Chapter 2: First Impressions

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

Seven o'clock rolled by and both Frankie and Lauren were ready. Lauren had no idea what restaurant Frankie would want to go to, but she knew whatever it was, it would make Frankie happy and Lauren owed her. When Lauren pulled up to Foster's, she was impressed. It was the

most colorful piece of architecture from the Victorian era she had ever seen. It was a grand mansion with color after color gracing its walls. Getting out of the car, Lauren gazed up in awe at the wrought iron gate when she heard footsteps approaching.

Turning around, Lauren saw Frankie walking towards her. She had cleaned up a little, in that instead of a green hoodie and Power Puff Girl shirt, she wore a simple white cotton tee and instead of her colorful sneakers, she had on black sneakers. Her skirt remained the same, though.

"You look smashing!" Lauren said, getting the passenger door for Frankie.

Once they were on the road, Lauren asked Frankie where she wanted to go. Frankie told her and then explained that it was where all the high school and college kids hung out. Pulling up into the restaurant, Lauren stopped the car and the two girls got out. Walking inside, Lauren

looked around in interest. The room was a mix of a club and a restaurant. Frankie and Lauren sat down at one of the only available tables and talked while they waited on a waiter.

"So how do you like it?" Frankie asked her over the roar of the music and people.

"It's brilliant!" Lauren assures her with a grin. After a moment, Lauren asked Frankie "So tell me about this job of yours. If it's a family business, then why is your boss so uptight?"

"Well, it's only a family business per se." Thinking about how to better explain this, she adds, "Okay, you know I work at Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends?"

"Yes," Lauren nods in understanding.

Her eyes lighting up at Lauren's comprehension, she further explains, "Well, it's like an orphanage, only it's just for imaginary friends. Anyway, my grandma founded it and my parents worked there for a while, had me, left me there while they got better jobs so they could pay for me to go to college just so, you know, I will have something to fall back on. Now I work there."

"Well, who runs the home? You?" Lauren inquires curiously.

"No, you could say I'm responsible for maintenance around the house. If there's cleaning to be done, I'm the one who does it. Food to be cooked? I'm there. An imaginary friend who needs something? I'm your girl. But am I in charge? No." Frankie elucidates.

"That sounds kind of fun!" Lauren admits as she leans forward against the edge of the table.

"It does?" Frankie asks sardonically, thinking her job was anything but 'fun'.

With a simple shrug, Lauren explains, "Sure. I've volunteered at various places before doing all the things you just said, but getting to take care of imaginary friends? That just sounds like so much fun! You must love your job!"

Letting out a sigh, Frankie admits, "I would if Mr. Herriman wasn't such a stickler of his stupid schedule and rules."

Perking up, Lauren asks, "Mr. Herriman? Oh, is he also a member of your family?"

Thinking carefully as to how she wants to answer, Frankie finally says, "Well, sort of. He's my grandmother's imaginary friend. He's the house president and is in charge of the house."

"What does he look like?" Lauren asks, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'm pretty curious as to what an imaginary friend looks like."

Frankie was taken aback by that. "You mean you never had one?"

"I suppose not or else I wouldn't be asking you," Lauren explains nonchalantly.

Sighing, Frankie explains, "All right. If you gotta know, Mr. Herriman is a giant rabbit with a monocle, a top hat, a yellow vest, white gloves, and cufflinks around his ankles."

Not fully grasping the concept, she asks, "What do you mean a giant rabbit?"

"He's a rabbit and is at least six feet tall," Frankie elucidates for her.

Her eyes glowing with interest, Lauren inquires, "Whoa. Anything else?"

Thinking about it, she tells her, "Well, he also speaks with a British accent."

Slamming her hands down on the table, Lauren exclaims, "Okay, I've got to meet him."

Quirking an eyebrow, Frankie asks incredulously, "You actually want to meet him?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" Lauren asks as she slightly waves her arm.

"Never mind," Frankie allows, ending the topic of conversation. "You don't know him as I do. I've only known Mr. Herriman since I was born and it hasn't exactly been that fun. Unless you're my grandmother, he won't show you the slightest display of affection."

Smirking, Lauren tells her, "He hasn't met me yet. I don't care who you are. I can turn the meanest person on Earth into a sweetheart. Just give me some time and poof! They've been turned into a big, sweet bowl of cotton candy."

"You know," Frankie begins, "if you plan on staying in Pasadena for some time, I bet I could get you a job at Foster's. See if you could turn Mr. Herriman nice."

Taken aback, she asks, "Really? Are you sure that your grandmother and Mr. Herriman wouldn't mind?"

"Psh!" Frankie waves her hand dismissively, "Foster's wouldn't be running without me. My decisions are an integral piece of the machine that is Foster's. Of course, they'll listen to me."

Clutching her hands in gratitude, Lauren exclaims, "Frankie, I don't know what to say!"

Shrugging, Frankie replies, "Say you'll accept and besides, you're paying for dinner, remember? That's plenty payback."

"Thank you, Frankie," was all Lauren was able to say as their waiter walked up.

When Frankie was in the process of ordering, Lauren quickly scanned the menu and saw that it was one of the cheapest things on the menu. Scowling, Lauren placed her hand on the waiter's hand and said, "Leave that on there but also add the two of the most expensive dish on the menu please."

