"Having a weak body is emotionally draining," Frances lamented as she dragged herself into the classroom, her usual vibrant energy dimmed. Her steps were slower, her eyes shadowed with fatigue as she sank into her seat with a sigh. She was clearly tired. tired of the pills, the checkups, the hospital beds. Tired of feeling fragile in a body that refused to match her fiery spirit.
She focused more on the teacher this time, eyes forward, but her thoughts wandered far. Her mind never stayed in class, it was always racing somewhere else. Still, she clutched her pen and tried to look engaged, silently willing the clock to speed up.
Thankfully, the class ended. Chairs screeched back, chatter filled the air, and students spilled into the hallway like released prisoners.
"Frances, what do you want for lunch?" Coco asked as she approached their table, her tone cheerful.
Frances stood, brushing off imaginary dust from her uniform with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Oh my! I don't think that I'm interested in that cafeteria food today, Coco."
Coco blinked. "Should we go to the café outside school then? They sell nice pastries and cakes."
Frances smiled slyly, picking up a small, sleek box from her backpack. "I know where to get food."
With that cryptic remark, she confidently strode toward the back of the class and dragged a chair beside Rain's desk. He was hunched over, deeply immersed in a book, his fingers tapping softly on the edge of the pages. He didn't notice her until her presence loomed over him, her face just inches from his.
Rain looked up and gasped, nearly knocking over his pen as he shot to his feet. "Frances!!… what are you doing?" he asked, clearly flustered. His hands gripped the desk nervously, his shoulders stiff.
"Sit down!" she ordered, and he obeyed instantly, his legs folding like a reflex.
"Why do you look so scared? I'm not gonna eat you up," she teased, her voice calm and sultry, watching his face turn a bright shade of red behind his mask and glasses.
"I'm just surprised that you came to my seat…" he stammered, trying to focus on anything but her close proximity.
"Is there any nice food today? I'm so hungry, you see." Her eyes sparkled playfully as she peered at his lunch.
Rain's eyes widened in panic. "Fallon!"
"Boss!" The tall bodyguard appeared like a shadow summoned.
"The food," Rain said quickly.
Fallon, ever efficient, handed over the lunch pack. Frances took it with a radiant smile and plopped it down in front of her, grinning like she'd just won a prize.
Across the classroom, a group of their friends were watching with suspicious eyes and crossed arms.
"Frances is not gonna start bullying Rain, is she?" Evie asked with worry creeping into his voice.
"Bullying Rain will make the school board expel her. That won't be good," Coco muttered.
"I don't think she is bullying him…" Cora frowned.
"Why is she snatching his food then?"
"He gave it to her willingly. Look," Abby pointed out calmly.
Their eyes shifted back to the scene.
Frances pushed a box toward Rain. "What is this?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"You have helped me out three consecutive times. I wanted to get you a gift to say thanks, so this is it!"
He slowly opened the box. A hush fell across the room, then collective gasps echoed.
"Isn't that Hublot?" someone blurted, and a rush of classmates surged closer.
Lawrence yanked the box from Rain's hands with disbelief. "Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Rainbow? Are you kidding me, Frances? This watch costs more than 100 bucks!"
Frances rolled her eyes and snatched the watch back. "How is it your business? Is it your money? You are disturbing Rain, go away!" She pushed him with such force he stumbled, and then she kicked him lightly in the butt, earning a round of stifled laughter.
"I heard that you do gaming, so this watch will fit your personality. I hope you like it?"
"I do! I like everything you give me!" Rain's voice lit up, almost childlike in its sincerity. He looked at the watch as though it were made of magic.
Frances stood up with a satisfied smirk, but paused. "Do you have extra food to eat, or should we share this?"
"Oh no need! I'm not hungry at all. I'm fine, thank you, Frances."
"You are welcome," she said, winking at him with a playful tilt of her head. Her hair flipped as she turned, eyes daring anyone else to look at her. Students quickly looked away.
"Let's go to the cafeteria!" she announced grandly, and her friends hurried after her.
Rain stayed seated, holding the watch like it was a delicate treasure. His heart raced. Frances. Frances had just gifted him this. If he were home, he'd be jumping on his bed and screaming into his pillow. Today, he was the envy of the school.
News traveled fast. Within hours, whispers swirled in every hallway. Frances Holland gave Rain Piper a watch. An expensive one.
At the cafeteria, Evie sat stiffly across from Frances, who was humming happily and nibbling at her food.
"Why are you giving me that bad look, Evie?" Frances snapped, catching the glare.
Evie looked away, arms folded tightly. "Frances, are you trying to make Rain your best friend now and forget about me?"
"On what grounds?"
"You just gifted him randomly. That watch costs more than $100k."
"He helped me out 3 times. Is my life not worth more than $100k? Why are you making a fuss over a watch?"
"Frances! Do you have that money to lavish? You didn't come from a rich family. Spending $100k for a stranger doesn't sound reasonable."
Frances's smile dropped. Her face hardened. Then, she slammed the table with such force that everyone around flinched and turned.
