AN - My own, fast-paced spin on Franky...

On the night that no one understood, Franky was on whiskey. She sipped it easily, right out of the bottle.

"Just take a sip," she'd tell them. "It kind of tastes like bananas, you know?"

No, people didn't know. It didn't taste like bananas, but that was just one of the many things they wouldn't understand. They continued to let her sip her whiskey indefinitely because, why not? It was a party. If you weren't there to get fucked up then you weren't invited.

With maybe the exception of Mini, because did you know that your average shot of liquor is about 100 calories? Rum, vodka, whiskey; it all made her vomit without even having to drink it. Cocaine would ruin her nose and she'd heard pills slowed down one's metabolism. So on the day of a party, she would eat only one walnut. That way she could afford one shot of something strong and then smoke eight cigs throughout the night. That, along with the scent of teens sweating alcohol and dancing in a blur of music and lights, was all Mini need to reach her own level of drunk, because really she was fucked up enough as it was.

And wasn't everybody?

That's how Matty saw it. He had an equation for it:

(One fucked up person) + (everyone else who's fucked up) = no one's that fucked up after all

And this meant everyone had permission to get as drunk and high as liked! It wasn't really an equation he shared with many people, because from past experiences most didn't get it. Either way though, it was the reason Matty had decided to have a party while his dad was away at a conference.

Nick never needed a reason.

Therefore the Levan house was flooded: teenagers, drugs, music and smoke. That's why Franky had her bottle of whiskey, and why she was dancing in a triangle with Alo and Liv. Franky liked to dance with her eyes closed, swaying her hips and swinging her head side to side to side to side until she felt dizzy. And then she'd have to open her eyes to stop from falling over.

Franky's got these wide, sharp eyes, and when she puts even just the littlest amount of eyeliner around them they're even more defined. Even more noticeable. Even harder to ignore. So maybe that's why Matty looked at her when she opened her eyes to stop from falling over. It's not that he was watching her as he approached the dancing triangle, but that's what it seemed like when Franky opened her eyes and Matty was the first thing she saw.

That's why she smiled at him and said, "Do you want some whiskey?" to which his only reply was this sort of quiet laugh before walking right past and gabbing onto Liv's hips.

Together they swayed, Matty and Liv, this wonderful blend of bodies that fit like a puzzle. And what was Franky? She decided she wasn't drunk enough. Angling her head back, she took two large mouthfuls of whisky. She made eye contact with Alo, who put his spliff between his lips as he clapped approvingly over his head.

"Atta girl, Franks, atta girl!" Alo bent his knees and raised a flat hand, "Here, chase it with this."

Franky hi-fived him as hard she could, and the stinging in her hand took away from the burning in her throat. She coughed a bit, and shivers caused her to quickly shake her head. Alo's eyebrows arched in shock and he cried, "No! No, you're not done yet. Take another big swig and it'll make it easier. I swear ya."

She took his word for it.

"There you go. Feel better?"

It took a moment for Franky's eyes to focus on Alo. She took that as a good sign and nodded. Closing her eyes again, she said, "It tastes like bananas."

"Mmm, I like me some bananas," Alo replied before taking a long drag on his spliff. As he peered over the heads of those around him, he caught sight of Grace and Rich on the couch. He arched an eyebrow. They were always on a couch, making out, making face, somewhere. If there was a couch they'd find it. As a hazy realization fell around him like fog, he mumbled, "I need to find me a couch."

And he was off, moving slowly through the crowd as he sought out to fulfill his mission. Franky asked Alo where he was going, but he didn't hear her. She stood there for a second until he was out of sight, and then she turned around. Liv was suddenly there, laughing.

"Yo, Franks, Matty brought us some shrooms. You wanna split with us?" Liv started laughing again, drunk and wobbling, and she rested her head on Franky's shoulder, giggling into her neck. Collecting herself, Liv continued, "He doesn't have enough to trip or nothing, but we'll still feel good."

The tiny redhead nodded eagerly. Liv had had her at, "Yo, Franks." They grabbed hands and pushed their way into a corner where Matty waited. He told Franky to put her whiskey down and hold out a hand. He began to tap the shrooms into her open palm.

Liv suddenly cried out, "Guys, I'm sorry, I tried to hold but you're gonna have to wait. I have to piss like a racehorse."

Matty let out an exaggerated groan. "Franky's already got them in her hand."

But Liv was on the move, "Just give me a second. And don't you dare start without me."

Franky pressed herself into the wall, keeping her hand still. The shrooms looked like dried herbs, and already in her drunken mind they spinning to the thumping bass of the music. Shyly, she glanced up at Matty and asked, "What should I do with them? Do you want them back?"

He looked at her. "I want..."

Instead of finishing his sentence, Matty surprised Franky by lightly grabbing hold of her wrist. His hand was cool against her hot, alcohol-flushed skin. He bent down slightly, and began eating the shrooms right out of her hand, his eyes never straying from her own. Franky felt his lips brush against her palm, and her smile became unpreventable. When he was done eating, he continued to hold to her wrist. Without a word, he poured more shrooms back into her hand.

"See," he said, "Liv doesn't have to know."

And here, Franky had to drop her eyes. She could hardly stand it. She could hardly stand!

"Matty..." she whispered.

Liv showed up just then, all grinning and jumping and slurring her words a little more as said, "Let shtart the shit!" She stood there, waiting like a dog. Biting her lip, Franky handed over the shrooms she was holding. Liv grinned and asked, "Does this mean I'm first?"

"No," Franky suddenly said, and without warning she brought Liv's hand up to her face and ate them out of her palm. She refused to look at Matty, refused to look at anyone, even as Liv giggled her name in shock. Franky ate the shrooms cleanly, noting that they tasted like dried grass. When she finished, she turned over Liv's hand and met her eye as she kissed her fingers.

