Dakota curled under his sheets, his stomach growling in protest at his refusal to eat. He was currently in his room, the third day from having to stay away from Frankie.

He considered going to school but knew he'd see her and his resolve to protect her would just break the minute he did.

His stomach growled again but he ignored his hunger, having no appetite or energy to even eat.

Frankie.....

He felt his eyes burn as fresh tears reached his eyes, the pain from staying away from Frankie getting to him again.

He's gotten so attached to her that this hurt more than it needed to.

This was probably a good thing anyway; he got too comfortable with her and forgot his reasons for hiding who he was in the first place.

"Dakota?"

He tensed hearing his mother knock on his door and quickly hid further into the bed sheets as she entered.

"Dakota.... Please eat something...." His mother pleaded softly, coming fully into his room. He kept his back to her, not wanting to see the look on her face that no doubt held pain. He already felt guilty enough for dodging Frankie, he didn't need to add guilt from his mother.

"Starving yourself isn't okay, you-"

"I'm not." He grumbled firmly his voice coming out scratchy and strained. He hasn't spoken much or drank anything either to soothe his burning throat, he's just been unable to. It's as if that part of his brain, that was connected to his limbs stopped working. He felt lifeless, a living corpse.

He didn't hear her say anything more and figured she was staring at him with that same pitiful look since yesterday.

It made him feel worse, more hopeless.

"Well....if you need anything sweetie. We're here okay?"

Dakota's unshed tears, fell then.

His mother's words hitting him hard. He really wanted to take her up on that, to tell her how anxious and uncomfortable he's been, to tell her how much he missed Frankie and wanted to see her, how he felt stressed and cornered, how he's sorry he's such an embarrassment to them and apologize to Frankie for abandoning her the way he did.

He wanted to say sorry for so many things but couldn't.

His voice was lost to him.

He felt he'd only burden her with sharing his worries and his mother might blow the entire situation out of control. He chuckled softly his mother's temper reminding him of Frankie. She wasn't the type to sit back and let anyone hurt her 'baby' as she called him.

He heard his room door close moments later and sniffled, wiping his swollen eyes. It felt hard to breathe and his head felt detached from his body; yet somehow he still felt the irregular pounding of a headache. He felt his heart ache knowing Frankie would definitely wipe his tears away and kiss him so softly, that it would immediately chase his worries away.

He sighed bitterly as his mind played out his fantasies, as if to remind him of what he was missing and who he was giving up.

-

Day four soon came around and Dakota was still in his room, still crying and still unable to function well. At this point his mental health was declining rapidly and his parents had to call the school.

He sat around his desk, bundled in his large blanket his lights off. The only light source coming from his laptop.

He felt stupid for being so emotional.

Many people would tell him 'it's just a highschool relationship get over it!' Or 'she can't be all that why are you so hung up on her?' but while he understood all this, that still didn't make the situation any less painful or unimportant.

He stared blankly at the moving screen not taking in the plot or anything the characters had said.

He felt his chest ache watching the two characters confess their love. He paused the movie and stared at them.

He felt a sense of guilt and anger rush over him.

What's wrong with me?

He turned to look at a wig of his that sat off to the side.

Why am I.....

He stopped mid sentence his intentions becoming clear to him and Frankie's words reaching him.

He smiled sadly remembering her saying he's not a freak and that he shouldn't be mean to himself. He chuckled bitterly feeling his eyes fill with tears yet again.

She might not be here but he at least wanted to continue to listen to her advice.

Smiling sadly, he wiped his tears.

"I'm sorry... Frankie... "

He whispered into the darkness, just then his phone vibrated and he glanced at it to see it was Lewis. He tensed his heart coming to a stop. He grabbed his phone and opened the message.

'I heard you haven't been at school, you're good at following orders. Keep it up pretty boy.'

He felt disgust, anger and frustration swirl in his chest. He growled throwing the phone away from him, not caring if it broke or got damaged.

