I dream that I'm laying in bed, watching the sun come up and looking out the window in Franks warm arms. I always have these dreams, but something wakes me, which feels like I'm not alone in my bedroom. Maybe it's the large photo of Chris Pratt on the wall, ha, I wish.
I wake up the sound of my alarm ringing across the other side of the room, I groan, jumping out of bed to turn it off. 07:00, my favourite time of the day... I work in admin at a local nursing home, nothing fancy just filing and booking appointments, but it pays the bills.
Before I know it I'm back home, at exactly 16:53. I walk into the living room, throwing my bag onto the sofa, walking over to the fish tank. I watch my 4 comet goldfish coming up the surface hoping for food, I close my eyes, the sound of the air pump and the water hitting the glass is somewhat therapeutic to me.
"I don't know why you convinced me to get those things, all they do is stare at you, hoping for food.." Katie walks into the living room, hair a mess, eating a piece of cold pizza.
"They don't want your pizza Katie, they like bread thought.." I stare at her pizza crust temptingly and laugh. I've lived with Katie for a year a half now, she has recently broken up with her school crush after she had a miscarriage and has been broken ever since.
"When are you going back to work?" I ask Katie, she works as a crime statistic analyst.
She shrugs.
"Technically, I'm allowed maternity leave for a few weeks since I was so far along." Her eyes look towards the ground and her face falls to one side.
"I'm sorry, you take as much time as you need off work." I walk over to her, and place my arm around her shoulder, on my tip toes. She nearly towers over me at 5"9, and me being only 5"2.
"Thanks, I'm going to lie down for a bit, all this pizza is putting me in a food coma!" She puts on a forced smile and walks out of the room. I feed the fish, which are still headbutting the front of the glass for food and then Frank's on my mind. I run upstairs and log onto my computer.
Frank: Hi there, I missed you! :)
Abbie: I missed you as well, how was your day?
Frank: The same as usually, I hung around playing video games, and playing some piano.
Abbie: You still need to let me hear one day, I bet you sound amazing.
Frank: One day you can sit on my lap and play you something, I promise.
Abbie: I'll hold you to that!
Frank: And I'll hold you closer.
Why does he have to live so far away? I continue to type.
Abbie: Are you going to get a job one day?
Frank: Meh, I don't know.
Abbie: You don't know?
Frank: I'm coming back to England soon, and I don't want to get a job over here to leave it as soon as I start.
Abbie: But, what if you stay for good? Might you need something to fall back on?
Frank: I need to stay in England, I NEED to be closer to you.
Abbie: What if you don't like me?
Frank: Don't doubt yourself, I love you, and I'll love everything about you. Your long red hair, sorry strawberry blonde hair! Your deep blue eyes, your glasses that make your eyes cleared to see, your cute little dimples on either one of your cheeks. You're flawless.
Abbie: You're making me blush.
He was, my face has gone a bright tomato colour. I tuck my hair behind my ears.
Abbie: You're just as perfect, your flawless, pale skin. Nearly as pale as me! And your brown eyes, your dark black hair, blending into your pathetic excuse for a beard.
Abbie Would you like a call? :)
A few minutes later and no reply, which is weird for Frank.
Abbie: Frank? Are you there?
Frank: Yeah sorry, I'm here.
Frank: A call wouldn't be great right now.
Abbie: What's wrong?
Once every week or so he goes into a weird mood like he is distracted with something, sometimes he goes cold and gives me hard responses but I never find out what it's about.
Frank: Nothing.
Abbie: Please! Tell me what's wrong! One minute you're telling me how great I am, and the next it's as if I'm a stranger to you.
Frank: Abbie. I said nothing, now leave it.
Abbie: Fine, I'll leave it.
Frank: Good.
Abbie: Great.
I glare at the screen, sometimes this guy makes me blood boil. I'm sure he has a perfectly fine reason for this behaviour. But he says I can trust him, sometimes I really can't. I need to get some air.
Abbie: I'm going for a walk, speak soon.
Frank: Abbie wait, please...
Abbie: Either tell me why you're like this with me, or I leave...
Frank: I can't.
Abbie: I can't stay here and listen to your bullshit then.
I turn my computer off, and stand up, kicking my chair back as I do so.
"Dickhead!" I shout out loud. I look down, still in my work clothes. I take them off, and throw some jeans on, with a grey hoody. I throw my phone in my pocket.
"Katie, I'm going for a walk." I shout towards her bedroom door, no reply, she must be asleep.
I leave the flat, locking the door behind me and shoving my keys into my pocket, the wind blows through my hair as I step out on the pavement. I live in London, on the outskirts of the city so it's fairly quiet in the evening, a few cars past as I make my way further from my house. I lose track of the time, forgetting when I even left the house. A church tower rings in the background. Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong... And it stops. 19:00 already. I walk towards the church behind the park, it's getting dark slowly but the lights on the church ground makes it easier for me to see. I sit on a bench and take my phone out. 5 missed calls from Frank, he must really care if he is willing to pay the overseas charge, maybe I should answer and leave the call on, no, I can't do that, his Mum pays the bills not him.
I must have been sitting on the bench for an hour or so, it at least felt that long. A few dog walkers have walked through and now the sun has gone down, leaving a dark blue colour lingering in the sky. A small white dog walks past, and its owner pulls it away from me. I smile.
"It's okay, I like dogs." I lean forward and stroke it's thick, curly hair. "Good doggy." The dog starts to growl for some reason, and barks once towards me. It takes me off guard and I jump back. The own hurries away. That was weird. I stand up, looking around me and then decide to head back. I hear a group of guys, laughing and talking just ahead of me. I look around but there is no other road to walk onto, I look to the floor and walk straight ahead.
"Hi, beautiful..." The tallest member of them shouts over to me. "You should be allowed out at this time I'm your own.." They get closer, 4 of them I count.
"I'm 23, I'm capable of walking on my own thank you." I snap at them, trying to get around them, but two broad guys stand in front of me, blocking my exit. Now I'm scared.
"Maybe you want to join our party, we have alcohol." The tall one shows a bottle of something hiding behind a plastic bag. I shake my head.
"Can you move please?" I stand up straight looking at the two guys blocking my path. They all seem to laugh.
"You're not going anywhere until we've had some fun." The taller one grips tightly onto the top of the arm, pulling me towards him. I can smell what I can only describe as petrol on his breath.
"Leave me alone now!" I spit out, shaking my arm but his grip is too strong. The guys look up to someone walking behind me, I hear footsteps.
"Lads, she is with me, now beat it before I kick you all in the teeth.." I hear an unfamiliar voice, and I feel their breath practically on my neck.
"We were just leaving..." The tall one nudges the other and they walk away, nearly running. I'm confused and left in a bit of a haze, frozen in shock. I hold my arm where I feel the bruise already forming and I turn around quickly. My eyes adjust to the light and then I make out who it is...
