My lips tremble as I storm off the side of the van. I knew I was about to cry, but I would probably hold it till I leave this skate park to avoid any further embarrassment.
"I have no interests in her"
"Her panties are too tight"
"Brad set me up with her"
I should have known better. I should have known the reason why Louis or Tommo or whatever his name is, didn't want to tell me about himself. Maybe my panties are too tight. That's why I detest dates, especially dates through sites. I knew this could happen because if something starts off being too good, you should prepare for being doomed. But where the hell is Louis' dignity? Where the hell is the dignity of that girl who was sucking off his lips? How could Louis just leave me all to myself whilst he went snogging off someone else? I understand, if I wasn't his type, which is obvious, he should have told me right from the start. But that's what men or guys do. Lead you on until you fall into a deep pit.
"Hey, are yo-"
"What!" I snap, jerking my head to the direction where the voice came from.
"Woah! Chill," she uses her hands in defense. "I was just trying to ask you whether you were okay."
"Oh, I-I.." I sigh loudly and look away, waving my hand at her. "Never mind. I am fine."
"You don't look so," she sounds doubtful.
"I am. You may run along now," I begin to rub my fingers against my forehead, re-thinking what happened. I have to call Veronica and tell her I am over with all these stupid ideas of hers. If she had some sort of attraction towards Marcel, then she might as well get over it.
"I thought you weren't feeling okay since you were standing in the middle of these people without a drink," I look back at her as she flips her purple locks off her shoulders, balancing the skate board properly upwards.
"I am okay, thank you for asking." Can she screw off already? I know that she is trying to be nice, which is quite shocking for a girl with tattoos and boy-ish clothing, but I am not in the right mood right now. I knew I would be judged for my looks, so I won't further humiliate myself.
"Nora?" She asks surprisingly, her green eyes shining with excitement.
I shake my head, not understanding how she knows my name. "How do you know my name?"
"Woah, woah, girl!" She attacks my fragile and petite body, nearly suffocating me with her hug. "Long time, no see!" I still stand frozen, not able to put the pieces together.
"You don't remember me?" She pulls away and slightly frowns.
I shake my head and answer honestly. "I-I don't.."
"It's me!" She exclaims, shaking my arms. "Frankie."
"Frankie?" I still sound confused.
"Frankie Crowley! The girl who everyone once called a guy!" I begin to nod as I re-live the older days. "Do you remember me now?"
"Franke! Wow!" It's no surprise she ended up this way, but she became really pretty. Despite her dyed dark purple hair, and a few tattoos, including a nose piercing, she looked better than ever.
"What are you doing here?" I hope I don't sound too excited.
"I skate here, love," she does the duh look.
"No, No, in London!"
"You remember when I got sent away to another school because of my behavior?" I nod to what she says. "Well, once my parents realized I couldn't be turned, they sent me here, to control my lifestyle. And now, I am a professional skate boarder." She proudly chins up, her eye lashes fluttering to her success.
"Professional skate boarder? That's really good for you. And what did your parents say about that?" I ask, knowing a part of my chest swells because my parents don't even want to keep in contact with me.
"They went a little bonkers, but as time passed, they accepted me for the who I am, and now, we are closer than ever, you know?"
I smile, and pretend to be the happiest child of my earlier years. That was really good for Frankie. When I was younger, none of us could actually think Frankie will have a future, but now, she might even be happier than me.
"What about you, Nora? What are you doing in a skate park?" She looks rather bedazzled.
"Long story, and I don't think you want to hear what the same old Nora has to say," And I feel my tears prick my eyes.
"We could sit somewhere, if you like.. I am glad to see one of my old classmates," she smiles, fixing her beanie properly over her head, her dimples peeking out as she smirks.
"Where could we have a seat?" I look around the loaded area.
"Over there," she points to where I kept my bag earlier, and I nod, following her lead. What can I say? Frankie turned out to be prettier than me. I am not jealous or anything, but who could have known? Her long legs walked swiftly over the ground as we approached the bench, where we both sat. I leaned on the bench, and crossed my arms over myself, while Frankie leaned forwards, applying her elbows on her thighs.
"You may now speak.." she clears her throat, and I look up at the moon.
"I was set on a date to meet Tommo. Do you know him?"
"Wait, what?" She removes her elbows off her thighs and tries to laugh. "That douche?"
I confusingly look at her. "Douche?" He basically was, but how does she know he is one?
"Yes, douche. He thinks he can have any girl he wants with that mischievous smile of his. How did you land a date with him, though? Did you cast a spell?" She laughs and imitates my sitting position.
"I didn't cast a spell, but promise not to laugh at me.." I look to my right and she looks back at me, pushing out her pinkie finger. I lock mine with hers and then cough before I speak.
"Through a dating site.."
"What!" She laughs harder, and I almost felt she was about to fall down the bench and roll on the floor. I keep the straightest face on as she comes back to focusing at me, pouting.
"How?"
"Some guy named Brad made him make a stupid dating account," I sigh and roll my eyes.
"Brad? Another douche.."
"How do you know all of them?"
"I had the worst crush ever on Tommo, but you know.. douches will forever be douches.."
"You seem very chilled about this," I sit up, and cross my legs. She fixes the hem of her shirt and plays with the skate board by pushing it back and forth with her foot.
"I am chilled. I hardly care about people who ignore me. I will never allow any guy to treat me as though I was some brick wall.." she huffs and smiles. And I am the girl who always did allow any guy to treat me as though I was a brick wall. Allowed? Ha, no guy ever noticed me, so I won't include myself in that list.
