Frankie woke up with a fright. There was a giant green face hovering over them. They yelped jumping backwards but, as they were at the edge of their bed, they fell onto the floor with a hard thump and a pop from their shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Frankie asked frantically as they recognized Viktor.
"I'm sorry, honey." Viktor said, "I was worried that you wouldn't wake up. Science of the life spark is complicated. The first 48 hours is crucial after giving life. Half of the mice and monkeys only lived for 24 hours before dying in their sleep."
Frankie gave him a look that probably did not convey how terrifying that prospect was. They had only been alive a day and they might not live for another.
"Oh." Viktor said, "Sorry. It's been 26 hours so far so I am confident in this."
"Riiiight." Frankie said unconvinced.
They went to stand but let out a squeak. Looking at their right shoulder, it just didn't look right.
"Oh, Frankie." Viktor said, "Are you alright? Let me help."
Frankie nodded. Viktor grabbed their upper arm and instructed them to pull away as hard as they could. They did as they were told and their shoulder popped back in it's socket.
"Thank you." Frankie said as Viktor helped them up.
"Breakfast?" Victor said.
"Breakfast?"
"Food for the mornings." Viktor explained.
"Yes please!" Frankie grinned, "I just need to use the bathroom."
Frankie met Viktor and Mary in the kitchen, their parents waiting patiently at the table.
"Bacon and eggs." Mary said without prompting, then gestured to the four pitchers and two pots on the table. "Apple juice, scorpion blood, orange juice and hydra milk. We also have hot tea and coffee."
"You can try them all if you like." Viktor added, nodding to Frankie's glass and mug.
Frankie carefully poured apple juice in a third of their glass and downed it. Then they repeated it with the others.
Frankie found out that they hated orange juice. It felt so wrong in their mouth. They couldn't swallow it. Luckily, Mary had them just spit it out in the sink and got them another cup.
Scorpion blood just didn't taste very good but they swallowed that one. The milk was also not bad. Still they filled the glass with apple juice.
The tea was good too so they had both with their breakfast. Bacon and eggs were an odd combination in Frankie's opinion. They felt a spark at the thought and their brain was overcome with a wave of information.
"Did you know until the 1920's Americans typically ate a light breakfast of juice, coffee and rolls until Edward Bernays was hired by the Beech-Nut Packing company to help them sell bacon?" Frankie rambled, "He talked a bunch of doctors into endorsing eggs and bacon as a healthy and fulfilling breakfast. Eventually it made the newspapers. It's entertaining because bacon is actually pretty unhealthy for you." Frankie took the last bite of their own bacon and grinned, "It's really good though. Can I please have some more."
Viktor chuckled as Mary handed them the plate of bacon.
"Thank you." Frankie said, continuing to eat as if they hadn't said anything.
After breakfast, Frankie offered to hep clean up but after they accidentally dropped a cup, two plates and most of the cutlery, Mary just laughed and said they can help when they get more used to their limbs. So, they went back to their room.
They stood at the door when they realized something different. There were now two more books sitting on their desk. Curious, they read the titles. The first was a newer looking book. It still had it's price tag, 'Gender and Sexuality'. The second was a more beaten up book. It looked a lot more like a lab journal with a handwritten title, 'Building Frankie: Volume 1'. Frankie grinned and bounced on their feet a bit.
Frankie didn't know which one to start first. They stared and contemplated for a moment. They opted for the first book as there was obviously going to be more to read being that there was a need to put a volume number on the lab journal.
They spent the better part of the next few hours reading the gender and sexuality book. When they finished, they actually wanted to know more. Still, they decided to open the lab journal and was not disappointed. Their parents had started to gather their parts in the 1800's. Their grandfather had obtained a lot of parts from around the world and from private collections. That definitely explains how they got a viable slice from Plato. The journal was full of personal entries from both their parents, checklists, experimental notes and descriptions of some of them. They had so many parts from both men and women throughout history. They were the first of their brand of Frankenstein. They wondered more about themselves.
They then turned back to the gender and sexuality book and read over a few chapters again. They wanted to know more.
Frankie grabbed their book and wandered into the living room where Mary was sitting, knitting something, "Hey do we have any more books like this?"
Mary looked over, squinting at it, "I'd ask Viktor. He's down in the lab."
Frankie headed to the basement, careful to leaned on the wall and keep a firm grip with both hands on the railings.
They could hear music playing loudly before they saw Viktor bouncing and dancing along as he read a book standing up.
"Hello?" Frankie called, no answer, "Excuse me!" Still nothing, "Viktor Stein?" Frankie was now growing impatient, "Dad!" They yelled as loud as they could.
Viktor looked behind him and did a double take before grabbing a remote out of his pocket and silencing the music, "Hey kiddo. Sorry, I like music to help me focus, what's up?"
"It's fine." Frankie said, "Do we have any more books like this?" they showed him the cover.
The Frankenstein gave them a sheepish look and gestured at a pile of eight books on the desk with one in his hand, "I got up early and stopped at the Book and Bite. I figured I'd leave that one on your desk. I did not want to overwhelm you."
Frankie smiled, "Thanks." they went over to the books and scanned the titles and the synopsis on the back covers. They picked out two and sat down, opening one and beginning to read.
Viktor stared at Frankie with a look they couldn't make out, "You're going to read in here? With me?"
Frankie gave a worried look and stood, "I'm sorry I should have asked."
Took two large, quick steps over and gently put his hands on their shoulders, "No, no need. I'm just happy you like me?"
"Why did you not think I would like you?" Frankie asked in genuine confusion, "You created me. It may not necessarily be on a widely genetic level but family doesn't have to be right? You just have put the love and care in."
Viktor looked emotional, "You read the journal?"
