The Leading Man (Multiband Fan Fic)

Chapter 39 - Frank & Cortney

Katie's P.O.V

We all stood in the hallway.
I looked to my right, the living room... I remember mum walking through the door and putting her bag down, before she walked through, where me and dad were always waiting for her.
I looked to my right, what was meant to be a dining room, turned second living room. We'd play records...

I felt myself drifting towards the room, going in.
Two white double doors, and a long space, two rooms in one. Just after the halfway mark, there's another arch way, leading into the kitchen.
Some guitars were on racks, sat waiting... My rocking horse in the corner.
Dads records were in the boxes, under the table that the record player was on.
There was no TV in this room, strictly for music. The black fabricated couch was still here, up against the wall on my right, with the fire place on the wall opposite, on my left. The curtains were black - I remember mum hated them. The coffee table is solid oak - I remember all the times my dad kicked it, as he was going from the couch to the kitchen. He'd always blame the table...
I never thought I'd ever be back here.

There was a picture, up on the fire place. My mum and dads wedding day.
I walked over and picked it up, looking at them. They remained each others best friends, after the divorce. They just didn't live with each other anymore.

"Wow... That's a beautiful picture." Eddie looked at it, over my shoulder.
I nodded. "It's my mum and dad." I handed it to him, looking at it.
He took it, Maria, Sherrie, Stevie all looking too.
"Gosh, your mum was gorgeous." Sherrie spoke quietly.
I nodded. "Shame about me." I joked. "Took after me dad."
They snickered.
"So many amazing guitars..." Dylan said, looking over them.
"All my dads..." I smiled sadly, before heading into the kitchen.

A picture of me in my school uniform, hung up on the back wall, along with a picture of my mum and another of my dad, the same age, in their uniforms - That was my mums idea.
There was a round glass table, in front of the pictures, five chairs around it, for when my uncles came round.
To the right were the counter tops, oven, microwave... The kitchen, basically. All white, hints of black.
Then, at the back of the house, was the back door. Glass door, one of those sliding ones.

"Urgh, this kitchen is amazing..." Maria blurted out, making me huff a laugh.
"The ideal family home." Eddie commented.
"Yeah... Take a look around, I don't mind... I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." I motioned upwards, unable to say 'upstairs'.
Eddie and Maria both nodded, understanding, 

I walked back round to the staircase, holding the bannister, looking up.
It sounds so crazy, but I swear I can hear him... Calling for me... 'Katie...'
I slowly headed up, knowing exactly where I am.

The first door on the right is the spare room, directly in front of the stairs is the bathroom, then on the left, facing out onto the drive, was mum and dads room, next door to them, on the left side was a storage room, then the back room, next door to the bathroom, and opposite mum and dads room, was my room.
The door was white, those '70s style handles, high up and stumpy, just hanging out.

I walked up to it, my foot right on the creek, making me more nostalgic then it probably should have. I smiled, remembering all the times we'd sneak around and get caught out by that creek.
I pushed the door open, gently, and looked inside.
My bed sticking out from the front wall, drawers over to the left back corner, my window opposite the bed, with the Looney Tunes curtains my dad got at a charity shop.
I smiled, remembering how excited I was...

I looked back at dads room, closing my door behind me, I walked over, going in.
Closing his door behind me, I got flashbacks of all the times I'd come in here and climb into the bed with them.
I walked over, placing a hand on the made up bed, black covers, with purple flowers. Dad complained about the flowers, but he loved it really.
I crawled up the bed and lay down, placing my hat down besides me.

"I'm home, daddy..." I whispered, before it all faded out.

. . .

I heard the creek.
"She's in here... Think it's her dads room...?" I heard Dylan whispering.
"Let's leave her. She's safe here." I heard Eddie.
I shifted, turning onto my left side, facing the door.
"One of us should stay here with her..." Vinnie was in the room, with Dylan.
"I'll stay." I heard Stevie in the corridor.
"OK, Stevie stays..." Eddie called it.
"Yeah, OK." Dylan whispered.
He came over to me, kissed my head, and disappeared.
The darkness came back.

. . .

I woke up, stretched and turned onto my back, looking up at the ceiling.
Blinking a few times, it took me a minute to remember where I was.

"Dad?" I sat up, thinking I was back.
I'm twenty years old... Dads gone...
I frowned, deflating.

I got up, finding my shoes on the floor, next to the bed.
I grabbed them and walked out my dads room, seeing my bedroom door was open a crack.
I walked over, looking in, seeing Stevie asleep in my old bed, with the curtains closed, my duvet swallowing him, with his hair a wild mess.

I walked up to him, placing my shoes on the floor, next to his boots, and I climbed in next to him, falling back asleep.

. . .

The next time I woke up, Stevie was awake, so we both got up.
We walked downstairs, where a bag of croissants were on the kitchen counter and a note, reading 'Good morning, kiddo. So glad we got to see you, figured you'd want some food, as there's none in the house. Sending all the love.'
We smiled to each other and had two croissants each, along with some coffee, which there was plenty of in.

After breakfast, we took one last look around the house, before we had to go.
I locked up, returned the key to Mr Tequila and Jason, before we went back to the hotel, meeting up with everyone.
I told Billie and Joe everything, they even went to see my dads grave, an hour after we had left it. Even though they never knew him, the fact they went there makes me pleased. I've never doubted them, but if I did doubt their love for me, going to see my dads grave just proves they care.
I just wish they could of met him.