Chapter 68

STACEY'S POV
I was grateful to Franklin for taking care of me and I wanted to express my gratitude in anyway I could that wouldn't have to be giving him a kiss in public but I wasn't sure talking was what I wanted to engage in at the moment. As much as I've tried, I just couldn't get the previous night's events out of my head and it was haunting me badly than I had anticipated.
Every time I closed my eyes, I was back at the house, with all the blood, all the pieces of broken glass and all the screams were still ringing in my head. My heart was still racing and mum was still very scared as she told us to run as fast as we could, Ken was crying alone in front of the restaurant as I raced back to the house and Dad was screaming as he kept on thrashing the house.
'We're here, I'd advise you guys to hurry up cause you're late already" Daniel's voice sounded from way too far away as it pierced right through my nightmarish daydream. I wouldn't have believed he was in front of the car if Frankie didn't nudge me as if to say I had to arrange my thoughts and face the day. I took a deep breath and reassured myself, everything was fine, we were all safe, I had to let it sink. I was safe.
Frankie bugging(I can't really think of another word at the moment) me was something I had literally dreamt about, I had did way too much daydreaming about the entire thing and I had pictured him not just bugging me, but asking me to marry him. I mean, what good is a coordinated and repeated fantasy if it doesn't exceed logical understanding and reasoning?
Every other class asides biology had gone oddly well as the day went by but as usual, Damian Cane had been sent by forces that hated me, to make my life a living hell. From making cooing sounds as Frankie stood over me like a hawk all through the day, to purposely calling out my name when a question was asked in biology, I knew he was after me after what had happened the previous day.
With the picture of the previous night still vivid in my head, all I wanted to do was to curl up in Frankie's bed like we had done after the incident and go to sleep with his arms wrapped around me as he had done. There were still a few hours before closing and i was already at my limit, was the usual school hours so slow? Why hadn't I noticed it before?
I think Frankie thought about walking beside me, instead of behind me almost as soon as I did and as we got out of the classroom after the recess bell had been rung, I realized he had more than that on his mind. Dreams do come true, you know, if I had had doubts about that before, they were all cleared as soon as Frankie leaned in and wrapped his fingers around my hand as we walked towards the cafeteria.
Can you picture Clark Kent, not when he's superman though, just regular journalist Clark Kent with the super hot reporter, Lois Lane? How did it look? I bet it was an image of a regular nerd but who was secretly the greatest superhero who ever lived falling in love with a woman who was purely out of his league. Did he end up getting her? I'd leave you to answer that one.
'Is that how all people in relationships act?" I heard his voice before I even saw him and instincts told me to brace myself for another one of his taunt sessions but I had had a rough night and I was on edge. Without thinking of the consequences of what i was about to do, I gave him the first reply that waltzed into my head.
A bully stuttering was apparently a pleasant sight cause I got a huge rush of adrenaline when i realized I had rattled him. His response came a few seconds afterwards but I had mine ready and waiting to counter whatever he was deploying as a form of weapon. Being able to finally put the dumb bully in his place felt way more good than I had anticipated.
However, I wasn't given enough time to bask in the glory of superiority, the bully had an upper hand because he was just the apprentice, the master wasn't so far away.
'Oh, so you know how relationships work right, Duke?" Luke made sure his voice rose above the cheers of the spectators as he turned his attention to me. The adrenaline was still pumping because I did what I had never done before, I replied him.
'As a matter of fact, I think I do" I said with a smile on my face. It was obvious Frankie was surprised with the look on his face as I turned towards him but the pressure he applied on my hand he was holding, gave his real feelings.
Luke did a wild cackle, like those types you hear in Disney movies, 'I can see where you learnt it from, since all your dad does is beat up your mum" he said but it seemed like either he had muted his volume or I had lost my ability to hear. He wasn't done though,
'But he loves her, right? Domestic violence shouldn't stop love from prevailing, don't you think so?" Just as my mouth had spoken before my brain sent the warning, my feet moved before I could give out the command.
As I sat on the closed lid of the toilet seat, I took a deep breath as the dam I had been struggling to hold, broke out and tears started streaming down my face. Apparently, running away was another thing I was good at, asides being a subject of constant emotional and physical abuse. If I had the power, bullies wouldn't be allowed to live.