A Chance Encounter
Chapter 12
“Frank? We need to talk.” Mom says from my bedroom door. That never turns out good.
I shut off my TV and look up at her, “What is it?”
She puts on her I’m-about-to-hurt-your-feelings-but-don’t-take-it-personally smile, “Let’s go in the kitchen, first. I made you coffee.”
She made me coffee. Oh, god. She made me coffee. That only happens when she did something I really won’t like. I nod and follow her to the table where she sets a steaming cup in front of me. I take a whiff. Yupp, hazelnut. Maybe someone died? Not that that would faze me. I don’t get close enough to people for death to mean anything.
Mom takes a deep breathe, “I’ve been seeing someone.”
I spit out my coffee, “A-as in, dating?”
“Yes.”
“Other than Dad?” I ask, not wanting the answer.
She sighs, “Frank, he’s not coming back and we both know it.”
I shake my head. I will never believe that. He’ll realize he loves us one day. I have to hold on to that idea, “How long?”
“Um…about a year now, actually.”
“Mom!” What the fuck?! “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She grabs my hand across the table, “That’s not all, Frank… I’ve asked him to move in with us.”
I yank my hand away as if she’s burned me. How could she do something like that behind my back? I don’t even want to meet this guy, let alone have him living with us! “Without asking me first?! I live here, too!”
“I didn’t ask you because I knew you’d act like this!” now she’s angry, “This man makes me happy, Franklin! I can’t sit around waiting for your father forever! He’s moving in and that’s final!”
I stand up, “Whatever! I don’t know what’s making you so selfish all of a sudden! Everything’s fine with just us!”
“Everything is not fine with just us! I know…I know you haven’t noticed, but…I’m struggling just to keep the house. Even if I didn’t love him…We would still need his income, okay? So can you please, just…be happy for me?” Now there are tears in her eyes. I will never understand the emotions of women.
“Mom, I...I didn’t know, but…Let me get a job! I’ll help out!”
“Oh, sweetie, thank you, but I want you to enjoy your last year of high school.”
I sigh, “Well, when’s he coming?”
“Um…not ‘he.’ They are moving in next week,” she gives a sheepish smile.
“They?! Who else? This house is gonna be crowded!”
“Well, he has a daughter. Her name is Jamia, and she’s about your age, I think. From what he’s said about her, you’ll get along just fine.”
“But…we only have two bedrooms. Where will she sleep?”
“Well…until we can add a new room…I thought you could sleep on the couch.”
Oh. Hell. No. This is terrible! She’s ripping apart our peaceful house and taking away my sanctuary?! There is no way I will ever get along with this Jamia girl or her father. Mom’s done some terrible stuff before, but this takes the cake. I don’t even know what to say to her, I’m so angry.
I just utter a small, “I’m going to Mikey’s,” and head out the door. I think I need to cool down.
…
“Want me to come over today?” Mikey asks as we walk out the doors of the school.
“What for?” I kick a rock down the sidewalk.
“Your new housemates are showing up, remember? I wanna meet this chick,” he elbows me in a playful manner.
“Dude, if you so much as look at her in a polite way I will throttle you. She’s the enemy, got it? We have to make them feel unwelcome.”
“Why? From the sound of it, your mom really likes the guy. And he’s going to really help your family. What’s so wrong about that?”
“Because, they’re interrupting my life. I don’t even get my room now, Mikey!” I exclaim. We’ve made it to my house now and we’re standing outside the door.
“Yeah, but now I’ll bet she’ll let you come to my place a whole lot. Be positive. So am I coming in or what?”
I sigh, shaking my head, “Or what. Go home Mikey, I’m not letting you hit on my new step sister.”
He huffs, “Fine. See you later.”
I wave at him before walking in the house. Immediately, I am on edge. There is guitar music coming from my room. I dash in to see a girl with short black hair strumming away on Pansy. I immediately snatch the instrument away.
She looks up and gasps, “Oh, you must be Frank.”
“And you must have no respect for the belongings of others! Pansy is my guitar and you need to keep your slimy mitts off her!”
“I’m sorry,” she bites her lip, “It’s just such a beautiful instrument, I had to try it out.”
“Well…don’t. Don’t touch anything of mine. I want to make one thing clear right now: I do not want you here. Life is fine with just mom and me, and I intend to get it back that way. Kapish?”
She frowns, “You think I want to be here? I had friends in my old school, and I had to leave them all behind. Dad just came and told me a week ago that we were moving. I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend! So don’t talk about your life being ruined. In comparison to mine, it’s peachy.”
Wow. I never stopped to think that she might be in the same situation as me. I just kept assuming she was some evil family snatcher. Crap, now I feel guilty. I should be nice to her. It’s really our parents who are to blame…
“I…I’m sorry. I never thought of it that way.”
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, “No one does! I told my dad I didn’t want to go and he just said, ‘too bad, it’s for the better.’ I mean, what the fuck?! Don’t my feelings matter to anyone?!”
Suddenly I’m holding her and letting her cry into my chest. I guess it’s because we’re so alike in this matter that I feel so sorry for her. I mean, even if I don’t want her here I guess I feel better knowing she doesn’t want to be here. She looks up at me and smiles.
“Thanks. I don’t know many people who would let a complete stranger cover their shirt in tears and snot.”
I look down and see what she means, “Aw, fuck! This is my favorite shirt!” without thinking, I rip it over my head, not wanting the foul substances on my body.
When I look back at Jamia, she’s blushing like a madman. Funny, she didn’t strike me as the innocent, never sees guys shirtless type.
“I, uh, I have unpacking to do,” She says, quickly averting her eyes.
