This one has some Minky for all you fans out there. Hope you enjoy and remember please review! x
C H A P T E R F O U R : P A R T O N E
FRANKY
They wanted her to leave. Geoff and Jeff tried to be polite but they didn't pretend to be happy about it. First they tried reasoning with me, telling me all the reasons it was a bad idea that Arianna stayed with us. Then they moved onto discipline, reminding me that they were, for all intents and purposes my parents and so they could damn well tell me how to live my life. I noticed that Arianna flinched slightly when they named themselves my parents. It made me realise that I had actually gotten used to the idea at last. In the end Geoff had thrown his hands in the air dramatically, shouting that he couldn't do this anymore and walked out of the room. Jeff just stood there looking overwhelmed. I hadn't moved from my position by the door through it all. Arianna still hovered behind me, reluctant to be any closer to anyone else.
"Please Jeff," I tried pleading one more time. "We can't just turn her out onto the street."
"Well she is supposed to have a home to go to," he said in an exasperated voice. "How old are you Arianna?" He peered past me, trying to catch her attention. I looked over my shoulder at her but she had her head down avoiding everyone's gaze. Understanding I turned back to face Jeff.
"She is seventeen," I spoke for her.
Jeff sighed. 'Where is she supposed to be Franky?" Clearly he had decided it was just easier to ask me. "We can't just take her away from someone else's home."
"It's alright," Arianna spoke quietly from behind me, surprising everyone. "They won't miss me. They don't want me anymore." She didn't say it with self-pity. She spoke as if it was an inevitable fact, an unavoidable truth. I knew that feeling well. I met Jeff's gaze, silently pleading. I saw in his eyes that he was wavering. There was a tinge of pity there, and something else that I couldn't quite grasp.
"Give me second," he said sighing again. "I'll talk to Geoff." He walked past us and out the door. I could hear him walking up the stairs.
Until then I hadn't realised that I had been holding my breath with the tension of the room. Exhaling I turned to face Arianna. She looked at me apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I've screwed it all up again haven't I?"
"Of course not. You've got nothing to apologise for okay?" I told her bossily. She looked at me wonderingly for a few moments. Unnerved by her scrutiny I turned and walked to the kitchen and pulled out some food from the fridge. When I turned back she was still studying me closely, her head tiled slightly to one side.
"What?" I asked, slightly annoyed now. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're different," she said slowly, walking towards me. She took a seat on one of the stools opposite the counter. "You're so...in control."
I blinked in surprise. I didn't feel different.
"Well it has been like two years since you saw me properly."
Ashamed she glanced down at her hands, clasped on the counter. "Yeah...sorry about that too. Every time I worked out where you were they would move me."
My annoyance disappeared. I grabbed one of the muffins I had pulled out of the fridge and slid it across the counter at her. Glancing up at me she hesitantly accepted it. She pulled off the wrapper and began to eat it gratefully.
"Ari...where have you come from?" I asked her, deciding it might be time to try pushing her. She looked sideways elusively, mumbling something through her mouthful of muffin.
"Ari..."I warned, lowering my voice.
She rolled her eyes at me. "Fine. If you must know I've just been around, you know, here and there." She eyed me darkly, challenging me to react.
I stayed calm. "And before you were...around...where were you?"
"London."
"How long ago was that?"
"About two months I think. I sort of lost count."
"Oh."
We sat for a few minutes in silence, Arianna slowly eating the muffin and staring out the window. I was saved from having to respond by Jeff and Geoff who re-entered the room loudly.
"We've talked it through. Arianna, you can stay with us but you need to inform someone that you are here, your foster parents or someone?" They looked at her expectantly. She glanced at me, unsure.
I gave Jeff and Geoff a confidant look. "We will," I told them. I felt bad lying to them but I had no choice. Ari clearly couldn't tell her family, not if she hadn't been there in two months and she had to stay with us, she had nowhere else to go.
They looked at me critically for a few seconds. I had a feeling that they knew I was lying but they decided to pretend they didn't. Jeff nodded at me and placed a hand on Geoff's shoulder.
"Okay. Well, in that case we had better set you up somewhere to stay."
I gave him a huge, grateful smile. "It's okay, I set up a bed in my room," I called over my shoulder and pulled Arianna out of the room. We left them standing in the middle of the kitchen looking a little stunned.
When we got to my room I flopped down on my bed. Arianna perched herself awkwardly on the other one.
"Franks...thank-you," she said quietly, avoiding my eyes.
I coughed to hide my embarrassment and chucked a pillow in her direction. She caught it before it hit her and peered around it surprised. I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face. Soon she was laughing with me. It was the first time she had laughed since she arrived and I realised probably the first time I had heard her laugh in years.
"Come on," I said when we calmed down. "Let's get some sleep."
C H A P T E R F O U R : P A R T T W O
MINI
Before college I decided to go out early for a gym class. Walking back home I paraded up the street in my best Lycra outfit, taking pride in the stunned looks I got from every guy I passed. A girl still liked to know she was hot.
