Bianca was the first to wake up and she yawned, stretched and then smiled as she saw Frankie laying beside her. A small part of her thought that when she woke up she'd be alone and Frankie would be gone. Bianca slowly got out of bed and picked up her purse. She pulled her cellphone out and dialed her mother's number.
"Jackson? Any news about Bianca?" came the worried voice over the phone.
"Mom, it's me, I'm fine."
"Bianca, sweetheart, I've been so worried, where have you been?"
"With Frankie."
"You get home right this minute or-,"
"Or what mom? You'll ground me, forbid me to see her? Well go ahead but it'll only hurt you in the end, I love Frankie, why can't you understand that? I love her!"
"No, Bianca calm down, I know right now you think that you love her but when you have a few days to think about it you'll realize this is just a crush."
"Mom, if Frankie were a boy we wouldn't even be having this conversation, if you can't accept Frankie being in my life then I'll come home, pack my bags and you'll never see me again," and then she hung up.
Bianca turned off the phone and climbed back into the bed. She sat there with her knees drawn up to her chin and watched Frankie sleep.
Frankie woke up and the first face she saw was Bianca and she smiled.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Bianca said with a smile.
"Good morning," Frankie replied yawning. "What time is it?"
"Just after ten."
"Wow, I slept like a baby."
"Yeah, you look really beautiful when you sleep."
Frankie smiled and looked down feeling suddenly vulnerable.
"Well, we'd better get going."
"Where?" Frankie asked looking up.
"To find me a job."
"What?"
"I'm moving out, I need to get my own apartment, thus I need a job."
"Bianca, I can't let you do that!!"
Bianca was a little baffled by the passion in Frankie's voice.
"Why can't I?"
"You just can't, I won't let you ruin your life for me, I'd rather leave and never look back than let you do this."
Bianca wondered where all of this was coming from. "Frankie-,"
"No, Bianca promise me, you're going to need Erica after--" Frankie bit her lip before she could say 'after I ruin your life'.
"After what?"
"After a few years, if you do this, you'll regret it, forever."
"She doesn't accept me!"
"It's me she doesn't accept and in a few months you'll be 18, then you can make a decision about this, but not now."
"Okay, I'll wait, but until then I won't let her keep me away from you."
"And I won't let her scare me away," Frankie said with a smile.
"What did my mother say to you anyway?"
"She just said she loves you and she doesn't want me to hurt you."
"That's all?" Bianca asked skeptically.
"Yeah, so don't be mad at her. You'd better get home though, I wouldn't be surprised if she called the police or something."
"You're right but...I have to tell you something first."
"What would that be?" asked Frankie resting her chin on her knees.
"I love you," Bianca smiled and then she was gone.
Frankie tried to stop her eyes from welling up at such a simple declaration. No one had ever really said those words to her and meant them, she had had plenty of boyfriends who would tell her they loved her but from Bianca she actually believed it.
"Jackson? Any news about Bianca?" came the worried voice over the phone.
"Mom, it's me, I'm fine."
"Bianca, sweetheart, I've been so worried, where have you been?"
"With Frankie."
"You get home right this minute or-,"
"Or what mom? You'll ground me, forbid me to see her? Well go ahead but it'll only hurt you in the end, I love Frankie, why can't you understand that? I love her!"
"No, Bianca calm down, I know right now you think that you love her but when you have a few days to think about it you'll realize this is just a crush."
"Mom, if Frankie were a boy we wouldn't even be having this conversation, if you can't accept Frankie being in my life then I'll come home, pack my bags and you'll never see me again," and then she hung up.
Bianca turned off the phone and climbed back into the bed. She sat there with her knees drawn up to her chin and watched Frankie sleep.
Frankie woke up and the first face she saw was Bianca and she smiled.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Bianca said with a smile.
"Good morning," Frankie replied yawning. "What time is it?"
"Just after ten."
"Wow, I slept like a baby."
"Yeah, you look really beautiful when you sleep."
Frankie smiled and looked down feeling suddenly vulnerable.
"Well, we'd better get going."
"Where?" Frankie asked looking up.
"To find me a job."
"What?"
"I'm moving out, I need to get my own apartment, thus I need a job."
"Bianca, I can't let you do that!!"
Bianca was a little baffled by the passion in Frankie's voice.
"Why can't I?"
"You just can't, I won't let you ruin your life for me, I'd rather leave and never look back than let you do this."
Bianca wondered where all of this was coming from. "Frankie-,"
"No, Bianca promise me, you're going to need Erica after--" Frankie bit her lip before she could say 'after I ruin your life'.
"After what?"
"After a few years, if you do this, you'll regret it, forever."
"She doesn't accept me!"
"It's me she doesn't accept and in a few months you'll be 18, then you can make a decision about this, but not now."
"Okay, I'll wait, but until then I won't let her keep me away from you."
"And I won't let her scare me away," Frankie said with a smile.
"What did my mother say to you anyway?"
"She just said she loves you and she doesn't want me to hurt you."
"That's all?" Bianca asked skeptically.
"Yeah, so don't be mad at her. You'd better get home though, I wouldn't be surprised if she called the police or something."
"You're right but...I have to tell you something first."
"What would that be?" asked Frankie resting her chin on her knees.
"I love you," Bianca smiled and then she was gone.
Frankie tried to stop her eyes from welling up at such a simple declaration. No one had ever really said those words to her and meant them, she had had plenty of boyfriends who would tell her they loved her but from Bianca she actually believed it.