Adventures in Babysitting
Chapter Seven: Let Me Tell You Something...
Chapter Seven: Let Me Tell You Something...
The day went by really slowly. Every second lasted an hour, every minute lasted a day. Adele was refusing to come out of the bunk area, but she’ll come out when she’s ready. Right?
I sat on the couch, writing a song. It was pretty crappy in my opinion, but I only had the first line, so I can’t really say shit. it was like writing House of Wolves again. I was staring at the wall for a while, trying to write. I can’t write under pressure.
Ray glared at me as he walked by. He had seen Adele crying and thought it was all my fault. I had, in a way, made her cry, and it broke my heart that it was my fault. But still. I hadn’t done it on purpose. Great. First Bob’s mad at me (but not really), now Ray! Is it International Hate Frank Iero Week and no one told me?
Gerard and Bob came out next. Bob looked calm and kind of emotionless as usual. I wonder what’s going through his head right now? I kind of don’t want to know. I looked over at Gee. He smiled at me at sat down next to me. Bob stared and left.
“You okay?” Gee asked. I looked like him as if he were high.
“Are you fucking kidding?” I asked him, “I made a little kid cry. Do you think I’m okay?” If he says yes, he’s on drugs again.
“Sorry,” he replied, “It was just an accident though.”
“But I still made her cry,” I alerted him.
With that, Mikey walked into the living room. He sat down across from me in one of the chairs. I wonder if he’s mad at me. He smiled shyly at me. I guess not.
“Don’t worry,” Gerard told me, “She’ll be okay.” He hesitated a little. I looked at him. He didn’t know shit, did he?
“No!” I screamed at him. “You don’t fucking know that’s it’s going to be okay! Saying it’ll be okay all the time isn’t gonna help!” I was fucking pissed now.
“Stop yelling at him!” Mikey screamed at me. I turned around. He was glaring at me now. He looked mad. “Let me tell you something. When Gee and I were growing up, we didn’t fight a lot either. But when we did, I did the same thing as Adele did. But you know what? It was okay. We made up eventually.”
Now Mikey was starting to get calmer, “Gee’s right you know. It is going to be okay. Adele’s just going through a lot of shit right now. Just give her time. She’ll be okay soon. All of us will be.” He sat back down, still glaring at me. He’s still mad. And when you make Mikey mad, then you know you’re being an ass. I felt like one now. I looked down, ashamed.
“I’m sorry,” I told Gerard. He walked over to me. He hugged me softly to comfort me. For once, I cried. I hadn’t really cried upsetting tears in a while. It felt nice to have someone’s shoulder to cry on. We stayed there for a while.
After I calmed down a bit, Gee pulled away and smiled at me. I smiled back. Mikey and him started to walk back to the makeshift studio as i turned back to Bela. “Frank.” I turned back to look at Gerard. He smiled at me. “It’s all okay,” he told me, “I promise.” He then disappeared behind the door.
It was about two when Gee had come in. I looked at the clock on the microwave. Three thirty. I picked up the guitar and stared at the wall. Then it came to me. The Second Line...
++++++++++++++++++
I didn’t write much after that. I continued to stare at the wall half the time. Nothing came to me. I’m not too sure, but nothing did. It was like being back in high school and you had to remember that formula (still don’t remember!) for that big test. Nothing comes.
I looked at the clock again. I knew it was dark, but hey, the moon doesn’t tell you shit. Except if someone’s a werewolf. But that’s beside the point.
Nine o’ three. Adele must be asleep by now. I wonder who tucked her in. I guess Gee or Ray. Who knows, maybe Mikey or Bob. i sure didn’t know. So I did what I thought was right. I put down my guitar and book and headed for the bunks.
Mikey and Ray were fast asleep. I’m pretty sure Gee was too, but the curtain of the bed was closed, so I couldn’t really see. I found my usual bunk and looked inside. Adele was facing the wall, curled up tightly. No way in hell she’s asleep. Her position looks painful. Don’t know how. It just does. I climbed in.
I lay down next to her, trying not to wake her up in case she really was asleep. She rolled over and looked at me sleepily with her big, green eyes. “Frankie?” she whispered, obviously ready to sleep.
“Listen,” I started softly, “I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry for before. You know, making you cry and all. I’m sorry.”
