𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 || 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗿

𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲.

𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 || 𝟮
"𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙."
𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘆

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          "𝕲et up!" abby yelled, banging on frankie's door. "no!" frankie yelled, hiding under her covers.

"lucas, would you?"

"i already know the drill." the blonde chuckles walking into her room. he loved waking her up in the morning; it was the highlight of his day.

"frankie, you're going to miss the beautiful breakfast your dad made." the redhead moved her head from under the cover, huffing. "don't you get tired of waking me up every morning? it's been like two months."

it's been two months since maya came over; it's been two months since frankie and maya hung out. "the best two months of my life. now let's go; i want to eat."

lucas picked her up and set her down in her bathroom. "i'll be out here if you need anything." he shut the door and sat down on the floor.

"why is he so nice?" she asked herself in the mirror, "why are you so nice, lucas?" frankie opened the door staring at him. "because it doesn't hurt to be nice."

"lucas, can we talk?" thomas asked as soon as he walked into frankie's room. "sure, sir."

"um, no. lucas, you don't have to go out there." frankie says, walking in front of him. "you need to get ready for school. i'll be back." lucas gently pushed her into the bathroom closing the door.

"i'm all yours." lucas smiles, walking out of frankie's room. "so, what did you want to talk about?"

"you actually." the younger boy furrowed his brows, "me?"

"yeah, i just wanted to let you know that i know the real reason why you moved here." lucas eyes widened, "how do yo—"

"matthews told me. i'm not here to tell you to get out or anything because i know you made a mistake. everyone makes mistakes, but you're going to have to tell her soon." thomas says, leaning on the wall.

"if you keep this from her for too long, she will not talk to you for a while. and i don't want to see that happened to you two. i actually like you."

"i will tell her soon. i just need some time." thomas patted his shoulder, "don't wait too long, okay."

"you got it, sir." franklin chuckles, walking over to the stairs.

"how many times do i have to tell you. just call me thomas."

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"i told you we were going to make it." frankie chuckles, sitting on the bench. "we almost missed the train, frankie."

"but we still made it in time to shut it." the redhead glance at maya. "you know she still hasn't called or texted me. we barely spoke in the last two months."

"so get up and talk to her." frankie sat back, crossing her arms. "why do i have to make the first move? why can't she come to me."

"because she came to the last time." she rolled her eyes, pushing him: "stop talking, just shhh." lucas shook his head, moving his eyes back to his phone.

"why did my dad talk to you about it?" the blonde sighed; he knew she would ask that question eventually. lucas hoped she would've asked if later in the day so he could come up with a believable lie.

"nothing you need to worry about." frankie squinted her eyes, "it is something i need to worry about because you're lying to me." lucas put his face in his hands.

it was too soon to tell her the real reason why he moved here. frankie turned her head to see riley sniffing lucas. her light brown eyes met maya's suspiciously.

once she walked away, frankie grabbed his arm. "lucas, why are you lying to me?"

"i'm not lying to you, frankie, i swear," lucas said, staring into her eyes. "then why won't you tell me why my dad talked to you this morning?"

"ok fine," he thought for a second, "he wanted to know where i got this jacket from." frankie looked down at his jean jacket and scoffs.

"whatever." she grabbed her backpack, standing up. "you know where to find me when you stop lying."

"wait!" lucas grabbed her backpack, pulling her back. he stood up, looking down at her.

"well, are you going to tell me, or are you going to stare at me like that?" he knew telling her the truth would solve the problem, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"i can't. it's really personal."

"so i can talk to you about personal things, but you can't? that's not what i call a friendship. we made a deal lucas." he nodded his head, "i know, i know."

"then what's the problem?"
"i just can't tell you."

frankie nodded her head taking off the bracelet they made together. "come find me when you trust me." she walked past him and the two girls walking into the classroom.

"what'd you do now?"

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frankie sat in her chair, ignoring lucas breathing down her neck. "you guys don't connect. it's like you can't exist without these. you use emoticons rather than emotions. you're an unfeeling generation of zombies." maya and riley put their hand on each other heads mimicking zombies.

"stop eating her." lucas tapped frankie's shoulder roughly, "lucas, would you stop?"

"can you talk to me? please." frankie turned to him, "are you ready to tell me what's going on?"

"no."
"then no."

frankie watched danny walk into the classroom as matthews was talking to myzell. "i haven't seen you in forever. are you alright?" she asked the brown-haired boy as he sat down behind her. "yeah, i just had the flu, but i'm all better now."

daniel looks over at lucas, "who's that?"