As I was about to speak, a guy stumbles to our direction." Oi! Ladies!" He slurs, wiggling his eye brows.
I sort of shrug when I see him, but I don't understand how he could allow himself into such a state in a skating park! Was he trying to kill himself?
"Fuck off." Frankie spits, and I look at her surprisingly. She doesn't notice my expression because she had her glaring weapons set at the intoxicated human who had smelt mostly of cheap alcohol.
"Oh, yeah? We can always do something before I go away," he tries putting his hands over Frankie's shoulders, but before I know it, she knees him in the crotch, and pushes him to the ground, saying insults I never knew existed.
The guy gets up and scurries away, pulling up his jeans to cover up his underwear. She cleans her hands on her jeans and looks at me.
"What?"
"Nothing," I laugh.
"You have never seen a girl kick ass before?" She shows me her muscles, a wistful smile on her lips.
"Nothing new, Frankie." I shake my head and the same Frankie I knew then, has not changed.
"It's been really long, Nora. I still do remember how protective your parents were over you. I am quite surprised to see you in London. Are you parents with you as well?"
I scowl, knowing she was making a joke of me being a mommy's or daddy's girl, but that girl was long gone.
" lI left them when I was eighteen. I couldn't handle them." I sigh. I know I should have lied, and said that life was perfect, but I am sick of saying I am fine with everything. Moreover, she is no stranger. Though Frankie and I were never friends, It's never bad to have an extra friend now.
"Good for you, Nora. And do you have a job?"
"Yes, at Harvey's enterprises.." That should be the only thing I am proud about.
"Wait, the place where they label singers? And produce a few movies?"
"Yes and-"
"Holy shit, Nora!" She jumps. "That is so good to hear! I knew you could do this!" She puts her fist out for me to hit. I fist pump her and smile.
"You actually made me feel better after this.. Tommo bullshit."
"'Tommo bullshit,'" She air quotes and laughs. "My pleasure. Look, It's not like he is a bad guy or anything, he is the clown of the place, but he has a bad reputation with girls. Like I know because I had feelings towards him, but you know me," she winks and then begins to ride her skate board.
"Well," I rise to my feet, "I have got to head home. I am tired of all the noise and-"
"Tommo bullshit."
"That's enough, Frankie," I warn her with my index finger.
"Okay, okay," she smirks, and pulls out her phone, which reminds me of calling Veronica.
"Can I have your cellphone number?"
"Sure," I say, and take her phone from her hand, typing in my number and handing it back to her.
"I would love to meet again, Nono!" She attacks me with that tight hug again and smiles against my skin.
"Nono? Oh my God! I remember when they used to call me that!" I exclaim, my cheeks burning red.
"I will always call you that," she pulls away and winks.
"Anyway, Later?" I say, shaking her hand for the last time.
"Later." She confirms and I walk away, waving a goodbye as I leave. Well, tonight was definitely the worst time of my life. It hurts me to know that not everyone accepts me for who I am, especially for being included into a stupid game. It hurts. It hurts so bad, that I can't help but cry about it. I weep a little before I catch a taxi, sniffing my way into the vehicle.
***
"I can't do this anymore, Veronica." I was talking to Veronica over the phone as I laid under the bed sheets, hugging my pillow tightly, crying my night away. I was sensitive. Very sensitive, which was bad for my health. I cried about everything, and sometimes, that really pissed me off, which makes me cry harder and longer.
"Who said he would be as same as Louis?"
"Because I don't know him. Didn't you listen to a word I said earlier?" I huff, and somehow sob.
"But why are you upset?"
"Why am I upset?" I sarcastically laugh, and get up from my bed, leaning against the window frame, looking out the window.
"I am telling you, Nora. Niall would be different."
"But what's wrong with trying to grab a lunch with Marcel? He is good looking, he is smart, he is-"
"Don't you start with your Marcel speech. Just try. You only tried once, and you already gave up. What does that say about you?" Though Veronica was far away, I knew she had that look on her face saying how disappointed she was at me. Whenever I say something wrong at work, she'd stand and fold her arms, looking down at me as her glasses were placed half way up her nose.
"I don't know how Niall looks like.." I mumble and hit my forehead against the wall, knowing how erratic I can be.
"Blind dates sound exciting!" She cheers through the phone.
"But the date is just tomorrow! T-o-m-o-r-r-o-w." I spell the word out as she laughs. "What if I decided to go on a second date with Louis? How was the date magically set up with Niall?"
"I had that date set up incase you didn't like your first. Remember, You have three dates left." She sighs, and I suppose she was either about to have a shower or brush her teeth because the water was running.
"What time is the date? Remember I am only doing this because you made me to," I squint my eyes and try to imagine how Niall would like and what I will wear.
"Late in the evening. Will still text you the directions and time, including the outfit you should wear.
"I love you, Veronica." I smile, knowing it's not a homosexual love I am trying to provoke, but a friendly one. We just knew each other for a few weeks, and she was trying this bad to help me out.
"Same," she sort of croaks. "Call you tomorrow." She doesn't give me the chance to say goodbye because she already dropped the call. I fling my cell phone to the bed, and walk to the other room where my desk was, to arrange some paper works and do my To-Do list. Sitting over the chair, I pull out the papers from the space underneath my desk. I grab a pen from the pen holder and begin to write, doodling a few things on a yellow Memo Pad.
I had fulfilled all my duties of last week, so now it leaves me thinking of the things I have to do this week.
But before I sink into my duties, I begin to think about how tomorrow will go. I hope to not meet a Tommo Look alike.
+++
Niall Horan is date number two! *drums play in background* I hope you're excited bc I am excited !
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