Sequel: You Could Be Happy ›
Wilted and Faded
honeysuckle, she's full of poison
Eliza laughed at Frank as they watched the small yellow whirlwind that was Ruby rush out of the kitchen.
“So, you like Ruby huh?” she asked as she reached for the broom in the adjoining laundry room.
“Huh? What? No, we’re just friends,” Frank stuttered as he moved to the large refrigerator.
“Right, ‘just friends’,” Eliza raised her eyebrows as she swept up the remains of Ruby’s hair.
“Why is that so hard to believe?” Frank asked as he opened a bottle of water.
“The look on your face when she hugged you a second ago would be a good place to start. And the two of you are always messing around together and stuff.”
He shrugged, “So, what if I do like her. There’s not much I can do about it.”
“Why not?” Eliza asked as she stopped sweeping and looked over at him.
Frank swallowed his mouthful of water, “Did Gee tell you why Johnny brought her down here?”
Eliza shrugged, “A little.”
“Well, she just lost her best friend in a car wreck that she survived. And before that she was pretty messed up too. The last thing she needs is some sort of relationship to stress her out.”
“Have you ever thought that the two of you together could be a good thing? I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Eliza sat down opposite him at the table, “but you could be the calming influence she needs.”
Frank smiled, it would probably be the first and last time he was referred to as a ‘calming influence’.
“You think I should tell her I like her?” he asked, picking at the label of his bottle nervously.
Eliza nodded, “Yeah. I could try and find out how she feels if you want. Although I’m pretty much 100% positive that she likes you too.”
“You really think so?” he asked with a grin.
She smiled back, “Yup. Oh my God, you guys are gonna be the sweetest couple. You’re both so little and cute,” she cooed.
Frank rolled his eyes, “I’m not that short!”
“Imagine how short your kids will be!”
Eliza laughed as Frank choked on his water.
“So, you like Ruby huh?” she asked as she reached for the broom in the adjoining laundry room.
“Huh? What? No, we’re just friends,” Frank stuttered as he moved to the large refrigerator.
“Right, ‘just friends’,” Eliza raised her eyebrows as she swept up the remains of Ruby’s hair.
“Why is that so hard to believe?” Frank asked as he opened a bottle of water.
“The look on your face when she hugged you a second ago would be a good place to start. And the two of you are always messing around together and stuff.”
He shrugged, “So, what if I do like her. There’s not much I can do about it.”
“Why not?” Eliza asked as she stopped sweeping and looked over at him.
Frank swallowed his mouthful of water, “Did Gee tell you why Johnny brought her down here?”
Eliza shrugged, “A little.”
“Well, she just lost her best friend in a car wreck that she survived. And before that she was pretty messed up too. The last thing she needs is some sort of relationship to stress her out.”
“Have you ever thought that the two of you together could be a good thing? I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Eliza sat down opposite him at the table, “but you could be the calming influence she needs.”
Frank smiled, it would probably be the first and last time he was referred to as a ‘calming influence’.
“You think I should tell her I like her?” he asked, picking at the label of his bottle nervously.
Eliza nodded, “Yeah. I could try and find out how she feels if you want. Although I’m pretty much 100% positive that she likes you too.”
“You really think so?” he asked with a grin.
She smiled back, “Yup. Oh my God, you guys are gonna be the sweetest couple. You’re both so little and cute,” she cooed.
Frank rolled his eyes, “I’m not that short!”
“Imagine how short your kids will be!”
Eliza laughed as Frank choked on his water.