Magnet & Steele

by Trisha Fuentes

  “Sometimes, I wish we hadn’t bought a home that wasn’t so…new,” Nancy said, gazing around at all the light brush.

  Francine looked around as well and eyed all the flat dirt. “Well, there’s definitely a lot to work on. It’ll keep you busy!” Francine quipped, not realizing the double-meaning behind her words.

  Just then, the loud guttering sound of a motorcycle driving up next door caused Francine to sharply turn her head. Derrie had a female passenger on the back of his bike. Francine closed her eyes in confusion and with reopening them; Nancy was in her face with a funny questionable look.

  “What?”

  Nancy looked over across at Derrie entering his home with his new female friend. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Francine gave her mother a stupid look. “It’s nothing mom, you wouldn’t understand.”

  Nancy let go a “yeah right” laugh, “I wouldn’t huh?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing…you wouldn’t understand,” Nancy shot back and then bent back down to jam the shovel onto the soil. “I think you should tell Derrie your good news…you know, about marrying Ian after graduation?”

  Francine gazed over at his house. She should, she should tell him and then it would end all her misery. But why does telling him feel incredibly wrong?

  The Next Morning

  Francine was making her bed when she heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. Heading down the staircase she noticed a silhouette through the beveled glass of her front door. Opening up the door, Francine was shocked to see her sister Suzy standing there with Cassie (her little girl) in one arm and a small suitcase in the other.

  “Surprise!”

  “Suzy, what’s going on? What are you doing here? I was just about to go to school.”

  “Glad to see you too Francine,” Suzy mocked wickedly, shifting her baby to her other arm.

  “You didn’t call us to let us know you were coming, everything OK?”

  Suzy walked past her sister and into the house like she still lived there and stood in the middle of the living room. “Is this it? Gawd, this house is nothing like our house in New Canaan.”

  “Suzy, what about dad, aren’t you afraid of dad?”

  “Enough with the third degree Francine,” Suzy bit back, then stiffened up when she spotted their mother walking down the staircase. “Hello mom.”

  “Well…what a surprise. Look who came to visit us Fran,” Nancy said, reaching down for her granddaughter. “And how’s my baby girl?”

  “Cassie’s fine mom…I’ve—I’ve left Ray.”

  Nancy picked up her granddaughter from off the floor. Cassie wiggled and then clutched Nancy hard with a hug. “Let’s all go sit down in the dining room, shall we?”

  Suzy and Francine both followed their mother on cue and took a seat with her at the dining room table.

  Putting on a brave face, Suzy wiped a few tears away. “Ray dropped outta school,” she cried softly, “He’d been cut from the roster. Oh mom, he was so upset at the coach! Football was his entire life.”

  Nancy shook her head in disbelief.

  “I didn’t think much of it at first,” Suzy continued, “Until he started coming home late with dumb excuses. I found him yesterday in bed, in our bed with some chick.”

  Nancy closed her eyes; she couldn’t believe her daughter’s bad luck. Was it something that she may have caused?

  “Suzy,” Francine said in utter shock, “I can’t believe it, I mean, you and Ray, I thought you two were gonna make it. I thought Ray was in love with you. How could anyone do that to a person they love?”

  Suzy regarded her sister and laughed; those cute little giggles which were a prerequisite for popularity. “Oh Fran, there’s more to marriage than just great sex.” She then eyed their mother, “Oh, sorry mom.”

  Nancy adjusted Cassie within her arms then stood up with an announcement. “Fran, why don’t you stay home from school today and help your sister unpack. Suzy can stay with you in your room while we get her situated. We don’t have to discuss this with your father just yet; I’ll deal with him in my own way. Let’s just tell him that I invited Suzy here to see our granddaughter, he can’t object to an innocent child.”

  Later, Francine was showing her sister where she could put some of her clothes and opened up a chest of drawers for her to share. “You can have this half Suzy.”

  “Thanks Francine,” Suzy sweetly voiced, walking over to the space and surveying the small rectangle for her mountain of clothes. “I hate putting you out like this.”

  “It’s OK, I missed you.”

  Suzy gazed away from her sister for a moment and shoved some of her clothes in the drawer. “I missed you too,” she barely got out, fingering the side of the dresser as she tried to shove it closed. “Anyhow, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, schools fine, guess what?” Francine asked, excited all of a sudden.

