AN: As promised, it's Theresa's birthday. I recently came across a couple of magazine articles from the movie's press tour, in which the actors & the real Frankie gave their insights. Reading them helped me a lot w/ inspiration. And again, part of me is happy about the issue w/ my previous account. It's enabled me to add more depth to the chapters, as I re-type them.
"Well, he-llo, Miss Knockout!"
Theresa giggled, doing a little show-offy twirl. The reason for Crewe's comment was her choice of bathing suit: white with red straps and tiny cherries all over it. Today was June fourteenth. It was her seventeenth birthday, and it also marked a full week since she'd first met her brother and the guys. She thought it was really sweet, how they were throwing her a small pool party at the producer's apartment building. Well, maybe, "palace" was a more apt description. Tommy and Nick were already outside, and could see her, staring down through the window. They both looked up at her from their spots in the water, smiling mischievously.
The former cupped his hands around his mouth and sang loudly, "Reesi! Reesi, baby!"
The latter added, "Why don't you come out?"
She giggled, holding up a finger and mouthing the words "One minute." Crewe, who'd been watching the whole thing, chuckled under his breath in amusement as he put some beers in a cooler.
He said, "I've known these guys for longer than you have, sweetie, and I still haven't figured them out."
"Maybe, some things aren't meant to be figured out."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Once permission to enter was given, a familiar face stepped inside. Bob, whose arms were weighed down by the bags of party supplies, smiled broadly when he saw Theresa.
"Hey, Rees. Happy Birthday."
"Thanks so much, especially for the party. I know I said it before, but you really didn't-"
"We wanted to. You heading down to the pool?"
"Yeah, once I get my towl and sunglasses, and put on some extra sunblock."
"Alright. You look pretty, by the way."
She thanked him again, before gathering her needed items and heading downstairs to the pool. Tommy smiled when he saw his sister.
He smacked the water and said, "So nice of ya to finally grace us with your presence, milady!"
She just smiled and shook her head. It was quiet for a minute, until her brother splashed her as she spread her towel over a beach chair.
"Geez! What was that for?!"
He didn't respond, except for laughing at her brief look of anger.
Then, Nick asked, "Enjoyin' your special day so far?"
"Totally", she replied as she sat down, "I couldn't ask for more."
Tommy said, "I betcha can't wait to tear into the presents we got ya."
"I have patience."
"Sure, ya do."
"Hey, not everyone on the planet is exactly like you, you know."
"And I pity 'em for it."
She giggled and made a chuffing sound, before sitting down ans applying the lotion. She'd noted the tiny smile Nick made, when her brother mentioned presents. The reason for that was because his gift had arrived earlier in the day: a dozen fire-and-ice roses. The name came from how each blossom started out white, and slowly turned a deep red at the edges of the petals. They were meant to symbolize someone innocent, but who still had a passionate spirit. Theresa had just put on her sunglasses, and she was leaning against the back of the chair, when Bob and Crewe joined them by the pool.
Bob asked, "Hey, where's Frankie? He should've been here by now."
Tommy replied, "I told ya, he's gettin' the pizzas. Simma' down."
Thank goodness, he didn't notice how Theresa's breath hitched at his mention of the lead singer. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Her heart fluttered whenever she thought of his "Aw, shucks" smile. He was such a warm, sweet, funny person. He'd give somebody the shirt off his back if he could, and find a way to get them a new shirt if he couldn't. She admired that a great deal, plus the "Never say die" attitude she, herself, struggled to keep at times. She flashed back to that first handshake, the sense of safety she got as his hand gently closed around hers. She wondered if he, too, felt that static spark against his palm. Her own palm twinged at the recall, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. She covered her emotions by forcing a cough and opening the glass bottle of Dr. Pepper, which Crewe had placed next to her seat.
She'd barely put the bottle to her lips, when her brother suddenly called out, "Speak of the devil!"
"Hey, can it, a'right? Traffic was brutal."
