Joy Ride.

Chapter 3: Girl at the Rock Show.

“Wait, Eliese,” She staggered with her words. I paid full attention to what she had to say. “–Tom didn’t mean what he said. We’re just worried about your health.” She added to the pathetic factor that is my life. I smirked and shook my head.

“Sounded to me he was more worried about money than my health.” I sneered coldly. Tom has been the man I’ve been calling dad since I could walk and talk, he treated me like his own flesh and blood but when I started getting really sick he’s pushed me away. Survival of the fittest, they push away the weak so they die. Tom told me he wasn’t my real dad when I was sixteen and said as soon as I’m out of High School I’m getting kicked out. Graduation is in three weeks.

“I know, honey. He didn’t mean the whole thing about the one night stand issue.” She stumbled with her whispered words. They were broken and shaky like they usually are. I smirked and shook my head at her again.

“Mom, it’s fine; I already know that I’m the product of a one night stand. You don’t need to hide it from me anymore.” I told her calmly. Yeah, don’t worry mom; you don’t need to hide his name, his address and his whole identity from me anymore even though you’ve been doing that for the past eighteen years and I had to find him all by myself. Oh yeah, I found him in March and we’ve become good friends since then. In fact he’s the one who bought me this camera that I’ve been hiding from you for two months. I thought to myself in a cold and venomous tone.

“Okay, sweetie, have fun at the gig tonight; be safe. If you feel like you need to sit down then sit down. I don’t want you hurting your heart.” She nattered on about things I need to do. It’s not like sitting down and taking a break will help increase my death sentence. I’m a prisoner on death row; I know when my days are numbered. I want to have one last sha-bang before my lights go out though.

I nodded at my mom and stepped past her in the hallway. My heart was racing painfully as butterflies with razor wings filled my stomach. I could feel pain ridden tears fill my eyes. The pain was both physical and emotional. I’m used to both. I quickly stepped out of the house. I had to pull myself together quickly.

“Don’t let Frank see you cry, his problems are worse than yours. Suck it up buttercup.” I recited to myself as I walked down the path to my baby blue van. Maybe if I keep telling myself that everything is okay, one day I’ll wake up and it will be.

I climbed into the driver’s seat and placed my bag between the two seats. Frank flipped through my thick stack of CDs that I kept in my van at all times. I have more in my room but these are just the ones I want to listen to when in the car.

His diamond hazel eyes sought out mine curiously. His expression went from moderately plain to worry in an instant. His thin lips drew a grim line across his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked concernedly, keeping his voice low. I painted on a fraudulent smile and nodded reassuringly, I kept reminding myself that Frank’s issues were worse than my own.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” I kept a steady tone. Frank studied me for a few more moments before a plastered on a smile crossed his face, he shook his head. He dismissed my false sense of reassurance and went back to shuffling through my CDs. I pulled away from the curb. My neighbours have always been the posh kind of folk; they look down their noses at me and my family. My mom is a nurse and she works two days a week. She was a flower child back in the 60’s and I’m a free speaking, free thinking, free spirited feminist with my head in the clouds and my neighbours don’t like it. They hate my van, they hate my music and they hate my friends including Frankie boy.

“Eliese!” I heard the familiar deep male’s voice boom through the small venue to where I stood outside the front doors in the chilly evening. Frank’s head popped up and we both looked in the direction that was voice came from. I felt my face brighten when a medium height slender nineteen year old boy came skipping towards me from the depths of the venue. His curly chocolate brown hair bounced and flowed with each step. His matching eyes beamed with joy. Butterflies filled my stomach as an incoherent smile fell across my face. I began to play with the strands of my chestnut brown hair, twirling it around my fingers flirtatiously.