The waiter nodded and wrote that down. "And what would you like to drink?" the waiter asked them. Frankie ordered a Cheerwine and so Lauren ordered that too.

When the waiter left, Frankie turned to Lauren and cried, "You didn't have to do that!"

"I wanted to." She shrugs before adding, "It's not like I couldn't afford it."

Nodding Frankie says, "Yeah, I sorta figured that when you picked me up in an Aston Martin. I don't know much about cars but I do know a sports car when I see one."

They continued talking when the waiter came by with their drinks and told them that their food would be out shortly. Just a couple of minutes later a cute blonde boy pulled up a chair and sat beside Lauren. Lauren quit talking to Frankie and turned to the boy who was about her age with blonde hair, dreamy eyes, and smile, a white T-shirt with 'Jamez' written on it in red ink, a red jacket, jeans, and sneakers.

"Can I help you?" Lauren asked, slightly curious, slightly annoyed.

The boy ignored her question and simply told her, "Hey, I'm Jamez Withazee." Then he stuck a piece of gum in his mouth before throwing the wrapper in the air where it slowly fell to the ground before being mobbed by a hoard of girls.

"Okay. That's. . . nice," she trails off, unsure of what was happening here. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Nah, girl. I just wanted to pull up a chair and hang with for a little while. Cool?" he asks, kicking his feet up.

"Uh," Lauren glanced over at Frankie for approval. Frankie gave a thumbs up and a wink. Lauren rolled her eyes before turning back to Jamez and replies with a sigh, "Sure."

"Cool," Jamez says in reply. "So what's your name?" he asked Lauren.

"I'm Lauren Lieve and," denoting to Frankie she continues, "this is my friend Frankie Foster."

Leaning forward, he inquires with a smile, "Did you just move to Pasadena? Because I know I've never seen you around here before."

"Yes I did actually," she replies, ignoring the second comment.

"Where'd you move from, then, and what brought you here?" he asks.

"I'm from London and I'm here touring colleges in the US. The California Institute of Technology was the last on my list and I toured it a couple of hours ago. I have until the end of summer to decide which one of the fifteen I want to go to and right now the California Institute of Technology is my eleventh favorite." Lauren explains to him.

"Well, you should totally consider going there because that means I'll get to see you more."

"Excuse me?"

"Here's what I'm sayin'. You and me on a date, tomorrow, and I'll show you some real California fun."

"Sounds intriguing. What time did you have in mind?"

"Is four o'clock cool?"

"Sure."

"Can I have your number?"

"Alright. Give me your phone." Lauren punched her number into Jamez contact list while he did the same with her phone. When finished, they handed each other their phones back.

"See ya tomorrow," Jamez said, giving Lauren a wink before getting up and leaving, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his gum forming a large bubble that popped suddenly.

As he walked away, Lauren turned back to Frankie who was smiling like crazy. "What?" Lauren asked her.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You now hold the most popular guy in Pasadena in the palm of your hand! And you didn't even lift a finger! He just walked up to you! How did you do that?"

"I didn't do anything. And honestly, he can't be the most popular guy in Pasadena! His vocabulary is lacking and he chews gum just as much as he looks in the mirror and brushes his hair."

"Then why did you accept his offer of going on a date tomorrow?"

"I. . . I don't know! I felt pressured!"

"Then call him and cancel."

"What? Why?"

"You don't want to lead a guy on if you plan on breaking his heart."

"I suppose I'll give him a chance. He can't be that bad." Lauren said after some thought.

"That's the spirit. You gonna call him later?"

"Maybe," Lauren admits with a laugh.

"You're in love!"

"No, I'm not! I barely know the guy! It's just a date."

"Mhm. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes-"

"Frankie!"

"What? Every marriage started with a date."

"We're not getting married."

"You say that now. One day you're going to look back on this day with your hundreds of children and grandchildren and say 'I remember the day when Frankie Foster made me Mrs. Withazee.' because you know it's gonna happen."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, really, it's not."

"Yes, it is! Don't deny it!"

"Frankie, I swear I'm gonna-"

"Okay, here are your orders." says the waiter, though he sounded a bit nervous.

Both girls quickly sat down in their seats and Lauren thanked the waiter. The silently began to chow down on their food as he walked away.

"Okay, so I kind of like him." Lauren murmured into her drink.

"What was that?" Frankie asked even though she had heard Lauren the first time.

Lauren looked at her, then set her drink down, then looked at Frankie again before saying again, "I said that I kind of like Jamez Withazee. Happy now?"

"Very."

"Good."

After another moment of silence, Frankie asked her, "When are you going to call him?"

"What?"

"When are you going to call Jamez Withazee?"

"Why?"

"Well, you've got to call him before your date so he can know where to pick you up at."

"I suppose I'll call him later."

"Whatever," Frankie said with an eye roll before grabbing Lauren's hands and saying, "You have to tell me everything about your date when it's over. And don't spare me any details."

"What if he kisses me?"

"Especially if he kisses you."

"I cross my heart that I, Lauren B. Lieve, promise to you, Frances 'Frankie' Foster, to tell you every single detail of my date with Jamez Withazee."

After another moment, the two girls were done, the check came, and true to her word, Lauren paid every penny of it. She also left a very generous tip.