Adventures in Babysitting
Chapter Eighteen: I'll Come Back...
Chapter Eighteen: I’ll Come Back
“What do you mean?” Gee asked. I stopped walking for a minute. Gee looked back at me.
“What if Marc takes Adele away?” I asked.
Gerard sighed. “Frank...he’s her father. We really can’t do anything.”
I looked at the ground. An idea came to me, but I didn’t want to say it. The idea tugged at my lips, begging for escape. The words succeeded. “We could adopt her,” I suggested.
“Frank...”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“But it’s not fucking right,” I screamed, “He can’t just take her away and act like this never happened! He may do it again, and I don’t want to see Adele hurt!”
“I don’t want to see her hurt either,” Gee replied, “But we don’t have a choice Frank. I’m really sorry.” I looked down at the ground. The tears threatened to jump to the ground from my lashes. Seeing her go would break me apart. But I won’t let her forget me. I won’t let it happen.
“Come on,” Gee told me. He pat my back consolingly. I looked up at him and smiled. The tears flowed back behind my eyelids as I blinked. At least I had Adele for a little longer. But I would fight this. I really would.
When the police station came in sight, Gerard and I started running for the door. I got there first and yanked it open. I looked down the brick hallway into the glass windows facing a bunch of desks. I heard the radio playing a song. Starlight, by Muse. Gee and I looked around frantically and I then heard it. A soft little voice singing Starlight. I looked in the window. It was Adele.
I charged into the doorway towards Adele. I just wanted to hold her in my arms and never let go. An officer stepped in front of me. “Are you Mr. Iero?” he asked. I guess he’s not a fan of the band.
“Um, yes,” I replied. He glared at me.
Adele peeked out from behind him, “That’s him. That’s my daddy.” I just wanted to cry. Adele, calling me daddy? But she knows Marc’s her father. Doesn’t she? Of course she does. She just looks at me as a father figure. Nothing more, nothing less.
“All right then,” the officer (who’s name tag read ‘Martin’) said. I started towards Adele, but the officer stopped me. What the hell?
“Um, is there a problem officer?” I asked. Why’d he stop me?
“I’m afraid i can’t let you take her,” he told me. Wait. What?
“What? Why?” I asked frantically. I don’t see a problem!
“We can’t allow you to take custody of her,” he said.
“But weren’t going to. We’re watching her for our friend’s older brother.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“They? Who’s they?” I asked. What was he going on about?
“People desperate to adopt,” he said. Oh, it’s on now! “Disgruntled parents, child molesters, and,” he looked at me and Gerard, “Same sex couples.”
What?! “I’m sorry,” I replied, “But there must be a mistake! Gerard and I aren’t together! We’re best friends! This is discrimination anyway. You can’t do this shit!”
“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is. We have to turn Adele over to her biological father,” he told me. I wanted to punch him so badly right now. He took Adele away from me and everyone else that cares about her. Marc doesn't care! Otherwise he wouldn’t have left. “You could say goodbye to her if you like.”
With that, Adele toddled over to Gee and, for the first time, wrapped her arms tightly around him. I looked back and noticed the tears going down Gee’s cheeks. He pulled Adele a little closer and wiped the tears away as he leaned on her small shoulder. She pulled away and looked at me with her beautiful eyes. I squatted down next to her and looked into the sad pools of green.
“Please don’t leave Frankie!” she begged. I pulled her into me.
“I have to,” I whispered into her ear. I could feel her hot tears soaking into my shoulder. I wouldn’t let my tears fall. I had to be brave for Adele. “I promise I’ll come back for you. We’ll fight this. I promise.”
“I..I,” Adele stopped, “Never mind.”
I ran my fingers through her soft blonde hair and stood up. As Gee and I walked away, Adele was still crying. I stopped to look at her, debating whether or not to risk it all and go comfort her, or leave. Officer Martin looked at me and seemed to make the choice. I glared at him. I had no choice but to walk away.
“We’ll fight this,” I told Gee as we walked back to the bus, “I’m not gonna take this shit anymore...”
Silence took over us until we got to the van. Gerard went to the back to tell everyone the bad news. I heard Mikey sobbing, Ray screaming and kicking something, and Bob crying. I’m not surprised. He was actually fond of Adele. He was beginning to like her. It’s like a novel with only a beginning and is unfinished. It’ll never end.
I sat on the couch and stared into space. I couldn’t work on my song or even think clearly. Adele was taking over my mind. I wanted to hold her, sing her to sleep, and let her know everything would be all right. I can’t take this shit anymore. Fucking society and its retardedness. I hate it.
I wasn’t alert enough to here the conversation (or yelling) in the other room, but I heard the phone ring. I walked up to Gerard’s cellphone (which was still on the counter) and looked at the caller ID. It was Officer Martin. What could he want?
“Hello?” I said into the phone. No one else heard me in the other room.
“Hello? Mr. Iero?” Officer Martin said. He sounded angry.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes. It seems Adele is missing from the station. Do you happen to know where she is?”
I didn’t catch whatever he said after that. The phone slipped out of my hands onto the floor. What? Adele’s gone? Oh God. Oh God! Wait. I know where she is. I grabbed my coat and ran outside into the midnight darkness, not even grabbing my sweatshirt. I was scared to death. Adele was outside all alone looking for one thing only:
Me...
