FicWad

Chapter 25:

Alex sat on the edge of her bed, trying to just concentrate on breathing. In and out. It was little to no distraction, but there was nothing else she could focus on in this room. She felt isolated and alone, even though Ray was only in the bathroom a few yards away.
Alex sighed and stood up, walking slowly over to the window to peer out at the vast New York City landscape. It was beautiful, of course, but that hardly took away any of the painful feelings she had inside.
The sudden click of the bathroom door made her jump. She span round only to see her brother who cautiously raised his hands, “only me, Alex.”
He was dressed in a black, half-casual suit. It looked very out of place on him and only seemed to make what they were about to do more real. Alex stomach tightened as she dropped her head. She took in her own outfit; a knee length black dress that was plain but suitable for the occasion. Wearing black only seemed to make it all more morbid, not that she would have ever complained to wearing the colour before, it just seemed to intensify the depressing day.
“Sorry, just a little on edge.” She breathed, relaxing.
Ray pulled a face close to a grimace, but didn’t approach her, “shall we?”
“I guess.” Alex replied flatly.
“You sure you’re ready?”
She let out a humourless laugh, “not in the slightest.”
Ray looked concerned.
“Wouldn’t make any difference,” Alex explained hurriedly, “come on, lets go.”
Ray just nodded his head once and turned towards the door.

They were both silent in the car, both unsure f what to say and reluctant to break the awkward silence. Alex gazed out of the window, barely taking in any of her surroundings. The trees and buildings whizzed by without her recognition. People’s faces blurred together, each melting into the irrelevant background. She tried hard to concentrate on any detail, like trying to count the number of dogs she saw, or deciding which shop name she preferred, but nothing held her attention. Eventually Alex gave up and just continued to stare aimlessly out of the window.
When the car finally stopped Ray got out and took Alex’s hand, leading her out of the car. She squeezed his hand, trying to make sure she didn’t cry as she looked up at the tall, dark church. Very soon they would be inside the building and she would be watching them carry her mother and father in coffins. Alex couldn’t quite imagine it, nor did she want to. To think of her parents as gone forever was too hard and far too miserable.
“You okay?” Ray whispered quietly, he had also been staring up at the great church.
“Yeah, fine.” She lied in a hoarse voice.
“I’m here.” He reminded her softly.
“I know.” Alex attempted a feeble smile up into his kind face, “thanks.”
“Any time. Love you kiddo.”
“Love you, too.” Alex said, she felt an overwhelming gratitude for having such a brilliant big brother that she really had to struggle to keep back the tears that were dangerously close to escaping her eyes.
“Lets do this then,” Ray said, and he sounded like he was trying just as hard not to cry.
Alex had never seen her brother cry, but she felt like today, she just might be about to.

