Stereotype

Chapter 4

When Frank's phone vibrated in his pocket during the last break, he didn't need to look at the screen to know who was calling. It was the expected consequence to the text message he'd sent during math class, after receiving one himself that made him happy.

"Hi, mommy!" he chirped innocently, flipping off Matt through the glass door. He was obviously imitating him for his friends' amusement out there. "You needed something?"

"Frank...don't play fool with me," came Linda's aggravated voice through the speaker.

"I'm not, mom. Why are you mad?"

"Do you consider 'Don't come for me, Marina will,' valid information? I'm coming, Frank."

"No! Seriously, mom, not necessary. Marina's getting out early and will come for me."

"Oh yes, 'cause a girl your age will keep you away from danger! How safe!"

"I don't need to be kept away from danger, we'll be perfectly fine. It's just eight blocks, come on!"

"Frank, I don't think..."

"Mom, please. Give me some freedom, will you?" Frank pleaded.

There must have been the right amount or urgency in Frank's voice, because Linda finally sighed loudly -a sound Frank knew very well as the sound of defeat. He did a little victory dance, ignoring the amused look the new guy gave him before entering a classroom two doors from where Frank stood.

"Okay, okay. Just for today. But if you're not home in thirty minutes after school ends, I'm going for you."

"Deal! Bye mom, love you!" he voiced quickly as he walked towards his last class.

*****

Just like most days, hardly anyone else was inside the building by the time Frank reached the doors. He always told his mom that he didn't feel safe leaving the school together with all the students who advanced like scared cattle. He knew Linda's overprotective nature would believe that and approve of Frank's decision. Marina, however, knew better.

The tall girl was standing against the fence, arms crossed over her practically flat chest and appearing annoyed. But just like she knew about Frank's lies, Frank knew that she could never get mad at him.

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a slow-ass diva, Frankie. You know that, right?"

"Sowry! Leading a double life is hard, so hard..." Frank answered dramatically, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead.

"Oh, poor you." Marina laughed. "We only have twenty minutes now, though."

"Enough. Uh, first...I'm sweating like a pig." Frank quickly discharged the short-sleeved t-shirt he was wearing and stuffed it in his backpack, revealing a black spaghetti-strapped one below. "Ready. Let's get going, I'll tell you all while we walk."

"Wait!" Marina stopped him by grabbing his elbow. She then pushed his face up, licked her thumb and carefully ran it along his bottom eyelid. "Quiet...done. The eyeliner was still too visible, even after all the time you took in there."

"Eww...but thanks!" Frank said as they both started moving again. "I just don't want to irritate my eyes by rubbing too much, you know?"

"You could always stop wearing make up to school, it'd spare you of this problem. It's not like you need it, you baby-skinned fucker."

"I just like it. You could not straighten your hair before school, would give you more time to sleep."

"I like it more straight, though. My curls suck," the ginger replied, then realized she'd lost the argument. "Yeah, I know, you win. Tell me about this new guy..."

"Gerard. I think he's the son of some...'famous' ex-student. Or something."

Marina smacked Frank's head. "Or something."

"Ouch, bitch! Why?!"

"That doesn't tell me much, Frank. Famous for what?"

"Uh...some school sport shit? Not sure." Frank shrugged, still rubbing the back of his head.

"How can you not be sure when everybody's been talking about it? Jeez, kid, you fail hard at gossiping. You..." Marina made a pause as they walked past a group of twenty-somethings that were whistling and shouting things at them. She quickly took Frank's place, pushing him to the opposite side of the sidewalk, and whispered, "Ignore, I guess they think you're a girl too."

"Ugh, pedos," Frank growled once they were out of the guys' range. "With this chest I'd have to be like...eleven. And you're not much better."

"They'll grow. At least I don't have the height of an eleven-year old," Marina replied dryly.

Her lack of breasts was a touchy subject, and Frank felt bad for picking on her. "I'll grow. Maybe?" He laughed, hoping to lighten up the moment.*

"Maybe! So, you were about to tell me how come you're not sure what that Gerard guy's dad is famous for."

"Told you. I think football, but I hate football or...most sports, really, so I couldn't care less. And it's not like I'm close to many people at school!" he snapped.

"Okay, okay, calm down. Go on."

"So...as soon as Gerard arrived, about ninety percent of the kids surrounded him. I got on a tree to watch. It was so fucking disgusting, Mar. Like...it was so obvious it was out of interest. When are they ever that nice to new students? Ne-fucking-ver!"

"Idiots. And what did the guy do?" she questioned.

"He didn't seem to be talking much, mostly just looked amused."

"Amused as in, 'I'm better than you all, fools'?"

"No, no. More like..." Frank gestured desperately, trying to come up with the right words. "...genuinely amused with the situation, like he found the way everybody was acting interesting. Seemed to be trying hard to listen to all of them, nodding a lot."

"Does he look like a football player?"

"Mmm...not exactly. I mean, he's slightly chubby but rather small, and I didn't see any muscles. Although," he rethought his reply, feeling like a moron, "not all football players are big. So who knows! I just didn't get a football-player vibe from him, but then again...not my area."

Marina grinned, and the boy knew what was coming. "Is he hot?"

Frank thought about it for some seconds. He hadn't paid attention to that detail. "Uh? I dunno? I don't spend my time looking at guys that way, that's you."

"Yeah right, 'cause you look at girls."

"Don't be stupid, Mar. You know what I mean! I'm not looking for a boyfriend, I'm just interested in friends. Thank you very much."

"Oh well, my gut feeling tells me that Gerard's a stuck up, anyway," she declared.

"I'll find out and then tell you. I didn't have a chance to get close to him today, but I will tomorrow somehow. He's my new target!" Frank announced with a smirk.

"Good luck with that, you could fail harder than ever..."