Chapter 30: A Ghost in the Snow.
Narrator
Rae practically swung the bedroom door open wildly, making Frank flinch at the sudden beam of golden sunlight that rushed into his dark room. Rae frowned strongly when she saw all the beer bottles. The rumours were true, Frank has been self-medicating. She didn't want to think that they were true but she's seeing it for herself now and it breaks her heart but at the same time it makes her mad.
"Good morning sleeping beauty." She sang happily going over to the blanketed windows and thrashing them open to let in more sunlight. Frank groaned loudly and covered himself with the light duvet that was on his bed. Rae went over and sat at the edge of his bed to wait for him to get used to the thought of her being there. Frank didn't want to be seen or heard, or exist for that matter.
"What time is it?" Frank breathed, knowing he was going to have to engage in conversation with Rae. Rae smirked and looked at her wrist watch.
"It's ten A.M." She sang happily. Frank groaned loudly again and sank into his bed. "-C'mon sleepy head, get up. We have happy things to do!" She sang as she bounced on the bed. Frank grew tired and grumpy of all of these people trying to cheer him up, he wasn't going to ever be happy again. Frank threw the blanket off of himself and snarled at her.
"No, we don't have happy things to do. I am not fucking happy." He shouted at her. Rae practically jumped to her feet when he did that. At first she was scared and felt guilty for doing this but then she was even angrier than before because he was refusing to let himself be happy and then he's going to complain that he's not happy. He can't do that.
"Y'know what, Frank? I didn't have to haul my ass out of bed at seven in the morning to drive directly from University to your house to try and cheer you up. I could've gone home and left you here to fucking wallow in your own goddamn mind! But I didn't. Why, I ask myself? Because Eliese would've wanted us to remain friends after she died and this is what friends do; they help each other. But if you don't want the fucking help then so be it." Rae gave him an earful of what everybody's been thinking since Eliese died and Frank fell into self-condemned depression. But she was the only one to actually say it to him. Rae sighed heavily and looked over at the chair with the box on it.
"You haven't gone through the things she left you?" She asked stunned. She was sure he would've done that as soon as he got it. Rae knew what was in that box; it was in everyone's boxes. Frank shook his head and frowned.
"No." He breathed softly. Rae pursed her lips tightly and tugged at the hem of the black leather jacket Eliese had left her. It resembled Joan Jett's black leather jacket and that's why Rae got it.
"You really should, maybe you'll find the answers you're looking for." She told him flatly before leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind her as she left. She politely said Good-Bye to Frank's mom and left the house with her bag over her shoulder. Frank stayed lying in his bed, angrily staring at the box across the room. He heard Rae's old car start up and take off down the street. He didn't want to get up and look in the box, it'll be too painful but what Rae said had him curious. What if he does find the answers he's looking for in there? What if everything she's ever had to say is in there?
Frank sighed heavily and threw the blanket off of the rest of his body, kicking it off of his feet before he sorely rolled from his bed. His head began to throb as the hangover took effect. Frank unsteadily strode over to the box in a plain white tee shirt and a pair of denim jeans. His hair was messy and coated with sweat and grease. A lot of people believe he's homeless due to his unhygienic appearance. He pushed aside the open flaps to reveal the large black camera sitting on top of stacks of notebooks. Frank didn't want to know what was written in those books, he didn't want to see the words that were birthed by her mind. But everybody has to do things they don't wanna do.
