Franky:
"Oi!"
Franky turned to the sound of the familiar, gravelly voice. The metal head boy, Rich, stood halfway out the door of a blue van, holding a mask. He was one of the few people at Roundview who hadn't thought she was a freak. Alo, the quirky ginger one and Grace waved enthusiastically from the front seat. Rich strode quickly towards her and she gave a short, muffled yelp as he brought the mask down, blurring her vision. Her stomach lurched as she registered what was happening. Fuck, what were they going to do to her? Rich hauled her up onto his shoulder and brought her down onto the floor of the van. She began to get up as Rich slammed the door closed and fell back onto her side as Alo floored the van.
"Rich! What the fuck? This isn't funny!" Her nose wrinkled in distaste as she smelled the stale aroma of cigarette smoke and beer. She sat awkwardly with her legs crossed as the van lurched through the traffic. She heard Alo swear quickly under his breath as the van swerved sideways, sending Franky flying into another body, vibrating with laughter.
"Grace?" Franky said, straightening herself up against the side of the van.
"Hi Franky! We're doing a kidnap on you!" Grace giggled, placing a hand on Franky's elbow, steadying her. Even partially blinded, Franky could sense the carefree smile on her face.
"Grace, where are you taking me? Seriously this isn't fucking funny anymore!" Franky could hear the desperate pleading in her voice. She heard the soft tinkling of Grace's laughter "Don't worry, just relax, you'll love it, I promise!". Franky rested her head against the side of the van in defeat, listening to drone of the traffic and Grace's frequent attempts to engage Rich into conversation.
"Welcome to Bristol Franky"
The mask was pulled off and Franky squinted, her eyes adjusting to the floodlights. She sucked in a breath, taking in everything around her. The sun was just setting over Bristol, turning the sky various shades of purple and orange. A huge, deserted pool with two diving boards and bleachers off to the side stood before her. She shivered, smiling at Grace and the boys. Rich was absentmindedly lighting a cigarette and Alo gave her a goofy smile, waving a bottle of cheap wine above his head.
"This is my favourite place in Bristol, Franky. We just wanted you to have a proper welcome." Grace said.
"Enough talk! Let's get naked!" Alo said, struggling to remove his shoe with both hands.
"Actually, Let's not, Alo" Rich droned between mouthfuls of smoke, settling down onto the bleachers. Grace smiled and skipped to his side, pulling his arm towards the water. "Come on Rich!" she laughed as he got up, swearing under his breath.
Rich:
"So Richard, are you enjoying Roundview so Far" Grace asked eagerly. They were sitting on the bleachers, Rich's Napalm Death T-shirt and shorts soaked through. Rich looked over to where Franky and Alo were pissing themselves laughing about something that he didn't really care enough about to listen to. Franky screamed, laughing as Alo splashed into the water, spraying the edge of the pool. Thank fuck he had decided to put boxers on again. Rich winced at the sudden cold, lighting a cigarette slowly, ignoring Grace beaming at him from the corner of his eye. Why was she always so fucking happy? It made him want to vomit.
He looked sideways at her, raising his eyebrows. His cigarette hung slightly out of his mouth, the embers glowing as he sucked in another mouthful of smoke
"Its Shit." He said, looking forward. Grace's face winced slightly at the language. She chewed her lip and cast her eyes downward, not knowing what to do. Rich smirked, taking a long drag of his cigarette.
"Shit my balls, its freezing!" Alo screamed, yanking on his T-shirt. His head pushed through the top and he shook out his ginger hair, sending droplets of water flying everywhere. Grace squealed and jumped to the side, bumping into Rich's shoulder.
"Oi, watch it!" Rich growled. Grace looked down, embarrassed and moved over to where Franky was sitting. Rich felt slightly satisfied at wiping the smile of her face twice that night. He looked over to where she sat laughing with Franky, starting to regret it a little. She had showed that she wasn't a complete Barbie clone by actually being nice to Franky and – No. No fucking way. He couldn't be thinking like this. She was the same as all the other popular girls at college; all squeals and shopping and hanging with the girls down Oceana. She represented everything he despised in the world.
"Don't be an asshat Richaaaard!" Alo sang. Rich rolled his eyes and raised his cigarette back up to his lips. His eyes wandered back to Grace. He groaned inwardly, eyeing her pink bikini. She even dressed the same as them… She was a clone. There was nothing different or original about her. He turned away, shoving his cigarette back into his mouth and ignoring the quickening of his pulse. No fucking way.
Franky:
"Oi! Who's in there?"