"I don't have a rich family, yes! I am the one with the riches, bitch! I inherited a whole trust fund that y'all will work your ass off to earn in this lifetime, so don't tell me how to spend my money!" Her voice trembled with fury as she stood and poured her food across the table, the tray clattering loudly. Without another word, she stormed out of the cafeteria, her heels echoing like thunder.
Silence followed her exit.
"Frances inherited a trust fund?" Cora asked, dumbfounded.
"I always thought she was the one without money amongst us…"
"I guess we don't know her after all," Coco whispered.
"Have y'all ever tried to know her?" Abby's voice cut through the quiet like a blade. They turned to him as he stepped forward, eyes sharp. "Frances has always been the backbone of this group. She held up everyone but none of you give a fuck about her."
"How are we supposed to know if she doesn't tell us?"
"Did you ask? The only intimate detail you all know is that she doesn't have parents. The rest, you don't even try. Frances goes to all your birthday parties every year. Yet none of you know where she lives. None of you celebrate her birthday."
"She said she loved her privacy and wouldn't take us to her house…" Evie murmured.
"How about surprising her? You think she would've kicked you out? Frances closed a wall around herself and none of us tried to open it. She spent all her time making us feel good, and we took her for granted. Just a few days ago, you dropped the bombshell that you're all leaving her to attend college alone. None of you considered her feelings."
Everyone's heads hung low as Abby scolded them, guilt washing over their faces.
"Abby's right," Coco said softly. "We've been selfish. Frances has done everything for us, and we never did anything back. We let her down."
"What should we do now? Frances seems to be mad," Cora asked anxiously.
"Y'all will coax her again, as always. She'll forgive you, because that's who Frances is. But you keep taking her kindness for granted."
"Abby, stop acting like you're not part of this too!" Lawrence snapped.
"I didn't deny my fault. We'll all apologize. We still have time, let's make good use of it. Let's make it up to her."
"That sounds good. We should give her a good memory to hold on to."
They all nodded in agreement, their mood somber but determined.
The sun had started to set, casting an amber glow across the schoolyard. Frances sat alone on the rooftop, legs crossed as the evening breeze lifted strands of her long red hair. Her face was unreadable, the golden light casting shadows over the flicker of sadness in her eyes. The cafeteria incident was hours ago, but the sting of it lingered.
She drew her knees closer to her chest, watching the sky turn from orange to a deep violet. Her mind was racing, though her face remained calm. Her fingers absentmindedly fiddled with her bracelet, one of the few items she kept from her grandfather
The metal door creaked open behind her.
She didn't turn.
Coco's voice came softly. "Frances?"
Frances blinked, but said nothing.
Then came Evie, Cora, Abby, and the others hesitant, one after the other, stepping onto the rooftop with heavy steps, unsure of how to begin. They looked at her like she was some wild flame they were afraid to approach.
Frances finally turned her head, her eyes cold. "Did you all come here to finish your earlier performance?"
"No," Evie stepped forward, guilt making his voice smaller. "We came to apologize."
Frances arched a brow, still seated, still composed. "You think an apology fixes it?"
Silence fell. Coco was the first to kneel, placing her hands on her thighs, eyes glistening.
"We're sorry," she said firmly. "We've taken you for granted so many times, and we never even realized it."
Cora followed her lead, lowering herself beside Coco. "We thought we were being respectful of your boundaries, but we were just being lazy friends. You've always been there for us… and we didn't even try to know you."
Frances looked away, her jaw clenching.
Evie sighed and moved closer. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was jealous. I didn't mean it the way it came out. I know you've done so much for all of us. You're not just a friend, Frances. You're our rock."
Abby stood behind them, arms crossed, but his expression softened. "I told them the truth. We all messed up. Every single one of us."
Frances slowly rose to her feet. Her expressions trembled, just a little but she masked it quickly with a scoff.
"And now what? You suddenly want to celebrate my birthday after ignoring it for years? You want to throw me a pity party?" Her voice cracked slightly at the end, despite her best efforts.
"No," Coco said gently. "We just want to show you that we care. You're not alone, Frances. Not anymore."
Frances looked at them, all crouched or standing solemnly. The rooftop breeze carried silence with it for a moment.
"I didn't ask to be the strong one, you know," she muttered, voice low. "I just didn't want to be left behind."
Cora stood, brushing her skirt off and stepped closer. "Then don't be. We're not leaving you behind. Not again."
Evie reached into his bag and pulled out a small envelope. She held it out. Frances raised a brow.
"What's that?"
"A promise," Evie said softly. "We're making new plans. Ones that include you."
Frances stared at the envelope, then took it. Her fingers trembled slightly. Inside were six folded papers, one from each of them. Handwritten notes, tiny promises, ideas, apologies, and offers of shared memories.
A small laugh escaped her lips, half-scoff, half-sob. She shook her head.
"You guys are so damn cheesy."
"But it worked, didn't it?" Coco smiled tearfully.
Frances rolled her eyes, biting back a smile. "Barely."
They all surged forward then, engulfing her in a messy, chaotic, warm group hug. Arms tangled. Someone stepped on Abby's shoe. Cora squealed when Frances accidentally elbowed her in the side. Laughter spilled out, breathless and real.
And for the first time in a long while, Frances let herself lean into the embrace. Not as a leader. Not as the backbone.
Just… as one of them.