"Fucking....." He muttered pathetically unsure of where his thoughts were going. He felt so misplaced and uncomfortable, to the point he almost felt crazy.

He heard his mother knock on the door and he went to yell at her for bothering him again when she spoke.

"Honey Frankie's here. She wants to see you."

Frankie???

He stood up so quickly that he wobbled and almost fell to his knees from dizziness. He threw off his blanket and looked to his mother for the first time in a long while to see she was smiling at him gently. He blushed feeling embarrassed suddenly and slowly went up to her.

"Uh...F-Frankie is here?" He asked wanting confirmation as he might've just misheard her.

His mother smiled feeling delighted that her son was facing her again.

"She's just outside. She wants to see you."

She's here!

He smiled moving to go past her until he remembered his promise.

He went rigid his heart falling and breaking at his feet with a shattering bang.

He swallowed thickly and stepped back shaking his head. He body went cold and his pulse quickened in fear.

No. I can't.... I can't see her.

"Dakota?"

He looked up as his mother called and immediately turned around.

"Te-Tell her I don't want to see her."

"Dakota!!"

"Mom!! Just....." He choked as his throat closed in on him, new tears filling his eyes.

"Just.... Tell her to go...." He held his head low, as his body shook feeling worse.

His mother said nothing and simply left to do as he asked. It took everything in him not to run down the stairs and see Frankie or maybe to sneak a peak at her. If he did he knew he wouldn't be able to let go again.

He slid down the length of his door and cried miserably, clutching at his chest. The pain, in that moment, was just so unbearable.

-

"Dakota! You idiot!"

Frankie yelled, disrupting his crying session. Dakota gasped opening his tear filled eyes to see her struggling to climb through the window.

"I should frickin pull out all your hair you waste of space!" She yelled finally getting her footing and jumping through his window.

Dakota sat up, his mouth open in shock.

"Frankie?! How'd you-"

"I climbed obviously! Do you think you can just turn me away you little twat! I knew you were here and I need to talk to you."

Frankie sighed brushing her school uniform off, he knew she didn't like being dirty.

He felt his heart soar and more tears fell as he ran up to her to pull her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry!!"

He yelled snuggling into her neck. Frankie's arms circled around him, her laughter reaching his ears. He shivered, whining cutely at the sound. He missed it so much.

"Don't be! You don't need to apologize."

She patted him on the back and hugged him just as tightly as he did her.

"I was worried...."

She whispered pulling back to dry his tears that didn't seem to stop. Dakota chuckled feeling giddy, his pain, anxiety and discomfort leaving him. He felt so much better just seeing her.

She held him by the waist, making small circles with her index finger. Her gaze was firm and comforting, keeping him in place. She moved from wiping his tears to fixing his hair, brushing the unruly stands from his face.

"You've been crying a lot huh..." She mused, it sounded like a question.

He nodded snuggling into her hand, he felt like a needy cat. Frankie smiled, his red face and poofy eyes breaking her heart, but he was still her adorable Dakota.

Frankie chuckled taking his face into her hands and kissing him gently on his nose.

"Don't cry Dakota."

-

He jolted himself awake, Frankie's voice still ringing in his ear. He groaned, his hunched over body in pain from sitting on the floor.

Did I cry myself to sleep?

He thought grunting to come from the tense position he sat in on the floor.

He stilled realizing what he thought was actually reality was just a cruel dream.

He chuckled bitterly shaking his head.

"....I hate this...."

He whispered into the dead silence of his room. His heart screamed out in pain, and his chest tightened.

Sighing he leaned his head against the door.

She came.

He sorted out his memories and separated his dreams from reality; Frankie did come looking for him and he sadly had to turn her away. He rested his hand on his chest with a faint smile.

"...You'll probably hate me if you saw me like this ..."

He closed his heavy tired eyes, that were now so swollen that it hurt to blink.

Frankie... I want to see you.....one last time.

Please.