"Hello? Frank? Wake up."
I was already awake. I'd been awake for a few hours now. I just didn't want to get up.
My mom sighed from the doorway and I heard movement. "Are you going to school today?" She asked, her voice closer.
I kept my head under the covers and groaned in reply, wishing I didn't exist.
There was a soft thud as something landed on the end of my bed. I assumed it was the dog.
My mom sighed again. "You can't have three days off in a row if there's nothing wrong with you."
"There is something wrong with me." I mumbled from under the covers.
Peppers had moved up the bed and was pushing at my head, trying to get me to come out.
"Well then enlighten me." My mom was using her stern tone. I could tell she was probably crossing her arms.
I finally pulled the covers down, the light hitting me. I squinted for a second and moved the mess that was my hair out of the way.
My mom was crossing her arms and Peppers moved onto my lap. At least he was happy to see me.
I petted him as I replied, "I'm very ill."
My mom scoffed, "What happened to you being a good actor?"
I almost stopped mid-stroke and decided to ignore that last comment. I didn't want any reminders of Drama or him.
When I didn't say anything, my mom dropped her arms and sat on the end of my bed. "What's going on, Frankie?"
I didn't want to answer that either but I couldn't just pretend she wasn't there. I decided to go for the next best thing: lying. "Nothing."
"Well, that's obviously not true." My mom rolled her eyes before moving up the bed so she was sat next to me. "Something's happened at school."
"No it hasn't." I kept my gaze on Peppers, hoping she wouldn't see through me but it was obvious that she already could.
It was silent before she stood up. "Today is the last day you have off. I have to go to work but I'll be back at lunchtime to check on you and you better have an answer for me by then."
I mumbled something vague in reply and then she was gone.
Peppers continued to stare up at me with large, black eyes; almost as if he was questioning me as well.
"I thought he loved me." I whispered more to myself than to the dog. "He said he cared about me."
Peppers seemed to sympathise with me and moved closer to nuzzle my neck. I cuddled him back and couldn't help but begin to cry again. I'd lost count by now how much I had cried but I was seriously surprised at how much liquid was in my body.
My mom kept her word and was back by twelve thirty. By then, I had some music blasting out of my sound system and I was lying on my back on my bed with my head dangling off the edge.
"Frank." I could barely hear her over the angry music. "What are you doing?" Instead of waiting for a reply, she went over to my sound system and turned it down.
I watched, upside down, as she turned to face me again. "I'm hoping that if I lie here for long enough, the blood will rush to my head and it'll explode."
"Well, that's a bit dramatic."
Dramatic. Like someone. Like him.
Was it possible to cry upside down?
