ‘Goodbye’ when I went into the main room from outside. He placed the phone on the counter and rested his head in his hands. He looked upset.
“Gee,” I started. He didn’t turn, but I knew he heard me, “Who was that on the phone?”
“It was Marc,” he replied. My eyes widened. I couldn’t have heard that.
“What?” I said. Gee turned to look at me concerned.
“Marc’s coming back to get Adele,” he said, “I told him she’s with Ray at the movies, but he said he’d wait for her. He’s coming here.” I glared at him. “I’m sorry Frank.”
At that moment, i just wanted to cry. Scream, do anything. I don;t know what came out. The yelling just started. “No!” I screamed, “He think he can just leave Adele, who’s still traumatized from her mother dying, for almost a month and then just prance in like nothing happened?! No! He can’t do that! It’s not fucking right!
“But there’s nothing we can do Frank,” Gee cooed, “Adele’s not our kid. She’s Marc’s. Otherwise, we’d do something about this.”
I fell to the floor and started sobbing. Gee came over and started to calm me down as the sobs came sharper out of my throat with each breath. “How long?” I asked. Gee looked into my eyes, obviously worried.
“He was in Belleville when he called me. So, twenty minutes.”
I kept crying for a while. I just couldn’t believe it. Adele would be gone soon. Too soon for my taste. Why now? Why her? I don’t care what Marc wants. I want to protect Adele, and that may mean keeping her away from Marc. I won’t let him hurt her again.
At that moment, Gee’s phone rang again. That shocked him. We both thought it died five seconds ago. He hurried over and looked at the caller ID. He raised a brow and then flipped the phone open and held it at his ear. “Mikey?” I heard him say.
After a few seconds, his jaw dropped. “Are you sure?” he asked, “You looked everywhere?” Pause. “Okay! Calm down. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” With that, he hung up the phone and grabbed his leather jacket. “We have to go!”
“What’s going on Gee?” I asked. What he said next made me want to scream even more.
“Adele’s gone.”
The next came quickly. Adele got me up and ready at five o’ clock. Ugh. What happened to sleeping in late on Saturdays and watching cartoons in bed. Does that not work when you’re a parent or guardian? You can’t watch Superman or Tom and Jerry anymore? Well that sucks!
I walked into the kitchen area, completely out of it as usual. Gerard was already up, drinking his seventh cup of coffee for the day. “Morning princess,” he said to me. I looked around the room. Not Adele in sight. I gave Gee the finger. He gasped. “Shame on you Frankie!” he said to me.
“Bite me,” I replied. I began to make my coffee.
“Ew. Why would i want to do that? You wouldn’t taste good!”
“Kiss my ass.”
“You’re so mean Frankie!”
“Who said I wasn’t mean?” I told him. I sat down and sipped my coffee, “Your own fault for fucking with me in the morning.”
Gerard stared at me for a minute. Wait. What? “That came out wrong, didn’t it?” I asked. Gee nodded his head. “Sorry.” I laughed silently. I took another sip of coffee. Gee sat down next to me.
“You okay?” he asked. I nodded.
“Yea. Just tired. You know me.”
“Yea, but you’re acting strangely. What’s bugging you?”
“Nothing.”
“Frank..”
“It’s nothing,” I replied, “It’s just...Adele’s bothered by something in her nightmares, and she’s not talking about it.”
“She’s still having those?” Gee asked. I nodded. I had told him after the first few nights. He simple told me ‘It’ll go away soon enough. Don’t worry about it.’ Well, now I’m worried.
“Yea,” I told him. I finished my coffee as Gee finished his. I took his cup and put them in the sink. Silence fell over us.
“Hasn’t it been almost a month now?” Gee asked. I nodded and turned to face him. I leaned on the counter edge.
“I just don’t get it,” I said.
“What?”
“The nightmares,” I told him, “What’s so scary about them that she can’t tell me about them? What could freak a little kid who wants to watch Saw out so much?”
“I’m not sure,” Gee replied, “But they aren’t effecting her in a huge way. She seems fine right now. If it starts to eat away at her, then we’ll do something about this. For now, let’s just leave it at that.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. With that, Adele came rushing into the room, attacking my legs. I smiled down at her. She looked up at me and smiled back. She’s so sweet and adorable when she’s happy. I hope she stays that way....
+++++++++++++
The rest of the day went by quickly. Mikey came out from the bunks around four, still sulking. He really wanted to see Strawberry Shortcake didn’t he? Well, I’ll have to remember to buy it for him for his birthday next year. Wait. Wasn’t taking him his present from us this year? Oops. Maybe we’ll take him next week.
“You okay Mikes?” I asked him. H looked at me like I was on weed. Now I stopped that shit way before I met him and Gee. Back when I had dreads. But whatever.