There was a momentary struggle not to choke on the bit of soda in her mouth, before she stood up and turned around. She watched Frankie enter the pool area, sunglasses hiding his eyes, and carrying three pizza boxes on his right shoulder. Nobody noticed how the singer nearly dropped those boxes, when he saw Theresa. She looked, in a word, stunning. A couple strands of her hair danced in the slight breeze. Her sunglasses looked like something a movie star would wear. And that bathing suit...a corner-of-the-eye glimpse of balloons yanked him back to Earth. He smiled and put the boxes down on a nearby table, beckoning her over and pulling her into a hug.
"How's the birthday girl doin', huh?"
"I am fantastic."
She badly wanted to add the words "now that you're here" to the end of that sentence, but she was too scared. She gave one last squeeze, before pulling away from his cocoon-like embrace. Her smile remained, as she watched Tommy climb out of the pool.
He walked over and asked, "So, what do we got here, Frankie?"
"Well, ya didn't give specifics on the phone, so I had to use my best judgement. The bottom one's pepperoni, the middle one's chopped meat, and the top one's Hawaiian style."
"Sounds good to me."
Nick chimed in from the background: "With that cast-iron stomach, everythin' sounds good to you."
Tommy smiled, as he gave his friend the finger. He went to open the boxes, only to have his hand slapped away by his sister.
"What's with you?"
"It's not time yet. Wasn't I just talking to you about patience?"
"She's got ya there, man", Frankie said through slight laughter.
"Shut up."
Theresa chided, "Be nice."
She then returned her attention to the singer, shrugging her shoulders and apologizing for Tommy's behavior. Unfortunately for Frankie, or fortunately as a dark voice in the back of his mind whispered, that movement caused a brief, slight puffing of her chest. He instantly felt his mouth go dry, and he took a couple quick steps backwards. She asked him where he was going.
He told her, "I, uh...I have to go get my trunks. I'll be right back. I promise."
"Okay."
Once he was back inside, and away from anyone else who might see him, Frankie released the breath he'd been holding. Clamping his eyes shut, he banged his head backwards against the wall.
The same mantra repeated over and over in his mind: "She's Tommy's sister."
Slowly, the pain radiated around to his forehead and began to block out other feelings. Messaging the space between his eyes, he mentally prayed they stayed blocked. He just had to pretend she was his sister, too. He could do that. Pretending was part of his job as an entertainer, after all. When he got back outside a bit later, Theresa was sitting on the ground with her legs in the pool. She and Nick, who was leaning on the wall next to her, were in a deep conversation. Tommy was a few feet away, sunglasses on and arms crossed behind his head, as he soaked up the sun's rays. He shifted position, at hearing his friend's approaching footsteps.
From the side of his mouth, he said, "Took ya long enough."
"Shut up."
He smirked and adjusted his sunglasses. Just over twenty minutes later, it was time to hand out the presents. Bob, knowing she shared his love of books, gave Theresa a copy of "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
He said, "It's pretty scary at times, but you told me you liked a lot of the 'who dun it?' types of stories."
"Yeah, I do. Thanks a lot."
Crewe's gift was next. Theresa's eyes widened slightly, when she took off the wrapping and saw the famous Tiffany's logo. Inside was a small silver music box.
"It's a little...gorgeous."
He gave a soft chuckle and said, "It plays 'Moon River'. A classy song for a classy girl."
"Aw..."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek in thanks. Tommy was third to hand over his gift. It was jewelry, specifically a pair of earrings. Clear diamonds were arranged in the shape of lillies, with yellow diamonds forming the anthers.
"Wow", she said, "These are-wait."
A question she hated, but one that still had to be asked nonetheless, suddenly crossed her mind. She turned to her right and made direct eye-contact with Tommy.
She said, "Please, tell me these didn't" and she made air-quotes, "fall off a truck."
He flashed a smile and replied, "Nah. I picked 'em out, right afta' RCA Victor sent us the advance for our next song."
"Cool. When's that happening, by the way?"
