A/N: First of all, sorry if it took me this long to update. I swear I wanted to finish this story, but a lot has happened since July. For one, there was this girl who took over my head for 2 months and I couldn't write a SINGLE DAMN THING even if I wanted too. I can't write whenever I'm happy.

It's only half of the update. As much as I want to give it all, I don't do anything half-assed, as I'm still trying to get everything back on track. But to all those who are still with me, read on.

8a –Rootless Tree

- And here we are rebuilding roads,

Right by roosting towns

It's just like a love

The one that's never been enough

- Bon Iver (brackett, wi)

They're all starting to get old. The partying, the drugs, the booze, the sex—they're all slowly melting into meaninglessness. Mini wonders if all the others feel the same way. Or are they just all wearing the same bored expression she's wearing herself because apart from those, they had nothing else to do?

Was it because they're all clueless about who they are and what they want in life?

Mini had always known what she wanted. She knew how to get them. She wanted to have a nice figure, and so she dutifully disciplined herself to working out everyday and controlling her food intake every now and then. She wanted a boyfriend to furnish her near-perfect image and she had Nick. She had always been so sure. Though that never meant she always admitted to herself every single thing her heart longed for.

Like Franky. Mini doesn't suppress a chuckle when she remembers how she felt scattered everywhere when Franky almost ran her over. Suddenly, Mini felt her everywhere, and she didn't know what to do. That was the moment Mini discovered that internal war does exist. That it's possible for your heart to want some things that may never sit well with your head.

Her heart taught her how to care. But her mind told her how to be jealous. Her heart taught her to be bold and take whatever the world has to offer but her mind never reminded her to share.

Then only this week, Franky converged her. And that's when everything fell into place for Mini. Because now she understood, that it doesn't have to be that way. If she loves Franky, then she'd also love whatever makes her feel okay. She'd love her happiness, even if it didn't include her.

Wait—love? Yeah, maybe Mini loves her. Maybe in a different way she loves Liv and Grace. Maybe it's a little bit more than a love she's ever felt for someone. That should tell her why she was scared in the beginning, and why in the end, this fear was banished in an instant when Frank chose to stay that night.

So when Rich came up with the idea of road trip (sort of, because Napalm Death will be all over England, and maybe beyond) she had been more than willing to participate, and not weigh down the group with a petulant no.

It was a good start and they all looked at her with weird expression on their faces as if to say, "Fucking really? You're not putting up a fight on this?"

What she hadn't anticipated though, was Franky's reaction which sent her back at square one thinking, what had gone wrong this time?

Franky doesn't show up on the day they leave for the tour. Mini avoids Nick's gaze as he informs them that Matty won't make it today, but he'll follow them at the opening of the tour. Things are still a bit sketchy between Franky and Rich too, and they haven't spoken to one another since Franky bolted on everyone three days ago. Alo and Rich loaded the truck while Nick accompanied the girls to buy snacks and drinks and shoplift a few bottles of beer as well.

Grace is quiet as she surveys the isle for basic necessities such as toilet papers and cheap toothbrush. Apparently, most of the boys only brought some clothes and were lacking almost every product required for basic hygiene.

"You ok, Grace?" Liv asks all of the sudden as she discreetly tucks a Snickers bar inside her pocket.

"Fine." Grace answers, exactly in a way she did when she rehearsed a scene with Mini in it. That, in its self told them otherwise.

Liv frowns and presses on. "Are you sure about that?"

Grace ignores her and proceeds to the next aisle. "I presume at least one of us is going to get wasted on the road, so I'm grabbing all the water I can fit in my arms."

Nick gives her a dirty look which Grace returns with pleasure. "Yes, I'm talking about you Nick."

"Whoa! Seize fire, princess. Besides, I'm going to be on my best behavior. Isn't that right, Mins?" He winks at Mini, flashing a shit-eating grin that couldn't be any less than a Levan trademark. Liv's gaze bounces from him to Mini and she shakes her head. Whatever's going on, she doesn't like it. She'd seen that look on Nick's face. It's what he used to have for her and never for Mini when they were together. She keeps this to herself though, smirking to herself before turning to towards a shelf of candies and subtly sneaking a few inside her jacket's inner pocket, right where they're safe.

"Hey Nick, why don't you go over there and… I don't know, make your self useful? Grab a toothbrush or something." Liv says, and Nick scampers off, but not before muttering some profanity directed at her.

Mini snorts, rolling her eyes. It's been a long time since she's had a good time. But despite this, she still can't betray her feelings of disappointment upon seeing it's highly probably that Franky won't be joining them. It could have been a good opportunity to try their friendship without complications and misunderstandings. It really could.

Liv turns to Mini, her eyes scanning her flat coat and asks, "Aren't you going to...?"

"What?" Mini asks, voice laced with confusion.

Liv makes some random gestures with the hand inside her pocket, indicating the stuff she illegally picked from the store.

"Oh." Of course, she used to be the one who steals a lot. "No, thanks I'm good." Mini explains with a smile.

"Here," Liv unloads some candies, shoving them into Mini's jacket.