“I’m just disappointed, that’s all,” Mikey replied. He walked over to the couch and sat down. I chuckled. I still can’t believe he wanted to see that. But hey, it’s Mikey! The kid that loves unicorns and sticks forks in toasters. Oh, and takes heaters into showers. And tvs. Hell, even radios. And leaves the tea on overnight. But I’m getting off track!
Ray and Bob came out next. Bob had wanted to see Disturbia too, so he kind of invited himself along. So, yea. He’s gonna be gone too. Well, at least I won’t feel like I’m being stalked in this bus anymore. He still wouldn’t quit the staring. I’ve tried to kick his ass, but he’s just won’t flinch at all when I come at him. That’s no fun.
“Hey, we’re leaving!” Ray yelled. I said goodbye to Adele and the guys, and they took off. Silence fell over the van. Well, this is boring. I’ll go find Gee.
I went into the bunk area to find Gee drawing again. I looked over his shoulder. He was drawing someone, but i couldn’t tell who. “Whatcha drawing?” I asked. He didn’t move. I knew if I grabbed the drawing from Gee I’d be in deep shit, so I waited for a response.
After five minutes passed, Gee raised his head. “What?” he started. I raised a brow, “Oh. Sorry. Um...just someone I know.”
“Who?”
“Secret.”
“Do I know them?”
“Yea.”
I tried to think. Who would Gerard be drawing? Mikey? No. He’s drawn Mikey a million times already. Bob? No. i mean, it’s Bob. Who would want to draw him? I’m kidding. He probably wouldn’t go for it though. It’s like a photograph, and we all know what he’s like when he’s near a camera. Ray? With all of his hair, it would take days to draw him. He’s an artist’s worst nightmare.
“Who?” I asked. I needed to know.
“Gee sighed, “Look for yourself.” he pushed the unfinished drawing towards me. That’s weird. He never shows a drawing to anyone when it’s undone. Weird. I looked at the paper in my hands. My mouth almost dropped.
It was almost perfect. It’ll be perfect when it’s done. it was a picture of me and Adele holding hands on the first day. Everything was the same. The road signs, the plants, the details in mine and Adele’s clothes. It was amazing. “Gee, how’d you remember all of the details?”
“I had my camera phone with me. I took the picture and drew it from there,” he told me. He looked over at his phone, which was open, on the bed. “The battery’s almost dead now though.”
“It’s fucking amazing,” I replied. Gee smiled.
“Thanks.”
At that moment, Astro Zombies by The Misfits started playing. Gee looked over to his phone and picked it up. “Hello?” he said. I watched him on the phone until my thirst got the better of me. My thirst for...coffee. You thought I was gonna say blood didn’t you?
“Hey Gee,” I whispered. He looked at me. “I’m going to Starbucks. If you want, meet me there when you’re done.” He nodded and continued to listen to the person on the phone. I got up and went to Starbucks.
When I got back, Gee was still on the phone. Who the fuck could he be talking to for the past twenty minutes? Well, he was in the kitchen now, and it sounded like he was saying ‘Goodbye’ when I went into the main room from outside. He placed the phone on the counter and rested his head in his hands. He looked upset.
“Gee,” I started. He didn’t turn, but I knew he heard me, “Who was that on the phone?”
“It was Marc,” he replied. My eyes widened. I couldn’t have heard that.
“What?” I said. Gee turned to look at me concerned.
“Marc’s coming back to get Adele,” he said, “I told him she’s with Ray at the movies, but he said he’d wait for her. He’s coming here.” I glared at him. “I’m sorry Frank.”
At that moment, i just wanted to cry. Scream, do anything. I don;t know what came out. The yelling just started. “No!” I screamed, “He think he can just leave Adele, who’s still traumatized from her mother dying, for almost a month and then just prance in like nothing happened?! No! He can’t do that! It’s not fucking right!
“But there’s nothing we can do Frank,” Gee cooed, “Adele’s not our kid. She’s Marc’s. Otherwise, we’d do something about this.”
I fell to the floor and started sobbing. Gee came over and started to calm me down as the sobs came sharper out of my throat with each breath. “How long?” I asked. Gee looked into my eyes, obviously worried.
“He was in Belleville when he called me. So, twenty minutes.”
I kept crying for a while. I just couldn’t believe it. Adele would be gone soon. Too soon for my taste. Why now? Why her? I don’t care what Marc wants. I want to protect Adele, and that may mean keeping her away from Marc. I won’t let him hurt her again.
At that moment, Gee’s phone rang again. That shocked him. We both thought it died five seconds ago. He hurried over and looked at the caller ID. He raised a brow and then flipped the phone open and held it at his ear. “Mikey?” I heard him say.
After a few seconds, his jaw dropped. “Are you sure?” he asked, “You looked everywhere?” Pause. “Okay! Calm down. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” With that, he hung up the phone and grabbed his leather jacket. “We have to go!”
“What’s going on Gee?” I asked. What he said next made me want to scream even more.
“Adele’s gone.”