Frankie Fever

The door opened slowly. I looked up from my English essay to see Dad's head poke in. I set my work aside and narrowed my eyes at him with a stony expression. He smiled widely at me.

"Knock knock," He commented, entering the room.

I didn't speak.

"So, is everything okay, Gerard?" Dad questioned.

When I didn't reply, he shifted awkwardly and perched on the end of my bed. He looked around him curiously. My posters, my alarm clock, my pile of dirty washing, my eyeliner. . . I folded my arms and stared at him, unblinking.

"Okay," He began "I've been thinking! There's this fantastic new place opened in town. The food's supposed to be great and I figured we could hang out, me and you!"

When he said me and you, he added a pathetic little punch to my shoulder. I just sort of absorbed the punch and ignored him, staring hard at him with narrowing eyes full of daggers. He shifted again under my glare, seeming to shrink like an ant.

"You can bring Frank," He offered with a wide smile, standing.

I didn't reply.

"You think about it, yeah?" He added like I was begging for him to let me and Frank go to the poxy lunch place with him.

Then he left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Frank, that traitor, agreed to come straight away.

"I've been wondering what their food's like," He'd said "And your Dad's paying!"

Traitor.

Although, he did also offer to make the bill as big as possible by ordering the most expensive thing he could. I'd rolled my eyes at him.

And that's how I found myself sitting next to Frank, picking sulkily at my food. Frank came with us and I was hoping for an afternoon of me and him eating and picking silently at our food, occasionally sending Dad glares. Or maybe Frank making snide little comments every now and then and throwing insults Dad's way. Anything except this.

This, you ask? What is this? Well, 'this' is Frank sat next to my Dad, politely working his way through his plate with a cheery smile on his face while he chats happily to my Dad. I couldn't believe it.

He was acting like he and my Dad were friends. Friends. After everything Dad had done. I poked at my food some more, stabbing at it with my fork. Frankie and Dad seemingly ignored me.

Frank took an ungraceful swig of his champagne. The grimaced.

"Ugh," He exclaimed, making the couples on the tables next to us stare "Urgh! It's a bit sour, isn't it? Get me a vodka any day!"

Dad roared with laughter and patted Frank's shoulder in a friendly manner. Frank laughed along with him, pinching his nose and making another attempt at his champagne. I rolled my eyes, taking a polite sip myself.

The lunch was long and tortorous. Frank and Dad getting all pally. It made me feel sick. I wanted to bring my dessert up all over the table.

"Here's your card and receipt, sir," A waiter said, handing them to Dad on a little silver plate.

Dad smiled and set it down on the table.

"The great thing about being your age is that you can do anything you want," Dad sighed with a wistful smile "Never have to feel guilty!"

Frank laughed along with him.

"Not a problem!" He promised "I never feel guilty!"

"Ah," Dad admired "I think you're very good for Gerard!"

Frank grinned at him, casting his eyes to me for a second or two, smiling at me and turning back to Dad. He ran a hand through his hair confidently.

"Well, yeah," He nodded "I help keep him straight," He explained, putting an arm round my shoulders and giving me a squeeze.

I shrugged him off irritably.

"We don't want him ending up like you!"

They both laughed and stole glances at me, snorting immaturely with laughter. Dad rolled his eyes at my deathglares and looked back to Frankie.

"Gerard would like to believe that we're all perfect! Like we live in a Disney movie or something."

Frank nodded along with everything Dad said, an interested look on his face.

"What he needs to learn is that when you've had two kids and been living with the same woman for fifteen years," He began, lowering his voice for the next bit "The sex isn't particuarly anything special!"

Frank snorted and struggled to contain a fit of laughter, resting his head on Dad's shoulder as Dad shook and rumbled with laughter companionably.

My mouth fell open. How could he laugh? My Dad was badmouthing my Mom right in front of me and laughing about it. And Frank! How dare he laugh!

That was the final straw.

"Gerard!" Dad called after me "Son, it was only a bit of fun! You shouldn't get so upset about it!"

I turned back to face him, chewing my lip while I waited for him to catch up with me. He put his hands on my shoulders and tried to look meaningfully into my eyes.

"Oh for God's sake, Gerard!" He exclaimed "What is it you want?"

"What do I want?" I repeated, scoffing.

"You've been sulky, moody and horrible for days now- Your mother's worried sick!"

"Maybe that's your fault!"

I pulled away sharply and made to stalk off but he called after me again.

"It was just the once!"

"Oh, oh," I scoffed again "Very reassuring!"

He lowered his voice again to speak.

"I made a mistake, okay?" He offered.

"Oh really? I don't think you regret it at all!"

"That's not fair," He said, raising his eyebrows and looking straight into my eyes again.

"Then finish it!"

His face seemed to fall. I stayed still, looking back at him. His eyes flicked to and from me. I brushed my hair from my face and stepped towards him again. He chewed his lip as he considered me.

"Please, Dad," I begged.

I'd said it. I'd called him 'Dad' to his face. He inhaled once, slowly.

"This is just as much your Mom's fault!" He appealed gently "Maybe you'll understand when you're older. It-it's complicated, Gerard."

"Fine," I snapped, pulling away and walking away from him.

"You're not gonna' tell her?" He called after me.

"Gerard."

"Gerard?"

"Gerard!"

I ignored his calls. I marched off down the road angrily, planning on walking home and curling up in my room with a coffee and a DVD. Steam should've been coming out of my ears. I was so mad! And Frankie! How could he do this?

"Gerard! Gerard wait!"

"Gerard, wait for me!"

"Gee, what's wrong?"

I turned back to face him, watching him walking as fast as he could after me. He raised his eyebrows patronisingly at my expression. He looked at me like I was a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Oh, I dunno'," I spat "Have a guess! No? No ideas?"

"Gee, wait!" He called as I made to run "Gerard, I thought you wanted revenge!"

"Yeah," I wavered, turning back to face him.

He had that twinkle in his eye. An evil smile on his face. I loved it when he had that evil look in his eye. It meant something good was coming! He had an idea or he'd done something he knew was bad.

Then he showed me.

My eyes widened in delight.

"I had to win him round," Frankie said softly, waving the credit card in front of me.

A grin spread over both our faces.

"Payback time?" Frank questioned.

"Payback time!" I agreed.