As I crossed the main road my phone buzzed. It was a text from Nick, who by the looks of it was very, very drunk. Between the unintelligible words I got the gist that he wanted me to come over. Honestly, that boy was off the rails. I don't think I ever saw him not completely drunk or high these days. Sighing exaggeratedly I turned around and headed towards his house. It wasn't too far at least.
I decided to take a shortcut through the park, hoping that at this hour there wouldn't be any screaming kids running around, throwing sand and shit at each other. And biting. Why do little kids always bite? I should probably get a tetanus shot or something for some of the kids out there.
I wandered up the hill towards the swings when I noticed figures silhouetted against the sunrise ahead. I decided to detour around them, just in case they were rough, but as I turned I heard my name being called out. Shielding my eyes I wandered over to them. Only when I was a few metres away did I realise who it was.
Franky was standing, looking at me worriedly. The girl from the night before was sitting on the other swing, trailing her hands through the grass. She looked slightly better than when I saw her last, at least her hair looked brushed.
This was awkward.
"I'm just going to...um..." I mumbled, pointing in the other direction. I turned to walk away but Franky rushed forward and grabbed me by the arm.
"Mini! I'm sorry. I didn't meant to turn you away yesterday," she gushed. She looked nervous; her hands were twitching and twisting by her sides. I could see the girl in the background trying very hard to not listen to us. I considered Franky for a moment. Grabbing her by the hand I pulled her over to the playground. I ducked underneath the slide. When we were sheltered on the other side I turned to face her.
She glanced anxiously over her shoulder, like she was worried about leaving the girl alone for two seconds.
"So what's the deal Franks?" I asked. I know I had told Matty I would wait and let Franky tell me in her own time but it felt like she wanted to talk.
She took a deep breath and nervously flattened the front of her top. I watched her closely until her big brown eyes met mine again.
"That is Arianna...she's my...um, my sister," she stuttered out. I felt the surprise show on my face. That was not at all what I had been expecting at all.
"Don't look so scared Franky," I laughed. "So you have a sister. Alright. Is she staying with you?"
A confusion of thoughts flashed across Franky's eyes. I knew there was almost certainly more to the story but I had decided to take it lightly.
Eventually Franky smiled. "Yeah, she's staying with me." Obviously she had decided to go with the easy option too. Maybe we were all just cowards.
Cautiously I smiled back. Despite outwardly ignoring the complicated side of things, inside a little voice was madly telling me that something was very wrong. I could tell that Franky was only telling me half the truth, so the little voice kept telling me to wonder what sinister things could possibly be lurking in the other half. I did my best to ignore it but Franky obviously saw something reveal itself in my expression.
"What is it?"
"Nothing...it's...no, nothing."
"Is it still about yesterday?"
"No it's not that. Franky, you would tell me if there was something wrong wouldn't you? It's just, you didn't exactly look thrilled yesterday to see her, your sister."
She looked away, off into the distance. "I was just surprised that's all."
"Understandable. So that's it?"
She nodded and gave me a smile. I could tell it was fake but I decided to let it go. I reached forward and took her hand. She looked down at our fingers clasped together for a few moments. I began to feel that I had been silly, that there was nothing wrong between us when she pulled away, pretending to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes and turned back towards her sister. Reluctantly I followed her over to the swing set. The girl, Arianna, was still on the swing, drawing patterns in the dirt with the toe of her sneaker. When she heard us approaching she looked at me warily. It reminded me of the way Franky used to look at everyone when she first arrived, like she expected everyone to attack her at any moment. I don't know at what point Franky had stopped acting like that, it just happened gradually I guess, her trusting us. Yet already that had started to crumble and it was all because Arianna had arrived.I suddenly felt incredibly angry at her presence. It was her arrival that had ruined everything and she didn't even seem to care. Who gave her the right to just rock up and throw Franky's whole life into chaos? My anger obviously escaped into my eyes because she shrunk back as I got closer and stared intently at the ground. 'What did I care' I thought. I didn't need to make her feel welcome because she damn well wasn't.
"Well I'm just going to Nick's", I said confidently, determined to show Arianna that I belonged here more than her. "He wanted me to come over, something about the others being there, I don't know."
Franky picked up at my words. "Can we tag along?" she asked. Arianna looked at her alarmed, her eyes wide. I was equally surprised but I tried not to show it.
"Wh...why? He's probably drunk already and it will just be complete shit." I seriously didn't want Arianna to tag along to Nick's with us but Franky seemed pretty determined.
"Now that you've met Arianna I think the other's should too, don't you?"
"Mmmm," I mumbled vaguely, not wanting to say no but unable to say yes.
"Please Mins," she begged. I found my determination wavering as she looked at me pleadingly.
"Fine," I sighed. "Come on then."
The three of us walked in silence the rest of the way. Arianna trailed along some distance behind us, clearly reluctant to get friendly with me. Well the feeling was mutual. The looks I kept giving her weren't exactly subtle either. There was no doubt she knew how I felt. Luckily Franky seemed to be preoccupied with other thoughts so she didn't seem to notice. She was probably stressing about rocking up at Nick's and revealing to everyone that she had a long lost sister or whatever.
