Strängely Lïvïng [ST]

» Volume 1

"You've never seen The Goonies before? But you own the disc," Will questions as he raids Frankie's movies.

Not exactly Frankie's, but whoever lived here before her.

She's gonna pretend their hers anyway.

"I guess I never got around to watching it," she lies, giving a small shrug and plopping onto her living room couch. While the two contemplate what movie to watch, Steve walks around the house.

Something's off to him.

There's not a single sign of life, other than Frankie's room.

No family photos, no magazines, or anything to indicate that her parents even exist. He sighs and walks towards a room; the only room with a closed door.

Curiously, he goes to open it, but finds that it is locked. He shakes the doorknob, but it won't budge.

"It's locked for a reason," Frankie chimes from behind Steve. He jumps at the sudden sound of her voice and quickly turns to face her.
"What's behind the door?" He asks.

"Nothing," she insists, "now come on, Will just started the movie."

Despite the curiosity eating at him, he follows her away from the door and back to the living room. Throwing the locked room one last glance.

"What are we watching?" Steve asks, watching carefully as Frankie sits closely to Will.

"Gremlins." Will responds, looking towards Steve. The high school boy nods, and takes a seat on the empty couch.

As the movie begins, the all watch intently.

An hour into the movie, Steve falls asleep. Frankie is still watching rather intently, thoroughly entertained by the idea of creatures such as Gizmo.

In fact, with the way she's watching the screen, Will swears that she's in love with Gizmo. Through out the entire movie, she had commented how cute she found him. She's so intrigued by the screenplay, that she fails to realize that Will is no longer watching the movie. Instead, he's watching her.

A small blush rises on his cheeks as he realizes how pretty he finds her.

Frankie never even notices his loving stare.

Finally, the movie comes to an end. Frankie turns to Will with a bright smile. He returns it, and plays it off as though he wasn't just staring at her the entire time. Frankie is clueless. "Thank you for changing my entire life with that movie," Frankie giggles.

"You're welcome," Will replies jokingly, "I'm pretty much a professional movie selector."

Frankie rolls her eyes before turning to Steve. She smirks when she sees his sleeping form.

"Thank god," she huffs, "I was hoping we'd get rid of him."

Will laughs and eyes her curiously as she begins to stand. Quietly, Frankie wraps her hand into Will's and tugs him out of the living area. He follows her into what he assumes is her room.

"Steve won't like this," he comments, following her nonetheless. Frankie ignores his comment and drags him through the door anyway.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

As Will submerges into the room, his eyes curiously wander. He can't help but think how everything in the room is just so– so Frankie. It's exactly what he imagined her room to look like.

Not that he ever imagined her room or anything.

"You like?" She questions, bringing the boy's eyes back to herself, "I know it's a little plain. I'll probably add on later."

"I like," Will replies, "it's just like you."

"Plain?"

"No! Simple. Simple and beautiful," he corrects with a nervous laugh.

"So you think I'm beautiful?" Frankie teases, plopping onto her bed. Will becomes extremely red and begins to backtrack his last sentence.

"I-I mean– yes! Not like that– well sorta, I just mean– I think your—"

Frankie laughs at his flustered complexion.

"I get it Will," she reassures. The boy lets out a relieved sigh and sits beside the girl on her bed.  "Wanna take a nap?" She suddenly offers, not realizing how strange that must sound to him.

"Like, together?" He nervously questions, "in the same bed?"

Frankie gives a nod.

"Yeah, is that not supposed to happen?" She asks, noticing how uneasy he seems. Will chuckles a little and shrugs.

"Not really. You act like you've never had a friend before!"

"I haven't."

Not a living one, at least.

Will frowns at the girl's words. He leans back so that they're both laying beside each other.

"I think I'll take you up on that nap," he says. Frankie grins a little and gives a thankful nod. Quietly, she scooches closer to him. Will's fingers awkwardly tap against his chest. He doesn't want to seem so nervous, but he really can't help himself.

10 minutes pass, and it's comfortably silent.

Will glances towards Frankie to see that she is already fast asleep. She's looks peaceful. A yawn leaves his lips, and he finds himself falling into his own dreaming state. The same way he is unknowingly falling for her:

Slowly at first, then all at once.

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(^Will @ Frankie.)