The Warmest Winter

°•°Chapter 8°•°

My skin pricked from the sudden change in temperature at our dorm. Leila flopped down onto the tattered couch with a sigh.

"So what was all that about?" She asked, adjusting the throw pillows behind her.
"What?" I questioned as I took a seat next to her.
"With that, wei- uh, Frankie." She replied, an odd expression on her face.

Suddenly, I remembered how I left Frankie on the rooftop alone.
"Speaking of... I need to go apologize for leaving like that. I didn't even say goodbye." Guilt panged in my head.
"Apologize later, I, your best friend and roommate, am trying to talk to you. Stranger Frankie can wait." Leila ceremoniously barked.

"Well.. he took to me see the sunset and we kissed, then you came and I left. That's about it." I stated quickly, standing up to go to Frankie's dorm, but Leila gripped my wrist and pulled me back down.

"You.. and him.. kissed?" Leila inquired slowly as if hearing herself say it out loud would convince her it didn't happen.
"Yeah.. Leila, I really need to go apologize. It's getting late, and he's probably done studying, so I need to go as soon as I can." I said, standing up once again.

"Whatever, talk to me when you decide I'm more important again." Leila gripped the edge of the couch as she stood up and stormed into her room. With a long sigh, I grabbed my hoodie and phone and walked across to Frankie's dorm

I knocked gently on the old, paint chipped door.
"Who is it?" A muffled voice shouted.
"Take a guess!" I shouted through the door. Almost immediately, I heard the sound of someone scurrying to the door.
"Well, well, well. Fancy seeing you here so late." Frankie said, a half smirk on his face.
"Just let me in. It's freezing out here." I spit out. Frankie steps aside to let me in his dorm.

"You don't have a roommate?" I ask him. He shook his head slightly and pursed his lips. He wore black rimmed glasses, his shaggy blonde hair shadowing his silver eyebrow piercing. His tattered ACDC shirt fit his broad shoulders pairing with his red plaid pants.

"You just gonna check me out the whole night, or have you got something to say?" A confident grin sat on his plump lips. He walked over to me, his hand snaking around to hold my neck as his gazed into my eyes.

"I like you too, Frankie." I confessed, my cheeks warming up as he smiled. He pulled me closer, wrapping me in his warm embrace. He placed one hand behind my head, holding my ear close to his beating heart. His other hand wrapped around my waist. I closed my eyes, breathing in the scent of his dusty shirt.

"I'm glad..." Frankie said softly. We pulled apart slowly, my body already feeling cold without his. His apparent was dark, aside from the warm light coming from a lamp and a few vanilla candles. It felt homey, but you could sense the grunge aesthetic coming through.

"You might want to get back to your dorm. We both have a test tomorrow." Frankie laughed.
"Ugh, don't remind me." I sighed as I ran my hands over my face.
"Come," Frankie intertwined his fingers with mine and gestured to his door. "I'll walk you to your dorm."

We walked in silence, hearing the wind whistling through the forest next to the dorms. The sound and crickets made it sound like a summer night despite it being frigid and rainy.

We arrived at my dorm. Frankie stole a kiss before walking back to his dorm. I walked in with a warm fuzzy feeling pitted in my stomach and stupid grin on my face.

I microwaved a taco that I bought for lunch but never ate and took a hot shower. I snatched my bag from under my bed and pulled out my textbook, reading over the notes with new-found motivation. That night, I fell asleep with a certain blondie on my mind.

The next morning, I got ready to go to class as usual. My hair was tied in a low ponytail. I wore a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and a random patch-work jacket that I found in the back of my wardrobe. Leila didn't have to write the test, so when I left the dorm, I was sure to leave breakfast on the counter for her to wake up to.

As I crossed the road to head to the classrooms, I couldn't help but notice a man in a suit get out of a niche black car in the parking lot. I couldn't see his face, but he looked very well put together. He reminded me of James, always neat and captivating..

I looked ahead to see Frankie leaning against a pillar gazing on at me. His eyes longed as I trudged up the short staircase to enter the building.
"Someone looks tired." He smirked as his snaked his arm around my waist, walking us into the building.

"Yeah, but at least I'm prepared." I smiled up at him, feeling his thumb tracing cirlces on my waist.

The two of us entered the large room filled with desks, a blank sheet of paper on each desk.

Everyone took their respective seats and watched as the clock ticked. Any minute now, our invigilator would walk in.

The doors creaked open and the sound of leather shoes echoed off of the tiled floor. I waited for the invigilator to walk to the front of the class before seeing who it was.

"Oh fuck.."