Like Chocolate Stars and the Sun

“Francesca!”

My mother called my name from the open French doors that linked the kitchen to the garden and beckoned me inside. I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion and looked over at Jesse, who looked equally confused. A minute before everything had been nice and relaxed. Jesse stood up before me and held out his hand to pull me up off the grass.

“What do you think your Mom wants?” Jesse asked as he pulled me up from the floor. I shrugged my shoulders and dropped my friends hands so I could wipe off some blades of grass that had become stuck to my jeans.

“I have not got a clue, I was starting to think she had forgotten about me.” I laughed quietly and began to walk slowly across my back garden, round my swimming pool, and up to the doors at the back of my house. Jesse followed me inside and stood behind me when my mother turned round to face me, with a look on her face that instantly told me that she was not happy with me one little bit. My brother was stood, with Stacey, at the other end of the kitchen. My brother was looking down at the floor with his arms folded where as Stacey was looking straight at me, her expression almost completely blank for the first time since I had met her.

“Jesse, I think it would be best if you went back round home.” My mother spoke calmly and smiled a small smiled to Jesse before turning to look at me again with a face like thunder. Jesse began moving towards the door, but not before he glanced over at me and mouthed the words “call me” so I was the only person who would be able to see. Once he was gone my mother folded her arms across her chest and looked at me disappointed.

“Care to explain yourself Francesca?” My mother asked. Even though I knew what she was talking about, I didn't want to throw myself in the deep end, because there was a small glimmer of possibility that she was actually talking about something else.

I played the clueless card. “What do you mean Mum?” I asked.

“I do not appreciate you lying to me, both now and when you were supposedly ill on Sunday.” My mother shook her head at me.

“I was actually ill, you can even ask Charlotte.” I didn't lie about that part, just the reason behind it.

“But you still lied to me about why you were ill. And it's not just that Francesca, I have told you several times not to drink.” I looked down at the floor to avoid my mothers disappointed stare. “But to drink so much that you make yourself ill is so out of character.”

I looked back up at my mother. “I know I was stupid Mum, but I am so--”

My mother cut me off mid sentence. “And also, getting your friends to lie for you, that's not right is it?” I shook my head and looked back down at the floor. She was making me feel like a child, and I did not like it one little bit.

I glanced up, but this time not at my mother. Instead I glanced over at my brother for some back-up. He was still looking down at the floor. I sighed. Even my own brother didn't feel like sticking up for me.

Stacey was still stood next to him, still staring at me. It was beginning to both irritate and scare me. She shot a small smirk my way, and I had to refrain from running across the room and slapping her. Then she did something really unexpected.

“I'm so sorry Francesca! It just slipped out.” Stacey announced in a totally fake apologetic voice. “I didn't mean to say it.” I narrowed my eyes in her direction and crossed my arms.

“What?” I spat back. The urge to slap her was getting stronger and stronger with each passing second. I rolled my eyes in an annoyed manner. “I can't believe this.” I muttered to myself. Would she ever stop?

“You don't have anything to apologise for Stacey,” My mother informed her, “I appreciate the honesty.”

“Oh believe me, she has everything to apologise for.” I muttered to myself, but my mother seemed to hear every word like I had just screamed it at the top of my lungs.

“Francesca--”

“This is really pathetic Stacey.” I shook my head at her and ignored the fact that my mother had just said my name. “Seriously what have I ever done to you?”

“What haven't you done.” She smirked, her little miss innocent act vanishing instantly.

“You little bitch.” I muttered, and once again my mother heard me when I really didn't want her to.

“Francesca. I'm sorry I have to do this so close to your birthday, but I am grounding you.” My mother fumed. I looked at her in shock. Never before had she grounded me. And I mean never.

“What?” I managed to choke out. “What for?” I asked.

“First of all for drinking. After I have told you not to a thousand times. Second of all for making yourself ill for drinking so much.” She stated. I had to agree with that, but what else had I done wrong? “And then there is the fact that you have had your friends lie for you, and the fact that you helped a friend organise a house part which said friend's father had no clue about, and then there is the way you have just acted just now.”

I sighed. “So how long am I grounded for?” I asked and looked down at the floor.

“Indefinitely. Starting tomorrow.” My mother replied and stormed out of the room. I looked back up from the floor, and glanced over at my brother for the last time before storming out of the room myself. So much for blood being thicker than water. The traitor was still looking down at the floor.

I stormed up the stairs and into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I would have slammed it, but I thought that was a bit immature. After collapsing onto my bed I let out a huge frustrated sigh. This was just so typical.

And right before my birthday as well.

I groaned. If I was grounded I wouldn't be able to find out what Jesse had planned for Friday. Great. Just when something exciting was going to happen, everything goes to pot. I pushed myself up and flipped myself round so I was now sat on my bed, rather then lying face first into the mattress. After doing this I pulled out my phone from my jean's pocket and scrolled through my contacts till I found the number I wanted.

