Frank;
My life is kind of shit. I mean, I have all the basic necessities: roof over my head, clothes, food, but it doesn't stop life from being shitty. The one necessity that I've been living without is a mom. My dad struggles at a minimum wage restaurant job so he can provide for us. It's a hard time for him to put food on the table everyday so it's a rarity for me to eat food at lunch due to lack of ability to be able to pay for the food. I only get new clothes at Christmas if my family buys them as presents.
One thing isn't so bad though: my dad loves me and he cares. He doesn't scream at me in his stressed out state when he can only just pay the bills, he doesn't yell at me to stop complaining when something bad happens. He doesn't get angry with me ever. He's neutral, calm, level headed. Where I got my temper and irrationality from will forever be questioned by me.
I'm currently in my bedroom talking to my next door neighbor, Alex. He's pretty much in the same boat as I am, except a little flip-flopped. His Dad walked out on them when he was young, leaving his mom to work her ass off at a low-paying job to support her and her kid. He comes over a lot to talk because we both are stressed out a lot and we just let it out by either talking or finding something to completely destroy.
"What's been up with your dad?" Alex asks, plopping onto my bed face first.
"God only knows," I sigh, sitting down next to his sprawled out form. "I barely see him anymore, it sucks. It's either all day at work, sleeping, or where ever the fuck he goes when those two aren't happening."
"Has anything been getting better. Finances, whatever?"
"Fuck no. No matter how much my dad does for his douche bag of a boss, he never gets anything out of him. He's worked so much over time you'd think he'd get enough money to buy a new fucking house, but no." I fucking hate dad's boss. I've met him once and I wanted to slit his throat two minutes after because he would constantly treat my dad, along with every other employee, like the dirt on the bottom of his shoe.
I sigh and look at Alex's worn looking face. For sixteen, he looks like he could be twenty-five with all the stress lines and constantly furrowed eyebrows. "What about you and your Mom? How've things been?"
"Not good in the slightest. She's been super sick and hasn't been able to turn in for work. I don't think we're going to be able to afford the bills this month.." Alex works along with his Mom, but he doesn't make near enough to make up for how much his mom is missing from being sick. He only has a part-time job at McDonald's.
"Shit, man.." I mumble, laying my hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him.
"I'm just so scared that we're going to lose everything. No matter how hard my mom works, it never seems to be enough." He has tears dripping from his eyes, staining my sheets. "We're behind on rent, our phones are turned off, and I-I just don-don't know what to-to do, Fra-ank!" He shouts, crying hysterically now. I'm not usually a physical contact type of person, but Alex really needs this. So, I pull him up and hug him, wrapping my arms securely around his waist. His entire weight is slumped on me while he cries his eyes out with his head buried in my shoulder.
"I wish I could help you guys, Alex.." I mumble, allowing my head to rest against his.
Muffled sobs escape his lips, sounding harsh and painful. "I... Living is ju-ust so hard right n-now," he sobs into my shoulder, tightening his hold on my shoulders. "I'm so.. so-s-so scared.." The sobs and tears only got thicker and heavier from there.
I gently run my hand up and down his back, trying to soothe him and calm him down. His body is shaking horribly and jerking with ever cry, sob, or whine that makes its way from his mouth. "Cmon, Alex. Shh," I whisper, hoping I'm at least helping some.
"I think... I think.." Before he can finish the sentence, more sobs come on and interrupt him, leaving his sentence unfinished and leaving me to wonder what he was going to say while he continues to break in my arms. Out of all the times he's come over here, this is the first time he has cried. Sure, there have been times where he almost did, when he had unshed tears threatening, but never has he broken down or let even one tear fall.
I try to pull away, wanting him to lay down and take a nap or something, but the second I loosen my grip, his becomes ten times tighter and he starts to panic, begging me not to leave him.
"Alex. Alex, I'm not going to leave," I try to explain, trying to find a way to calm him down. "I'm going... Alex? I'm staying right here. Right next to you." My attempts seem to only be futile as he is still asking me to stay here and not leave him. So, I do what he's asking for and I just pull him closer, waiting this out.
Eventually, after an unknown time period, he calms down, is breathing returning to normal and his crying thinning our to just a few whimpers or sobs every now and again.
"Alex, is it okay if I let you go?" I ask slowly.
"Please don't go anywhere," he whispers.
"I won't," I promise. "Just lay down and take a nap and I'll be right here, I promise."
"Okay," he agrees shakily. "Okay, I'll take a nap.." He slowly releases me from his hold, allowing me to do the same. He pulls back my covers and eases under them, laying down and never letting his gaze leave mine. "Thank you, Frank," he whispers, closing his eyes and allowing himself to rest.
As promised, I stay sitting here, waiting for him to wake up.
*~*~*~*
Sorry for the heartbreaking stuff, but since when do I write happy stories? I realize this goes against my schedule that I was determined to follow but Lord Jesus, I was excited for this.
Love you all, especially my super duper #qt girlfriend ___KillJoy___
xoCrashFire