He gestured at Bob, saying, "Ask the genuis."
"Hey, I'm doing the best I can. I'm just having trouble, coming up with a title to inspire me."
"Don't worry about it, Bobby", Theresa said, "Let the ideas come naturally."
He smiled, but he didn't get the chance to respond further. The reason for that happened, when Tommy looked over his shoulder and asked Frankie where his gift was.
The singer told him, "Mine won't be comin' for another two weeks. I hope that's okay."
When Theresa asked why, he went over to the table and opened his duffle bag. He took out an envelope, handing it to her with a sneaky grin on his face. Inside the envelope was an adoption certificate, along with a photograph of a white puppy. Her jaw fell slightly open.
"Wha-how? When did you...? What breed is this?"
"Finally, a full sentence."
He chuckled at the brief, annoyed look on her face. He patted her shoulder as he sat on the edge of the pool.
He continued, "It's a Great Pyrenees. Ya said you've been wantin' one for years."
"Well...yeah, but-"
"No 'buts', doll."
Her stomach flipped, just as it did every other time he called her that.
She listened as he said, "I got a connect, who's a breeder of large dogs. This pup's a boy. I figured he could protect ya, whenever we're not around."
Theresa didn't know what to say. A bit of awkwardness set in, which Tommy ended up beng the one to break.
He clapped his hands and said, "A'right. A'right. Enough sappy. Let's get to the chow."
She must've been hungry, because her plate was loaded down with three slices of the Hawaiian-style pizza. She was smiling mid-chew, as Bob took a seat on the chair beside hers.
"Look like you've got something on your mind, Bobby."
"Nothing big. I was just wondering, how you convinced your mother to allow you to hang out with us like this. She must trust you a lot."
Theresa let out a breath, her eyes flicking down at the ground. The others noticed this. They'd all been wondering why, over the past week, she'd never once brought up her mother. Why would the keyboardist's comment provoke such a reaction from her?
Tommy asked, "What's goin' on there, Rees?"
"I, uh...I'm not really sure what my mom's feelings toward all this would be. She died a month-and-a-half ago."
"Oh, God...I'm so sorry, doll."
She gave Frankie a tiny, appreciative smile.
Then, Nick asked, "If you don't mind my askin', what exactly killed her?"
"Cancer. The doctor said she had leukemia. She was so tough about it. She tried to hide her symptoms from me."
"Sounds like somethin' my mom would do."
"Yeah. She thought I never noticed how she kept rubbing her joints, or how she brushed her teeth, like, five times a day. The medicine they gave made her sick."
That last sentence was meant in regards to the confused look on Tommy's face.
Bob then asked, "But then, don't you have some other guardian, who gave you permission to be here?"
She told him, "You'd think so, but I don't."
"Why not?"
"Originally, one of my cousins and his wife were supposed to take me. But then, his mother-in-law broke her hip, and she hand to move in with them temporarily to recover. They had enough stress on their minds, and I didn't want to be another one. So, I took matters into my own hands."
Nick asked her what she meant.
She replied, "I drove down to the courthouse and got this new thing called emancipation. I had to fit certain rules, in order to receive it."
"Like what", Frankie asked.
"I needed a valid driver's license. Check. I needed to be able to cook from scratch. Check. I needed to have a decent job. Again, check-it's babysitting, by the way. I found that through a program in my high-school's career center."
"Hey, that's how I got my job at the barbershop, back in the day. I was about your age."
For some reason, knowing that about him warmed Theresa's heart. Then, he asked her what the last rule was.
She said, "I had to know how to balance a checkbook. I was still kind of wobbly with that one, but I knew enough to fit the requirment. Mom was already teaching me the basics, a couple of months before she passed. I think she...I think she was preparing for the inevitable."
Nobody would ever know it, but Tommy was filled with extreme regret in that moment. He'd referred to his almost-stepmother as "some broad". Now that he was getting to know her through her daughter, he wished she'd lived at least a few weeks longer. He would've really liked to have met her. Clearing his throat, he looked over at where Crewe was standing next to the portable radio.
