Courage

Chapter Twenty

[Maya]

Francesca and I walked hand in hand to our first class. For the first time, I didn't feel self-conscious walking past groups of people. Plus I knew that if someone did have something rude to say to me, Francesca would defend me.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ray O'Conner stopped us. "You two are dating?"

"Yeah." I nodded slowly.

"Huh, I'm not surprised by you, Maya. I've always had a feeling you were a little fruity. But not you, Francesca."

"Is that it?" Fran demanded.

"Can I see you two kiss," Ray asked.

"Bye," I said abruptly and pulled Franny away.

"See, this is why I hate men," Fran said. I laughed.

When we got to class, Fran started talking about the upcoming holidays.

"And the day before Thanksgiving, my family plays a game of flag football," Fran uttered.

"That's fun."

"I was hoping maybe you could join us," she suggested nervously.

"Uhhh . . ."

"It'll be fun," she coaxed. "You'll get to meet my uncles and cousins, I have a lot of them."

"Where is your old house, again?" I clarified.

"Washington."

Hmm, let's see. Would I rather spend Thanksgiving with my family, or with Francesca? Francesca, all day everyday.

"Okay, I'll go with you," I yielded.

"Brilliant." Francesca beamed my favorite smile.

"But, at some point, I am going to have to see my family."

"Okay, can I go with you?"

"Uhhh, sure," I replied.

"You sound unsure."

"I promise I'm sure."

"Okay, well, I trust you."

Fran agreed to eat lunch with my today in the café on campus. She'd never eaten here before. I got a BLT. The food that was available, she didn't want.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" I pressed once more.

"I'm sure," she gave the same answer from the other times I asked her. "After this, let's go to the library."

"'Kay, that sounds cool."

"Also, did you finish The Outsiders?" she asked.

"I did, actually. Though it wasn't very entertaining, seeing that someone spoiled it for me." My mind went back to time Francesca and I bumped into each other on campus and in response Fran told me that Johnny Cade and Dally die.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that," she apologized. I muttered an "It's okay."

"So my siblings know that we're dating now," Fran informed.

"You told them?" I asked, without concealing the concern in my tone, and remembering that I didn't tell my family.

"Yeah."

"Well, were they accepting?"

"Yeah, of course they were. My brothers really want to see us, though. So they want me to bring you to Washington for Thanksgiving." She told her brothers about me and I still hadn't told my family shit.

It was clear that Francesca noticed my unease.

"They'll like you, Maya." She touched my hand lightly. It wasn't her family liking me that I was worried about.

"But w— what if they don't?" I began to chew on my fingernail.

She sighed. "I know this may sound shocking, but my brothers and sister find me to be miserable sometimes." She rolled her eyes.

"No! You, really?," I said in fake shock with a gasp.

"Yes, really. So, in a way, they're grateful that their 'miserable sister' found someone who makes her happy," she explained.

"Oh," I muttered, thinking of a topic to talk about that'll avoid talking about my family. "Tell me more about your brothers and sister?"

"Why?" she asked wryly, making a disgusted face. "I don't feel like talking about them," she said quickly. "So did you tell your parents about me?" Hope was in her eyes.

I couldn't lie to her. "No," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

Her expression was sad but quickly altered. "That's fine. Because you will tell them about me. And I'm not asking, I'm telling you; you will tell them about me."

"Oh, okay," was all I said, stunned by the austere in her voice.