“What do you mean?” Gee asked. I stopped walking for a minute. Gee looked back at me.
“What if Marc takes Adele away?” I asked.
Gerard sighed. “Frank...he’s her father. We really can’t do anything.”
I looked at the ground. An idea came to me, but I didn’t want to say it. The idea tugged at my lips, begging for escape. The words succeeded. “We could adopt her,” I suggested.
“Frank...”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“But it’s not fucking right,” I screamed, “He can’t just take her away and act like this never happened! He may do it again, and I don’t want to see Adele hurt!”
“I don’t want to see her hurt either,” Gee replied, “But we don’t have a choice Frank. I’m really sorry.” I looked down at the ground. The tears threatened to jump to the ground from my lashes. Seeing her go would break me apart. But I won’t let her forget me. I won’t let it happen.
“Come on,” Gee told me. He pat my back consolingly. I looked up at him and smiled. The tears flowed back behind my eyelids as I blinked. At least I had Adele for a little longer. But I would fight this. I really would.
When the police station came in sight, Gerard and I started running for the door. I got there first and yanked it open. I looked down the brick hallway into the glass windows facing a bunch of desks. I heard the radio playing a song. Starlight, by Muse. Gee and I looked around frantically and I then heard it. A soft little voice singing Starlight. I looked in the window. It was Adele.
I charged into the doorway towards Adele. I just wanted to hold her in my arms and never let go. An officer stepped in front of me. “Are you Mr. Iero?” he asked. I guess he’s not a fan of the band.
“Um, yes,” I replied. He glared at me.
Adele peeked out from behind him, “That’s him. That’s my daddy.” I just wanted to cry. Adele, calling me daddy? But she knows Marc’s her father. Doesn’t she? Of course she does. She just looks at me as a father figure. Nothing more, nothing less.
“All right then,” the officer (who’s name tag read ‘Martin’) said. I started towards Adele, but the officer stopped me. What the hell?
“Um, is there a problem officer?” I asked. Why’d he stop me?
“I’m afraid i can’t let you take her,” he told me. Wait. What?
“What? Why?” I asked frantically. I don’t see a problem!
“We can’t allow you to take custody of her,” he said.
“But weren’t going to. We’re watching her for our friend’s older brother.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“They? Who’s they?” I asked. What was he going on about?
“People desperate to adopt,” he said. Oh, it’s on now! “Disgruntled parents, child molesters, and,” he looked at me and Gerard, “Same sex couples.”
What?! “I’m sorry,” I replied, “But there must be a mistake! Gerard and I aren’t together! We’re best friends! This is discrimination anyway. You can’t do this shit!”
“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is. We have to turn Adele over to her biological father,” he told me. I wanted to punch him so badly right now. He took Adele away from me and everyone else that cares about her. Marc doesn't care! Otherwise he wouldn’t have left. “You could say goodbye to her if you like.”
With that, Adele toddled over to Gee and, for the first time, wrapped her arms tightly around him. I looked back and noticed the tears going down Gee’s cheeks. He pulled Adele a little closer and wiped the tears away as he leaned on her small shoulder. She pulled away and looked at me with her beautiful eyes. I squatted down next to her and looked into the sad pools of green.
“Please don’t leave Frankie!” she begged. I pulled her into me.
“I have to,” I whispered into her ear. I could feel her hot tears soaking into my shoulder. I wouldn’t let my tears fall. I had to be brave for Adele. “I promise I’ll come back for you. We’ll fight this. I promise.”
“I..I,” Adele stopped, “Never mind.”
I ran my fingers through her soft blonde hair and stood up. As Gee and I walked away, Adele was still crying. I stopped to look at her, debating whether or not to risk it all and go comfort her, or leave. Officer Martin looked at me and seemed to make the choice. I glared at him. I had no choice but to walk away.
“We’ll fight this,” I told Gee as we walked back to the bus, “I’m not gonna take this shit anymore...”
Silence took over us until we got to the van. Gerard went to the back to tell everyone the bad news. I heard Mikey sobbing, Ray screaming and kicking something, and Bob crying. I’m not surprised. He was actually fond of Adele. He was beginning to like her. It’s like a novel with only a beginning and is unfinished. It’ll never end.
I sat on the couch and stared into space. I couldn’t work on my song or even think clearly. Adele was taking over my mind. I wanted to hold her, sing her to sleep, and let her know everything would be all right. I can’t take this shit anymore. Fucking society and its retardedness. I hate it.
I wasn’t alert enough to here the conversation (or yelling) in the other room, but I heard the phone ring. I walked up to Gerard’s cellphone (which was still on the counter) and looked at the caller ID. It was Officer Martin. What could he want?
“Hello?” I said into the phone. No one else heard me in the other room.
“Hello? Mr. Iero?” Officer Martin said. He sounded angry.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes. It seems Adele is missing from the station. Do you happen to know where she is?”
I didn’t catch whatever he said after that. The phone slipped out of my hands onto the floor. What? Adele’s gone? Oh God. Oh God! Wait. I know where she is. I grabbed my coat and ran outside into the midnight darkness, not even grabbing my sweatshirt. I was scared to death. Adele was outside all alone looking for one thing only:
Me...