"oh, that's lucas. he's new." the blonde gave him a tight smile, "you didn't replace him with me, did you?" frankie grinned, "of course not. but i should've because you never answered when i called or texted you. i went over a couple of times, but your mom didn't let me in."

"i mostly slept; i'm sorry. and i didn't want you to catch it." she patted his arm, "i'm glad you are doing well."

"dad, adjust and deal. cellphones have been around for, like, ever." frankie shook her head, "anyone with a brain would know that's not true." maya gave frankie a look.

"it'll amaze you to know that there was a whole world before you and cellphones." matthews said, "and it'll amaze you to know that i have 394 friends in here."

"and i'm amazed that you believe that." mr. matthews walked over to the chalkboard. he drew a line, "this is a timeline of all human existence. starting here is everyone who ever lived, laughed, loved, and understood the value of life. the cellphone era, which begins right around here, pretty much destroys all of that. way to go, you."

"sir, if i may take a different position?" lucas voices raising his hand. "yeah, save me, mr. friar. do i go too far?"

"always, sir. i understand your point, but i use my phone to video chat with my old friends and to find out what's going on in texas."

"yeah, and i bet you tell them everything." frankie scoffs.

"yeah. how else can he keep tabs on all the hoedowns and cattle pageants?" maya teased. "maya!"

"it's okay, riley. i'm unaffected by maya's views of country life. as my uncle buster always says, 'be like an eagle and soar above the mockingbird.'"

"you're the mockingbird."
"i know."

maya turns around, "it kills me that i can't get to you." sorry, ma'am."

"ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo." lucas looked over at frankie, who stared straight ahead. "farkle time, sir?"

"oh, i love farkle time." farkle and matthews switch spots. "with all due respect to history, mr. matthews, what's important to our generation will be on this side of the timeline, when farkle and technology rule."

frankie furrowed her eyebrows, "and i will easily be able to make another one of you..."

"ow."
"and another one of you."
"ow."
"and another one of you."
"cool."

"and don't worry danny, i'll make another one of frankie because i know you're in lo-"

"okay!" the blue-eyed boy smiles, dismissing farkle. "wait, so now there's six of us and one of you?"

"that's awesome. the future... you can't escape it. i am farkle!" the young boy walks back over to his seat. "the assignment... you can't escape it. i am teacher!"

"okay, so here's what we're going to do, guys. we're going to split into teams and discover whether new technology has made us better people. you'll do presentations on your findings. and here's a twist... no computers."

"what?!" farkle yells.

"we're going old school. you're going to do your research at the new york public library." matthews tells his students.

"where?!" maya exclaims.

"and here's another twist because i trust you not at all... give me your cellphones." cory grins.

"no!"

"yeah." the students' grumbles as they hand their phones up, "come on, hand 'em up, hand 'em up." the grumbling continues.

"thank you, thank you. okay, so our teams for this assignment... maya..." the blonde opens her arms, and farkle falls on her lap. "what up!" she pushes him off of her.

"frankie, you will be with..." she turned around and met a set of blue eyes and a set of green eyes. "i'll be with danny." lucas's face fell.

"and riley, you will be with..." lucas gave him a small smile. "no! no." the school bell rings, "no! why did you have to come here?"

"sorry i make you uneasy, sir."

frankie states at maya, "i'm going to go to riley's if you want to meet me there."

"you haven't been over in two months. why?" the blonde bit her lip, "i don't know."

"then don't wait up for me. i'll see you at the library." frankie walks over to danny. "meet me at my house at eight."

"you got it." he said awkwardly, "are you okay? you saw a little bit off."

"oh, don't worry about me. i'm all good. what's wrong with you and maya?" frankie shrugs, looking over at her. she was talking to lucas. "we haven't talked in a while, but it doesn't matter."

she turns towards danny, "are you sure you're alright?"

"i'm one thousand percent okay. i promise." frankie nodded, "i'll meet you at your house at eight." danny smiles, "bye."

he walked off to his next class; frankie knew there was something off about him. "can we talk?" it was just the two of them, which means she was late for class.

"i have to go." lucas grabbed her arm, "why didn't you want to be my partner?"

