《Bulletproof (Publishing 2023) ✔》7: Franny
Advertisement
"Some guys will be round later on tonight. They'll take a few of the boxes from upstairs."
I place my spoon back down into my bowl of soggy cereal as my dad pours himself a cup of coffee. "What are they taking? Why didn't you ask me? There's stuff I want to keep."
"It's just some clothes, Franny." He leans back against the counter and looks down at me. The gesture irritates me and I have the foolish desire to stand up so we're the same height—so he can't look down on me as if I'm beneath him.
"You could have told me," I mumble like a petulant child. My dad just sighs.
"Well I'm telling you now," he says. "And you're not off the hook for staying over at Tally's the other night."
"I'm surprised you even noticed," I mutter. My dad doesn't say anything, just stands there, until I hear his cup being placed down on the counter and his footsteps echoing down the hall.
I finish breakfast in silence.
***
Tally doesn't participate much during history class, which is strange for her—she always answers at least one of the questions right, seeing as she's one of the smartest kids in the room. I don't push her or lean over to ask her if she's okay, though.
The whole of yesterday, after I'd spent the night at her house, she had been quiet, too. Not as quiet as now, though, and I'm not sure if it's about the fact that she told me she's bisexual or that she kissed me.
Before I can open my mouth to talk to her, she turns her head and leans over a little. "Thank you."
I don't speak at first, just look at her eyes which are so serious and pained as they stare back at me. "No problem," I whisper back.
I know that I've said the right thing when she smiles, the corner of her lips quirking up, and raises her hand to answer the next question.
Advertisement
I lean back in my seat, chewing mindlessly on the end of my pen. It's actually Tally's pen. She stares daggers at me from the side when she sees her pen covered in my saliva.
I take it out of my mouth and offer it to her, but she holds up her hand. "No, keep it," she says. "Really. All yours."
I roll my eyes and put the pen back to my mouth. I turn sideways in my chair so my back is against the wall. The World War II poster falls and stabs me in the eye and I bat it away, creating a loud noise that ricochets through the classroom.
A few people look over and I look down sheepishly. Sighing, I press my head back against the wall and look out the window on the opposite side of the room. The rain is coming down hard and I'm reminded of why I don't like this time of the year. October is cold and wet and makes my bones constantly cold and a chill is always running down my spine.
I catch movement in the corner of my eye and glance over at Tyler, who's leaning back against the wall in the exact same position as me. His eyes are already on me and I get that unsettling feeling again which always seems to come up when he looks at me. Maybe it's just the blankness in his stare—as if he isn't actually looking at me, but just staring because I'm there.
He raises an eyebrow at me and before I realize what I'm doing I raise one back. His eyes narrow.
"Mind not staring at me?" he asks quietly.
"You were looking first," I say back.
"Don't flatter yourself," he mutters.
"I can if it's a fact," I say.
"Madden, Howard," Mr Dalton calls out and I begrudgingly turn around and look at him. "Am I interrupting your enthralling conversation, or can I please get back to teaching the class?"
"Sorry," I mumble.
Tyler doesn't say anything but the teacher turns away and finally starts talking again, his hands moving around erratically as his eyes widen from whatever pointless words he's spewing out.
Advertisement
I catch Tally's eye and she gives me a suggestive look, glancing back at Tyler with a sly smile. I hope to God that Tyler didn't notice her doing that because the mortification sets in quickly and I throw my pen at Tally's head making her laugh. The teacher glares at us once more.
Later, in drama class, I end up in the cafeteria with a paintbrush in my hand and a cut-out of a tree. It's a small tree and only stands halfway up my leg. I frown at it, not sure that it can really be classed as a tree given its pathetic height.
"What's wrong, Howard?" Mr Small asks. "You look confused."
"Nothing," I say. "It's just . . . I mean, isn't it a little small?"
"Of course, Howard," he says and stands beside me, his head reaching my shoulder. I try so hard to keep my face straight. "That's the tree after it's been zapped."
"Zapped?" I ask.
"Yes, Howard." I clench my teeth and wish he would stop calling me by my last name. "The play is about a lost warrior who's very short and he seeks vengeance on the world and invents a shrinking ray to make everyone else smaller than him."
"So, he shrinks a tree?" I ask. "Shouldn't he shrink a person instead?"
"You have to start small, Howard, and then get bigger."
Well that obviously didn't work for you, I think.
I bite back the comment and smile at Mr Small as he finally walks away. I mix a little of the brown paint with black to get it darker and start on the tree trunk, creating different shades with the black and white paint until the trunk starts to look a little more realistic.
I glance over at the girl beside me who is also painting a tree, and see that the whole thing has been painted brown, leaves and all. I don't comment. If there's nothing nice to say, then don't say anything.
I mean, it could be a tree from the desert.
A brown tree from the desert.
Tyler is moving his paintbrush up and down lazily, his wrist flicking back and forth as his hand hangs limply. He looks bored out of his mind; every few seconds, his eyes wander over to the door that leads outside and ultimately to his freedom.
