Cat N' Mau5

Chapter 11: Good News, New Friend!

A/N so here it is, the next chapter of my first story of which I haven't on in ages! A great big thanks to @AgentCellophaneEx for encouoraging me and basically convincing me to get this story up and running again. Also, she gave me some ideas, so I'm taking it off hold and updating a bit more now! :D isn't that great? You readers should all go and thank her!

---

Frank sat on Mikey’s couch forlornly; he hadn’t moved from the spot for the last three days. Mikey himself lay on the ground next to Frank, looking like a complete and total wreck. I wonder if that’s what I look like… Frank thought to himself, but was too depressed to do anything about it. Bob and Ray also lay scattered in various places around the room, looking just as bad as the other. The entire room smelt like a pigsty, but no one could care less. Gerard was gone. Their dear friend and brother…

The shrill ring of his phone interrupted Frank’s depressing thoughts. Everyone in the room freaked out, jerking to face the source of the disturbance. Frank slipped the phone out of his greasy jeans pocket and pressed accept, holding the receiver up to his ear.

“Yeah?” Everyone stared intently at him as the faint warble over the telephone was heard. “Oh. Right. Now?” Frank asked the caller, disappointment covering his face. “But I’m busy now, Jamia,” Frank sighed and Ray gave Mikey a knowing look. “Okay, be there in ten. Tell the girls I love them.”

“Jamia,” Bob said, jutting his chin out toward the phone in Frank’s hand. It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. Frank nodded and stood up.

“The girls are having a friend round and I have to go round and help Jamia, who claims to not be able to handle the three on her own.” Mikey stood and walked with Frank as he talked.

“I bet they miss you, anyway,” He told his friend. “They’re going through the same thing too. A friend should be good for them.” Mikey smiled reassuringly, holding the door open for Frank.

“Thanks Mikes. See you soon,” Frank called as he left what could barely be referred to as a house.

It wasn’t a long walk back to Frank’s place, but for a man who had done as little moving as possible, he was quite unfit and found himself out of breath not two minutes down the road. What normally would’ve been a ten-minute walk was now a twenty-minute walk. Frank just managed to drag himself up the driveway before a car pulled up.

Shoot. He scurried inside, not wanting to make a bad first impression on his daughters’ obviously well off friend.

“Frank? Is that you dear?” Frank exhaled in reply as Jamia walked over to him. Her short black hair was tucked behind her ears, revealing the worry in her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re back. It’s been ages - What took you so long?”

“Uh, longer walk than I expected,” was all Frank could say. He sighed and headed off to have a cold shower and make himself presentable.

Three bars of soap and two razor blades later, Frank was finally cleaned up. He had shaved the stubble that had been growing on his face and neck, and combed his newly washed hair. The sound of squealing children echoed off the small home’s walls and put a weak smile of his face.

“DADDY,” both Lily and Cherry cried at the same time, running with open arms toward their father. With a grin, he scooped both of them up in a big bear hug and swung the giggling girls around before placing them back down on the ground.

“How are my beautiful girls?” He asked, squatting down to their level.

“Hungry!” Lily bounced, throwing her arms up. Frank laughed, and noticed another girl, even shorter, behind his two.