Lead Me Astray - Updated Every Monday

Chapter Three ~ Frankie

I rushed away from Hunter Daniels, cursing him the whole time for making me late to softball practice and for touching my things. Even more so for reading my literature book! That's private and he didn't even ask!

I could feel myself being whipped up so I stopped and did my breathing.

When I was strong again, I continued on to the softball field (which was the baseball diamond but baseball was a spring sport). I got there and saw Tia and Jayne sitting on the bleachers as Stacey warmed up with the team.

I hurried to set my things down and jump in with Stacey.

"Where were you?" She asked through the arm exercises.

I huffed and puffed beside her. "I ran into an idiot."

She giggled. "Okay. I'm sorry. We were waiting on you to vote. There's a rumor that Casey McDonald is going to win."

There was nothing about Casey that I didn't like but I didn't like her. I wondered if it was my intuition or if I was being grumpy again like everyone said. I blew out a breath. "Good for her."

Stacey looked at me but said nothing.

Practice went on.

≠

I was tired as fuck when I went home. I got on the bus and sat in the back to be undisturbed. As it ambled down the road, I adjusted my earbuds and let my mind wander.

My brain kept showing me peeks of Hunter. I wish I knew why. He was a random guy. A random hot guy. I blushed as that thought snuck in.

I couldn't think of Hunter as hot. Even though he was. I'd been mad earlier but if I would have been "normal", I'd want to climb him like a tree. And I do mean tree. Why was he so tall?!

He had black hair, which I'd always loved on men but blue eyes, which I wasn't the biggest fan of but at least they were dark blue. Like the sky after dusk when the stars came out to say hi.

I would deny it but it gave me inspiration so I set my other books aside to open my literature book and jot down my jumbled thoughts. Like always, it came across beautifully. Writing was my superpower.

I wrote until I came to my stop then hurried to get off the bus. I walked the two blocks to my small yellow house and went inside. I locked the door behind me and went to wash my hands thoroughly. People mocked me but germs were everywhere.

After cleaning up (including disinfecting my things), I went to my room. I had no idea where anyone else was but I needed a break from people. I went about undressing and redressing in night attire after a quick shower.

I was beat but I wanted to go over my work for the week. I'd done most at lunch and then my free period (the first one I'd had since starting school). It was why I was late to softball. I'd gotten caught up reading my history book and didn't notice the time until I was five minutes late to go change for practice, where Casey McDonald did win captain.

I did deep breathing as I lit a couple candles. I needed to breathe. Once calm, I sat on my made bed and meditated.

Twenty minutes later, a tentative knock sounded at my door. "Frankie?"

"Come in!" I called out.

One of my younger sisters, the baby, walked in, holding onto the doorknob. "It's time to eat."

"Thank you, munchkin." I pinched her chubby cheek.

Nae giggled.

I leaned over to blow out my candles before getting up. "What are we having?"