Frankie Fever

I was sat watching tv when the door went. Mom chirriped happily and called out that she would answer it. I paid little attention and just focused on X-men. I could hear Mom exclaiming her hellos and another voice returning the favour.

Come in. Come in.

Mom entered the living room, followed by someone else. I kept my eyes glued to the tv.

Go Wolverine.

"Gerard," Mom spoke.

I looked up at her slowly, disinterested in who she had to introduce to me. At least, I was disinterested until I saw who it was. Oh God, oh God, oh God. What was she doing here? My eyes widened at the sight of her glossy pout and heavily mascarared eyes. She just stared at me calmly, like she was better than me or something.

My expression changed into a hostile glare.

"This is Serena," Mom introduced "She's my trainee at work!"

Oh God, oh God, oh God.

"Hi," She smiled for the first time.

I nodded rather curtly at her, hoping for her to realise I didn't like her. Mom seemed oblivious to the hostility I expressed towards her new friend. Notice how I say 'seemed'?

"Serena's the one responsible for Dad's new hair colour," Mom continued, trying to provoke some kind of response from me.

"That's not all she's responsible for."

"I'm sorry?" She questioned, looking at me again with her shiny pout.

"What?" Mom questioned at the same time.

I looked up at her panicked expression. It was good to be in control. I was Gee now. Cool, hard, gritty Gee. Not wimpy, girl-pants Gerard. Gee said what he meant when he wanted. Gee spoke his mind. Gee was cool. Gerard would've crept away with his tail between his legs. Not Gee though, Gee was the alpha-male. Gee was in control.

That's why I looked from Mom's expression of general interest and confusion to her look of pleading and horror.

Dad entered the room.

I smirked.

"I found her and Dad in a bit of a situation the other day," I said coldly and harshly.

Damn it felt good to be in control.

Yeah, right.

Here's what really happened:

"I'm sorry?" She questioned, looking at me again with her shiny pout.

"What?" Mom questioned at the same time.

I looked up at her panicked expression. It was good to be in control. But I was still Gerard. I'd never tell anyone. I don't have the guts. I wasn't Frank. Frank would have let it out without giving it a second thought. That's what he'd encouraged me to do in the morning after we'd come round, stumbled to the kitchen and swallowed down a hangover cure.

Dad entered the room.

I smiled sweetly.

"Haven't you noticed?" I questioned "My hair's had a trim and shape!"

Not a lie. Only I'd had it cut that morning. But I'd barely seen her. She hadn't had time to notice.

"Oh, wow!" Mom exclaimed, rushing forwards and flitting my hair through her fingers.

I smirked at Serena's sigh of relief and her forced smiled and Mom chirruped happily. I had to turn my head this way and then that way for her and lift my head up. I rolled my eyes. Dad watched on. Every so often, however, his eyes would drift. They'd wander to places they shouldn't be wandering. They'd project all the things he wanted to see. He'd seen it all before, yes, but he ached to see it again. I knew him.

I watched him with narrowed eyes while Mom twittered about my haircut. His eyes would meet Serena's every now and then and she'd lick her slutty little lips at him very slowly and tantalisingly. It was driving him mad. I could tell.

"You've really come on, honey," Mom complimented, turning to Serena's forced smile "I thought you said you were terrible at shaping?"

"Well, I guess I just got lucky the one time," She smiled back.

* * *

Dad came into my room later that evening. He didn't knock.

I was sat at my desk with a mirror in my hand having just finished applying some of Mom's spot treatment stuff. I know. Lame. But I couldn't be around the guy of my dreams with a zit, could I? Frank was cool about people looking au natural but I doubt even he liked zits.

Dad stood behind me and watched as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. His voice was very sugar-pie when he spoke to me.

"Everything okay, son?"

I ignored him.

He picked up a can of body spray I'd bought when I was out with Frankie one time. He sprayed it and sniffed at the air to catch the scent. He made a 'Mm' sound of approval and applied half the can to his body. I rolled my eyes.

"Was there something you wanted?" I questioned, tilting the mirror so I could see him in it.

"Um. . ." He wavered, touching my new black skinnys which were on the radiator "I just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all."

Pfft. Yeah right. What was that great big pink thing - whoops it was a flying pig!

"It's not working, Dad. You never ask how I'm doing so why not just get it over with?"

He didn't waste any time.

"Can I borrow your jeans? The black skinny ones?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, my mouth almost dropping open. The nerve he had, seriously. He hadn't spoken to me about his little antic with Serena since the day before and here he was asking for my jeans so he could go and see her. I didn't need to ask. I knew already.

It made me feel sick. Was he really that stupid that he thought I was that stupid? He thought I didn't know why he wanted them? I was, frankly, quite insulted. What made him think I'd ever offer him any help with cheating on Mom.

"Only if you're not wearing them!" He added quickly when he saw my face.

I scoffed.

"Why should I help you meet Serena?"

He attempted to stutter something out in surprise. Wow, he really had thought I was that stupid. I arched my eyebrow expectantly, awaiting an answer. Gee was gaining control now. Goodbye sissy gutless Gerard. It felt good to have the power here! Alpha-male and all that.

"Because. . ."

"Because what, Dad?"

Then the door opened and in skipped Mom. She had a bright smile on her face as she observed us both. I smiled in greeting as she entered. She looked from me to Dad and from Dad to me. Her voice was sugar-plum-pie when she spoke.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded brightly.

"Never been better," Dad agreed.

I smirked to myself. A little spiteful idea had popped up in my mind. Dad needed me to keep quiet so why not have a little fun with him while I was at it?

"Dad wants to borrow my jeans," I explained "He wants to take me and Mikey bowling!" I added with a little scoff.

Mom's face lit up and Dad's fell.

"That's great!" She twittered "You know, I've always thought you boys don't spend enough time together!"

Then she turned to Dad.

"I thought you hated bowling!"

"But the boys love it!" He replied in his sweetie-pie voice through a pained smile "Whatever my boys want, they get."

He gave me a you're-dead look and I smirked.