They all froze, crouching on the bleachers. Alo clutched his towel to his chest, halfway dressed. "Who the fuck is that!" He hissed. Grace burst out laughing, grabbing Franky and Rich by the arms and pulling them towards the exit. Rich yanked his arm out of Grace's, stumbling to pull his jeans back on. A flash of light landed on Alo as the security guard emerged at the base of the stairs on the other side of the pool. Alo shoved his boots back on and made a run for it, tripping over his own feet.
"Fucking hell" Alo breathed, following the others to the door. Franky laughed as she heaved the door open.
"Come on, Alo" Rich shouted, pushing Franky and Grace through the door. The three made it to the van, Rich sliding the door open and helping Grace into her seat. Franky saw the small smile on Grace's lips and the tight line of Rich's mouth. She met his eyes and he looked away quickly, continuing to shout at Alo.
The driver's door opened and Alo climbed in, laughing. He stopped long enough to stick his head out of the window to wave at the guard and then floored the van.
Franky opened her eyes as the van rolled to a stop outside her house. She had fallen asleep in the back and was slumped against the side of the van next to Grace. Rich sat smoking quietly in the passenger seat, offering Alo a light-hearted insult every now and again.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Rich said, puffing out smoke.
"Well it wasn't my bloody idea Richard. How was I supposed to know there'd be a security guard there?"
"Dipshit"
"Homo"
"Oh, that's real original Al – "
Franky sat up, getting out of the van with Grace. When they got to the door, Grace gave her a quick hug.
"This was really fun Franky. I had an awesome time tonight; we have to do it again soon!" Grace shouted over her shoulder, already running down the path back to the van. Franky could see Rich and Alo still arguing in the front, but they were laughing now. Rich hopped out of the passenger seat, letting Grace climb in and making his way towards the back.
"Thank you Richard" Grace beamed, hopping into the front. Rich grunted in return. He caught Franky's eye and waved half-heartedly, his lips smoothing into a thin line again. He got into the back as Grace leant out the window, waving hysterically and Alo brought the van forward, punching the horn in acknowledgement.
Grace:
"Bye Franky!"
Grace slumped back against the passenger seat in the van. Aloysius was in the driver's seat, belting out the lyrics to the song that was playing on the radio. Rich sat lying on his back on the bed behind them; Grace could see wisps of smoke rising from his head every few seconds. Her eyes moved to his ragged combat boots tapping lightly to the beat of his music. Their eyes met in the reflection of the rear-view mirror and she shifted her eyes quickly to the rubber chicken that Alo kept on the dashboard. She heard muffled curses as Rich rolled over, facing away from Grace and Alo.
"Oh, don't mind him" Alo said, meeting her eyes in the mirror "All that shitty metal music he listens to, it doesn't make him the life of the party – Ooh!" Alo stopped abruptly, sidetracked. The van came to a rolling stop outside one of the pubs down the road from college.
"Back soon. Mind the van" Alo wrestled with his seatbelt for a few moments before slamming the door behind him.
Grace looked back at Rich who was still lying with his back to her. She sighed and climbed out of the van. She was met with a cool burst of wind that sent her curls flying around her face. She shivered, wrapping her coat tighter around her waist and leaning against the brick wall near the pub's entrance. She could hear distant laughter and the clinking of glasses. She wondered what Liv and Mini would think, seeing her at a place like this, with people like Alo and Rich.
The door of the van suddenly opened and Rich stepped out, striding towards her in awkward, lanky steps. He leant next to her on the wall looking everywhere but at her. He started lighting another cigarette, crunching the gravel underneath his boots.
"You have a problem Rich" Grace said in a small voice.
"Yeah, well I'm thinking of quitting so – " Rich began.
"No, not with smoking, with me. I've been nice to you all night and you act like you hate me. Why?" She was looking down now, shifting from one foot to the other. Rich rolled his eyes, breathing out slowly.
"Look, you're actually quite decent for a –" He stopped, for the first time that night not wanting to hurt her. "I'm just not used to dealing with you… people" Rich replied monotonously. There was a few minutes of silence.
"I'm Sorry" Rich said.
"For what?"
"That you had to see Alo naked" There was a ghost of a smile playing on Rich's lips. Grace smiled
"What are you listening to?" Grace asked, changing the subject. Rich shifted his weight, balancing his cigarette in his mouth and holding his headphones up to Grace's ear. She listened, smiling and nodding her head.
"Well?" Rich asked. She passed the headphones back, smiling "Alo was right; you do listen to shitty music". Rich raised his eyebrows.
"Swearing now, are we?" There was a pause.
"Why did you come out here Richard?" Grace was staring at him raising her chin slightly. Rich threw his cigarette down onto the ground and stepped on it, slowly exhaling as he did so.