Liv squealed Franky's name again, and the two of them laughed as Matty doled out Liv's share. She didn't notice that the bag was empty at this point, and just seemed to accept it when Matty said, "I would say we give them 25 minutes."

"I know what we can do until then," Liv said slyly, pushing herself up against Matty.

That was all Franky allowed herself to see. She turned her head, smile gone. As a reflex, she reached down for her whiskey and allowed herself a good swig. Standing there, Franky let the alcohol hit her. And then she heard Matty and Liv's muffled laugh and she knew she had to get out of that corner.

She stumbled through the Levan household. There was a small hallway that connected the kitchen and living room, and pushed against one of the hallway's walls was a couch. Franky guess it had been pushed there to make room for the dance floor. What she couldn't guess was why Alo was sitting there by himself, arms out wide, legs slightly spread.

"Fraaaancesca!" he bellowed and she sat down next to him. "Funny seeing you here, eh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you see," he told her, "I've decided to actually take some advice from my good friend Richard. After watching him, I've learned that if you want action, a good place to wait is a couch. Then the fun will find you, you know what I'm saying?"

Franky gave him a hard look. Deciding to ignore his question, she offered him some whiskey. He accepted it easily, taking a large gulp with his eyes closed as it burned his throat. The farmboy shook his head. Opening his eyes, he took a moment to let Franky come into focus, and then he smiled at her. Just as he was about to comment on the drink, Franky suddenly leaned into him.

She kissed him.

And so he kissed her back, as surprised as he was by it all. He kissed her back because she was right there, and he was on a couch, but also because she was kind of good at it. Franky was good and she was kind of... yummy. And for a moment Alo was so into it that he forgot about the whiskey he was holding and couldn't feel his hand start to tip forwards, just enough until -

"Shit, my balls!" he suddenly shouted, and they pulled apart. "I just wet myself. I mean - fuck, no, I just spilt... your whiskey, Franks, it was your whiskey."

Franky bit her lower lip, trying not to laugh. She leaned back into the couch, glancing sideways at Alo. He gave her a small smile.

"Franks," he said casually, "do you mind if I ask you something? And it's not in a bad way or anything, course not. But, I mean, are you a lezza? Or are you into boys and just dress..." Unable to find the words, Alo waved a hand in the air.

Smile faltering slightly, Franky looked down at her shoes. She didn't know how long she had been making out with Alo for, or how long she had been stumbling around the Levan house, but she could feel the shrooms kicking in. Maybe Matty had underestimated the time until their effect?

"I'm not a lesbian," she found herself saying quietly, "but I'm not straight either."

Alo nodded. "Ah, still confused sexually, are you? Happens to all of us. Even me, back when I was, like, nine."

"But I'm not confused," Franky sat up and turned to look at him. "I'm not confused, I just... don't care. I can't tell you why I dress the way I do other then that it feels right. I like keeping my hair short and wearing these jackets, even if I don't look like a total girl. And I don't know why I like Matty."

"Matty!" Alo's eyebrows shot up, but Franky hardly noticed. She was on a roll now.

"And I don't know why I like Liv, especially when the two of them are together. But I do. Girls and boys, it doesn't matter to me because, Alo, I just don't care."

There was a pause as Franky let Alo think it over. He scrunched up his face and looked upwards, deep in thought. "I think there's a word for that," he said matter-of-factly.

Franky laughed.,"There's a word for everything. I'd rather not hear it."

"Oh. Alright then." Alo puffed out his cheeks for a second before - wisely - putting the whiskey bottle down at his feet. "Want to show me how much you don't care, then?"

With a grin, Franky turned her body toward Alo, and this time they both leaned in to each other. They hadn't been making out for very long before a pair of heels tripped their way into the crammed hallway. There was a small gasp, followed by, "What the fuck?"

Mini, who was wasted off of one and half shots of vodka, five cigarettes and half a walnut, was unable to stop her mouth from dropping at the sight of the two redheads. A laugh escaped her as she asked, "Farmboy and Little La Roux? I don't believe it."

Raising his long arms into the air, Alo exclaimed, "Minerva! Welcome to my couch. Care to join?"

For a second Mini's eyes flashed at the offer, but she quickly blinked and scowled. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Alo and Franky eyed each other. "Want to show her how much you don't care, too?" Alo whispered.

The corner's of Franky's lips curled upwards. Wobbling slightly, she pushed herself off the couch and took a few steps towards Mini. The blonde's smile wavered, and she was almost about to ask Franky what she was doing before the redhead suddenly pressed their lips together. Franky kissed Mini, and she kissed her again until she felt Mini's tongue start to push its way into her mouth.

At that point, Franky pulled herself back. She was surprised to see an expression of longing in Mini's face, but Franky made herself gesture towards Alo. "He's all yours," she told Mini before leaving the small hallway. If Franky had looked back, she would have seen the blonde start to make a move towards the couch, only she didn't look back because she was too focused on finding somewhere to just sit.

In the end, the only empty spot she could find were a flight of stairs. She took a seat about halfway up, cradling her face in her hands out of shock. She had had more action tonight then ever, and the taste in her mouth was a mix of weed and lip gloss - neither of which were hers. Franky had told Alo she didn't care, and she had showed Mini that she didn't care, but somewhere in the house were two dark-haired brunettes. Matty and Liv, somewhere together.

Somewhere without her.

Franky felt her heart crunch and churn in response to the night where so much had happened, yet she still hardly understood a thing.

Oh yeah, she definitely fucking cared.

x0

vintage88