"because i didn't think it was appropriate." he furrowed his eyebrows, letting her arm go. "would you stop? will you just put this back on?"

frankie stared at her bracelet, "i will once you trust me enough to tell me what's going on." she sighed, staring at him, "you know what? i don't care; i have to go figure out why someone else is lying to me. this problem here doesn't matter to me anymore."

frankie walked away, searching for danny. and with her luck, she found him, sitting on the bench wiping his mouth. "will you please stop lying to me and tell me what's wrong with you."

danny quickly hides the tissue in his pocket, "i already told you i'm fine."

"and i know when you're not telling me the truth." she held her hand out. "we're going for a walk, and i want you to tell me the truth. no more lies."

he took her hand, letting frankie pull him out of the school. this was something they were used to. cutting class when they needed to talk.

frankie and danny ran out of the school before any teachers could spot them. "okay, now that we have some distance between the school and us, you can tell me what's going on."

"i'm still a little sick from the flu, but i didn't want to miss any more work." frankie nodded, not believing a word he was saying. "and you miss seeing me, of course." he nodded, smiling at her, "and that. i missed being around my best friend. i'm sorry for being so distant. a lot is going on right now."

"i get it with you being sick and all." danny's eyes widened, "what?"

"you are still sick with the flu, right?" frankie asked him, "oh, uh right that. the flu." the redhead stopped in her tracks, remembering all the symptoms of her aunt who died...of cancer.

frankie didn't want to believe she was going to lose her best friend. she didn't want to believe she wasn't going to see his face anymore, his smile—the sound of his voice, his laugh. frankie didn't want to believe he was going to leave her.

"you have cancer, don't you?" danny's eyes changed when she said that word. "i didn't know how to tell you."

"how bad is it?" frankie asked quickly, wiping the fear that fell. "frankie..."

"how bad is it, danny?" he let his head fall. "uh, i... uh." danny picked his head back up, staring into her eyes. "i have six months...left."

frankie gasp taking a couple of steps back. "you promised." she whispers. "what?"

"you said you were okay. now you're telling me you're going to leave me?" danny took a step towards her. "don't, and please don't."

"i wanted to tell you. i went over your house to tell you about two weeks ago, but your dad told me you weren't home." frankie crossed her arms, "does he know?"

"yeah, he does." she scoffed, turning around. "where are you going?"

"to my dad."

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frankie stopped into the station angrily. she saw her dad. "why didn't you tell me?!" she yelled at thomas, making the whole station stop talking and look over at her.

"danny is dying, and you didn't bother to tell me." he sighed, walking towards his daughter, "can we go to my office, please?"

frankie walked in, sitting on the couch, "why didn't you tell me, dad? you didn't think i wanted to know? my best friend has six months left, and i didn't know until today? what if he never came to school? he wouldn't have come to me. how could you?"

thomas sat next to his daughter, holding her hand, "he made me promise not to say anything. he wanted to tell you himself."

"i don't care if he held you at gunpoint. i had a right to know, i'm going to lose him, and you knew. for two weeks." franklin sighs, "i know, and i'm sorry."

"you should be." frankie got off of the couch, "you, lucas, and danny have been lying to me. how am i supposed to trust any of you again?"

"because we had good intentions." the redhead rolled her eyes, "keeping me in the dark doesn't help me. leaving me on the sideline doesn't help. now i need to prepare myself."

"for what?"
"danny leaving me for the rest of my life."

frankie removed her hand from the doorknob staring at the ground, "i'm going to lose him, and there's nothing i can do about it." thomas went over to her, "how do i prepare myself for that day?"

"you can't, you may think you come to accept it, but when the day comes, it will be hard. and i want you to know i will be there for you. i'm never leaving your side." frankie wrapped her arms around her dad.

"promise?"
"i promise."

"sorry to interrupt, but can i speak to frankie?" thomas let go nodding at danny. he walked out of his office, closing the door.

"i know you're mad at me, and i know you don't want to talk to me right now but just know it's not his fault. i told him not to tell you because i wanted you to hear it from me. i mean, how do you tell you're best friend that you're dying, and there's nothing to do about it? how was i supposed to look into those beautiful brown eyes and tell you i have lung cancer?" frankie lets her tears fall.

"i'm sorry i didn't tell you sooner..." the redhead wrapped her arms around him, "it's okay." danny sighs, holding her tightly. "it just means we have to spend every day like it's your last."

"i might've made a list of things i'd like to do before i...you know." frankie nodded, closing her eyes. "we'll get started on that tomorrow."

thomas opens his office door staring at the two suspiciously," did you skip class again?" frankie and danny glance at each other.

"no."

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