Deal Maker
(This happens about 10 pm at night, same day)
Frankie had thought about it for hours. After she wrapped up and iced all of 2D injuries she had went into her room, and hadn't left it since. She told Russell she didn't want dinner.
She rolled over on her bed, uncomfortable, thinking about 2D.
What's going to happen to him?
As much as she had been trying to convince herself that he'd be alright, she still couldn't shake the possibility of Russell not being there to stop Murdoc one day.
What if he ends up killing him?
She cringed at the thought. 2D being beaten, blood everywhere, those deep black eyes glazing over before shutting permanently.
Noodle...2D said Noodle protected him before, what happened? She acts like she doesn't care anymore.
There was a knock at her door.
"Yes?", she sat up.
"Ey", Russell walked in, closing the door gently behind him, "how you do'n?"
"I'm okay..."
"Don't lie to me cuz", he said sternly. He looked at her with sad eyes.
"No, that's not it", Frankie moved her legs over the side of the bed, Russell sat next to her. "Why didn't you help 2D?"
Russell rubbed the back of his bald head, "Murdoc...he's just mess'n around"
"No", she felt herself getting angry, "He punched him the face Rus, you saw it."
"What am I supposed to do? Dey fight all the damn time. I can't be babysitt'n 2D he's a ass grown man", he sighed lightly, "He need ta stick up for himself."
"He can't he's too nice to fight back."
"Well he need get mean, den", he said coldly. He looked a Frankie for a moment, then got up. "I kno you hungry, ya food's in the fridge". He began heading for the door.
"I couldn't fight back either"
Russell stopped. "Dat's differnt cuz, you a girl, and dudes can' be hit'n you like that."
"No Rus, it's not different. I was weaker than him and he took advantage of me, that's what's happening to 2D now"
" I'm not get'n in a grown man's business cuz", he shut the door quietly behind him.
Frankie sighed and looked up at the ceiling, defeated. When she heard a familiar voice coming from the living room she got to thinking again.
Rus won't help 2D...Noodle's changed...I can't go back home and sleep at night knowing he's getting hit like this...I can barely sleep now.
"A fuck...com'on man!", the voice reached out to her.
Murdoc...
The thought of his name sent a sharp shiver through her body.
Maybe if I talk to him...No...he wouldn't even listen to me, he'd probably be ogling my body...pervert.
From that thought she formulated an idea. She rejected it at first, but considered it when she realized how desperate she was becoming.
"Murdoc?"
The green man turned to her a smiled, "You look'n for me luv?"
"Yes", Frankie said, trying to force herself to return the smile. She sat a good distance from him on the couch.
"Well wut is it luv?"
Frankie shifted in the couch, "I want to um...talk to you about 2D."
"Wut about 'em?" he scoffed, putting his feet on the table in front of him and crossing his ankles.
"I want you to stop hitting him"
Murdoc mumbled something inaudible under his breath, "An' why is that?"
"Cause he's a nice guy", Frankie turned to him and struggled to make eye contact, "Could you just leave him alone...please?"
The basset's smiled returned, and he inched closer to her on the couch. "Wut's all this talk about faceache for anyway eh?", he took her hand and stroked it.
Frankie could feel herself shaking. "He's my friend...and I don't like you hitting him like that."
" 'E's used to it"
Frankie sighed, realizing the conversation was going nowhere. "What is it that you want from me", she asked, taking the conversation in a different direction, "Why do you act so pervish towards me?"
He smiled and moved his hand to her knee. Frankie observed his upkeep nails and bumpy skin, but didn't move away.
"Cuz ya some'n special luv".
Frankie could tell he was lying.
"Thanks", she smiled weakly, and forced herself to not vomit as she placed her own hand on top of his.
Murdoc grinned smugly and used his free hand to stroke her hair.
"I knew you'd come around luv", he whispered, leaning quickly for what looked like a rough kiss.
Frankie watched as his face grew closer. She tried to contact her mind for some kind of response or witty remark, a push, a slap, anything, but there was no response.
She could have sworn she heard footsteps coming down the hall. Her mind decided to focus on that, wondering why Murdoc continued to advance towards her with the possibility someone coming into the room. The footsteps stopped for a moment, then faded down the hall again.
When she finally thought of something to say, the demon's lips had already collided with hers, he was moaning deeply. She pulled away quickly.
"I'll make a deal with you", she almost shouted, short of breath, breathing heavily.
"Wut kinda deal we talk'n bout luv?".
Frankie thought for a moment, Why the- why am I doing this?
She took a deep breath and clasped her hands.
"Look", she paused for a moment watching the devilish grin reappear on his face, "If you stop tormenting 2D I'll...I'll-"
"You'll wut luv?"
She stared into the basset's mix matched eyes, she knew there was something dark about him, something dark and disgusting. "What is it...that you want exactly?"
Murdoc thought for moment, probably unsure himself. "You're a virgin?"
Frankie knew he was probably going to ask that, she rubbed the back of her neck and focused on his Cuban heeled shoes. "Yes."
"Eva had a boyfriend?"