  “What?”

  “I’m getting married in June.”

  Suzy stopped touching the furniture and gave her sister an absurd look. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am—I am serious. I’m getting married to Ian.”

  “Ian Davis? That marshmallow, spineless, old boyfriend of yours—the one that you dumped?”

  “I didn’t dump him.”

  “Fran, there’s a reason why they’re called old boyfriends, because they’re old.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “I’ve seen the two of you together, there’s no…fire.”

  “Fire?”

  “Spark honey, you need that combustion! Heat, fire, passion, that I-can’t-wait-till-I-see-him-so-that-I-can-screw-the-hell-outta-him kinda of intensity.”

  “We’re still talking about me, right?”

  “Of course we’re still talking about you little sister. I’m only looking out for you,” Suzy uttered, touching Francine’s shoulder.

  Just then there was knock on the door.

  “Come in mom,” Francine said thinking that it was their mother.

  “Fran?” The voice behind the door asked.

  The two sisters looked at one another oddly.

  “Fran? I’ve got to talk to you, let me in…It’s me Fran, it’s me Derrie.”

  Francine’s eyes bugged out and went to the door and swung it wide open. “What are you doing here, you should be at school.”

  Derrie walked in like he owned the place, “You should be there too.” He then stopped short when he set eyes on the lovely Mrs. Ashford. “Hey,” he just said giving her sister a full body examination. Looking back at Francine, he asked, “Who’s this?”

  “Derek Magnet, this is my sister Suzette Ashford. Suzy, this is my friend, Derrie.”

  Suzy gracefully got off the bed and waved hello from across the room. Derrie and Suzy make eye-to-eye contact, it’s uncomfortable, it’s awkward and it was also quite sizzling.

  “Suzy will be staying with us for awhile,” Francine said sort of matter-of-factly, trying not to get jealous over their obvious rapid chemistry.

  Derrie then quickly pulled in closer to Francine. “I have to talk to you.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Not here,” he said, eyeing Suzy again.

  “I’ll just go downstairs,” Suzy quickly expressed, trying to be excused from the discomfort of an embarrassing moment.

  “No, stay here, we haven’t finished talking yet,” Francine demanded, pulling at her sister’s blouse. After motioning for her sister to sit back down on the bed, Francine looked into Derrie’s eyes once again. “What’s up Derrie?”

  Derrie felt put on the spot and just blurted out why he was there in the first place. “Fran, why didn’t you tell me you were getting married?”

  Francine took a quick glance over at Suzy who, by the way, raised her plucked eyebrows at the surprising agitation in his voice. Francine turned to look at Derrie once again and was stunned by his concern out of nowhere. “Derrie…I meant to
tell you.”

  “You made me hear it second hand at school! Josh, Kevin, Ben, they all knew. I felt like a complete ditz head.”

  Francine took a few steps backwards and away from him. She was absolutely stunned by his audible concern out of nowhere and didn’t quite know how to handle it. “Derrie…I didn’t think you’d care.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” He shot back angry.

  “Well…we haven’t been friends that long.”

  “But we are friends.”

  “Yes, but—”

  He cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

  Francine took note of his harsh tone. She smiled by mistake. “Why are you so upset?”

  “I’m not upset.”

  “But you are.”

  Derrie turned to eye Suzy. Suzy gave him a weak smile and a quick agreeable nod. “Really…I’m not mad.”

  “I’m sorry Derrie.”

  “Be sorry after your wedding,” he blurted back after meeting her heated eyes.

  The smile on Francine’s face vanished. “You are mad.”

  Derrie walked away from her about to exit. “No, just concerned for a friend.”

  “Listen, both of you, I’ve thought this through already,” Francine expressed, angry at the both of them for protesting against her engagement.

  “What, all of five minutes?” Derrie quipped, crossing his arms across his chest.

  “I’ve known him since I was thirteen,” Francine voiced with a cry behind her frustration.

  “This is stupid Fran, stupid.”

  “I can’t believe you’re acting like this, why can’t you just be happy for me?”

  Derrie opened up the door about to walk out but then changed his mind and walked right back in and straight to Francine. “Me? Happy? Do I look happy?”

