Someone Out There Loves You (Adopted by Frank Iero)

59

ALEXA

As if yesterday wasn't bad enough, my Sunday morning started horribly. It had become routine to check the hate page of a morning as well as at night, and as I loaded it up, it was full of new things, all of them being the result of yesterday. Pictures of me and the guys outside the cinemas, pictures of me specifically, pictures of Frank and I hurrying off which didn't look too great without context because he was essentially yanking me and I was resisting.

It got into worse things, things that made me have to reread them twice to make sure I actually read them correctly. I couldn't believe there were so many pictures of me - I didn't notice one phone or camera yesterday, how did they take pictures without me realising? Granted you couldn't really make out my face in any of them, but because I was in mid panic, I didn't look friendly in any of them. Now that I thought about it, I should have been nice and said hello and looked easy going because maybe then people would have changed their minds about Frank adopting me since I would have come across as a nice, normal, likeable person. But no, I had to go and have a panic attack instead and take Frank away from them and ruin everything.

With a heavy sigh, I closed the lid of my laptop, setting it down on my bed. Having no homework or any pressing task to do, I was going to need something to help me through the day. Otherwise, my thoughts would run rampant.

As my eyes fell on my desk, the corner of my mouth tugged up. Like she said she would, Vic had made me some edibles to help me relax by really knocking me out. I hadn't had one yet, but I was about to.

I walked over to the desk, opening the draw to retrieve the small container with half a dozen cookies in it. I took one out, studying it. I couldn't see any weed from the outside, but I could taste in the first bite I took. It was a pleasant taste of chocolate with the tiniest hint of weed buried underneath it. The thought of becoming slightly reliant on substances to either feel things or take them away crossed my mind, but I shoved it far, far back, not wanting to dwell on it for too long because I knew where it would get me.

Vic hadn't said how strong they were so I decided to just have one. I didn't have any experience with edibles, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for. She had warned me that it took a bit to kick in since it had to be digested first and to not get impatient and eat more while waiting for it to happen. That was the only advice or instruction she gave. She did say they would knock me out though and it lasted longer than smoking, and since I wasn't planning on doing much today, I was free to lay on the couch and watch cartoons or movies all day if I wanted. I could just pass it off as being drained from yesterday's panic attack, which granted was true.

Pulling on a hoodie that was Frank's until I more or less claimed it, I ventured downstairs, setting up my spot for the day on the couch.

I could hear the faint noise coming from the basement, it being something Frank was working on. It wasn't loud enough to be of any distraction as I tuned into the television, settling on something I could watch mindlessly, getting comfy with the pillows around me and allowing everything else to drown out.

Not long after, Frank had surfaced, making my entire body jolt from the unexpected way he came up behind me.

"Hey, so Mikey and Gee are coming over, is that cool?"

"Wah- what?" I blinked a few times, trying to restart my heart.

Frank giggled at me. "Mikes and Gee are comin' over. Is that... is that okay?" His voice had changed when he repeated it, concern now lacing his words that maybe it wasn't okay and he knew it, like he should have asked me first. Hesitant, regretful.

"Oh. Uh... when exactly?" I asked, trying not to sound mildly panicked.

He checked the time on his phone before shoving it into his pocket. "Soonish, in halfa maybe?"