“I-It’s not your fault,” Adele replied, rubbing her eyes. “I was just really upset from my nightmares, that’s all. I heard you crying before. I’m sorry.” She snuggled close to me. I stroked her hair gently.
“Do you wanna tell me about your nightmare?” I asked her as she started to close her eyes. Silence. okay, maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow, but one day, when she’s ready she’ll tell me about it. As I held her close I realized.
Gee was right...
+++++++++++++++++++
I woke up to the feeling of being watched. I looked down and saw Adele staring at me. Well, she’s learned the calm way to get me up. She looked upset when I looked into her eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked. I was kind of scared to know.
“Um,” Adele looked down. clearly embarrassed. I felt weird. About this and for some weird reason that I couldn’t put my finger on. I looked at her, raising a brow. She blushed and started to tear up. I stoked her hair to calm her down.
“What is it?” I really need to know. She looked up at me with puffy eyes.
“I wet the bed,” she told me, starting to cry again. I looked down at my clothes. They were soaked with piss. That’s why I felt wet. I groaned and pulled Adele out of the bed after I got myself out.
“Go get changed,” I told her, pointing to the bathroom. She got her clothes from her bag and ran down the hall, still blushing. I looked at the bed. Damn. This is more than a little puddle. It’s the fucking world after global warming! I decided to go shower before I cleaned this up. I needed one anyway. I waited until Adele came out of the bathroom and went inside, I started the hot water. I looked at the shower for a second. I think Gee and I are the only ones that could fit.
After getting changed, I walked back into the bunk area. Adele wasn’t in there. She was in the “living room” daydreaming again. That’s fine with me. I gotta figure out how to clean the up. I heard a stir from Gee’s bunk. He pulled the curtain open.
“What smells like piss?” he asked me. I stared at him.
“Don’t ask,” I told him.
“But I just did.”
“So?”
“Can I know?”
“Trust me. You don’t want to.”
“Whatever,” Gee said, getting out of bed, “I’ll take it to the laundry mat later.” He smiled at me.
“Thanks,” I told him. He left the room. Wait, how do I cover up the smell for now? I looked around. What would make it at least not make the bus reek of piss. I remembered. I ran to the cabinet inside and grabbed one of our many bottles of Febreze. I ran back and sprayed the entire sheet.
Maybe raising kids isn’t so easy. Maybe...
The day went by really slowly. Every second lasted an hour, every minute lasted a day. Adele was refusing to come out of the bunk area, but she’ll come out when she’s ready. Right?
I sat on the couch, writing a song. It was pretty crappy in my opinion, but I only had the first line, so I can’t really say shit. it was like writing House of Wolves again. I was staring at the wall for a while, trying to write. I can’t write under pressure.
Ray glared at me as he walked by. He had seen Adele crying and thought it was all my fault. I had, in a way, made her cry, and it broke my heart that it was my fault. But still. I hadn’t done it on purpose. Great. First Bob’s mad at me (but not really), now Ray! Is it International Hate Frank Iero Week and no one told me?
Gerard and Bob came out next. Bob looked calm and kind of emotionless as usual. I wonder what’s going through his head right now? I kind of don’t want to know. I looked over at Gee. He smiled at me at sat down next to me. Bob stared and left.
“You okay?” Gee asked. I looked like him as if he were high.
“Are you fucking kidding?” I asked him, “I made a little kid cry. Do you think I’m okay?” If he says yes, he’s on drugs again.
“Sorry,” he replied, “It was just an accident though.”
“But I still made her cry,” I alerted him.
With that, Mikey walked into the living room. He sat down across from me in one of the chairs. I wonder if he’s mad at me. He smiled shyly at me. I guess not.
“Don’t worry,” Gerard told me, “She’ll be okay.” He hesitated a little. I looked at him. He didn’t know shit, did he?
“No!” I screamed at him. “You don’t fucking know that’s it’s going to be okay! Saying it’ll be okay all the time isn’t gonna help!” I was fucking pissed now.
“Stop yelling at him!” Mikey screamed at me. I turned around. He was glaring at me now. He looked mad. “Let me tell you something. When Gee and I were growing up, we didn’t fight a lot either. But when we did, I did the same thing as Adele did. But you know what? It was okay. We made up eventually.”
Now Mikey was starting to get calmer, “Gee’s right you know. It is going to be okay. Adele’s just going through a lot of shit right now. Just give her time. She’ll be okay soon. All of us will be.” He sat back down, still glaring at me. He’s still mad. And when you make Mikey mad, then you know you’re being an ass. I felt like one now. I looked down, ashamed.
