"Say you love me too," Mini leaned over, her golden curls brushing against Nick's neck. "Say it."
Grace was buried in Rich's leather jacket. Alo was sat on the floor smoking with his back against a potted plant. Matty and Liv were dancing like they were completely off their faces, which they were, and as for Franky… well, she was sat alone, watching. Because Franky liked to watch.
Rich came back with the beers and handed them around, before sinking into the seat beside Grace. Franky didn't take sips, she took gulps. Watching Mini and Nick together was agony. She wasn't confused, but she had every right to be. She'd gotten past liking Matty, or at least, she thought she had. Things were complicated, but instead of being baffled by the fact, she simply accepted it. She found herself full to the brim with jealousy whenever Mini clung to Nick. He didn't even want her, Franky could see it. Just like his brother, he was in love with Liv. It was a new thing, Franky thought it might pass, but until then she was destined to look away whenever Nick squirmed away from her. If anything, she wished he wouldn't. She saw the impact it had on Mini, how desperately she wanted to be loved. She was so fragile, and Nick was going to break her without even trying.
The smile that Mini wore told Franky that he'd said it. He'd lied to her once again. He'd lied about sleeping with Liv, but she'd taken him back and brushed it under the carpet. That night after the play, Liv had brushed away the fact that Matty had been unable to deny his love for Franky. Why was everyone so hell-bent on forgiving and forgetting? She could've sat there all night, raking over and over all the reasons why Nick and Mini were such a bad match. Staring at them. But she knew they'd notice sooner rather than later. She had to get away from them before it was too late.
The roof-garden was cold, but secluded. There was no one there to ask her if she was alright, and she preferred it that way. At times Franky wondering if the whole having-friends business was all it was cut out to be. What if she was just better off alone? No. Her Dads were right. She had to make an effort this time; she couldn't let it all go to waste. She had friends; she had what she'd wanted. After a silent-pep talk she turned around to go back inside, but at the door she ran into someone, literally.
"Ow," She screeched, reaching out to steady herself on Franky's shoulder.
"Mini?"
"Who else, Franky-badass?" Mini's grin was relentless, and the tiniest bit crooked. It was miles apart from the perfectly fake one she'd sometimes force on.
Without even realising, Franky had taken a grip at the small of Mini's waste. When she looked down, she let her hand fall to her side. The look that substituted blushing made its way onto her face as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. Mini pushed past her, and Franky turned to follow. They leant their elbows on the railings, glaring down to the street below and glancing out towards the city center.
"Soooo?" Questioned Mini, dragging out the O's.
"So?" Returned Franky, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She'd thought of what she'd say the next time she found herself alone with Mini, she thought about it more than once. "Why aren't you with Nick?" She said, having had no prevail with her return of the 'So'.
Mini turned away, letting her hair curtain between them. Franky was overcome by the scent of honey and apricots. "I just…" Her voice was shaky all of a sudden. "I wanted to what you were getting up to, 'course!" She grinned. It was the fake grin.
"Right." Replied Franky in a tone of disbelief.
Mini rolled her eyes.
"Fuck it!"
"Sorry?" Mini was left confused by Franky's random outburst.
"He's using you, and you know it. You keep trying, don't you? But it's never enough. He loves her, Mini. He loves Liv." It all came out in a bit of a blur; Franky was in a hurry to say what she wanted to say before she lost her nerve. "You can do everything he asks, but it won't stop him from thinking about her."
"What the fuck do you know?" Returned Mini, as defensive as ever. "You just want to break us up, don't you?" She added, as though finally having her moment of realisation.
Franky was left speechless. She'd finally figured it out, she knew. Had she noticed her stares? Had she picked up on how intently she tended to look at her? How she always went for the eyes?
"You want Matty for yourself, and you think that the only way to get him is to fuck me and Nick up."
"No! That's not it, that's not what I want!" It was exactly what she wanted, to fuck Mini and Nick up, but that wasn't why she wanted it.
"Then what?" She questioned, taking a step back from the edge.
When the light hit her eyes, Franky knew that her assumption based on her shaky voice was right. Mini was crying, and it broke her heart, it really did. She hurried towards her, her heavy shoes clopping against the decking. Mini tried to bat her away, but after a while she quit resisting and wrapped her arms around Franky's neck.
"I know you're right." She cracked.
"I'm sorry." Franky apologised, even though she'd had no part in Nick being Nick… she was sorry, really sorry. She was sorry that Mini loved him and not her.
"I just thought that I could show him- show him that I can be better than her. I'm so desperate."
Franky pulled back as Mini hit the word desperate. She'd never thought of her in that way. The pressing movement was ladled with hesitation, but Franky brought her hand to brush a spiralling curl out of her eyes.
Before she knew it both of her hands were cupped to Mini's cheeks as she murmured, "I like you. I think you're better than her."
At first her lips smashed against Mini's in a hastened frenzy, but after a moment the kiss grew softer. She wasn't acting as her lips pushed up inbetween Mini's, as her tongue dared to venture over her soft pink lips. Neither was pretending. Mini was the one to pull apart all of a sudden, breaking the kiss that Franky longed to hold onto. When she ran away, back through the double doors and into the partying crowd, Franky didn't follow.