[This Wasted Daylight]

Author: miss_peg

Word count: Ever so slightly over 3000

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Swearing, as to be expected.

Disclaimer: I didn't create these people or this world, I just like to play in it.

Summary: Grace, Franky, Mini and Liv decide to go away together, only things don't quite go as planned.

Notes: Written for the Skins Reverse Big Bang. This was such a hard story to write. I can't believe how long it took me to actually do anything with it, then some how I wrote it within a couple of hours. Thanks to reddawg82 for betaing.

As I walked towards the sea I breathed in the fresh air and suddenly felt relaxed. The wind twisted through my hair, the sand settled between my toes and I was surrounded by the serene, peaceful sound of the waves breaking on the distant rocks. I was happy, I was at peace and nothing could disrupt my mood.

'Gracie.'

On second thoughts. I turned when I heard Franky calling, her voice strained as she stumbled across the sand to the edge of the water. I sighed, digging my toes deeper into the ground until almost my whole foot had disappeared.

'What is it Franky?' I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

'I've been shouting you since you left the house,' she said, her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy.

'I didn't hear you.'

'It's awkward for me too, you know,' she said, kicking the sand with her heavy boots and dislodging a pebble.

I sighed again. It wasn't Franky's fault, none of it ever was. If anything, it was Mini and her insecurities causing all of the problems. If it wasn't her moaning about them treating Franky like one of the group, then it was Liv biting her ear off for something that mattered little.

She loved them, really, deep down once the bickering and arguments were put to one side. They'd rented a house by the beach for the very purpose of mending the damage that had occurred over the course of the last year.

'Mini's fine with you now, why is it awkward?' I asked, watching Franky carefully. She shrugged her shoulders and I wondered if she clung to the awkward feelings that had been there at the beginning, merely so that she could feel like she always had.

'I hate it when people fight.'

I watched her kneel down to tie her laces, but instead she slipped off her boots and waded slowly into the water. I tried to smile, to follow her lead and join her in a moment of peace and happiness. She dipped her hand into the salty water and pushed it out again quickly, plunging me with a handful of water. As droplets clung to my t-shirt, I dunked my own fingers into the sea and splashed her back.

When we stopped, my heart beating twice as fast as usual and my eyes stinging from the salt, we walked back up the beach towards the town. Franky held her heavy boots from their laces, a weight under her arm as she swung them back and forth. I watched her every move, trying to understand just who she really was, behind everything she put between us all.

'We're okay, yeah?' said Franky, smiling briefly. I nodded. There was little else to say.

At the house there was no one around and yet the tension could have been sliced with the large axe the owner had used to chop some wood. Franky disappeared into the shed to retrieve some to build a fire and I perched on the sofa, wondering what to do with myself.

'About fucking time.'

The bathroom door opened and Mini wandered out, a towel around her shoulders to catch the drips of her damp hair. She rolled her eyes in their sockets and ran her hand through her hair. She looked angry, still and yet she also looked like the frightened little girl that I always knew she was. She hid her fears and insecurities. Maybe that's why she got along with Franky so well, now, after everything. They were similar in ways most people couldn't comprehend.

'Franky's going to build us a fire, aren't you Franks?' I said, standing up and pointing to her kneeling on the rug.

'Fan-fucking-tastic, it's fucking freezing in here.'

Once the fire had begun to burn, the tiny pieces of wood and paper disappearing in the flames in favour of the larger logs, we sat on the sofa together; Mini in the middle with Franky and I on either side. She rested her head on my shoulder and I sat back, at peace with myself and my friends.

If only it could stay that way.

Something still wasn't right. Liv and Mini had been fighting a lot, more so since we'd arrived at the house. I continued to take the short stroll down through the town to get away. It seemed like Franky had had a similar idea that morning.

'Where's the fun gone?' said Liv, closing her bedroom door and ambling across the wooden floor with a bottle of vodka pressed to her lips. She slouched into the lounge chair, swigging from her bottle which she held close to her chest, like it mattered that she kept it there.

'Give us some,' said Franky and she begrudgingly handed it over, sending daggers at Mini as Franky passed it across to Mini. I took it off her and swallowed a mouthful. Liv's gaze barely shifted from the bottle until I handed it back. Sometimes I wondered if she could be an alcoholic, the way she drank a whole bottle just to prove to Mini that she was on her side. It didn't make any sense.

The room fell silent as the fire burned between us, stealing oxygen from the air and leaving us all in a state of near-sleep. I yawned and kicked off my shoes to toast my cold toes. Mini sat with her head against Franky's shoulder, her eyes fixated on the fire. Liv stared at the carpet and Franky watched them with her usually curious eyes.

'We can't sit here all day,' I said, standing up and pulling at Mini's arm, she detested and pushed me away. I reached on over to Franky who escaped Mini's grasp and stood beside me, looking hopeful.