  Francine pushed his nearing body away. This wasn’t a game anymore, the smile that was on her face vanished; erased by the desperation in his voice. “Stop! He’s a great guy Derrie, when you meet him, you’ll understand.”

  “I’m not gonna meet him.”

  “Why? I’m inviting you to the wedding.”

  “I’m not going.”

  “Why?”

  “Because.”

  “But, I thought we were friends,” Francine questioned him now.

  “We are, but—”

  “But, what?”

  “Because this is foolish, Francine,” he said disgusted trying to find reasons behind his own desperation, “Because you’re only eighteen.”

  “So what does age have to do with this? Marriage is something people do when they’re in love.”

  “And are you?” He asked, sincere and staring straight into her eyes. “In love with him Francine?”

  Then silence...Silence and heavy breathing.

  Francine was quiet now. The sudden shock, like someone just poured cold water over her head. Was she in love with him?

  Derrie stood very still and still was so very uncertain about her.

  They both hold back their mania for one another; a conflict of passion, hearts racing, all the cards out on the table now. The battle had officially begun; it was a war of pride and a conflict of feelings; full on heart to heart combat.

  And Francine still said nothing.

  “Well then, there’s my answer,” he let go assuredly, turning around to finally make his dramatic exit.

  Francine stared at the closed door for a good few moments. She fought back the tears that were struggling to get out and eventually streamed down her undecided face. She was unclear and rightfully so. She had been harboring some deep feelings for Derrie and really tried hard to set them aside with her engagement with Ian, but all Derrie had to do was to show himself inside her room for just a mere five minutes and all her thoughts were suddenly attached to him.

  A few seconds later, Suzy finally spoke up startling Francine out her incertitude. “Bravo, little sister, bravo,” Suzy smiled, shaking her head, coughing and then snickering. “I must admit that was quite a show.”

  “What do you mean?” Francine asked, still in doubt.

  “Remember that spark I was telling you about?” Suzy remarked sarcastically, pointing her finger at Derrie’s theatrical exit. “Well, my dear sister…there it goes Francine…there he goes…”

  Putting quarters into a soda machine, Francine barely had to turn her head around when she spotted Derrie looking her way. He was laughing with a couple of his buddies when he pretended not to notice her there.

  It had just poured a few minutes before and all the students were underneath the metal awnings sheltering themselves from the sprinkling rain. Francine looked over at Derrie again, he didn’t see her staring at him this time and within guzzling down her Coke, she pretended to look somewhere else, when finally he did. They shared a fleeting moment…he smiled at her and she smiled back. But within that strange second she realized that her life would never really be the same. He was in her life now and he would never be really out of it. She could close her eyes and try to imagine not knowing him, but she did, or she could try not thinking of him and focus on something else, but she would and meeting Derek Magnet was the best and worst thing that could have happened to her and she was afraid that she would not want to know him!

  Francine found an empty table amidst all the taken ones and sat herself down. She went on pretending not to notice Derrie and took out her wallet from within her purse. Inside was a picture of Ian in his Marine Corps uniform; he looked so dignified, almost regal.

  Francine intentionally looked up at Derrie’s locale again and this time he wasn’t there, he seemed to disappear. But his friends were still there, just not him. She turned her head slightly and noticed the group of cheerleaders he usually tried to annoy with his good looks, but wasn’t there as well. She assumed he just left to go back to his locker when she gathered up her things to go back to her as well and bumped right smack into him. He had been standing behind her this whole time? Totally embarrassed, she punched his shoulder playfully. “Idiot, what are you doing? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I was having fun just watching you watching me.”

  Francine rolled her eyes and her heart sunk from being found out. She punched his shoulder again, “You’re so silly sometimes—you really are.”

  Derrie shoved his hands down the front of his jacket pockets and rocked back and forth. “I’m glad you still think I’m silly.”

  Oh goodness gracious, he looked too good like that and good enough to eat when he was playful with a deadly smirk. Francine made the slip of gazing down at his lips as he spoke and licked her own as she made the biggest mistake of her life. She leaned in towards him—instinctively, for sure—and intended to show further openness and wanted to kiss him. But before she made a complete fool of herself, she blinked back to reality and didn’t even say goodbye and just grabbed her books off the table and ran away.