Frankie grinned, "Of course! It was so fascinating! I still want to know how they managed to sneak Plato's body out under everyone's noses! It seemed like they needed to be sneaky and clever."
Viktor matched their grin, "Who said they removed the body?"
Frankie bounced excitedly, "You mean they cut him open right there?"
"That's what they told me." Viktor said, "It is thought that Speusippus let someone in but others think they snuck in when everyone left and was asleep."
"That is scary awesome." Frankie said, "Now I would like to read this. Then I may have some questions."
Viktor nodded respectfully, "Are you ok with the music?"
"Um…" Frankie thought, "I think so? Can we turn it down a bit?"
He smiled with a nod and turned it back on then turning it down to half of what it was and the two read in piece. Frankie fixated on the book all together. After a couple hours, Frankie and Viktor finished the ones they were reading and got called for lunch. Frankie grabbed another book and carefully climbed the steps, Viktor right behind them.
After lunch, Mary insisted Frankie needed to get changed and they had to agree. So, they took to their closet. They learned from the previous evening that texture with their clothes is helpful so, they figured they'd eliminate some options before picking anything out.
They started off by kicking the slippers they didn't like out of the closet, then went basket by basket to start before feeling everything hanging up followed by their drawers. That got rid of a sizeable chunk of clothes.
Then they dug through the closet to find something to wear. They found a pair of jeans with holes in the knees, then took out a yellow and plaid checkered shirt and underwear. They put them on and looked at themselves. There was something missing. Frankie went back in and found a gray and blue sweater vest so they put it on top. Better, but there was still something missing. They found a belt which they definitely liked but there was something else. They stared and analyzed for, probably longer than they thought because there was a knock at their door.
"Come in." Frankie said, not moving their eyes from the mirror.
Mary entered the room and looked from the pile on the floor, to Frankie. "Is that the keep pile or the donate pile?"
"Donate." Frankie said, "I don't like the textures."
Mary nodded in understanding.
"Hey." Frankie said, turning to Mary, "I like this outfit but I feel like something's missing."
Mary hummed and walked around Frankie in thought. "Maybe try something with your hair?"
Frankie looked in the mirror at their straight hair and played around with it. Up, down, they thought about bangs but decided against it. Then they pulled half their hair to one side. Then the other. It was two much so they pulled a third out of the way and used their fingers to com the rest to the other side.
They grinned, "I got it! Do we have any hair doing thingies?" They asked, not quite knowing that they're called.
"In the bathroom. There should be stuff in the drawers. Your father and I got everything you might want." Mary said, "We may have gone overboard."
"Thank you." Frankie\ said, attempting to move quickly but tripping instead, landing on their face.
"Are you okay?" Mary asked.
"Yep." Frankie said, getting up, "I'm not ready to run yet."
"Be careful." Mary said with a chuckle as Frankie headed to the bathroom and shut the door.
After several minutes of digging around and pulling things out, they began to braid their hair. It was another thing, like brushing their hair and getting dressed that they instinctively knew how to do. They were made to be a teenager and they were made of parts that belonged to other people who lived before them. So, they probably have some form of muscle memory.
Their fingers and movements were still hard to get right 100% of the time so they had to restart a couple braids a few times but they got it. They loved it. It was perfect., Several braids pinned a third of their hair back and the other two thirds were brushed over to the other side.
A knock on the bathroom door made Frankie jump before pulling it open. Mary stood at the door with a box and a needle in her hands.
"I have something you might like." She said, entering the bathroom and opening the box, pulling out large, lightning bolt-like earrings, holding one in front of Frankie's ear so they could see.
"This is perfect!" Frankie said with a huge grin.
Mary smiled, "I'm glad to hear that! They were mine when I went to Monster High."
"What's Monster High?" Frankie asked.
"Oh, it's a school. A safe place for all monsters to be their true, monster selves." Mary explained.
"That sounds awesome." Frankie said.
"Are you okay if pierce your ears?" Mary said.
"Yes please." Frankie said, sitting on the counter,
The older monster took the needle and pierced it flawlessly, though it did sting a little. Then, she put the earring in and did the same on the other side. The blue lightning bolt earrings looked amazing.
"I totally love them." Frankie said, "Thank you!"
"Your welcome." Mary said, handing Frankie the box, "There are more in here. All yours."
"Really?" Frankie asked.
Mary nodded and left the bathroom.
Frankie smiled into the mirror. They were enjoying themselves immensely and decided they needed one last touch. Applying makeup was not an easy task for new hands and Frankie had to re-do it several times. However, they enjoyed the process and definitely enjoyed the result. They were unsure about the two eyeshadows at first but the purple and blue really completed the look.
Frankie did a little happy stomp and went into the living room where Viktor and Mary were reading on the couch, "What do you think?"
The two Frankensteins looked over an smile.
"You look amazing Frankie." Viktor stated.
"It suits you." Said Mary.
"Thanks." Frankie said, picking up the book they had brought from the lab and sat in a chair and began to read.
It was an hour later that Frankie spoke again, still staring at the book, "I think I'm non-binary. I don't feel like male or female pronouns fit. They both make a part of me want to cry."
Viktor nodded, "Yes, your mother and I were discussing that this morning. There are a lot of kids these days that have the same issue."
Frankie hummed, "So, do I have to do anything?"
Mary shook her head, "Just make sure you tell people your pronouns."
"But Frankie," Viktor said in a serious tone, "Not everyone will accept them. It's a sad reality but there are people that don't believe in that sort of thing. Still, that stigma is not a big thing with teenaged monsters."
"Okay!" Frankie said, smiling, "My pronouns are they/them."
Their parents smiled and Viktor spoke, "That's a monster, you be yourself. No apologies."
"Thanks!" Frankie said, heading back to their room and into their closet. They were sparked with an idea.
