The Bandit's Secret

I strolled out of my father's studio and went to the kitchen for a glass of cold water. I made damn sure that the door was tightly sealed behind me before I went anywhere. The last thing Gerard needed to come home to was an open studio, knowing that something was tampered with.

I didn't understand why he had to come to this. It made me angry and sad. My father valued another person other than my mother and it explained his absences. No matter how much I hated my mother in the moment for leaving me high and dry while she pranced around on stage, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. How could I feel sympathy for someone who didn't even have an inkling as to what was taking place? I guess that's why they say that ignorance is bliss.

Not to mention, Frank also had a wife and three kids. They didn't deserve this. Maybe Gerard and Frank have been sneaking around even before getting married, but that wouldn't make much sense. Unless, Lyn-Z and Jamia were just cover-ups. I had so many questions left unanswered and I desperately needed solid facts.

I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it up. In long gulps, I downed the water, feeling a little bit better about my current predicament. During that moment, my brain wandered to a particular thought. One that could be dangerous, but otherwise somewhat strategic.

I needed to formulate a plan. A plan could solve what's going on and answer my questions. It was a pressing issue that I had to investigate. Plus, I was a lonely, bored teenager. What else should I be doing? Painting my nails a bright shade of pink and gabbing on the phone to my girlfriends was not my cup of tea. I would much rather be solving problems and cracking codes.

As I sat, thinking, the plan started to grow more prominent.

The plan was: Frank comes over every so often to make sure I'm alright and successfully taking care of myself. During this time, I could ask him some questions to try and discreetly pry into his life. Maybe with any luck, I'd get some answers. However, Frank was mostly reserved and he would take the secret of him and my father to his grave, most likely. I still needed to work out the kinks.

I smiled to myself. Investigator Bandit. That should've been my name.

I had one looming question that couldn't be answered. I couldn't ask this question to any one person, because it was simply for me to find out. When my dad got back from being crazy busy to visit me, would I be able to bite my tongue? Would I get angry? Would I even be able to look at him in the same light anymore? I had no clue and that's what scared me.

If my tongue refused to comply with my brain, I would be drowning in deep water. Not only would I immediately feel guilty, but Gerard would be furious and would probably never allow me to be in the house alone again. He'd probably send me to a relative's house each time he went out of town. The one thing he couldn't do was tell my mother. My father would probably insist I keep it secret and blackmail me in order for it to stay that way.

I was starting to realize how much I regretted reading his personals. This whole thing was a giant clusterfuck that I couldn't get out of now. I was too deep in everything. The drama was seeping in through the cracks of my brain and causing my emotions and logic to blend together. No wonder he hid it away in a dark corner.

Even though I didn't want to cause myself emotional upset, I wanted just as much to know what was going on.

Frank was a nice, caring guy. If I were to bring up the subject, he might feel uncomfortable and possibly threatened, but there was a slight possibility that he would open up to me as long as I promised to keep the secrets under lock and key.

I vowed to myself that the next time Frank stopped by, I would approach him about the matter.

Notes