Don't Stop If I Fall
eighteen.
“Who is this Jordan, anyway?” Ray asked, as he ripped out the grass in Bob’s lawn.
“My friend from the hospital,” I answered fixing my eyes down the road.
Two minutes later I saw a girl with blonde hair, making her way up the road. I gave a wave, and she returned it.
“There she is,” Gerard called. Jordan started to run, and finally made it close to us. She collapsed next to me.
“What’s up?” she said panting.
“Okay, guys we gotta figure out what to do about Ava’s problem.” Bob said.
“What problem?” Jordan asked, directing herself to me. Noticing I didn’t want to talk about it, Gerard brought her by the tree in Bob’s yard and explained it to her. I looked at the other boys. Both Bob, Mikey, and Ray were deep in thought, while Frank looked… differently…I followed his eyes to Jordan, then smiled to myself. He was checking her out. I nudged Mikey who was sitting next to me.
“Aw, our widdle Franky is growing up,” I whispered to him. He looked at Frank and laughed a little.
“Hey Frank, what you looking at?” Mikey through some grass at him, and Frank snapped out of his trance.
“What? Oh uh nothing…” he said turning red. He shrugged it off and bowed his head.
Gerard and Jordan came back and sat down, completing our circle.
“Okay guys, now what?” Gerard asked. Everyone went silent and thought.
“Can’t you stay with one of us?” Frank broke the silence.
“Who knows if my parents will go for that,” I said, “My father seemed really…determined…to keep me…” I sighed.
“Well its worth a try.” Ray thought aloud.
“Maybe you can stay with us?” Mikey proposed, looking a Gerard.
“Yeah, why not?” Gerard looked excited by the thought.
“Ugh, I already thought of that. Wouldn’t my parents have to give permission for your grandmother to…like adopt me?” I questioned.
“Not exactly,” Mikey proclaimed, sitting up a little, “We could say that we’re only watching you until your money’s back in order. Then, once we find out that your mother…doesn’t want to keep you-” he paused. “Sorry that sounded harsh-after YOU realize you don’t want your mother,” he said, correcting himself, “your dad will probably have forgotten about his plan and you can stay with us.” He finished and straightened his black rimmed glasses.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
“Could that really work?” Jordan asked. Mikey shrugged.
“I sure hell hope it does,” I muttered. I looked at my watch. Twelve o’ clock. Damnit. “Ugh, guys I gotta go. I kinda…slept outside last night and-” I saw everyone staring at me in shock. I shook my head, “No guys, I wanted to. Don’t worry,” their expressions faded back to normal. I continued talking. “Anyway, I have to go before my Dad’s hangover wears off and he realizes I’m gone. I doubt my mum noticed anyway.” I finished and stood up, breaking our circle. We all said our good byes and I walked home, leaving Jordan there to officially meet all the guys.
I stared at the sidewalk and slowly made my way home. I looked up at my old, dirty looking house. Then I saw something that made my heart jump. A moving truck.
“My friend from the hospital,” I answered fixing my eyes down the road.
Two minutes later I saw a girl with blonde hair, making her way up the road. I gave a wave, and she returned it.
“There she is,” Gerard called. Jordan started to run, and finally made it close to us. She collapsed next to me.
“What’s up?” she said panting.
“Okay, guys we gotta figure out what to do about Ava’s problem.” Bob said.
“What problem?” Jordan asked, directing herself to me. Noticing I didn’t want to talk about it, Gerard brought her by the tree in Bob’s yard and explained it to her. I looked at the other boys. Both Bob, Mikey, and Ray were deep in thought, while Frank looked… differently…I followed his eyes to Jordan, then smiled to myself. He was checking her out. I nudged Mikey who was sitting next to me.
“Aw, our widdle Franky is growing up,” I whispered to him. He looked at Frank and laughed a little.
“Hey Frank, what you looking at?” Mikey through some grass at him, and Frank snapped out of his trance.
“What? Oh uh nothing…” he said turning red. He shrugged it off and bowed his head.
Gerard and Jordan came back and sat down, completing our circle.
“Okay guys, now what?” Gerard asked. Everyone went silent and thought.
“Can’t you stay with one of us?” Frank broke the silence.
“Who knows if my parents will go for that,” I said, “My father seemed really…determined…to keep me…” I sighed.
“Well its worth a try.” Ray thought aloud.
“Maybe you can stay with us?” Mikey proposed, looking a Gerard.
“Yeah, why not?” Gerard looked excited by the thought.
“Ugh, I already thought of that. Wouldn’t my parents have to give permission for your grandmother to…like adopt me?” I questioned.
“Not exactly,” Mikey proclaimed, sitting up a little, “We could say that we’re only watching you until your money’s back in order. Then, once we find out that your mother…doesn’t want to keep you-” he paused. “Sorry that sounded harsh-after YOU realize you don’t want your mother,” he said, correcting himself, “your dad will probably have forgotten about his plan and you can stay with us.” He finished and straightened his black rimmed glasses.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
“Could that really work?” Jordan asked. Mikey shrugged.
“I sure hell hope it does,” I muttered. I looked at my watch. Twelve o’ clock. Damnit. “Ugh, guys I gotta go. I kinda…slept outside last night and-” I saw everyone staring at me in shock. I shook my head, “No guys, I wanted to. Don’t worry,” their expressions faded back to normal. I continued talking. “Anyway, I have to go before my Dad’s hangover wears off and he realizes I’m gone. I doubt my mum noticed anyway.” I finished and stood up, breaking our circle. We all said our good byes and I walked home, leaving Jordan there to officially meet all the guys.
I stared at the sidewalk and slowly made my way home. I looked up at my old, dirty looking house. Then I saw something that made my heart jump. A moving truck.