Courage

Chapter Eight

[Francesca]

"I will never, EVER fathom how someone can just sit there and let some, some cunt blatantly disrespect them." I ranted to Camila on the roof of the apartment.

"You know, I actually came out here to study," she said. "Also, everyone's different; some people just have a hard time standing up for themselves and some people don't. You can't expect everyone to be so quick to call the person who's disrespected them a 'cunt' or, some expletive like that."

"So you're saying if someone made fun of the fact that you're," I paused, looking for the right word, "shorter than you should be, you wouldn't retaliate?"

She looked up from her textbook and glowered at me through her readers. I bit back the smile that was making its way on to my face because the glasses made her eyes look big.

"Franny, are you slow or stupid? I just said everyone's different when it comes to standing up for themselves, therefore, this person may retort and that person may stay silent. Now, me, personally, I would retaliate."

It's really mind-boggling to me that people allow others to just say whatever they want to them and they simply take it.

"I'm going to bed," I stated.

The next day I decided to take the initiative to do what I think is right.

I knocked on the door of Maya's old dorm room. Caroline opened the door, wearing a cropped hoodie and booty shorts, with an eye-liner pencil in her hand.

"Francesca?" she said. I walked in and shut the door, she went to her little makeup vanity.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here, considering, I've made it clear that I don't like you, but anyways. Stop messing with Maya. Have you not noticed that the girl is literally insecure about everything because of you."

"Wait, wait, wait," Caroline chuckled. "All I did was slash her tire. And I never made Maya feel insecure about anything, the girl's been that way since fucking '01."

I highly doubt that Maya was born a meek person, at some point in her life someone had to have made her that way. Or make her feel that way to the point where she can't even stand up for herself.

"Just leave her alone. And your foundation should be the same color as your neck," was the last thing I said to her before stepping out into the hallway where Maya was, walking toward me.

"Why were you in Caroline's room?" she asked.

"Um, no reason," I lied.

She stopped and she directed her to eyes to the linoleum. She looked sad. Why? Had someone bothered her again?

"So, why are you here?" I asked to get rid of the weird annoying feeling I had while looking at her sad face. Her eyes met mine and then the floor again. "You were coming in here." I gestured to Caroline's dorm and she nodded guiltily. "To apologize?"

"Yeah," she whispered.

I wanted to scream, to tell her that Caroline should be the one apologizing, and that she did nothing wrong. I just wanted to reprimand her . . . But I couldn't bring myself to do it. She's just so lamb-like, it disgusts me. I guess I have to accept the fact that I can't reprimand her on having no backbone when she's clearly fine that way.

Without looking at her I walked passed her.

~

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of light sniffles. I got up and quietly stepped out into the hallway, from the banister I could see Maya's figure on the floor with her back to me, holding her phone up to her ear.

"Dad, can I please just come home? I feel so alone right now, you don't even understand," Maya sobbed.

"So your friends are talking about you, big deal. Maya, you just have to suck it up and deal with it," I heard Maya's father say over the phone.

"Can I please just come home for a week or two," she entreated.

"Maya, people are going to talk about you. That's life. People talk about your brother every day. He doesn't care."

"Okay, bye, Dad," she said brusquely and hung up.

I crouched down next to Maya and wrapped an arm around her.

"You heard?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"You probably think I'm dramatic now?"

"Just a little." I gave a half smile.

"You see, it's just that Caroline talks behind my back about me all the time, I'm used to that.

"Then why do you continue to be friends with her?"

"I don't know. I know you think I'm weak and—never mind. I just need a break from this, from everything."

"I don't think you're weak, Maya," I told her somewhat honestly.

"Really?" She raised a brow.

"Well, I used to think you were weak. But you're not, you just surround yourself around people who make you feel that way, and it doesn't help that you allow them to."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's honestly just a theory." She chuckled. "Also, sorry for spazzing out on you yesterday. I had no right to rebuke you like that."

"It's okay," she said in her gentle tone, and gave me a tight-lipped smile.

"You're such a softy," I teased, and out of no where, started tickling her.

"No,  no, please, stop," she laughed while trying to push my fingers away. "Your nails don't make this any better! Please, Franny, stop!" Her body moved around recklessly on the floor.

I then stopped and watched her catch her breath. She stared back at me.

"You have really nice eyes. It's like Emerald City is located in those things." She lightly touched my cheek with her fingertips. "You have a nice face, too."

Not knowing what to say, I chuckled and looked away, childishly. She did, too.