Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the reviews! I'd like to thank Kelt and sweethart772002. Also sweethart772002, I'd also like to tell you that I've seen your work on deviantart and I must say your artwork is excellent! Keep up the good work!

Also, just to let everyone know, I am fully aware that I have a HUGE run of run-on words and other errors inthe begining of chapter 3. Blech. Don't worry, I'm triple-checking every chapter now before I upload it (although I always miss a few)

Thanks anyway, everyone! On with the story!

DING DONG!

"I'm coming!"

"DING DONG!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

DING DONG! DING DONG!

"Hold your horses, will ya?" Frankie grumbled, making her way hurriedly down the main staircase and towards the door. "Crap, you would have thought Grandma would've put in an elevator by now or somethin-oh!" she cried, startled at finding Mac waiting patiently at outside.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry pal! I wasn't expecting you! Wait, no, you always come at this time, so…I... guess…I…you…argh!" Frankie gave a frustrated groan as she slammed the door.

"Um, rough day?" Mac asked, trying to keep conversation light. Frankie rubbed her temples, sighing heavily.

"Tell me about it! I must've showered four times, and I still can't get the smell of chocolate off of me! God, I was mopping the stuff up for the rest of Saturday until 7:00 at night. Then of course, I spent practically all of yesterday getting rid of all the stuff that dried with a friggin' paint scraper! Oooooh, the friend of yours Mac! How does he manage to pull off the same stunts every day?" she sighed exasperatedly.

"Well, yesterday all he needed was some chocolate pudding-"

"But that's the thing!" Frankie protested, waving her arms wildly for dramatic effect. "We didn't have any chocolate pudding in the house to begin with! In fact, we haven't had any kind of pudding at all in weeks! Now how does that work out with the fact that for the third time in the last six days one of the hallways has become absolutely become coated in the stuff? I mean, my God!" she ranted.

"Well, I'm sure Bloo's sorry…" Mac said softly. Frankie gave him a wan smile and chuckled.

"Yeah, or at least he will be when he finds out what I really did when I went and "made the beds" in his room." She gave Mac a wink as she removed a paddleball from her sweater pocket. "Either he apologizes, or a certain Mr. Paddleball is going to become very good friends with Mr. Saw out in the tool shed, if you know what I mean."

Mac laughed. "Yeah, that'll definitely do the trick. Well, I guess I better go see how he's holding up. Bye Frankie!"

However, rather than respond with a friendly good-bye of her own, Frankie merely took one step sideways, blocking Mac's path. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Well, here they were, together and alone. It was either now or never.

Mac began to grow apprehensive. "Uh, Frankie? Could you kinda move a bit? I kind of gotta go see Bloo." he chuckled nervously

"Not until you and me have a talk." Frankie replied flatly.

Mac suddenly realized by the serious look on her face that she wasn't joking around any more.

What in the world is she doing? he thought worriedly. Oh God, no! If she's found out, Terrence would...

"Talk? Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about!" he said defensively. "I'm just fine! Everything's okay-"

Frankie shook her head sadly, slowly getting down on one knee until she was at his height.

"Mac, please. I've been watching you a lot lately. Something's going on, I know. Just calm down, and tell me-"

"Frankie, nothing's wrong!" Mac snapped, slowly backing off. "Please, I just want to go upstairs-"

"Mac, it's okay! I just want-" Frankie stopped as soon as she noticed the peculiar way the boy was moving as he tried to slink off. With every step he took backwards, one leg wobbled unnaturally.

"What's that?" she demanded, jabbing her finger at the anomaly.

"Nothing!" Mac replied hastily.

"You're limping."

"No, no I'm not!"

"Mac, for God's sake, you can barely stand on that thing!" Frankie cried out in horror.

"No, it's okay, see? I'm just fin-HEY!" he protested loudly as Frankie descended upon him in one swoop. Immediately the panicked Mac began to wrestle desperately from her grip, yelling loudly in protest.

"No, Frankie, no! I'm fine! I'm fine! Please, let go! I'm okay, just put me down! Frankie!"

"Aha!" Frankie cried triumphantly, pulling up a pant leg to reveal a massive black and blue bruise. However, she only got to see it for a second before Mac freed himself with one last desperate tug, squirming from the girl's arms and back to the floor.

"Just fine my ass! What was that? What was that?" Frankie inquired, pointing accusingly at Mac.

"Accident." He replied lamely, choosing to look down at the floor rather than make eye contact.

"Oh yeah?" said Frankie, raising an eyebrow. "Really? What kind of accident?"

"Um, er, Wilt and I, we were playing basketball outside yesterday, and he-"

"Mac." Frankie interrupted. "At this very moment, Wilt is up in the bathroom right now. And you know why? Because he still hasn't cleaned all the pudding that got in his fur when he was helping me clean it up most of Saturday and ALL of Sunday."

"No wait, Frankie, uh, I just remembered!" Mac sputtered. "Uh, it wasn't with Wilt, me and Ed-"

"Mac, will you knock it off already? Please, you don't need to lie to me!"

