The Dramas Of Apartment 5B

Bad News

It was January the fifteenth when he got the call, he left the room to answer it. "It's my dad" he said appearing in the kitchen half an hour later. Nobody said anything, "he's dead" he said, I couldn't read his expression. I walked up to him wrapping his arms around me, " Jason, I'm so sorry" I whispered quietly, "I'm not, I shouldn't be" he said trying to stop his voice from shaking, "he was horrible to us, and now he thinks he can just die! leave us with this just like he always did when he got scared, he left and I was the one who stayed, I always stayed.We were always alone, I was alone!" he shouted tears streaming  down his eyes, "hey, it's okay, look at me" I said turning his face to mine, "you are not alone" I said my voice quivering, "okay, we are all here" I said, the others nodded silently. "The funerals, tomorrow, mum wants me to fly out tonight" he said, "we'll come" I said, "no, I can't ask you to do that" he shook his head, "Jason, what did I just say, we are always here for you" I said. He nodded and left.

"Flight 208 to LA, California last call, last call" a voice over the speaker said, "let's go" I smiled taking Jason's hand. The flight was six hours. We slept most of the way, Jason kept tossing and turning. He soon fell asleep his head on my legs. I wanted to know how it happened, how his dad died, did he get too drunk. His eyes opened, "hey" I said, he sat up, "hi" I smiled, "how much longer?" he asked, "one hour" I said, he rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath "sorry for shouting earlier" he sighed, "you don't need to apologize" I said, "I do, I can't lose the one good thing I have right now" he smiled kissing me. "Morning sunshines" Finn said from the seat to the left of us, Lara was next to him and Natalie was at the window, behind us were Carter and Lisa. I turned around, Lisa was asleep on his shoulders, I didn't really know what to make of this, what to make of them. Carter was smiling, they would figure it out, I hope. I turned back to Jason, "you reckon they like each other?" he asked, "yeah, I just don't think they know it" I said, he nodded. "Everyone please remain in your seat and put your safety belt on" a voice said over the speaker. 

We arrived at the airport to find Jason's mum and his little sister waiting, "Jason!" Jason's little sister Lucy called running up to him, "hey, trouble" Jason laughed picking her up and hugging her, "hey, mum" he smiled kissing her on the cheek. "Max, it's good to see you again" his mum smiled pulling me into a hug, "hi Mrs Anderson" I smiled, "please, call me Stacey". "Thank you all for coming" she smiled, "we can go check into the hotel and we'll met up with you later" Finn said, "don't be silly, you can stay with us" Stacey said, "are you sure, we wouldn't want to bother you" Carter said, "no, really we don't want to-" Lara began, "stop, everyone get in the car" the mum laughed, "Mike's here with his car so he can take some of you as well" Stacey said, "uncle Mike, man it'll be good to see him again" Jason said. 

We arrived at their house at six o'clock, it was a a fairly big house but it seemed like a house, not a home, not like our apartment. Jason went out to sort some things for the funeral. "Mike would you show everyone to their rooms?" Stacey asked, "sure thing" Mike said leading us up the stairs. I sat on the bed, thinking for a second, only a second. "How you holding up?" a voice asked, "shouldn't you ask Jason that" I said, "yeah, well right now he's not here" Finn said entering the room, "I just, I don't know how to help" I sighed, "I know, but for him you don't need to, you just need to be there" he said, I nodded, "come on, let's go help make dinner" he said.

Dinner was bland, and I don't mean it was tasteless I mean that I couldn't even tell if it was. Everyone was quite, knives scraping across plates. I looked across at Jason, he was looking at his little sister, he really did care for her so much, he looked at me like that too. "Jason, could you say something at the funeral?"Stacey asked, his jaw clenched and I reached for his hand, he nodded, "thank you" Stacey smiled. "We can clean up" I said, "that's so sweet, but it's fine" Stacey said, "we insist" Lisa smiled, I've never heard us all talk so politely. "Okay, Max could you put Lucy to bed?" she asked, "of course" I smiled. Lucy put her hand in mine leading me up the stairs, she jumped in her bed. "Okay, goodnight" I said, "wait, mummy always sings something, can you sing something" Lucy said, I nodded, "okay, okay um" I didn't like this situation. But I sang anyway;

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat."