***

“You’re quiet. You’re never quiet.” Isobel accused.
She and Frank were in Alex and Ray’s room, on cleaning duty and Frank had not said more than one word answers all day to her.
“Thinking.” Was his muttered reply.
“You never do that, either.”
Frank just shot her a sarcastic glare, and went back to making the beds.
Isobel rolled her eyes, “are you going to tell me or do I have to force it out of you?”
“Dunno.”
“Will you stop that? It’s really annoying.” Isobel remarked, clearly irritated by his mood.
“Look whose talking.” Came Frank’s reply.
“Would you look at that! He can speak 3 words in a sentence! Who would have thought it?” Isobel said bitterly.
“Fuck off.”
“Always the charmer. Now come on, spill.” Isobel said cheerily. For some reason his insults always made her mood more positive.
“No.”
“You just like being difficult.”
“Yup.”
“Why wont you tell me?”
Frank hesitated for a second then sighed, “fine, if I tell you will you leave me alone?”
“Well that really depends on how interesting the reason is. You cant expect me to not question you if it’s that you’re married to a goat or something.”
“You speak a load of crap sometimes.” Frank muttered.
“I know.” Isobel said brightly, “now stop avoiding it.”
Frank walked over and started making up Alex’s bed, he waited a few moments before he answered, “it’s their parent’s funeral today.” He did not need to clarify who “their” were.
“Oh.” Isobel said, taken aback. Her cheerful mood dwindled in light of this news.
Frank sighed and lifted the mattress. There, wedged in the corner of the bed frame was a red notebook. Frank let out a gasp of breath which alerted Isobel’s attention.
“What?” She asked immediately.
“Nothing.” Frank replied hurriedly, plopping the mattress back down.
“You don’t fool me, Iero, what did you find?” Isobel asked eagerly.
“Nothing.”
“It is so not nothing.” Isobel skipped happily over to the bed and wrenched up the mattress before Frank had the chance to protest.
“Hey!” He exclaimed but she ignored him.
“Ooh! Is that her diary?” Isobel teased. Frank tried to snatch it away from her but Isobel was too quick, she swept it off the bed frame and let go of the mattress.
“Don’t! Give that back, it’s private!” Frank said, more than annoyed now.
Isobel held it firmly in her hands, a safe distance from it, “come on, aren’t you the least bit curious to see what it says?”
“No.” Frank replied outraged as he tried to make a lunge for the book. Isobel put it high out of his reach and Frank cursed her.
“Please,” Isobel said disbelievingly, “she may have written about you in here.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Frank snapped.
“I’m not. That’s what teenage girls write about in their diary; boys, boys, boys.” Isobel smirked.
“Iz, it’s probably got stuff about her parents in there, you cant read that.” Frank said seriously.
Isobel hesitated for a moment, “we can skip those bits.”
“We can skip all of it,” Frank growled.
“You have no sense of fun.”
“You have no sense of morals.” Frank retorted.
“Boy, are you touché about this girl,” Isobel taunted, “must be love.”
“Shut it, Iz, it’s not like that. Now give it back. It isn’t ours to read.”
“Finders keepers.”
“Please Iz.” Frank pleaded. “Please don’t.”
“Oh you are such a killjoy.” Isobel said, pouting. But she handed the notebook back to him.
“Thank you.” He said, turning away to put the book back.
Quick as a flash, Isobel ducked her hand under the book and hit it into the air. It flew up and landed open on the bed.
Isobel quickly read the first few lines before Frank snatched it up and tucked it back under the mattress.
“I’m so confused. I’m not sure whether to be happy or sad anymore. He makes me happy, but recent events make me so depressed and I don’t know what I’m meant to be feeling.” Isobel recited in triumph.
Frank’s expression was beyond livid, “you’re a nasty piece of work sometimes.”
“Come on, Frank! That’s obviously you she’s talking about!” Isobel tried as he turned away from her in disgust.
“That could have been from ages ago. You don’t know how often she writes in it.” Frank retorted.
“Please, she said she was feeling depressed. Her parents just died, that seems like a sufficient thing to feel depressed about. And low and behold you’re around making her happy.” Isobel commented.
Frank was starting to get really angry now, “you don’t know what else has happened to her, that could be about anyone or anything.”
“Do you not want it to be about you?” Isobel challenged
“I- that’s not the point.” Frank stammered.
“So you do.” Isobel remarked triumphant.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Frank spat.
“Well I did.”
Frank made a noise of disgust and rounded on her, “you could respect people’s privacy a little more.”
“She’s the one who left it lying around, what was I supposed to do?”
“Not read it.”
“I only read a sentence or two, chill out.”
“No.”
“You really like her, don’t you?” Isobel said in a softer voice.
Frank didn’t answer.
“Then why not just accept that it’s about you?” She asked.
“It isn’t.”
“It could be.”
Frank shook his head defiantly.
Isobel sighed, “fine, believe what you want. You should tell her how you feel, you know.”
“And how do I feel? Since you’re the expert.” Frank seethed.
“Well you definitely like her. Why not just accept at least the possibility that she does too?” Isobel said.
Frank didn’t answer, he turned away again and went back to cleaning the room.
Isobel sighed and did the same.
After about 5 minutes of silence there came a knock on the door. Frank went to answer it.
Isobel was in the bathroom by this point and so did not see who it was.
“Oh, hi.” Frank said, voice still cold from their argument.
The person’s reply was too muffled for her to hear.
“Why?….Fine…Yeah, I’ll go get her.” Frank said gruffly.
He opened the door aggressively, “you’re lover-boy’s here.” was his icy message.
“My what?”
Frank rolled his eyes and walked out of the room.
Isobel walked cautiously out of the bathroom and saw a man standing cautiously in the doorway.
“Oh, Bob, hello!” She said brightly, going forward to greet him.
Frank muttered something sarcastic and rude but Isobel ignored him. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought you might…umm…want to come for a walk or something? If you don’t I totally understand…” Bob garbled.
“I’d love to.” Isobel said, smiling. “Frank can finish up.”
Frank said something very rude in reply to that but Isobel just shut the door on him.
“What’s with him?” Bob asked.
“Oh nothing. He’s just annoyed because he knows I’m right.”
“I see…” Bob said, deciding to let it go, “shall we?”
“Absolutely.” Isobel beamed and they headed off down the corridor.



Thanks for being so patient! Well, unless you haven't and have lost interest...oh well Merry Christmas anyway!
Sorry this update couldn't be more Christmassy themed but I had a limited capacity to work with so you can just pretend it's Christmas, I dunno.
I know I'll finsih it with a MCR-Christmas hakui

Merry Christmas all
Even you rockers, My Chem
Let it snow... music!

Yes, let it snow music...it makes sense in a not-at-all kind of way. Hey, I never said I was a poet. Ignore that if you can and enjoy the story!
Thanks and Merry Christmas!!!
xxx
MCTYGFMBR