The Feeling of Love and Terror

Chapter 13

Gerard P.O.V.

After breakfest, we helped Claire back on the couch and the rest of us pulled up chairs around her.  Awkardly sitting there in silence, Frank decided to break it, like he always does. 

"So Claire, I'd like to get to know you more. Actually, I think we all do." Frank suggested. Claire's eyes grew wide and she looked frightened.

"There's nothing to be afraid of dear," Linda interuptted, "we just need a little more information about you."

"How about we tell her about us first?" I put in. "She probally is still freaked out about being in a house with strangers, you know?"

"Smart thinking Gee Bear," Linda said, "would you like us to do that Claire?" Claire nodded. 

"I'll start!" Frank excalimed excitedly. "Well, my name is Frank. I'm sweet, genuine, and like to help people, but I'm assuming you already know that." Claire managed to show us a small smile. "I really like tattoos, as you can see they are all over me, and I enjoy listening and rocking out to music."

"I'm Linda, Frank's mom, as you know. I don't live to far away, around an hour north. I used to be a surgeon, but I recently retired. I still volunteer at clinics to keep myself busy, and I still pitch in money every month to help support Gerard and Frank."

"Well..." I started to explain. What do I say about myself? She is already intimidated by me, and all I want to know is why. Oh boy, here goes nothing. "I'm Gerard. I'm Frank's roommate, or I guess housemate. Currently unemployed, although I am trying to find a part time job. I learned how to sign in high school and then after it got cut from my school, I took classes at the local community college."

"What about you Claire?" Frank asked sweetly. 

Hesitantly, Claire took the whiteboard and a marker, and started to write on the board. A minute or two later, she handed it to Linda and she read it aloud. 

"My name is Claire. My favorite colors are green, black and blue. I enjoy listening to music and rocking out to it like Frank. The one thing you should know most about me is that I trust people too easily. That one small, but big thing about me has gotten me in lots of trouble in the past. You all seem really sweet and nice, you are the first people who I have trusted who haven't backstabbed me or abused me yet, and I'm really grateful that Frank carried me out of the storm and took care of my wounds. But at the same time, I apologized that I caused trouble and tension between Frank and Gerard. Over hearing your guys' arguements, it makes me sick to my stomach that I am the one who caused it. You two seem sweet and all, but I'm quite shocked you haven't turned me in. Is there any way I can show you all how appriciative I am for everything you all have done?" Linda eyes immediatly filled with tears, and Frank's started to water also. 

I suddenly felt warm and touched, and then quickly to fustration. The one thing she could do to show us her appriciation is to tell us who she really is so I can report a found child to the police and to find her family for good. I just don't get why she won't let us help her in that way. She must have a family who is worried sick about her right now. We all want to help her, so why cant she help us by explaining where she came from so she can get back to where she belongs? I immediatly started popping out questions from the top of my head that would be crutial for a report. 

"What else is there that we don't know about you?" I questioned her. "Where are you from? When is your birthday? Is Claire Phillips your actual name? How did you end up collapsing across the street from our house on the sidewalk in the middle of a huge storm?"

"Gerard! That's enough!" Frank angerly stabbed at me. 

Angry tension filled the room. I turned to him, and then back to Claire, who was staring at the now blank whiteboard on her lap, messing with her fingers. 

"Easy you two," Linda stated, trying to calm the room, "she barely knows you guys. Let her warm up to you BOTH, and she reveal herself sooner or later."

I started at Claire for the longest time. She looked up at me, and right before I was allowed to get another word out, she proceeded to quickly look away, put her whiteboard, marker and eraser beside the couch, grabbed the blanket, lied down, turned away from us, and slowly pulled it over her so most of her was hidden.

Turning to Linda, who was calmly wiping a tear from her eye, glanced at me, and then both of us looked at Frank, who was looking at me with his puppy dog eyes holding back tears, his hand gripping onto his mother's hand. A tear managed to leak from my eye down my cheek and they both noticed. Frank started to move closer to me but before he even got up off the ground, I quickly got up and went upstairs into my room, closing the door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Holy mother of unicorns, when is the last time I worked on this story? It feels fantastic to be writing again. I'm sorry that I haven't been giving this story my full attention this past year, completing my first year of high school and being apart of their theatre program took up all of my time.

Seeing that some of you still are reading, commenting, and adding this story to your reading lists brings me so much joy. I can't wait to spend the rest of my summer writing and entertaining you crazy fishes. Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this journey. :) ~ Kirsten