I can hear his depressed sigh from a mile away and snicker a little.
"What?" he snarls.
"Sorry," I say and shake my head, turning back to my tree.
"No, what?" he asks again, turning to face me fully, still annoyed but also curious.
"Well it's just . . . " I start with another little snicker, "you look like a puppy that just got kicked."
He glares at me. "Fuck off."
Most people would probably be insulted by that, maybe yell something back, but I do the exact opposite. I laugh. I must come across as completely crazy. What starts out as a little snicker soon becomes a full-blown chuckle— with snorts thrown in for good measure.
Tyler just looks at me and many others do, too.
I don't know why I'm laughing. Maybe it's because the last few days have felt so surreal. Maybe because when I go home tonight half my mom's stuff won't be there. Maybe because this morning's pitiful example of a conversation proved once and for all that my dad really doesn't care.
I laugh until I'm practically crying, and then I look up to see Tyler's shoulders shaking —he's laughing, too.
Now everyone's looking.
And we let them.
I let them.
Sometimes it's nice to have people look at you.
Reminds you that you're actually there.
You can follow my socials at EllieSPindolia on twitter, and authorelliesita on Instagram!
(French edition of my book ASK AMY is available in bookstores in France and online retailers outside France)
Advertisement
Ballet With The Bad Boy
Eliana McCoy.She never spoke a word. Never drew attention to herself. And never caused drama.Her twin brother on the other hand was the complete opposite.Harvey was loud. Loved the attention. And was always in the centre of drama.His friends were constantly at their house, much to Eliana's annoyance, but, everything changes when a new boy is added to the circle.When she tries to focus on her dancing, what will happen when said new boy becomes her ballet partner?***PSAI'm not a trained dancer or know much about ballet (I did some research before writing but not much) and more just wanted the story, pls don't shit on me in the comments on my own book☺️Pictures of actors/actresses are just a base for you to imagine what they can look like☺️Word count: 72,683
8 224The Demon Alpha (Stryders #1) - PUBLISHED
Meet the best Alpha ever, Lance Stryder. Are you tired of werewolf stories where the Alpha yells out "MINE" and practically kidnaps the main character? Are you tired of Alphas being too possessive and too jealous? Are you tired of seeing all the signs of an abusive relationship glamorized here on Wattpad? Are you tired of the way the main character is shy? Or is always abused and needs a man to help her? Are you tired because of plain life? Well look no further because this werewolf story is probably for you.**************************Overhearing a murder conspiracy between two Alphas, Ava is running for her life. Those Alphas want to kill her for it. That's when she runs into her mate, Lance Stryder. The Demon Alpha. She puts on a fake front of who she is, but can she trust her mate that everyone else seems to fear?Ava discovers things about herself she never knew, and her mate she didn't see coming.Highest ranking: #1 Romance #1 Alpha#1 Luna#1 Supernatural#1 Witches#2 Vampire#5 Werewolf#33 Humor
8 223The Bodyguard
When a rebellious daughter raised in a gangsters family run away from home, she is transported back in time to ages of Prince and Kings somehow. Hiding in the world run by men, she opts for the only position that fate allots her, Prince's Personal Bodyguard. But the handsome , casanova yet intelligent Prince doesn't know that his new bodyguard is a girl. And it doesn't help when he can't even see her face..... Girl is fearless while the Prince is a constant target for danger, for once it's the girl that becomes the protector.
8 293Scrapped Metal {Karl Heisenberg X Reader}
DISCONTINUED(This book takes place in a alternate universe where Ethan Winters and his wife never had Rose).After a lifetime running away from those that wish to abuse them, F/N L/N finds themselves running into the arms of someone that's power hungry and handsome. But there's something about him that's so different, just can't put a finger on it.(I'm going to make this fanfiction as gender neutral as possible).
8 201Big girls need loving (editing)
A 17year old girl name Angel always get bully about her weight. It sucks being the fat girl..18year old Cameron jerkins is a young hustler in the streets. When these two cross paths what will happen ?****This book is not to downsize skinny girls! I'm just putting big girls in the spotlight for once.****Currently updating
8 115Far From Perfect
Far From Perfect. That's what I am. It's what I've always been. How do I even begin to see myself as anything different when all I've ever been is the fat girl? I just want to be loved and accepted. It's all I've ever wanted. And all I've ever needed. I didn't think it was possible to have either of those until I met Nate Carter. Nate swooped into my life like a wrecking ball, rattling the very walls I built around myself to keep anyone from ever getting in. And without me realizing it, he knocked them all down one by one and did what no one was ever able to do. He taught me to see me. The real me. But will that be enough to keep what is growing between us alive? × Highest Rankings ×#1 in Bodypositive#1 in Selfacceptance#2 in Bodyimage#2 Bodyimageissues#2 Self-esteem#6 Firstkiss#13 Outcast
8 133