FRANCIS
I was miserable without Mary. I know we had only been together for a couple of weeks, but I knew now that I depended on her like I depended on my heart to beat. I went about the day thinking of what Mary was doing, what we would be doing right now, and everything reminded me of her. The mornings were the worst. I had gotten used to waking up and seeing her beautiful face in the morning, and exchanging a few kisses. I decided to put on my sweatshirt before I remembered that I had given it to Mary. I couldn't help but wonder if she still wore it. I moped down the stairs and was greeted by Bash. 'Oh, pick yourself up Francis. There are many, many girls that would jump at the chance to date you. Mary wasn't the first, and she won't be the last.' I sat down and sighed, replying 'But, Mary, she was different. She made me feel a way no other girl had ever made me feel before.' Bash rolled his eyes. 'I swear, if you say it was true love, I will push you off of that chair.' But I'm sure it was, or at least it definitely could have evolved to that. 'I'm really not in the mood to be pushed off of a chair this morning, so I'll keep my mouth shut.' 'Good. I'm going to be gone today, as I would happen to have a date with Kenna. We are going to see a movie.' Thanks, Bash. This is exactly what I need to be hearing right now. Being his brother, I had to ask 'How are you and Kenna doing?' I could tell that he was glad I asked. 'We are great, definitely better than you and Mary at the moment.' He laughed and I rolled my eyes. Why did he have to do this? 'I'm going to pick up Kenna. Why don't you come with me? It looks like you need it.' And I did.
MARY
Kenna came over for a couple of hours, because I told her I was not dealing with the breakup very well. She rang the doorbell and I answered, in my pajama shorts and Francis' sweatshirt that I'm sure he had forgotten about by now. I had bags under my eyes, and mascara I hadn't taken off last night puddled under my lashes. 'Oh, sweetie. I knew this was going to be hard on you, but I didn't know it was going to be this hard.' Says Kenna, who never had a single hair out of place. 'Will you watch a movie with me?' I asked her, and I knew how painful this was going to be. But sometimes, a girl just has to let it all out. 'Sure, what do you want to watch?' I scanned my movies very slowly. 'How about the notebook?' I asked her. 'I'm always up for that.' She told me. We got halfway through the movie before I turned to her, tears welling up in my eyes. 'Francis hated this movie.' 'Come here' she said patting the couch next to her. I sat next to her, and she held me. At this point, it didn't matter who wanted to comfort me. I just decided to take it.
The doorbell rang suddenly, and Kenna turned to me. 'I'm going on a date with Bash and I told him to pick me up here. I hope that's ok.' I didn't honestly care how Bash saw me so I didn't even try to clean myself up. She swung open the door and the first thing I saw was a very surprised and very messy Francis. Kenna noticed at the same time I did. 'Holy crap. Bash why would you bring Francis to Mary's house?' 'Oh, well I thought maybe she would be in her bed or something. Sorry, guys.' He said, running his fingers through his hair. I wished I had been one of those girls who could just try and win her boyfriend back, but I was a mess instead. 'We were just watching the Notebook.' I said, and I could've sworn I heard Francis mutter, I always hated that movie.
FRANCIS
The first thing I noticed was that she was wearing my sweatshirt. That let me know that she missed me, even if it was a tiny fraction. The next thing I noticed was that she was a mess. A complete and udder mess. Presumably what was right now. I wanted my sweatshirt back, but I also wasn't losing hope. I was going to get her back, somehow. She had been watching the Notebook. I hated that movie, but I watched it for her, to be with her. And the thought of her watching it alone, made me tear up a little bit. I turned away. 'A little dust in my eye.' I laughed it off, but I could tell Mary wasn't buying it. 'Kenna, Bash, I'm sorry, I really tried.' She told them running off to wipe off her tears. I wanted so badly to run in and wipe them for her. I started to move forward, instinctively, but Bash stopped me. 'Let her go, Francis.'
MARY
I wanted him to come after me. To save me, and hold me. Oh, Lord, I wanted I wanted him to hold me. But he didn't come after me, and he wouldn't. I ran upstairs and cried on my bed. The place we had laid together, talking about our lives, the place that we made out, and loved each other. I couldn't make pancakes anymore. I tried once, but I ended up staring at the kitchen table, and when they burned, that just made me cry even more. I was broken like a china doll someone had taken and smashed to the floor. I know I broke up with him, but that didn't make it any easier. I missed him just as much as if he had told me it was over because he couldn't stand me. I missed his perfect curls, and the way he smiled at me when he broke off a kiss.