"Make your pockets useful and hold these for me, will you? I'm grabbing more beer."

Typical Liv. Mini wonders for a moment if like weed, Liv gets her high from this. She feels them in her pocket, remembering a time when she didn't give much thought about anything she says or do.

Click.

Franky lazily glances at photo she just took. She'd been in her room for hours, refusing to get out of bed, taking pictures of the ceiling. She'd learn a few things during the short time she'd spent shooting the blank concrete above her head. Most of them weren't about photography or ceilings.

Some of them were about her self. Most of them were about Mini.

Franky makes sure she's locked the door before she dives a shaking hand inside her jacket's inner pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. Her dads won't be pleased if they ever find their adopted daughter sneaking cigarettes or rolls of spliff inside their house. She sticks a Marlboro into her mouth, and deeply inhales, willing to calm her senses as she tries to wrap her head around her recent fit.

The last time this happened was when Mini McGuiness bared her past, flaunting its ugly head across the hall, while up front appearing all innocent and clueless about it.

The last time this happened, it's because Mini's pushed the limits and she's had enough.

And now, it's because she can't even think about Mini without the fear that something wrong might happen again. What's even more unnerving is the realization that she's never cared for anyone this much before. She's even more mortified to find out that she doesn't absolutely have any idea how it happened.

Click. It happened, just like that. A flash of light blinded her eyes and when she opened them again, she looked at things differently. It's like suddenly, she was no longer seeing in black and white. There were colors. They were blonde, pale and freckled.

They were beautiful.

Then her mind drifts to Matty. And she tries hard to remember how they shared a connection and how she thought it was anything but ordinary. How exclusive it was and not at all friendly, but during the difficult times where Matty had to earn back some of his father's trust, Franky couldn't care any less. She tried to find it in herself to be involved, but in the end he had avoided her, pushed her away.

And she was okay. It didn't affect her that sometimes he won't let her in.

"Franky!" James voice booms from the living room. "Someone's here to see you!"

Shit. Franky scampers towards the windows, opens them wide open, letting the smoke escape her bedroom leisurely. She grabs a near empty bottle of perfume and proceeds to spray it all over her lithe body. Next she gets out of her sleepwear and put on a decent tank. She grabs a pair of khakis that has been lying around for ages on her bed. She glances at mirror quickly. Finally, she takes a deep breath before dashing downstairs, willing her perfume to win over the smell of nicotine which is stubbornly clinging onto her skin.

Yep, it's a bad idea to do that in her room.

She fails to hide it though, when James grimaces right when she breezed by him.

Matty's waiting for her at the door.

It's no surprise, but that doesn't mean Franky's ready to deal with him (or if she's being completely honest, anyone) yet. She hasn't figured out any explanation for her interesting behavior lately, and she's not sure if she'll ever come up with one at all.

"I've been thinking," he clears his throat. "We should be honest once and for all."

Franky nods once and they head outside, where if not for the bleakness of their faces it should be easy to say that it's going to be a fine morning.

They stop by a neighboring playground, and sits side by side on the swing. It's Matty who breaks the long silence.

"You've changed."

Franky looks up at him. "No, I haven't." She hasn't. She's still the same person who made an awkward entrance, who got her face shoved in the mud when the morning's not even far from over.

She's still Franky... except she isn't. Matty told her otherwise.

"You have, and it's so fucking obvious."

"What do you want from me?"

Matty's eyes widen in surprise and hurt, because really, why does she even have to ask that?

"I want you, Franky." After a beat, he adds, "There, that's exactly what I'm talking about."

"You need to stop talking in riddles, Matty. I'm not up for some fucking mind games. What's going on?"

He stares at her, the truth struggling free from his mouth. "You don't love me anymore..."

It hit Franky unexpectedly like a lightning. The worse kind, the one that strikes a person dead in no time.

She felt terrible at once, knowing how much she'd been aware of that long before today. Maybe longer before he figured it out.

"Matty..."

"...You love her." He finishes flatly with a humorless smile.

Franky quietly moves herself back and forth, her eyes being unable to focus on anything else but the solitary grass beneath her feet.

Thing is, she's not entirely sure she'd be telling the right thing with neither a 'yes' or a 'no'. Because if she's being completely honest— and she's never really been that- then she'd tell Matty how she wanted to kiss Mini again, to see if she does. If something's there. Except, she can't really tell Matty how much the mere thought of it is making her tremble. That she's scared of what's going to come when she does, because she's losing control.

So Franky settles with, the one thing she does know. "I just care about her, Matty."

"That's alright. I know. I can see it."

Franky nods, and suddenly, it's like she too, is coming to terms with herself. It seems though that he wants to say something else, but thought better of it.

"So I guess I have to leave now." Matty finally says it like a grand conclusion, even though Franky can't really tell when things began and where it ended.

She wants to ask what he means— if he's just saying a temporary goodbye much like 'see you later' or if he's going to disappear again- but in the end she keeps her silence.

She watches him go, notices the slight slump in his shoulders as he disappears around a corner. With Matty nowhere in sight, she wonders what to do next.