I nod, “Yeah, just let me get a new shirt and I’ll be out of your way.”
I shut off my TV and look up at her, “What is it?”
She puts on her I’m-about-to-hurt-your-feelings-but-don’t-take-it-personally smile, “Let’s go in the kitchen, first. I made you coffee.”
She made me coffee. Oh, god. She made me coffee. That only happens when she did something I really won’t like. I nod and follow her to the table where she sets a steaming cup in front of me. I take a whiff. Yupp, hazelnut. Maybe someone died? Not that that would faze me. I don’t get close enough to people for death to mean anything.
Mom takes a deep breathe, “I’ve been seeing someone.”
I spit out my coffee, “A-as in, dating?”
“Yes.”
“Other than Dad?” I ask, not wanting the answer.
She sighs, “Frank, he’s not coming back and we both know it.”
I shake my head. I will never believe that. He’ll realize he loves us one day. I have to hold on to that idea, “How long?”
“Um…about a year now, actually.”
“Mom!” What the fuck?! “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She grabs my hand across the table, “That’s not all, Frank… I’ve asked him to move in with us.”
I yank my hand away as if she’s burned me. How could she do something like that behind my back? I don’t even want to meet this guy, let alone have him living with us! “Without asking me first?! I live here, too!”
“I didn’t ask you because I knew you’d act like this!” now she’s angry, “This man makes me happy, Franklin! I can’t sit around waiting for your father forever! He’s moving in and that’s final!”
I stand up, “Whatever! I don’t know what’s making you so selfish all of a sudden! Everything’s fine with just us!”
“Everything is not fine with just us! I know…I know you haven’t noticed, but…I’m struggling just to keep the house. Even if I didn’t love him…We would still need his income, okay? So can you please, just…be happy for me?” Now there are tears in her eyes. I will never understand the emotions of women.
“Mom, I...I didn’t know, but…Let me get a job! I’ll help out!”
“Oh, sweetie, thank you, but I want you to enjoy your last year of high school.”
I sigh, “Well, when’s he coming?”
“Um…not ‘he.’ They are moving in next week,” she gives a sheepish smile.
“They?! Who else? This house is gonna be crowded!”
“Well, he has a daughter. Her name is Jamia, and she’s about your age, I think. From what he’s said about her, you’ll get along just fine.”
“But…we only have two bedrooms. Where will she sleep?”
“Well…until we can add a new room…I thought you could sleep on the couch.”
Oh. Hell. No. This is terrible! She’s ripping apart our peaceful house and taking away my sanctuary?! There is no way I will ever get along with this Jamia girl or her father. Mom’s done some terrible stuff before, but this takes the cake. I don’t even know what to say to her, I’m so angry.
I just utter a small, “I’m going to Mikey’s,” and head out the door. I think I need to cool down.
…
“Want me to come over today?” Mikey asks as we walk out the doors of the school.
“What for?” I kick a rock down the sidewalk.
“Your new housemates are showing up, remember? I wanna meet this chick,” he elbows me in a playful manner.
“Dude, if you so much as look at her in a polite way I will throttle you. She’s the enemy, got it? We have to make them feel unwelcome.”
“Why? From the sound of it, your mom really likes the guy. And he’s going to really help your family. What’s so wrong about that?”
“Because, they’re interrupting my life. I don’t even get my room now, Mikey!” I exclaim. We’ve made it to my house now and we’re standing outside the door.
“Yeah, but now I’ll bet she’ll let you come to my place a whole lot. Be positive. So am I coming in or what?”
I sigh, shaking my head, “Or what. Go home Mikey, I’m not letting you hit on my new step sister.”
He huffs, “Fine. See you later.”
I wave at him before walking in the house. Immediately, I am on edge. There is guitar music coming from my room. I dash in to see a girl with short black hair strumming away on Pansy. I immediately snatch the instrument away.
She looks up and gasps, “Oh, you must be Frank.”
“And you must have no respect for the belongings of others! Pansy is my guitar and you need to keep your slimy mitts off her!”
“I’m sorry,” she bites her lip, “It’s just such a beautiful instrument, I had to try it out.”
“Well…don’t. Don’t touch anything of mine. I want to make one thing clear right now: I do not want you here. Life is fine with just mom and me, and I intend to get it back that way. Kapish?”
She frowns, “You think I want to be here? I had friends in my old school, and I had to leave them all behind. Dad just came and told me a week ago that we were moving. I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend! So don’t talk about your life being ruined. In comparison to mine, it’s peachy.”
Wow. I never stopped to think that she might be in the same situation as me. I just kept assuming she was some evil family snatcher. Crap, now I feel guilty. I should be nice to her. It’s really our parents who are to blame…
“I…I’m sorry. I never thought of it that way.”
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, “No one does! I told my dad I didn’t want to go and he just said, ‘too bad, it’s for the better.’ I mean, what the fuck?! Don’t my feelings matter to anyone?!”
Suddenly I’m holding her and letting her cry into my chest. I guess it’s because we’re so alike in this matter that I feel so sorry for her. I mean, even if I don’t want her here I guess I feel better knowing she doesn’t want to be here. She looks up at me and smiles.
“Thanks. I don’t know many people who would let a complete stranger cover their shirt in tears and snot.”
I look down and see what she means, “Aw, fuck! This is my favorite shirt!” without thinking, I rip it over my head, not wanting the foul substances on my body.
When I look back at Jamia, she’s blushing like a madman. Funny, she didn’t strike me as the innocent, never sees guys shirtless type.
“I, uh, I have unpacking to do,” She says, quickly averting her eyes.
I nod, “Yeah, just let me get a new shirt and I’ll be out of your way.”
8/11/13