Her eyes slowly closed, I smiled, she looked peaceful. I quietly closed the door, "you're better than me" Jason said, "I doubt it" I laughed. "Come on, I need to show you something" he said taking my hand. He lead me to a huge window, he opened it and stepped outside onto a meter wide slab of cement, I looked around and the cement stretched out around the perimeter around the house. "I used to come here whenever dad came home drunk" he said, I stepped out and sat next to him our feet dangling over the side. "It's nice" I said looking at the landscape, "it's not New York" he said, "doesn't matter" I whispered.

The next morning was cold, and not just the weather, the tension was so high I was shivering, I hated funerals.We got dressed into black clothes. "Never seen you in a dress" Jason laughed, I smiled, I knew he was nervous, scared even. He took in a deep breath, "hey, don't worry, you'll be fine and I will be there, by your side" I said fixing his tie, he kissed me, "thank you" he whispered. We went downstairs, it was an hour until the funeral. "I just have to go do something, I'll be back soon" Jason said leaving before anyone answered. I looked at Stacey, she seemed, "don't worry, he probably just needs some air" I said, she nodded but she looked exhausted and worried. 

"Where is he?" Finn asked me quietly about fifty minutes later, "I don't know" I said worried, "we need to find him" Lara said, "I know" I said looking out the window as though he would appear suddenly. "It's time to go" Mike said taking Lucy's hand, Stacey followed them out the door. We arrived at the church and still no sign of Jason. The priest began saying things that I don't remember hearing. Suddenly someone burst through the doors, it was Jason. "Don't worry I'm here!" he slurred. Drunk. His tie was undone, his shirt untucked. I walked quickly up to him ignoring the stares from his relative, "what are you staring at? dad was like this all his life, like father like son right!" he yelled as I pushed him out the door. He was sweating at stunk of booze, "what did you do?"  I asked fixing his tie. He pushed me against the wall and kissed me, he pressed his palm against my rib cage, "Jason, stop" I said trying to push him off. For once I felt scared of him. He pressed his lips against mine slowly moving down to my neck, Finn came out, "get off her!" he yelled pushing Jason off, "get out!" Jason said, he threw a punch at Finn, I caught Finn before he fell. Jason grabbed him by his shirt, "what the hell makes you think you can tell me to get off my own girlfriend!" he yelled, "stop it" I said pulling them apart, Finn fixed his shirt looking angrily at Jason, "Jason" I said, he kept his eyes on Finn, "look at me!" I yelled, this caught his attention, he looked at me, "you're not your dad" I said firmly. "Now we are going back in there and it's going to be okay" I said trying to keep my voice firm. He nodded, Finn wiped the blood away from his nose, Lara came out, she didn't say anything she just took Finn's hand and led him into the bathroom.

We entered the room, it seems everyone had stopped to listen. "Jason, would you like to say some words?" the priest asked, he nodded, "you need me?" I asked, he shook his head and made his way up to the front. "Hi, I'm Jason, Paul's son" he announced, "my dad wasn't around much when I was young, so I honestly can't say much about him" he said, " I just hope it hurt" he said his voice raising, "I hope it hurt, like you hurt us, like you hurt me!" he yelled at the open casket. Stacey broke into sobs. "Sorry, but you can't exactly say much about a guy who hurt the two people you love most in the world" he said pointing to Stacey and Lucy. I walked up to him, lacing my fingers between his, "let's go" I said quietly.

I drove him home, he didn't say anything. He went straight up to the bedroom, I think he went to sleep, I just decided to leave him.Everyone came home about two hours later. I checked in on Jason, he wasn't there. "I thought you would be here" I said stepping out onto the cement slab. "I just want to be home, my actual home with you and Carter and Lisa and Lara and Natalie and Finn, Finn is he okay?" he said suddenly alarmed, "he's fine" I said placing my hands on his shoulders. "My head" Jason sighed, "I'll get you some panadol" I said, "wait" he kissed me, it wasn't forced or drunk, this was Jason, "I'll be back" I whispered.

That night I didn't sleep, Jason did though. The flight was at eight in the morning. I went downstairs to the kitchen, Stacey was there. "Can't sleep?" she said, "not really" I said, "how's Jason?" she asked worried, "he's fine , asleep" I confirmed, she nodded. I turned around, "you're good for him you know, he needs you" she said, I nodded, "goodnight" I said, "night."