"I wasn't lying!" Mac protested angrily, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Mac, c'mon pal! It's me! You can tell me what's going on!"

"Frankie, no! I said it before, nothing's wrong!"

"Is it Terrence? What's he done? What's Terrence been doing to you?"

"NO! He hasn't done anything, Frankie will you just-"

"What did he tell you? Did he threaten you?"

"Will you please just-"

"Is it someone else? Is Terrence working with someone else on this?"

"Frankie, I-"

"It's going to be okay, if you'll just-"

Frankie's constant barrage of questions was just too much. Mac, who had already been on the edge for days, just couldn't take it anymore. He just couldn't suppress the frenzy of emotions that raged about inside him much longer; the anger he felt at Terrence and his lousy friends. The fury he felt at being used constantly as a tool. The pure vehemence he felt at it all just because he felt so utterly helpless to do anything about any of what was happening. And, once the irritation he felt at Frankie right now was added to the mix, it was just too much for him to hold down any longer. Mac just couldn't withstand the pressure anymore, he...he...

Mac cracked. It was just too much. Suddenly the little boy erupted full blast, a deadly mixture of rage and frustration spewing forth, ready to engulf anyone in its path. And there was only one other person present it could be directed upon...

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, FRANKIE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Instantly Frankie went silent, almost shocked beyond the ability to speak.

"Wha-what?" she replied, stunned.

"You heard me!" Mac continued to yell, hot tears of rage streaming down his face. "Shut up, just shut up Frankie! What the hell is your problem? Why do you have to make it your business to stick your damn nose in my life whenever you feel like it? Just who the hell do you think you are? Why do you have to treat me like a baby all the time? News flash, Frankie; YOU'RE NOT MY MOM! You're a twenty-two year old with a crappy job you got just because your grandmother runs this place! Why is my life suddenly your business? I can do things on my own! I don't need some redheaded weirdo barging into my life whenever she feels like it! I can take care of myself! You don't have to excuse yourself from your duties as a maid to baby-sit me!"

"What are you…why…a maid?" Frankie managed to say. Mac went on with the verbal lashing, unable to contain the pent-up frustration that he took out on the only available target.

"Yeah, that's right, I said it! You're nothing but a stupid maid! Four years in college, and that's all you do! And I don't need someone who doesn't know anything else except what's for dinner tonight or when the wash is done pushing me around and telling me what to do! Just go back to the kitchen, or the laundry room, or whatever! JUST STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE!" Mac screeched, finally ending with a hoarse sob.

For a few moments, all Frankie could do was stand stock still, as if the outburst had completely petrified her. Slowly however, her face began to distort from a look of shock to one of ugly rage and betrayal. Lifting an accusing finger, shaking with anger, she finally regained her ability to speak, which she immediately used to let lose her own full fury.

"So…that's it? THAT'S IT? FINE! Why the hell am I wasting my time with you, anyway? I have a job, I have important things to do, I have my own life to live! Why am I spending it in your crappy childish fantasy world? So I can get some half-assed help with mopping the damn floors? Well, guess what, I don't need you either! I'm a grown young woman, what the fuck do I want with an eight-year old kid? You know what, what do I care about you? You're just some snobby little brat who shows up every day just because your mommy won't let you have your stupid imaginary friend anymore. So just go, where I just don't give a horse's ass! Go off, go play your games of make-believe, go get your butt kicked by your older brother! I just don't give a damn! Keep your goddamn life, just KEEP ME OUT OF IT!" Frankie screamed as she unsuccessfully tried to fight back the tears that pooled up in her own eyes.

"That's it, I'm outta here!" Mac yelled, grabbing his bag and marching out the door. "Oh, and don't get trapped your stupid pony-tail trapped in the washing machine, jerk!" he cried, before running off. Frankie furiously raced to the door, calling out after him.

"Ha ha, very funny! Well you know what? That mopping job you did for me? Well, it totally SUCKED!"

And with that, she angrily slammed the door, closing it so hard it almost flew right off it's hinges. With a whimper Frankie covered her eyes and sank to the floor.

What the hell? What the hell just happened? she thought bewilderedly. All I wanted to do was help him out, and he just blew up on me! Why...why did...

As she remembered all the hateful things Mac said earlier, her tears of sadness quickly transformed to tears of pure rage.

Maid...just a maid! Why that little...fine! Fine! If that little punk wants to do whatever the hell he wants, then fine! What do I care, anyway? I was right to tell him off! Why do I even let him hang around me? I don't need him! I don't-

Suddenly, another door flew open nearby as Mr. Herriman hopped out from his office, looking extremely flustered.

"Miss Francis, what on earth is the meaning of all this racket? You know precisely well that-"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" Frankie demanded with a shriek.

"Aaaa! Carry on!" the oversized rabbit said in fright, quickly whirling about and retreating back through his office doors. Once he was gone, Frankie buried her face in her hands and silently wept.

Quite possibly the angriest chapter I've written yet.

There's plenty more storyfrom where that came from!