Your Favorite Enemy
Mini thinks the look on Franky's face mimics the filthy shirt she had on that day she purposely tackled her to the ground.
Frankie says relax.
It pisses her off more than usual. Why was she so fucking cool about this? They were about to kiss for fuck's sake (it's not even on the goddamn script), and she just stands there looking so painfully calm and composed like she's on valium or something.
It wasn't fair. She's Mini fucking McGuiness. She's sassy and gorgeous. Nick's football team's all over her. It wasn't fucking fair even to the slightest.
And now here she is, the one left unsettled and leaning in to share an intimate gesture with the college's most freakish… girl? She's not sure. Franky never made it clear for everybody. Sure she said she's into people. But whoever says that? The first thing Mini wanted to find out was…
… What kind of people? And she's not exactly sure why this was the first thing that came into her mind. But Franky said nothing more when Liv asked her who she's into at the moment.
To Mini's knowledge, Franky's never shown any interest in the same sex—though her haircut and manly blazers suggest otherwise. It confuses Mini more than ever. And when it gets to this kind of trouble in her head, she'd rather not associate herself with something she cannot understand. Franky's obviously a fish out of water, and maybe it's not a good idea if this fish starts swimming with her in the same pond. So, she picked an outfit she knew the fish wouldn't dare to wear for the party (she wouldn't even invite her in the first place, it was Grace who suggested it – and she simply said yes because it was easier than no). When the fish tried on that glittery dress she shoved right at her, she knew it was going to work. If Franky could give her a reason to be pissed off, then there's no need for her to initiate a fight just to kick her out of her party.
Half of the plan worked. Franky finally cracked when Mini brought her final game, cursing her way out of the school grounds. Looks like someone won't be coming to my party, shame, Mini thought out loud. And it should have ended right there.
She was wrong. Franky had to fucking show up and unblinkingly tell her they could all be great mates. She simply couldn't believe why Franky, after everything she did, still gives a damn. Out of the things Franky had said to her, "I'm not going anywhere" was the last straw and she lost it. Then she almost lost Grace too.
"Seriously Mins, this isn't you…" Liv had said to her right after she attacked Franky with venomous words. F-r-e-a-k, now what does that spell? Let me see, oh yeah, you…
Franky had even helped her through the names she'd been called. Cunt-less. Dyke-like… Lame-o. Shitheaded. Wank-magnet… Oliver twisted… Loser. Loner. Fugly bastard. Mini knew right away that there wasn't anything she could've said to make it hurt. Oxford clearly got to her first. Mini could only do so much worse.
Funny thing was, Mini couldn't help but think it through some more when she's lying in bed and not trying out different sex positions by herself. Grace was the only one who wanted to hang around with her. She welcomed Franky with open arms since day one. Liv's on her side as always. So, why talk to her? Why not just steal Grace from their group? No matter how much Mini wanted to push out one reason left, she couldn't. In the back of her mind, she thinks that maybe…
…Maybe Franky likes her. But it was something she was afraid to believe in. She was slightly relieved when she noticed the way Franky looks at Matty.
Just to be sure, she mentioned it at Alo's party. And it had ended up with Franky telling her to fuck off and that she's practically a bitch. For the first time, Mini McGuiness was as speechless as mute person. That wasn't exactly their most endearing moment. But when you look at it, most of their encounters weren't exactly pleasant at all. Franky almost run her over the first day they met. Mini did the worse between the two of them—she brought Franky's ugly past to Bristol, hanging them in the hallway. It was a monstrous thing to do, even for her. And though she regretted it the moment she saw Franky's horrified expression, she couldn't bring herself to admit that she felt terrible for it. Not even when everybody "made up" at Liv's house. But she did say 'I'm sorry' to the group. Only, she felt like she never really included Franky in her pathetic apology.
Now, Mini's fucking clueless on how they ended up here: her, filling in for Liv's absence and Franky, inches away from her.
Yes, they were sort of friends now. But more often than not, sort-of friends don't really count as friends. Sort-of friends have unresolved issues. And kissing your sort-of friend could make things more unresolvable. She can't clearly remember how she agreed to this, but it doesn't matter because Grace's fucking good at convincing people. It was partially her fault, she had no idea what the story was all about and didn't really care.
There was going to be a stage. And she needed to be on it.
"…kiss her."
Mini finds herself inches apart from Franky. Good thing she was taller, or she won't be looking at anything but those fucking eyes that glancing right up at her.
"Uhm... There's nothing about kissing in the s-script—"
"You're meant to interpret Shakespeare," Grace looks at her squarely, unbothered by her discomfort. "Try it."
Mini picks up from her last dialogue. "But a…," Fuck, why is this so suddenly hard to recall? "But rather reason thus with reason fetter. Love sought is good, but given unsought is… better."
A few seconds pass—the longest few seconds of her life.
Mini curses Grace in her mind as her lips touch Franky's. Her eyes are closed and she's fighting the urge to take a peak, and see if she'll finally catch any reaction from Franky. She feels Franky begin to move a little, so she snakes up a hand on her neck, cupping it softly. She tries applying more pressure on the kiss, but not quite getting anywhere. They're just so rigid and pressed together.
Mini panics. This needs to stop. It's the worst kiss she's given to anyone.
Their lips part and their eyes meet for a split second before Mini looks away like she had been caught. They hear Grace's disapproving "Fine" in the background.
"Am I doing alright?" Mini asks, not sure whether she's asking about the kiss or her acting. Grace's apparently stuck with just "fine". And no "fine" is going to give her an A. She dismisses them and Mini feels Franky's hand on her back as they exit the room.
Alo catches up with them. "That was—"
"Shut up!" Mini says.
"—a fucking winner, for the most awkward kiss of the century. I bet we won't be able to bloody beat you there if Rich and I were hurled into it."
Franky laughs lightheartedly and Mini suddenly feels stupid for being the only one who thinks it's a big deal.
Mini shoots him a glare. "I swear I'm gonna bloody batter you if you don't walk off your ass right now."
"Let's hope it's in the same manner you kiss," Alo waves his hand in an exaggerated girlish fashion. "Tootles!" The colors rise up to Mini's cheeks as she watches him mimic her. Being best friends with Grace brought Rich and in turn, brought that red-headed farm boy into the picture. Today, it seems like everything is Grace's fault.
She half-turns to Franky, her nails digging painfully in her palm. Fuck, this feels weird.
Her voice breaks as she speaks to Franky for the first time since they kissed. "So? What should we uhm... do now?"
Franky simply shrugs. "Go over our lines, yeah? Practice separately first then we'll sync it together next time."
Mini eyes her expectantly, her eyebrows raised higher than usual. What about the fucking kiss?
Franky must have sensed her conflict when she immediately asks, "Did I... miss anything?"
But she's only filling in for Liv.
Mini releases a long sigh and decides to drop it. Franky continues to be simultaneously sensitive and clueless at the same time. Somehow, she can see right through someone's layer of defensive walls but not the ones right infront of her.
"None at all," Mini retrieves a pocket mirror and a lipstick from her shoulder bag, and carefully applies the stick to her chapped, plump lips.
Franky smiles at her. "Alright then, I'll see you later."
Mini watches her leave from her mirror, the kiss stubbornly playing again and again inside her head. Play. Pause. Rewind. Play. When Frank disappears from view, she looks at her own reflection. She brings a finger to her lips, gently grazing them thoughtfully.
Kissing Nick was never this complicated.