He said, "Could ya turn dat up? It sounds good."
"Of course, it's good, baby. It's Elvis."
Seconds later, the small speakers were blasting "Jailhouse Rock". Luckily, Theresa didn't seem to mind the interruption. In fact, she appeared to welcome it. She'd never laughed so hard in her life, as Nick and Tommy lifted and spun her around while the song played. Bob had gone back inside for a few minutes, because he was helping Crewe carry out the dessert. And Frankie...he didn't trust himself enough to touch the birthday girl, without Tommy seeing the look on his face and getting suspicious. He needed to calm down. He couldn't imagine what she must be going through, with the loss of her mother being so fresh. The idea made him want to drive back to his childhood house, and hug his own mom. He felt honored to be the light in her current darkness, and he wondered if the other guys felt the same. A few minutes later, from the corner of his eye, he saw movement at the building's side door. Bob and Crewe emerged with big smiles on their faces, the former holding bags of paper plates and plastic forks, and the latter holding a white box.
To get everyone else's attention, Bob called out, "We come bearing gifts!"
Theresa immediately stopped dancing and turned around, rushing over to help the keyboardist.
"No worries, Rees. I got this."
"You sure? It looks like a lot."
"How about the looks of this", Crewe asked from behind them.
She watched him place the box on the table, flip open the lid, and turn the box around.
"Behold...ze cake!"
Theresa's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. There was white frosting, with pink sugar seashells all around the sides. She was told that the inside was white, too, with lemon-flavored jelly between the layers. It was a summer cake for a summer girl. Crewe was chuckling softly, as he lit the "1" and "7" candles. She barely registered them, singing to her, though she did come back to herself when Frankie hit a really high note. They briefly locked eyes across the cake, and the corner of Theresa's mouth twitched up.
Tommy put his arm around her shoulders and said, "Ya gonna make a wish, or what?"
She glanced around at the expectant looks on everyone's faces, taking a short, deep breath as a sentimental look crossed her features.
She said, "I don't think I need to. Not this time."
Tommy chuckled under his breath and kissed her temple, holding her hair back as she blew out the candles. She gave a return kiss to his cheek, before cutting herself the first piece. She took a seat next to Bob, after he'd cut a piece of his own.
She asked him, "So, back to something from earlier. Why do you think you're having trouble with the next song?"
"I don't know. I just...I guess I've been so caught up in the rush of 'Sherry', and...I don't know", he chuckled softly before finishing, "I really don't know."
"I do. You're pushing yourself too hard. It's like the old saying, 'A Watched Pot Never Boils'."
"Whoever invented that saying wasn't in the music business."
She huffed, patting his back twice and saying, "Just relax. You'll be fine."
It took roughly half an hour to finish everything up. Frankie noticed how Theresa was struggling, trying to fold the pizza boxes and tie them together. That was supposed to make it easier to throw them away. Stifling a laugh, he walked over and asked if she needed help. Though it was a question, they both knew he'd do it regardless.
"Here...I'll hold 'em together, and you tie the chord."
"Thanks."
"It's no trouble, Rees. What do ya take me for?"
He smiled, when that made her giggle. Still, he ignored the knot in his stomach that formed, as he watched a faint blush come to her cheeks. Then, out of nowhere, a low rumble of thunder poured across the sky. Tiny raindrops started falling.
"I think we should get inside now, doll."
"You think?"
Both were laughing, as they jogged back into the building. Theresa couldn't help thinking of what Nick had told her a week ago, back at the restaurant. If this day was any indication of how the "wild ride" was going to be in the future, she con't be more excited. Bring it on.
AN: I hope you liked my little dip into Theresa's backstory, as well as the under-the-surface sparks between her & Frankie. I'm trying my best to get all the guys' personalities right. The next chapter will feature 3 of my favorite scenes from the movie back-to-back. I look forward to your input.