I collected myself and walked back downstairs, expecting no one to be there anymore. Instead, I see a head of blonde curls staring at the wall. We made eye contact and said 'oh, Francis, hi.' He walked up to me. 'I just wanted to make sure you are ok.' I sighed. 'You can't do this anymore. We aren't dating. It's not your job to take care of me.' It hurt me a lot to say this, and tears started to fall. 'Mary, it is my job. Whether we are together or not, ever since we were little, I've taken care of you. And I'm not going to stop now.' 'I miss you.' I looked up to the ceiling to try to stop the tears. 'I miss everything about you. About us. I miss your kisses, and your cuddles, and your cooking.' he laughed. 'Well, I miss your smile, and your enthusiasm, and the way you love when I bite your lip.' I had an entire list in my head that would have taken years to say. 'I do love it when you do that.' he moved forward, and our lips were only inches apart. My breathing had become labored. 'I want…' he moved closer. 'What do you want Mary?' I didn't even answer him before our lips came crashing down on each other. He pulled on my lip and I smiled.
After an intense five minutes of this, I asked what we were both thinking. 'Does this mean that we are back together?' he looked at me. 'Do you want us to be?' I took his hand and said 'More than anything.' His smile was bigger than I had ever seen it. 'Then I guess we are.'
We walked into school the next day holding hands and smiling. There were whispers, but most of them were about how Greer had thrown herself at him and looked desperate. In a way, I was mad at her, but at the other time, I felt bad for her. When the Valois' and my family had split up, I was the source of the rumors, and it doesn't feel good. I walked into the bathroom before class and saw Greer crying. She worked quickly to wipe away her tears. 'Oh. Congratulations Mary. You got him.' 'Greer, I'm still foggy on what happened, and I'm sorry about the things people are saying, but he was always mine.' Francis later cleared everything up for me, and Greer and I have never been as close as we used to be.
When Kenna heard the news, I think she may have been more excited than I was. She ran towards me and I had to let go of Francis' hand to accept her hug. 'Guys I'm so glad that you are back together. We should totally go on a double date.' I returned to Francis and he put his head on my shoulder while he hugged me. 'Kenna, while it felt like a lifetime, we were only broken up for one day.' I looked at him. 'But I'm sure we would love to go on a double date.' She squealed. 'Great, we'll all meet at the Valois' at 8.' She walked away before either of us had a chance to protest. 'Well, I guess they've been planning that for a while.' He chuckled. 'Yep, I suppose we have a date to get ready for.' He drove me home, and since our breakup was so sudden, he still had some clothes at my house, so we both just got ready there. We acted like we hadn't even broken up, and it was a nice and familiar feeling. We hustled around each other, and we both just changed in front of each other, because we figured, we both had on our undergarments and we would both see each other like this eventually. I wore a pair of jeans and Francis' tee shirt he had lent me, and he wore some sweatpants and his tee shirt. We didn't bother to get too dressed up because we figured we would just be watching a movie and eating popcorn.
We got back to his house and Francis and I just walked in. 'Oh, God.' I yelled, while Francis covered my eyes, and he looked away. Kenna and Bash were lying on the couch, or should I say lying on top of each other, on the couch. Naked, if I might add. Kenna jumped up, concealing herself with her shirt. 'Mary, Francis, you guys are early.' 'We thought we could just start a little earlier. Can I open my eyes now?' I heard some bustling and things being put on. 'We're both decent.' Francis leaned over to me and whispered, 'Mark that as a spot I will never sit again.' 'I missed you.' I told him, and leaned into a kiss. Bash cleared his throat, 'We don't need a repeat of what just happened, kids.' Kenna tried, but failed miserably to conceal the awkwardness. 'Should we start the movie?' 'We'll take the floor.' I said, and Francis agreed.
It was getting late, and the movie had ended about an hour ago. We were all just talking, and Francis asked me if I wanted to sleep over. Kenna told me 'OH, yeah, I'm staying over too. We could all have like a sleepover.' And from the look in Bash's eyes, I would say that was not his intention when he asked her to sleep over. 'In that case, Francis, would you like to stay at my house. For all of our sakes?' I don't think I had ever seen someone nod faster.
We were lying in bed, just talking and watching some TV and relaxing. 'I wonder what Bash and Kenna are doing right now.' I told him. 'I don't know, but I have a pretty good idea.' He smirked. 'I missed you so much. And I don't think I will ever stop telling you that.' He kissed my nose. 'I won't get tired of hearing it, I can tell you that.' We were lying in the dark, when I heard him turn over. 'Mary, I love you.' I turned towards him, blushing in the dark and hoping that he couldn't see. 'I love you too.'
