Disclaimer: Own OC, not BTR or anything else
Chapter 4- The Life of an Orphan
Frankie led Jo to his apartment after they departed with Logan and Camille; said genius had a huge smile on his face when they left him. Frankie laughed when he saw his friend all happy and peppy today when yesterday, he looked broken and destroyed on the outside and inside. Frankie couldn't help but feel as though there is something Logan is hiding from him and just about everyone else, not that he was one to talk about secrets. He was holding Jo's hand while she was resting her head on his shoulder, looking rather comfortable. He took a glance to his new girlfriend's face and smiled to himself, she was so beautiful and she chose to go out with him and not any one of the populars, which confused him to no end now that he thought about it. Why did she want to go out with him anyway? He was only in the school for two days, what did he do to make her so attracted or entranced into him? She was one of, if not, THE hottest girl in school and now she is his girlfriend.
Why didn't she want to go out with Kendall?
There was something about that kid that didn't seem right with Frankie. He had this attitude that Frankie had seen one to many times in his life already. The attitude of someone who had gotten his way throughout his whole life and felt the world revolved around that said person.
Those kinds of people made Frankie sick to his stomach, snobs who felt that they were the blessed creatures of the planet. His hand tightened, which alerted the pretty girl that was holding onto him.
"Hey, you okay" Jo asked as she nudged his arm a bit. The hockey playing boy next to her appeared to be lost in thought about something, going by the faraway look in his eyes. She hoped he wasn't thinking about why she decided to act all flirty and lovey dovey with him when they known each other for less than 48 hours. Well, she couldn't blame him. If a boy who she barely knew just decided to act all flirty with her and halfway through the day became her new boyfriend, she would feel confused and have questions as well.
Frankie gave her a reassuring nod "Yeah, I'm fine" he said with a small smile, hoping to put her mind at ease as she looked a little nervous. He didn't want to scare her away by acting like an idiot and appearing as if he's having second thoughts about things, even though he wasn't.
Jo smiled back at him "Okay" she said as she relaxed once more into his shoulder, feeling a little of the muscle he had there. He felt so buff from what she was able to feel, his muscles were HUGE. Just how much did he work out? They were only 14 for God's sake, no one that age should have this much muscle, not that she was complaining about him having the muscle. She was just confused as to how he was so buff at such a young age.
They walked in silence after that, just seemingly enjoying other's company. Well, Frankie was enjoying having Jo hang on his arm while Jo was trying to formulate the next step of her plan to break his heart.
When they reached his apartment building, which Jo noticed was in a nice part of the town, Frankie pulled out his keys to open the main door that led to inside the building and escorted her inside. He led her past the second door and into the lobby and then up the first flight of stairs. Some of Frankie's neighbors noticed him holding onto Jo and were surprised he was bringing someone to his apartment, let alone a GIRL. He always seemed so alone and distant when he stepped foot into the building, but when he was outside, he was always so happy and helpful.
Frankie ignored them as he stopped at the third flight and turned down the hall and started to walk to the door that was at the end.
His apartment 3N.
He unlocked the door and opened it, Jo looking at his apartment once the door was unlocked and opened. What confused her was the fact that it looked like it was a one person apartment. There was a small couch by the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. A small dresser with a lamp by the couch. A T.V with a DVD player and some movies a few feet from the couch and a small hall that had two spaces on the left and one by the end.
"It's not the biggest place, but it's something" Frankie shrugged as he dropped her hand and put his backpack in the corner of the room. "If you want to change for now, I'm pretty sure I have something that can fit" he offered, Jo giving a small nod as her school uniform was uncomfortable to her at the moment.
She watched as Frankie went down the hall and opened the door on the left, which she now knew was a closet, and saw him pull out a T-shirt that looked one size to big for her and a pair of grey sweatpants.
"Thank you" she thanked as he handed her the clothes.
He waved off her thanks "It's nothing, you're my girlfriend now so I need to do my best to make you comfortable" he said.
Jo felt rather guilty that she was playing a sweet and nice boy like Frankie to fall in love with her so she can destroy his heart.
"The bathroom is in my bedroom, the door at the end of the hall there" he pointed to the door "I'm going to see what I have to eat" he said as he walked to the kitchen, which was the first opening on the left hand side.
Jo walked past that and into his bedroom, where she noticed there was only one bed. Where did his parents sleep? She walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She started to unbutton her blouse and noticed his medicine cabinet was opened.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she peeked through his small bottles that held some pills.
'What does he need pills for' she thought as she looked a specific one that caught her eye.
"If you feel sharp pains in your chest, take one with water" she read as she noticed it was heart medication. With her studies of medical procedures and medicine, she knew these were the kind of pills you took if you had a REALLY bad heart condition. She genuinely hoped it wasn't his, he was just 14, he couldn't have that bad a heart.
Right?
She put the pills back and closed the cabinet door. She continued to undress and put Frankie's clothes on, leaving hers on the floor of the bathroom and walked out. She exited his bedroom and walked to his kitchen, seeing him sit at the table with one chair.
She was noticing a pattern here, everything that she had seen so far has been hinting at the fact that there was no one but him who lived here. Frankie had to have parents; he would've been in an orphanage if he was an orphan. But then again, back at school when she mentioned his parents, the look on his face appeared as if someone hit him where it hurts and repeatedly hit on that same spot with a tire iron.
His eyes darted over to her and he rose from his seat. He moved both of his arms out toward the chair "Would my lady like to sit down" he asked with a cheesy knight impersonation.
