1.4. Concern

Frank turned to leave for the garden, but Angela stopped him: "By the way, a girl called for you", she said with a wink. "Her name's Mélanie. She says 'thank you' for helping her out, and she wants you to call her back."

Frank laughed and sat back down in the armchair opposite Angela. "Nice surprise", he said.
"So you're making more new friends? What happened?"
"Well, it's nothing... Some gang wars."
"Gang wars." Angela's voice was a shade darker now.

"See, she was cornered in the park earlier by three boys from Tango's gang, and I helped her out." As Angela didn't answer, Frank went on: "So you know Tango, right. He's the leader of one gang at school, and they're rivals with Patrice's gang, and Mélanie belongs to Patrice, but I'm on good terms with both leaders. We chat ever so often."
Angela didn't like the idea of Frank having contacts within Autumnfield's youth gangs. Still, she was confident, and proud, that he could easily make buddies with all kinds of kids while maintaining his own independent stance.
"Now, the other day Patrice and Tango had a big fight on the sports field and I saw them. It was rather interesting, because they sort of wrestle until one of them loses according to the rules, but I don't understand those. They do it with respect though, which is probably what makes them leaders. At any rate, I later asked Tango what it was about and apparently, it's a jewel box. Both gangs wanted it, so Patrice and Tango fought it out, and Tango lost."

"And then his gang threatens a girl from Patrice's gang to get it back?", Angela intervened. "Where's the respect in that?"
"Well that's how I got Mélanie out of the trap", Frank went on. "Tango was a gentleman about the jewel box, but his stray dogs didn't think so. So they threatened Mélanie. When I stepped in, I just showed them my PDA and explained that I could call Tango anytime and he'd see a live video of what they were up to behind his back. Seems I made the right call, because they buggered off."

"So what's in the jewel box?", Angela asked, having very well realized that Frank had failed to explain its value. "I'm sure Tango explained that to you, too."
"Well, yes, but it's not really important."
"Then you might as well tell me."
Frank hesitated.
"Okay. Okay, it has Fast Track in it."
"Fast Track?!"
"Come on Angela, it's but a light party drug."
"How do you know it's light?", Angela retorted. "They can mix it any way they want - people have killed themselves with the heavy versions! I don't understand you kids, you have no business..."
"Hey, I'm not the one taking it, okay?", Frank jumped in with some excitement in his voice.
"Fine."
"It's their business, and I'm not taking any side but mine", he continued more calmly. "She was in trouble, I helped her out."
There was a small pause before Angela spoke again.
"So, are you going to call her back?"
"I don't think so, Angela. I'm not interested in getting tangled up."

Angela thought for a moment. "And I'd prefer that, you know. I know Tyler is teaching you our fighting techniques, and we want you to be tough, but we didn't leave Bercalia just to see you get in trouble here."
"No sweat. Speaking of Tyler... Shouldn't he be back from work? Looks like his new project is consuming him."
Angela laughed, accepting her son's change of subject. "Well, that's how you two boys are, right? Once you set your mind on something, there's no stopping you."
"Right", Frank said and got up.
"Where are you off to?"

"I've got my mind set on something." He smiled, picked up his training mat and headed for the garden. Oh, yes. New fighting moves.

1.3. Interference

When Frank came home, Angela was in the living room. He knew she was there even before he saw her, for one of her smooth and mellow Jazz albums was playing. She was sitting on the sofa, browsing through her latest patient files. She was young and sportive, but Frank had adopted the habit of reminding her to sit up straight - she had an inclination to hunch over things when she was sitting, and that was what she did now: she was bent over her little computer, absorbed in her work.

When Frank entered the room, she looked up. "So, big boy, you're back. Did you get to show off?"
"In a way", Frank answered, placing his notes on the dining table. "There was a surprise... New bloke watching me. Bit alienating at first, practicing with a stranger around. But then, you already knew about that, right?"
Angela grinned. Of course she knew, her and Miss Coltrane chatted routinely, and Frank didn't doubt his mum had played her part in putting Joel's classes next to his. She was well aware that the summer holidays were getting lonely for him, so hey, why not meddle about and cough up a buddy? Peculiar though it may be - she seemed to have a hard time realizing he was maturing - Frank did appreciate the effort.
"From what Miss Coltrane said, you two could get along nicely", she explained. "And since you complained that most of your classmates had no sense for music or art..."
Gosh, wasn't that right. Their minds were barely beginning to unfold, and all they spent them on were vogue, debauchery, the telly and the blossoming urge to get inside each other's knickers. Shallow, decadent twits.
"Well, we do like the same music", Frank observed. "I was surprised he recognized 'Lumière', so we chatted a bit before I left, and he said he knew it from 'The Idea of Gentleness'. Oh, and I didn't even realize there was a novel to that film, did you? He has it and he's going to lend it to me."

The song that was playing closed in a soulful, dulcet manner, and Angela smiled in contentment.