Sequel: You Could Be Happy ›
Wilted and Faded
oh, Cinderella, they aren't sluts like you
Frank sat at the counter in Johnny’s kitchen and looked out into the backyard. Ruby was sitting on one of the sun loungers watching the moonlight hit the clear water of the pool.
“Is your sister okay?” he asked, turning to look at Johnny.
He looked over at the younger man and shook his head, “She called Chris’s mom earlier and she asked that Ruby doesn’t go to the funeral.”
“Does she blame Ruby for the accident?”
“No, thankfully. She just doesn’t want the paparazzi invading a family thing.”
“Why does she assume they’re gonna be there cause of Ruby? There’s no paparazzi here,” Frank reasoned, not entirely sure why he was jumping to the defence of a girl he barely knew.
“This is a gated community so they can’t get past the security.”
Frank turned back to look at the yard, “Kinda sucks she can’t say goodbye to her best friend,” he mused.
“Yeah,” Johnny sighed, before heading into the living room.
Ruby had been quiet all day and although Frank didn’t know her very well he had known that something was wrong.
He went out into the yard and wandered over to where Ruby was sitting. The cool breeze blew the strands of hair that had fallen out of its loose bun across her face and her black leather jacket was zipped up to keep out the chill.
“Can I show you something?” he asked, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets.
She looked up at him, her dark green eyes meeting his hazel ones.
“Sure.”
He stuck out a hand and helped her up.
They had been walking in the crisp evening air for a good ten minutes before Ruby realised she was walking around in the dark with someone she had only known for a few days, “What exactly is it you want to show me Frank?”
He turned to face her, “It’s just up here,” he smiled, pointing to the top of the hill they were currently at the bottom of.
Ruby looked at him doubtfully but followed him up the narrow path anyway, their Converse glad feet crunching on the gravel.
“Wow,” Ruby breathed, they were looking down at San Diego Bay, “How did you know this was here?” she asked as they sat down on the little wooden bench at the top of the mound.
“I like to explore when we’re not busy in the studio,” Frank replied.
Frank tilted his head back and looked up at the stars scattered across the sky, his dark hair blown off of his face by the wind.
“You know, when my mum was sick she told me that a new star appears when someone dies,” Ruby paused, leaning her head back against the bench, “And that whenever you miss that person, you just look up and they’re there, whenever you need them.”
“That’s pretty cool. Do you think Chris’s up there?”
“I hope so. Our little motto was always ‘aim for the moon and even if you miss you’ll land among the stars’,” she smiled faintly.
Frank nodded beside her.
They stared up at the sky in comfortable silence until they both lost track of time.
“Is your sister okay?” he asked, turning to look at Johnny.
He looked over at the younger man and shook his head, “She called Chris’s mom earlier and she asked that Ruby doesn’t go to the funeral.”
“Does she blame Ruby for the accident?”
“No, thankfully. She just doesn’t want the paparazzi invading a family thing.”
“Why does she assume they’re gonna be there cause of Ruby? There’s no paparazzi here,” Frank reasoned, not entirely sure why he was jumping to the defence of a girl he barely knew.
“This is a gated community so they can’t get past the security.”
Frank turned back to look at the yard, “Kinda sucks she can’t say goodbye to her best friend,” he mused.
“Yeah,” Johnny sighed, before heading into the living room.
Ruby had been quiet all day and although Frank didn’t know her very well he had known that something was wrong.
He went out into the yard and wandered over to where Ruby was sitting. The cool breeze blew the strands of hair that had fallen out of its loose bun across her face and her black leather jacket was zipped up to keep out the chill.
“Can I show you something?” he asked, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets.
She looked up at him, her dark green eyes meeting his hazel ones.
“Sure.”
He stuck out a hand and helped her up.
They had been walking in the crisp evening air for a good ten minutes before Ruby realised she was walking around in the dark with someone she had only known for a few days, “What exactly is it you want to show me Frank?”
He turned to face her, “It’s just up here,” he smiled, pointing to the top of the hill they were currently at the bottom of.
Ruby looked at him doubtfully but followed him up the narrow path anyway, their Converse glad feet crunching on the gravel.
“Wow,” Ruby breathed, they were looking down at San Diego Bay, “How did you know this was here?” she asked as they sat down on the little wooden bench at the top of the mound.
“I like to explore when we’re not busy in the studio,” Frank replied.
Frank tilted his head back and looked up at the stars scattered across the sky, his dark hair blown off of his face by the wind.
“You know, when my mum was sick she told me that a new star appears when someone dies,” Ruby paused, leaning her head back against the bench, “And that whenever you miss that person, you just look up and they’re there, whenever you need them.”
“That’s pretty cool. Do you think Chris’s up there?”
“I hope so. Our little motto was always ‘aim for the moon and even if you miss you’ll land among the stars’,” she smiled faintly.
Frank nodded beside her.
They stared up at the sky in comfortable silence until they both lost track of time.