She couldn't help but giggle at him "Thank you kind sir" she said in a fair maiden type of voice and sat down in the chair, the observation there was only one came back to her as she sat down.
"I know what your gonna ask, why is there only one chair" Frankie said as he took a leaning position against his wall, Jo nodding her head at his previous statement.
"Yes Frankie, why is there one chair? Why is there only one bedroom? Why is there only one bed" she asked, ready to get some information from him. Maybe his parents were away so much that they only stopped by now and then? Maybe they had their own apartment in the building?
Whatever his answer was, she was prepared.
"I'm an orphan and live alone" okay, maybe she wasn't prepared for THAT answer.
"Oh" she said, completely at a lost for words as what to say. What CAN she say? She didn't know about not having a family around. There was a possibility she was gonna be a big sister, she had a family to go back too.
"Yeah" he muttered quietly, more to himself than her. An awkward silence stumbled upon the two teenagers, both not knowing what to say to the other.
Jo did what she thought would help in some way, shape or form.
She stood up and gave him a gentle hug.
"I don't know what it feels to be alone Frankie, but I'll help you in anyway I can" she whispered into his ear, the whole 'I'm going to deceive you to break your heart' thing gone from her mind for the moment. The only thing that mattered to her at the moment was trying to make him feel better.
"Thank you Jo" he thanked his girlfriend, returning her hug after a moment's hesitation. He was really not sure what he can do to make things less awkward now that his whole orphan status had come out. He really didn't plan for her to find out for a long time, he didn't even want her to come here in the first place. But she seemed so excited to come here that he just couldn't be an ass and say no.
Jo pulled back and put on a small smile "How about we watch a movie" she offered to him. A movie did sound good right now.
Frankie smiled back "Yeah, that sounds great" he said and turned his head to grab some snacks, his eyes widening at what he was seeing outside his kitchen window.
A snowstorm had just blown in.
"Are you kidding me" he muttered as he dropped his arms in annoyance.
A snowstorm?
Really?
Jo saw what was going on outside and was surprised. By the looks of the storm, she wouldn't be able to leave here for a few hours, a day at most.
"Awww man" she groaned with an angry look in her brown eyes. There were no signs of a storm coming this morning, why now?
Frankie turned his attention to his girlfriend "Well…it looks like your stuck here" he chuckled humorlessly, trying to get a laugh from her.
It didn't work.
"No shit Sherlock" she said in a pissed voice and sat back down in the chair "What am I gonna do" she asked herself.
Frankie blushed a light, adorable shade of red "If you want…you can spend the night here" he offered, throwing on a small grin in an attempt to show he was serious.
Jo smirked at her boyfriend "Your offering for me to spend the night? I thought for sure that wouldn't happen until our third date" she joked, getting a laugh out of Frankie.
"Yeah, well the storm isn't going to let up soon and to be honest…" he trailed off here and looked down to the ground, almost in embarrassment
"…I could use the company" he whispered and slid his hands into his pocket. He didn't want to look weak in front of Jo, not the girl he was dating. It wouldn't be good on his part as a boyfriend to show weakness to his girlfriend. Showing weakness was going to get you killed.
Weakness was what caused his parents to die.
Jo couldn't stop the sad look from appearing on her face. How could she not see that he wanted someone here with him, someone to wake up to, someone to hold him?
"Of course" she said and walked back to Frankie and rubbed his cheek with her hand.
"Thank you" he thanked and walked with her into the living room. He turned on his T.V and hooked up his DVD player and took out his selection of movies.
"Anything specific" he asked, getting a 'no' from Jo, he put in 'Lion King'. Even if it was a kid movie, he could relate to Simba, if only a little bit.
He sat next to her on his incredibly small couch. It was so small that the two's shoulder's were touching each other. He decided to wrap an arm around her and held her close to him, afraid that if he let go…she would vanish and he would wake up in the bedroom across the hall all alone again. He now found someone to love, someone to spend his time with and someone who could fill in the gap that was left when his parents died. Sure he had Logan as his friend, but with Jo, it felt different.
Jo, on her part, was conflicted at the moment. Having Frankie hold her felt nice and all but she was supposed to break his heart in front of everyone in a few weeks, possibly a month. She didn't want to damage him anymore than he already was and she didn't want a real boyfriend anyway. But, with the events that just happened…
It wasn't just all pretend anymore.
Jo had fallen asleep on Frankie's shoulder as the final credit had rolled. Frankie glanced to her sleeping form and couldn't help but see an angel there in her spot. He brushed a strand of hair out of face and picked her up bridal style and carried her into his room. He set her down on the bed and bravely kissed her forehead
"Sweet dreams angel" he whispered and walked into his bathroom. He shut the door behind him and took a look at himself in the mirror.
"She'll never love you" a dark booming voice called from somewhere.
Frankie glared at the mirror "Shut the fuck up you Saikou Ninnin trash" he spat out at the mirror.
The voice laughed "I'm just stating the facts. Someone like HER will NEVER love someone like YOU" it mocked.
Frankie glared harder "Get the fuck out of my head" he growled to his reflection, which had some differences from the way Frankie looks now. The most noticeable being the veins sticking out of his body and the really pale skin.
Reflection Frankie laughed again "Sorry, but I'm stuck here" he said before vanishing, leaving a much more accurate reflection of Frankie standing there.
"Fuck you" he muttered before walking out of the room to the couch and crashed down and went to sleep.
End of Chapter 4 of The Strength of Friendship
Pure Jankie here. Pure Lomille is coming next time.
Saikou Ninnin roughly translates out to Supreme (Super) Human.
Next Time: The Scars of the Past