'Whatever you do, count me out,' said Liv, hugging her bottle tightly.

'No.' Franky marched the few steps across the room to Liv, snatching the bottle from her arms before she could react.

'Give that back, Franky,' she moaned, but Franky ignored her. She removed the cap and poured what little was left over the flames.

'No,' I shouted as the flames grew around the alcohol. Franky stumbled backwards and fell against me, pushing me down onto the floor. I wanted to be angry or upset but the whole situation was too pathetic that I just laughed, joining in the joyful sound of Franky's chuckles.

'Are you fucking stupid?' said Liv, standing up and snatching the now empty bottle back; she clung to it as though it still mattered.

'I've always liked fire,' said Franky, crossing her legs and watching the flames die back down.

'You could have fucking killed us all,' said Mini, staring at her, astonished. Franky merely laughed and though I agreed with Mini's words, I couldn't help but follow Franky's lead once more.

'I think we need to get away from the fire, Franky.'

She nodded her head as I dragged her away, her eyes still transfixed by the colours dancing in the grid.

'I know,' I said, speaking to the whole group. 'How about we do a makeover?'

Liv groaned, Franky barely heard me and Mini perked up at the idea. She started wittering on about wanting to try a dress I'd brought with me and how she'd appreciate someone trimming her hair.

'Fabulous. Who's first?'

'Franky.'

Mini and I turned around as Liv spoke, the bottle quickly forgotten as she got on board with the project. She looked excited for the first time since shouting at Mini earlier that day and I couldn't help but feel glad that my plan to put the past behind them and do something fun was working.

'What?' Franky glanced up from the fire and the three of us laughed until Franky joined in. 'What's so funny?'

'You are getting a makeover,' said Mini, pulling at her hand. She shook her head and tried to reclaim her fingers, until Liv took her other one and I moved behind her to push her up. Together we marched her into the bedroom and forced her to strip down to the vest and boxers she seemed to love so much.

'Where did you buy these?' asked Liv.

'I don't know, Geoff got them for me.'

'You'd think he'd be good at this, being gay,' she said, smiling at Franky.

I looked through Mini's suitcase, searching for items I thought she'd look good in. I passed them across to Mini and together we dressed Franky up in various outfits.

'I look like Barbie.'

'You look like Ken in drag,' said Liv, to which Franky elbowed her in the ribs.

'Ow.'

'You deserved that,' Mini said and for a moment I expected a full on fight to ensue. Thankfully Liv took it well and we continued to rearrange clothes.

Half an hour later, a can of hairspray and one of Mini's bras, we took a step back to admire our work. I stared at her, my mouth open wide and as I looked to Mini and Liv, their expressions weren't that different.

Franky stared at us. 'What? I bet I look like fucking Zombie Barbie or something.'

We stepped out of the way and allowed her access to the mirror where she stood for several minutes. Her eyebrows creased as she played with seems and fastenings. Eventually she stopped and turned, a look of anger resting on her features. My heart sank, until her sorrow changed very quickly into a look of glee.

'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love it,' she said, a large smile spread across her face.

'I knew it,' squealed Mini as she wrapped her arms around Franky's shoulders. I took hold of her from the other side and Liv joined us in a group hug.

One by one we stepped back and admired our handy work once more, her hair had more shape and her eyes stood out with a mixture of makeup. Franky's smile shone in the middle, like the sun at the centre of the solar system. We all orbited around her for a minute, double checking that there wasn't anything else we wanted to add.

'I'm fucking starving, let's go get some lunch,' said Franky, reaching for the zipper on the dress.

'Stop.' All three of us shouted at the same time until she paused, frowning.

'We should go to that bar down the road,' said Liv.

I nodded. 'You can't waste that outfit on this granny house.'

'You take that off and I'll never speak to you again.' Mini stared at her. 'You look hot.'

Franky hesitated, nervousness settling in her eyes. Mini reached an arm around her shoulders and assured her that they would be right beside her the whole time. Somehow we made it out of the door. It wasn't until we'd entered the bar that I realised how underwhelmed our own outfits were compared to Franky's, but it didn't matter. This was her day and we were going to allow her to have it.

'You did a good job with her hair,' said Liv, smiling at Mini for the first time that day. She smiled back and thanked her.

'I'll get the first round, what do you want?'

We gave Mini our orders and found a booth in the corner of the room. All of the boys were watching, their eyes never wavering from Franky's fully formed figure. I looked at her again, as they saw her and I realised how little we'd seen of her before. She always wore such large clothes which hardly showed her off whether she was trying to be a male or female or something in between. Now it was very clear what she was. She was beautiful.

'How does it feel Franks?' asked Liv. 'Your first outing, as a girl.'

'A bit weird,' she said, her arms wrapped around her stomach, the final form of protection she could keep.