“I’m sorry,” I told Gerard. He walked over to me. He hugged me softly to comfort me. For once, I cried. I hadn’t really cried upsetting tears in a while. It felt nice to have someone’s shoulder to cry on. We stayed there for a while.
After I calmed down a bit, Gee pulled away and smiled at me. I smiled back. Mikey and him started to walk back to the makeshift studio as i turned back to Bela. “Frank.” I turned back to look at Gerard. He smiled at me. “It’s all okay,” he told me, “I promise.” He then disappeared behind the door.
It was about two when Gee had come in. I looked at the clock on the microwave. Three thirty. I picked up the guitar and stared at the wall. Then it came to me. The Second Line...
++++++++++++++++++
I didn’t write much after that. I continued to stare at the wall half the time. Nothing came to me. I’m not too sure, but nothing did. It was like being back in high school and you had to remember that formula (still don’t remember!) for that big test. Nothing comes.
I looked at the clock again. I knew it was dark, but hey, the moon doesn’t tell you shit. Except if someone’s a werewolf. But that’s beside the point.
Nine o’ three. Adele must be asleep by now. I wonder who tucked her in. I guess Gee or Ray. Who knows, maybe Mikey or Bob. i sure didn’t know. So I did what I thought was right. I put down my guitar and book and headed for the bunks.
Mikey and Ray were fast asleep. I’m pretty sure Gee was too, but the curtain of the bed was closed, so I couldn’t really see. I found my usual bunk and looked inside. Adele was facing the wall, curled up tightly. No way in hell she’s asleep. Her position looks painful. Don’t know how. It just does. I climbed in.
I lay down next to her, trying not to wake her up in case she really was asleep. She rolled over and looked at me sleepily with her big, green eyes. “Frankie?” she whispered, obviously ready to sleep.
“Listen,” I started softly, “I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry for before. You know, making you cry and all. I’m sorry.”
“I-It’s not your fault,” Adele replied, rubbing her eyes. “I was just really upset from my nightmares, that’s all. I heard you crying before. I’m sorry.” She snuggled close to me. I stroked her hair gently.
“Do you wanna tell me about your nightmare?” I asked her as she started to close her eyes. Silence. okay, maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow, but one day, when she’s ready she’ll tell me about it. As I held her close I realized.
Gee was right...
+++++++++++++++++++
I woke up to the feeling of being watched. I looked down and saw Adele staring at me. Well, she’s learned the calm way to get me up. She looked upset when I looked into her eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked. I was kind of scared to know.
“Um,” Adele looked down. clearly embarrassed. I felt weird. About this and for some weird reason that I couldn’t put my finger on. I looked at her, raising a brow. She blushed and started to tear up. I stoked her hair to calm her down.
“What is it?” I really need to know. She looked up at me with puffy eyes.
“I wet the bed,” she told me, starting to cry again. I looked down at my clothes. They were soaked with piss. That’s why I felt wet. I groaned and pulled Adele out of the bed after I got myself out.
“Go get changed,” I told her, pointing to the bathroom. She got her clothes from her bag and ran down the hall, still blushing. I looked at the bed. Damn. This is more than a little puddle. It’s the fucking world after global warming! I decided to go shower before I cleaned this up. I needed one anyway. I waited until Adele came out of the bathroom and went inside, I started the hot water. I looked at the shower for a second. I think Gee and I are the only ones that could fit.
After getting changed, I walked back into the bunk area. Adele wasn’t in there. She was in the “living room” daydreaming again. That’s fine with me. I gotta figure out how to clean the up. I heard a stir from Gee’s bunk. He pulled the curtain open.
“What smells like piss?” he asked me. I stared at him.
“Don’t ask,” I told him.
“But I just did.”
“So?”
“Can I know?”
“Trust me. You don’t want to.”
“Whatever,” Gee said, getting out of bed, “I’ll take it to the laundry mat later.” He smiled at me.
“Thanks,” I told him. He left the room. Wait, how do I cover up the smell for now? I looked around. What would make it at least not make the bus reek of piss. I remembered. I ran to the cabinet inside and grabbed one of our many bottles of Febreze. I ran back and sprayed the entire sheet.
Maybe raising kids isn’t so easy. Maybe...