Frankie

Everyone who knew Jordan Staal knew how much his family, friends and people that he cared about meant to him. They knew he would bend over and back words for the people he cared about. Frankie was no different.

Standing by the door of his guestroom, he watched contently has Frankie slept peacefully on the soft bed. It was a long night for her, having to relive the memories of her most traumatic moments. She cried herself to sleep and it angered Jordan that all he could do was comfort her.

He wanted to do more for her. To take her pain away, or to even sober up her brother, but he couldn't do any of those things. All he could do was comfort her and lend his shoulder for Francesca.

Francesca started to mumble incoherent things in her sleep and Jordan took it as his cue to leave before she woke up. He walked over to his kitchen where a plate of breakfast was laying on the table.

He put it in the oven and wrote a note to Frankie explaining that he had to go to practice and that he left breakfast in the oven and the keys to his Escalade on the table so she could use it when she needed to get to class. He apologized for not being there when she woke up.

Jordan looked back at the door of the guestroom Frankie was staying and sighed before he left. He didn't want to leave, in fact, he wanted to stay in his apartment all day catering to his girlfriend and making sure that she was okay, but he had a job and she had school.

About an hour later, Francesca woke up dishevelled and with a killer headache. Just as she was about to get up, she turned around and saw a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water sitting on the bedside table.

For a moment, a smile appeared on her face when she thought about how considerate Jordan was about everything. Downing a tablet and the water, Frankie got up and stretched. Catching herself in the mirror, Frankie hoped that Jordan didn't enter the room and saw her looking like a mess.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her face was tearstained and the makeup that Gwen had applied on her last night was smudged and streaked all over her face.

'Charming,' she thought sarcastically to herself and made her way into the bathroom connected to the room she stayed in.

Ridding her face of all the makeup she had on, Frankie left the bathroom and made her way into the kitchen, hoping to see some sign of Jordan. Instead, she saw a note and a set of keys in the middle of the island counter.

Frankie,

Sorry I couldn't be here when you wake up, I have morning practice. I made breakfast, it's in the oven and you can use my car to get to class. I'll see you tonight.

Love, Jordan

Francesca smiled at how sweet and thoughtful Jordan could be. At first when she met him, she thought he was a shallow womanizer that was only after one thing when it came to women. She never really imagined Jordan to be a sweetheart.

She took the keys and shoved it in her pocket before going into the oven. Glancing over at the clock, Frankie realized that she only had two hours to get everything done, go to her dorm to get her books and get to class.

Quickly shoving her face with breakfast, Frankie cleaned the plates and rushed out of Jordan's apartment in twenty minutes. Just as she was locking the door with the set of keys Jordan gave her, two girls passed by her and snickered.

Francesca brushed it off and followed them to the elevator. The three girls waited in silence, the two girls were whispering to one another and would occasionally glance at Francesca, making her shift in her spot in nervousness.

Finally, one of the girls (a redhead) shushed the other and looked at Francesca directly. "Excuse me, did you just come out of Jordan Staal's apartment?" she asked.

Looking at the girl that spoke oddly, Francesca thought of what to say. She didn't think that Jordan would want people knowing where he lived. "N-no," she stuttered.

"I'm pretty sure that's his apartment since I am his neighbour after all," she pointed out snootily. "And you're wearing an oversized Penguins t-shirt and one of his sweats. You must be sleeping with him."

Francesca gave the two girls an annoyed look when they snickered at her. "I'm his girlfriend," Francesca replied sternly. She became increasingly annoyed with the girls; they had no right to assume that Francesca was some one nightstand. Walking into the elevator, she stood at the very end.

"Right and I'm Sidney Crosby's wife," the redhead scoffed. "Look, we all slept with Jordan. He doesn't date and he especially doesn't date ugly girls like you," she insulted Francesca. "Trust me honey, he's going to leave you like he did the rest of us."

Looking at the redhead ready to retort, the two girls walked out of the elevator before she could say anything. Walking out of the elevator herself, she caught her reflection on the mirror hanging on the wall. She looked at herself and really wondered what Jordan ever saw in her. She wasn't like the girls in the elevator or in the clubs.

Francesca wouldn't call herself ugly, but she wouldn't call herself stunning either. She was just, there, a plain Jane. Not to mention, she was increasingly awkward and shy to boot. Frankie suddenly started to feel insecure.

*

Finishing the last of her homework, Frankie checked the clock. Jordan should be coming to her dorm soon, just like he said he would when he text her. Sighing, she tied her messy and frizzy hair into a bun.

She heard a knock and instantly knew that it was Jordan. Getting up from her chair, she opened the door to see a smiling Jordan. Frankie gave him a small smile and opened the door wider to let him in.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her as he sat on her small twin bed.

Frankie crossed her arms in front of her chest, and shrugged passively. "I don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling," she replied honestly, refusing to meet Jordan's face.

Jordan sighed and got up, walking closer to her. "Are you okay?" he asked. Frankie wasn't acting her normal self, she wasn't looking at Jordan in the face like she usually did and she seemed more closed off than normal.

She nodded at her boyfriend, but to be honest, Frankie couldn't shake off what the girls in Jordan's apartment said to her. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Francesca, I'm not that dumb. I know when something is bothering you. You're more closed off and you put your arms over your chest."

Frankie sighed and walked over to Jordan. She sat on her bed and Jordan followed suit. "It's just, I ran into your neighbour. The one that you apparently slept with," she said.

Jordan sighed in a frustrating manner. He knew exactly who she was talking about. Rachel Marshall. When he had moved into his apartment, he and Rachel had a bit of flirtation passing between them that escalated to sleeping with each other on more than one occasion.

He could only imagine what she said to Francesca. Rachel wasn't a particularly nice person; she was a catty bitch that wasn't afraid to pick a fight with anyone. And for some reason, she always liked scaring the girls Jordan would bring home.

"Rachel. Frankie, please don't listen to whatever Rachel said to you. She's delusional and hates every girl I bring home."

"How many girls have you brought home? And I don't mean as a girlfriend," she asked. She knew about Jordan being a womanizer, and she should have been used to that.

"I don't know, but Frankie that was before you. When I met you, it made me different. To be honest I've never looked at another girl since we started dating," he said and wrapped her in a hug to reassure her that he was faithful.

Frankie felt a little in and over her head. What if Jordan expected more from her when they get in deeper and she can't give it to him and he leaves her? What if he gets bored of her because she was so naive and inexperienced?

She hugged him back, but she still didn't feel reassured. In the back of her mind there was that little voice in her head telling her that things were too good to be true. That she should distance herself so she wouldn't get hurt. To protect herself.