'By the end of tonight I guarantee you'll have boys hanging off your arms.' Mini placed their drinks on the table and sat down beside Franky, sending her a large smile.

I sipped my vodka and coke, talking with the girls as we sat around eating and drinking well into the late afternoon. I watched Franky move from covering herself with her hands as much as possible to standing in the middle of the dance floor with her arms up in the air. We danced until the sun had set and the bar filled with more people, mostly surfers and holidaymakers looking for a cheap thrill.

'Want another one?' I shouted to Franky over the noise of the busy bar. She nodded and continued to dance, her hips practically attached to a boy she'd been getting closer to all night.

I pushed my way through the crowd towards the bar where I ordered the drinks and joined Liv and Mini in the booth. We watched Franky as she continued to dance, her inhibitions gone from earlier that day. The transformation had been quick and I wondered if she would ever go back to what she was. A light had been turned on and now she was herself, the real Franky, the Franky she always wanted to be.

'They're kissing,' Mini shouted and I glanced over to find Franky locking lips with the brown haired surfer she'd been dancing with. His hands rested on her hips and he held her close, their mouths moving faster. Franky held his neck and relaxed into his embrace, the smile in between kisses a sign that she was enjoying herself.

'Where are they going?' Liv shouted, pointing in the direction of the door that they'd stumbled out of.

'Does it matter?' I asked, happy that Franky was finally enjoying herself.

Twenty minutes later and she returned with her cheeks red and hair dishevelled. I tried not to smirk but it was hard when she looked so happy and aloof. She pulled at our hands, one at a time until we stood up and followed her out of the bar. It didn't matter that we had a round unfinished on the table. The drinks were long forgotten as we stumbled through the town, a little worse for ware, only caring about finding out the juicy details of Franky's night.

'What happened?' asked Mini the second we'd sat down in the lounge. Franky shrugged and stayed quiet, until even she couldn't hide the smile spreading quickly across her face.

'Did you fuck him?'

'Liv!' I shouted. 'Did you?'

'No.'

'Oh.'

We all sounded so disappointed, which only made us laugh. Franky didn't seem to care as she told us what happened.

'It wasn't like I didn't want to, but I don't think I want my first time to be in the toilets of some grotty bar with a guy I'm never going to see again.'

'Wise choice,' I said, holding her hand. 'I'm so proud of you Franky.'

'If you didn't fuck him then what did you do?' asked Liv, her eyebrows raised.

'I guess you could say we did everything but fuck.'

Mini squealed, Liv laughed and I squeezed Franky's hand, the excitement of one like a force joining us as a group. It didn't matter that it wasn't happening to us; we still felt it like it was. I thought about Rich and our first time together, remembering the moment he collapsed on top of me. Maybe she hadn't gone all of the way, but it didn't matter. Moments like that mattered.

'What's his cock like?' said Mini and I rolled my eyes at Franky, who laughed then held her fingers up a couple of inches apart.

'Hang on,' said Liv, rushing out of the room and returning with a spliff. She lit it, took a drag and handed it around. 'This shit is way better when you're stoned.'

As we slowly rose to the height of the drug we giggled along to the story Franky told us. We laughed at the size of his cock and the way he expertly removed her bra with little more than his finger and thumb.

'You know this is fucking good stuff, Franks, right?' said Liv, lying down on the floor and joining us in watching the small light fitting with amusement.

'Do you think you'll go back to your blazers and boots?' asked Mini, puffing on a fresh spliff and passing it along.

'And have no boy ever look at me again?' Franky asked sarcastically.

'Good, because you're fucking stunning in my dress,' said Mini, rolling onto her front and slowly moving her fingers along Franky's wrist.

'Thanks to you,' she said, looking a little doubtful.

'What's wrong Franky badass?' Liv turned onto her front and I followed until we were lying in a circle.

'I'm not sure I can do it myself.'

'Of course you can Franks,' I assured her, resting a hand on her arm and sending her a smile. 'Did you think you could dress like you did tonight a year ago?'

'I guess not.'

'You can do anything you want to,' said Mini, pushing a strand of hair back from Franky's eyes. 'We'll always be here to help.'

'Yeah.' Liv inhaled as much of the spliff as possible before passing it back to Mini. 'Besides, you'd look hotter than Mini in some of her outfits.'

'Oi.' Mini smacked her playfully on the arm and I tensed up, worried that it was all going to escalate.

'You know I'm only joking.' Liv smiled and pulled Mini closer, kissing her on the cheek. 'You know I think you're fucking beautiful, Mins.'

'You're fucking beautiful too.'

I watched them make playful jokes between them. Finally they were at peace. I wondered if that would be it, for now. Maybe the rest of the holiday would be a peaceful one and we could enjoy it. Or even if it wasn't, at least I knew the best way to get them talking again. Even if I did use Franky as a guinea pig, I doubt she minded, in the end.

The End