First of all this story is going to be a sequel to Over the Edge. It begins roughly a few months after where we left off in Over the Edge. Mini and Franky have been a couple since then and everyone else has adjusted to this...eventually. I wasn't going to connect these two but people seemed so sad to finish the other story that I changed my mind. Hope you enjoy. x
C H A P T E R O N E : P A R T O N E
GRACE
As we walked up to the gate we noticed this girl leaning against the wall. She was medium height, taller than Franky but shorter than Mini, and she had shoulder length wavy brown hair. I think she would have been pretty but she looked troubled. The way she was standing was defensive, like she was expecting people to attack. She was ready for flight.
ALO
Well hello mystery girl. This could go one of two ways. Either this was one fucking fantastic opportunity for Alo or we were all about to get beaten up. I wanted to assume the first but looking at this girl's stance and her angry eyes, I was going to go with the second.
LIV
We eyed each other suspiciously. This girl looked tough but I wasn't afraid of her. Compared to some of the girl's my sister hung around with before she went to prison, this girl looked like dandelions and buttercups. It was easy to tell she was acting tough to scare off any trouble. It was an old trick, one I understood well. I didn't know who this girl was but I already felt I liked her.
RICH
I approved of her t-shirt. Black and ragged and sporting the logo of Death Friend. So she had good taste in music, or fashion. Either way I approved.
NICK
Everyone stopped. I had been busy looking for bag of coke in my pockets and when they just stopped dead I crashed into Rich's back. He glared at me angrily and I held my hands up in mock surrender. Some people just needed to take a happy pill. Lucky for him I had some handy. It took me a while to realise they were all looking at something. I peered out around the group and realised it was a someone not a something. I looked her up and down. Not really my type- too angry. Shrugging I went back to looking for my coke.
MATTY
There was an interesting vibe coming from this girl, sort of angry and distrustful yet at the same time vulnerable. Maybe those things went together quite well. The way she was looking at all of us highlighted all of those things. She seemed quite tough, challenging us to say or do something but at the same time she seemed ready for flight. Just something about that way she was holding herself I think. It reminded me of someone. That look in her eyes, it was familiar.
MINI
Why was everyone staring at her? It wasn't like she was cute or anything. I mean just look at her hair and her clothes. But I could see everyone eyeing her up, sussing her out. So? She was just some girl blocking our way, what was the big deal? I wasn't afraid to just shove past her and walk on through; after all there was eight of us and only one of her. Everyone seemed transfixed like she was some marvellous new creation. Their expressions ranged from suspicious (Matty) to 'tongue-hanging-out-love-struck (Alo). Except for Franky. She just looked terrified. Okay, that was odd.
FRANKY
Oh shit.
Arianna.
C H A P T E R O N E : P A R T T W O
MATTY
This was curious. The girl who was blocking our path into Franky's house was staring at her intently. The look on Franky's face told me that these two knew each other. Everyone was looking between the two of them questioningly, except for Nick who, as usual, had his head buried in a bag of pills or something. Mini looked alarmed at the obvious connection between the two girls, especially at the way Franky was staring back. She shook her head coltishly, tossing her long blonde curls over her shoulder, and pushed forward.
"Excuse me. We are trying to get through," she said in a bossy voice. The girl merely crossed her arms and looked back a Mini with mild surprise and contempt. I liked her immediately. Many people had crumbled when faced with less from Mini McGuiness. In fact, Mini was the one who seemed to falter, doubting herself before this mysterious girl's gaze. Franky quietly placed her hand on Mini's arm, pulling her back.
"It's alright Mini," she said. She turned around to the rest of us and gave a fake smile. "Maybe we should continue this party somewhere else?"
Liv, as usual, picked up on the hint immediately. Nick, as usual, didn't.
"Yeah, cool. How about mine?" Liv asked, beginning to head back down the street, trying to lead the others. Nick let out a wail of drunken complaint.
"Oh but we walked all the way here!" he moaned in a childish sulk. Grace grabbed him by the arm and led him after Liv, promising him more beer. He immediately brightened and practically ran after Liv.
The others followed a little more reluctantly, clearly curious as to what was playing out. I remained leaning against the fence a little way behind Mini, watching the girls intently. Franky was smiling tightly at Mini, urging her to follow her friends. Eventually after a rapid discussion in hissed whispers Mini spun around and marched off after Liv and the others. Franky stared after her desperately before turning back to the girl, who all this time had been coolly regarding the two. Franky grabbed her roughly by the elbow and pulled her up the steps to the front door. She didn't object to Franky's behaviour and followed willingly, only pausing on the steps to glance back at me. I calmly returned her gaze. I was not at all daunted by the sudden arrival of this mysterious girl or her alarming appearance and attitude. Instead I was incredibly curious. Her arrival obviously meant something significant to Franky, something that she was not even willing to involve Mini in.
Franky opened the door and turned back to the girl, following her gaze back to me. The girl broke my gaze only when Franky quickly ushered her through the door. When she had disappeared inside the house Franky stood for a second on the step where she had been, continuing to stare at me. There was a warning in her gaze but it quickly changed to something else, pleading perhaps? Silently I nodded. It was a promise to not ask questions, not yet. A promise to walk away and let her sort out whatever she needed to sort out. So without looking back to see whether she was watching or not, I did just that.