She sighed and mumbled, "One".
She remembered that one boyfriend, he was nothing special, but he was her first boyfriend so she settled for that. She shook her head slightly remembering the months she wasted on him. He never wanted to talk, he never wanted to see her, he just wanted to do things. She didn't trust him. Frankie was fortunate she'd broken up with him before she actually did lose her virginity to him. "But does that have to do with-"
"What's the most you've ever done with 'em?"
Frankie looked at the basset with a confused look. "Just a..."
"Just'a wha", he dragged out, wanting her to continue.
"Why does it even matter", she protested, threatening to get up. He grabbed her arm, keeping her seated.
"Tell me, or I'll beat tha empty headed, pill pop'n singer into a coma"
"Alright", she lowered her head, "Just a blowjob-once", she caught herself, "But I don't see why any of this-"
"I want that then"
A disgusted look came over her face, "You're forty"
He shrugged, "And you're legal...19 ain't it?"
"What?" she stammered, getting a little nervous, "How'd you know how old I am?"
The basset leaned back into the couch, his fingers locked behind his head, "Oh common luv', the walls are thin 'round here, I mean my room's two doors down from faceache..."
Frankie sat dumbfounded, trying to force herself to believe he was lying again.
"He tried to rape me", me mocked, putting his hands up defensively, and laughing to himself.
It felt like a stab in the heart, him mocking her, and all she could do was sit there. He knew...he knew, she thought, and he had the nerve to-...bastard.
"I'm telling Russell", she said coldly, getting up quicker this time.
He mirrored her with a superior quickness that frightened her a bit, "And tell him wha?", he folded his arms and grinned, "Do you really wanna do tha luv? Tha sorta thing would break up the band...and you don want tha to happen do you?"
Frankie didn't respond.
"Then wha would happan ta poor Russell then eh? He'd be back in brooklyn, broke and miserable."
Frankie would never forgive herself if she ruined Russell's career, he had accomplished so much, he was a somebody now.
"Okay"
"Okay wut?"
Frankie looked into Murdoc's evil stare, "If you leave 2D alone...I'll...", she bit her lip in an effort to stop herself, "I'll...do that...thing", she let herself trail off, her mind went elsewhere again.
Murdoc grinned, he heard what he wanted to hear. He bent down to her to be at eye level and whispered, "Tonight luv, stop by my room, and well head down to my", he growled, "Winnebago". He winked his off pink colored eye, and rubbed a hand through her hair. Frankie didn't move a muscle. "Tonight luv", he repeated, before leaving.
Frankie felt herself sink to the floor, lifeless. She couldn't make tears, she was numb. It had been almost five minutes someone called out to her
"You alright luv?"
She ignored the voice.
"Ey", the voice continued, she felt a hand on her shoulder."Frankie?"
She shook her head violently trying to being herself back, "Yes", she whispered.
"Ya sitt'n on the floor, you know tha'?"
"What?", she looked around the room as if she had never been there before.
"Ova 'ere!", the voice had grown louder. Frankie felt fingers snapping in front of her face.
"Okay...okay", she muttered to herself, she stared blankly for a few moments, before looking at the source of the voice. It was 2D.
Frankie could see him mouthing more words, but she wouldn't let herself hear them. All she did was allow herself to see the marks on his face, his swollen eye, all caused by that demon Murdoc. She put herself back in the recording studio as she watched the basset practically beat the weaker singer to a pulp. She saw Russell ignoring the whole thing. The little she had seen of Noodle's face was emotionless, strumming her guitar. And even herself, who stood frozen, doing nothing. "Noodle she...she was'a peace mak'a I guess...she used to stop da fights before Muds could even touch me...but now...she don do nottin". She heard 2D's voice repeat over and over in her mind.
"Who's gonna protect you now, huh 2D?", Frankie felt the words come out of her mouth, her body stood itself up, "Russell won't do anything, Noodle's changed, who's looking out for you?".
"Wha...wha are you talk'n about?", 2D looked worried, he must have thought she was insane.
Frankie looked into his dark black eyes. He's not as lucky as me. She quickly gave him a hug, holding him tightly, a few tears formed in her eyes. She ended the embrace, and headed into the hallway without a word. She had just gotten to her door when she heard someone say.
"Murdoc won't stop hitting 2D just because you get with him for one night"
"I know" she whispered. She turned around to see Noodle standing outside of her door now, "But what else can I do?"
Noodle hesitated for a moment, then tried to go back into her room. Frankie ran up to the door and stopped the door from closing with her foot.
"Please", she begged, trying to push the door open further. Noodle was stronger than she was. "Tell me what happened. Why won't you help 2D anymore?"
The guitarist stood still. Frankie tried to search her face for any kind of emotion, but she just couldn't see through her hair. The two stood in silence. The door stayed still in it place with both girls using quiet strength to move it in the opposing direction.
"I promised myself I'd never forgive them", she mumbled under her breath to herself more so than Frankie. "Never", she repeated softly.
"What are you talking about?"
Noodle used a brute strength that she had been hiding the whole conversation, and slammed the door in Frankie's face.