“Hello, Frankie?” My friends voice echoed from the speaker on my phone.

I sighed. “Guess who's grounded.” I couldn't help but laugh.

“Ah, crap. Really?” Jesse replied, he sounded as disappointed as I felt. “How long for?” He asked.

“My mum said indefinitely. So I don't know how long I am going to have to suffer.” I groaned and quickly added “My mum knows your dad didn't know about the party.”

“Oh, that's not good.” Jesse replied. Then he laughed and added “To both things.”

“Yeah I know. I would prepare for the worse, I don't know if my mum's going to tell your dad about anything.” I bit my lip. “How would you dad react to you having a house party without his permission?” I asked and fiddled around with the silver bracelet on my wrist as I waited for my friends reply.

Jesse took a few moments to reply. “He wont be happy.” He replied simply and groaned. “Oh crap.” Jesse sighed and I could tell, like me, he was extremely worried.

“Well at least you have got a heads up. Not that it will do much good.” I mumbled, “Damn it, why couldn't Stacey keep her mouth shut for at least a week!”

“What's Stacey got to do with all this?” Jesse asked. I had forgotten I had left out that small detail.

“Stacey is the one who told my mother.” I explained. “About the drinking, the party, the whole lot I'm guessing.” I lay back on my bed so I was looking up at the ceiling of my bedroom. I sighed. “Could she not have waited till after my birthday?” I asked him, although I wasn't expecting an answer.

“God, I'm going to have to talk to her tomorrow, this is going a little far.” Jesse replied. “She might actually listen to me, maybe.”

“You don't sound too sure.” I laughed lightly. “And anyway, what is talking to her going to do? Magically make my Mum lift the whole grounding thing?”

“So let me get this straight, you're not mad that she told your Mum all the stuff that happened at the weekend, you're not mad at her that she got you grounded, its the fact that your grounded on your birthday that you are most annoyed about?” Jesse asked, he must have been having trouble keeping up.

“No, I am furious at her for telling my mother at getting me grounded.” I explained, “But I was kind of looking forward to my birthday.”

“And is there any reason you were looking forward to it?” Jesse asked, I could tell from the way he spoke that he had a big grin on his face.

“I wanted to go to the beach.” I giggled, and then sighed when I realised that I would have to wait even longer then I had planned to go to the beach. “God I am so annoyed now.”

“Look Frankie, don't worry about it.” Jesse tried to comfort me. “I have a plan.” He laughed.

“And what plan is this?” I asked, raising an eyebrow although he would not be able to see it.

Jesse laughed again. “Can't say. It is a secret.”

“You cant say 'I have a plan' and then not tell me what it is!” I argued with him. It was unfair!

“I just did.” Again I could tell he was grinning. I rolled my eyes. “Look Francesca, I better go. Need to soften up my Dad a little bit, so he might not be as hard on me if your Mum tells him.”

We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. My arm that was holding my phone up to my ear dropped and fell next to where I was still laid down on my bed. I let out a long, annoyed sigh. I heard my bedroom door creak open and I glanced over in the direction of the noise. My older brother stood smiling at me sheepishly; I glared at him before looking away.

“I am not talking to you.” I stated and lifted my arm back up and pretended to be looking at something on my phone.

“Technically you did just talk to me.” My brother replied and closed my bedroom door, but not before inviting himself in. He came and stood next to my bed, looking down at me with his arms folded. I glanced away from my phone briefly, to glare at him again.

“Fine then, I’m talking to you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you.” I replied and sat up on my bed with my legs crossed. “I could have done with a bit of backup back then you know.”

“Yeah I am sorry about that, but I don’t think that Mum would have changed her mind about anything.” Brandon sighed. I nodded in agreement, but then thought of another reason why I was annoyed.

“But Mum wouldn’t have found if you hadn’t invited your new best friend round for dinner now would she?” I folded my eyes and looked at him with one eyebrow raised. Brandon scowled at me.

“Are you still holding a grudge?” He asked me simply, to which I replied with a simple nod. If he had not noticed, I was not the only one who was hold a grudge. Tonight must have been a good enough example for him, surely!

“I am not the only one holding a grudge though Brandon.” I thought I might as well add that little detail. Just in case he hadn't picked it up. “I am sorry to say this, but your friend is the one who is making the big deal about everything. And for what exactly? What have I actually done to her?”

Brandon looked like he was thinking for a few moments before shaking his head at me and turning to leave. “I would rather not talk about it to be honest.” He told me before walking out of my room. I shook my head at him and got up from my place on my bed to close my bedroom door. Even my own brother was against me at that moment. I sighed again and collapsed back onto my bed.