"I came to… You know, Apologize. Maybe" Rich was talking into his jacket, avoiding her gaze. "What you did for Franky… You're not completely like the others" He coughed and looked away, willing Alo to come bounding out of the pub, ending the conversation. He turned back to Grace, who smiled and placed her lips lightly against his cheek. He jumped back, startled.
"Thank you Richard" Grace smiled and walked back towards the van. Rich looked after her bewildered.
"Grace –"
"Look alive, dipshit!" Alo screamed in Rich's ear, quickly swiping the back of his head.
"Piss off Alo" Rich growled in annoyance, dodging his head to the side. Alo laughed and ran ahead of him, balancing tinfoil takeaway boxes in his arms as he bounded towards the van. Rich's eyes flicked back to the van, where Grace sat listening to her iPod. She smiled when she saw Alo, laughing at whatever smartarse comment he spouted in the company of pretty girls. Rich shook his head. She wasn't pretty. Grace looked up and smiled at him, looking down at her feet and then back up through her lashes. Rich started towards the van, ignoring the quickening of his pulse. Again. Alo beeped impatiently, leaning his head out of the window.
"Hurry the fuck up, Rich! Gracie here's got a curfew" Alo screamed beeping the horn twice more. Rich walked quickly towards the van, giving Alo the finger as he did so. He stopped outside the door, sucking in a breath. He could hear the chiming of Grace's laughter at one of Alo's stupid jokes. His breath felt restricted as he stepped into the van. He shoved his headphones on, cranking up the volume to drown out the chortling laughter in the front seat. Sitting down and lighting a cigarette, he didn't look at her. No fucking way.
Rich:
"This is my stop" Grace chimed from the passenger seat. Alo slowed the van, leaving the engine running.
"Thank you Alo, this was just lovely" Grace said, opening her door.
"The pleasure's all mine milady" Alo smiled, giving her a military salute. Rich snorted at Alo's shitty attempt at chivalry. Grace turned to look at Rich from over her shoulder.
"Walk me to my door, Rich?"
"No"
"Oh, don't be a dick Rich" Alo said.
Rich closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling a long trail of smoke. He crushed his cigarette against the wall of the van, watching the tiny embers fall to the ground and abruptly walked out. Grace was waiting for him by the Gate and they walked down the cobblestoned path in silence. Rich absorbed the building, from the neatly trimmed rose bushes to the fresh coat of burgundy paint on the roof of the house. They stopped outside her door, shifting their weight awkwardly. Rich raised his eyebrows, wondering if he should just walk away and leave her there when she stood on her tiptoes and softly pecked him on the cheek.
"See you at college, Rich" Grace smiled, opening the door. Rich was left standing there, dumfounded.
"Stop doing that" He managed to say, just as the door slammed shut. He turned, thoroughly wiping his feet on the smiley face welcome mat with more force than was usually necessary and walked back towards the van. He got into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind him and turned to Alo, who gave him an incredulous look.
"Al –" Rich began
"What the hell was that!"
"Nothing"
"Nothing!" Alo looked as if he were about to explode. He closed his eyes, regaining his composure.
"I just saw one of the hottest –"
"She's not hot" Rich interrupted. Alo help up a hand, cutting him off.
"The hottest, most popular girls at college just kiss you"
"Just drive, Alo. It's a stupid thing that she obviously does with all her other friends" He placed emphasis on the last word, referring to the Barbie dolls and meatheads that Grace hung out with. Alo slowly pulled out of the curb, shaking his head.
"And you feel no need to… Oh, I don't know, kiss her back! Ask her out, maybe. You know absolutely nothing about girls Rich -" Alo began.
Rich rolled his eyes, placing his headphones back over his ears, drowning the sound of Alo's rant. Rich watched Alo's ridiculous hand gestures placidly, placing a cigarette in his mouth and searching his jacket for a lighter. He started laughing at Alo and abruptly fell short as he saw a glimpse of Grace's shadow in her bedroom window, dimly lit with orange lamplight as they pulled away. He realised he was staring and abruptly tore his eyes away, ignoring the accelerating of his heart rate and the tightening in his chest, discreetly wiping at his cheek. He met Alo's stare, who raised his eyebrows.
"Shut the fuck up, Alo" Rich glowered. Alo laughed, honking the horn repeatedly. The car in front of them gave Alo the finger, who waved back.
"Richard is in loooove!" he sung, sticking his head out the window and beeping the horn again.
"No he fucking isn't Alo. Now sit the fuck down before I pummel you to death"
Alo laughed slumping back down against his seat. Rich sat glowering, wanting desperately to punch Alo in the face. He was never going to go out with a girl like her. No. Fucking. Way.