The Only Hope For Me Is You

Chapter 19

Frannie POV

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" screamed Erika, as if it wasn't loud enough in the lunchroom. She was jumping up and down on her chair as she continued to scream.

"You gotta love her, right?" Bob said as he sat down with Ray and Frank, popping up out of nowhere. We sat at a round table at the corner of the lunchroom. In the table they had claimed as theirs by carving their names and initials on it.

"Where were you guys? Where's Mikey?" I asked. I hadn't seen him since the bus ride to school this morning.

"He's at the library, being a dork as usual." Ray shrugged. "Said he had a "Onondaga" essay to do. What the fuck is that?"

"Hellooo!? I'm trying to say something IMPORTANT!" yelled Erika, obviously peeved. I was just about to tell him they were a native american indian tribe but thankfully she interrupted me. Curse me and my need to prove myself.

"What? What is it? What is so important, Erika, that you just have to keep screeching about like a freakin predator?" asked Sergio, rolling his eyes.

"Our Lady of Grace, yes, our school, will be having our first Halloween dance!" she yelled in triumph. Sergio strangely paled intensely considering he was dark-skinned. What is he so freaked out about? "That is freakin amazing! Our school is Catholic. Catholic! And they're celebrating Halloween!? The world is clearly coming to an end."

"Not you too with the whole end of the world crap. I swear, humanity is getting paranoid." added Ray. "I mean, a couple of earthquakes worldwide and people lose their-"

"Ugh! Don't change the subject! Now, the best part of it is, it's 'guys ask girls'."

"Why is that awesome? That means you'll go by yourself, Erika." Frank giggled.

"Ha. Ha. Hilarious,"she rolled her eyes,"Izzy! Frannie! We have to help each other get costumes. We should definitely have a girls night! We can do our hair, nails, and make-up! And talk about our dates! Aah!" I laughed at her enthusiasm which unexpectedly made me excited for the dance. I can't wait!

"Whatever." Izzy said, and continued to eat her food which seemed a hundred times more interesting than our conversation.

"Sure, it sounds like fun." I smiled at Erika and tried to smile at Izzy but she was oblivious. She didn't seem the least bit curious as to why I was sitting at their table. She hadn't even asked who I was, and yet here I was, practically right in front of her. I guess I'm okay with it but I would like to get to know her more. She seems like an interesting character, what with the red hair and piercings and the ignoring me.

I looked away from Izzy and my eyes fell on the person two seats down. As soon as Gerard and I locked eyes, we rapidly look away from each other.

I had left the coffeeshop yesterday afternoon in tears and in smiles. The people I was passing by as I walked my way home were giving me curious, strange looks, as if I escaped from the nearby asylum. Like the child that I am, I stuck my tongue out at them. Nobody could make me feel ashamed, for I knew there was someone who had my back no matter what. It was such a liberating feeling, trusting someone. I felt so free I could've run without my top off through the streets...but that's weird...so...uhh...forget I said that.

"You know what's also lame and completely bogus?" Ray said, bringing me back to the present. Erika pouted. "Andy's party this weekend. Who the hell would go to that?" Everybody laughed.

"Yeah, sucks we weren't invited." Frank said,"What?! Don't tell me you guys aren't thinking the same thing. We couldn't go to that party even if we wanted to." Everyone had given him a dirty look. But they all wore a guilty look on their faces as Frank admitted their deepest desires.

"True..." Bob said. "But that doesn't mean he's still not a douchebag."

"Amen." Ray replied. "Hey, we should all hang out on Saturday instead. We could totally have our own party."

"Good idea, man." Bob said,"I'm in."

"Oh! Yay!" said Erika,"I'm so in!"

"I'm up for it." Izzy shrugged.

"I'm in." Gerard said. "And I speak for Mikey since he's not here,'Aw, shucks, I'm up for a social gathering with my peers'." He made a nerdy voice for his brother.

"Oh yeah! I'm in!" Frank yelled.

"And I can't." I said simply.

"What? Why!?" Erika wailed. "You have to!"

"My sister's got an art show this Saturday. I have to be there for her. She'll kill me." And everything I said was absolutely 100% true. She did have an art show, I do have to be there for her, and she would kill me if I don't show up. But I never said that I would go. So, that's technically not lying, right?.....right!? Because the truth is, the real truth, I had no idea what my plans for Saturday were.

"Aw, that sucks. You gotta bail." Frank said, surprisingly disappointed.

"I can't...not if I want to sleep in the backyard and eat my own feces for a week. She's that evil. Plus Feely needs me."

"Well, another time then." Ray suggested.

"Yeah, totally. I'd come. No worries."I smiled. I feel like such scum. Here are these people being nice and sincere and I have the guts to lie to them. But I can't tell them the truth, I just can't. Who knows what Andy will do once he found out I ratted him out. He'll hurt us all. I wish I could feel heroic and brave for sticking up for my friends but I'm just scared. Plain scared. My motives are fake. I'm fake shit.