by Katie Dowe
“Shut up and eat your breakfast,” Allen said the first time Frances tried to suggest she mosey on out and head back to the bunker before someone else discovered it.
“Why? Would you want to do this to yourself. You don’t really know me-“ she began to say.
“You didn’t know me when you took me home with you,” he interrupted her.
“Yeah well…” Frances smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “You wouldn’t have survived a week on your own.”
“True,” Allen agreed smiling back.
“You don’t owe me anything,” Frances said.
“Sure I don’t. Do you not want to stay with me?” he asked.
“What’s not to want?”Frances asked spreading out her hands to indicate the lavishness of the room they were breakfasting in.
“Well then? Stay.”
“Okay then.”
“Cool,” Allen said happily.
“What shall I do while you’re in school all day?” she asked.
Allen frowned at her. “You’ll come with me,” he said, like it was a foregone conclusion.
Frances frowned. “I don’t think so. I don’t really have any formal education; I’d have to go to the first grade or something.”
Allen looked perturbed. “Oh…well. We could hire a tutor,” he suggested.
“Hey, don’t stir yourself on my account, I’ll be fine.”
Allen said nothing but the next week, he went to discuss with his administrators the possibility of getting a tutor for Frances. They told him that as guardian, his uncle would have to sign off on that. Allen knew his uncle was resentful of Frances’ presence in their household, he called her a gold digger to her face and was rude to her when Allen wasn’t around. Still, Allen had learned to stand up to him, stand his ground; so he knew he would get what he wanted. He had his uncle’s number now, knew how to handle him. So he went in with a proposal; he would agree to endow his uncle with ten million dollars as soon as he attained his majority if he didn’t stand in the way of Frances staying with them, and signing off on anything they needed him to. If he refused, Allen would leave him on the street as soon as he was legal. His uncle could hardly refuse.
Frances got a tutor and Allen’s uncle signed off on her staying with them. She wasn’t in the system which meant nobody was looking for her. She would have to get into the system at some point, if she wanted to be a productive member of society so Allen had his lawyers working on that.
Frances turned out to be pretty bright and soaked up knowledge like a sponge. Her tutor was very impressed with her progress and informed Allen’s uncle as the legal guardian that he most likely had a genius on his hands. Since Michael St. James couldn’t care less how bright Frances was, he just grunted and handed the tutor his check for the week.
*****
Allen was a popular boy in high school. He had street cred for running away from home…And bringing back a street kid to live with him. He was also an orphan, a rich one at that, which added to his allure. He had no problem getting dates but he didn’t really have a steady girlfriend. He didn’t feel like anyone really understood him…except maybe Frances. She was his best friend and confidante. She made no effort to fit in with his school friends, tending to go off on her own with a book. But she always had time for him. His friends thought she was a strange girl, whose hair could use a trim maybe, possibly a stylist. Frances thought it was a huge compromise that she combed it everyday so she wasn’t about to sit in a salon chair and allow herself to be transformed into some stranger just so Allen’s friends could feel that she was less strange. She was strange, she accepted that; she didn’t see how it was anybody’s problem but hers. she figured she was making a major concession combing her hair every day.
When Allen was eighteen he met a girl; she was new in town, worked at the coffee shop where he stopped off every morning on the way to school. She was tall and blonde; beautiful in a fragile sort of way. Even though she was almost five foot eleven, there was something delicate about her that awakened Allen’s protective instincts. The first time they met, her boyfriend was bothering her at work, and her supervisor was inclined to let her go because of it; he had no time for that sort of drama in his establishment. Allen stepped in, defended her and saved her job. He also gave her (ex) boyfriend a black eye. It was the beginning of a tumultuous relationship.
Frances didn’t like her on sight; she felt that Kristen was too clingy, needy and manipulative for Allen’s good. She didn’t try to step between them though – she knew it was none of her business much as she wanted to tell him to kick her to the curb. She kept to herself instead, especially when Kristen was around. Kristen didn’t like her either; she viewed her as too much of a threat since she lived in Allen’s house and was his best friend. She tried her best to drive a wedge between them as subtly as she could. She came over during the weekends to see him, and when she found them together, she got sulky. She tried to complain to Allen about Frances ‘always’ being around like she was cock blocking them. Allen didn’t see it though; he was used to Frances always curled up somewhere nearby with a book. It comforted him to know she was there. And she didn’t really stop them from doing anything. They could make out if they wanted, or even get to third base, Frances didn’t so much as look up. She’d seen her fill of sexual acts on the street; she had told him that she had no interest in voyeurism as a result. Allen wondered sometimes if she’d maybe experienced more than witnessing sexual acts because she seemed to have absolutely no interest. It worried him sometimes, how aloof she was from the whole teenage romance scene but then she didn’t go to school; maybe she just hadn’t met anyone she was interested in. Still, Allen preferred not to leave her completely to her own devices and he didn’t see why Kristen couldn’t just get along with her.
Matters came to a head when Kristen reached a point where she felt comfortable enough to issue an ultimatum. Frances or her. She accused Allen of wanting his cake and eating it too; implying that the reason he wanted Frances around was because he was sleeping with her. He assured her that wasn’t the case and that was when she said, “Choose between us.”
She was very surprised when Allen chose Frances. She was even more surprised that it was not an agonizing decision; as soon as the ultimatum was issued, Allen and Kristen were done.
Chapter 2
“Kristen and I are done,” Allen said the next day at breakfast.
“Aww, why?” Frances fake whined as she stuffed sausage and mushrooms into her mouth.
“She was getting a little too big for her boots. She actually told me to get rid of you.”
“I’m touched. I didn’t know you cared.”
“Well I do. Plus I need to prepare for finals, I don’t have time for shenanigans,” he said.
Frances laughed, “That’s the Allen I know and love; practical to the end of time.”
“Mostly it was her asking me to choose between her and you though,” he qualified smiling as he forked his eggs into his mouth.
“I think she was just threatened. You’re living with a girl who isn’t related to you; there’s no girlfriend who would like that.”
“Are you defending her?”
“No. I’m just seeing the other side. I get it. I wouldn’t want some hot black girl living with my boyfriend either.”
Allen laughed, “Hot black girl…Jesus Frances, you have jokes.”
“That’s not nice,” Frances protested.
“But it's true,” he said. Frances flashed him the finger but kept eating. Allen stared speculatively at her.
“So…about college…” he said.
“Yeah?” Frances replied spinning her bacon onto a fork.
“Are you going to apply?”
Frances laughed from her belly. “What? Me?” she asked incredulously. “I just learned how to read.”
Allen was silent for a while, pondering the best way to tell her she had everything it took to succeed as a college student or life in general.
“
What?” Frances demanded.
“You put yourself down a little too much for my taste,” Allen replied.
“Well, I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment to you,” Frances said, she actually sounded hurt.
Allen sighed. “You’re not a disappointment, don’t be an idiot. You just put yourself down so much. See? Like now,” he said anticipating her snarky reply.
Frances made a face at him, “Well there’s one way to sort this shit out; I’ll apply and then you can read through all the rejection letters and burn them.”
“Deal,” Allen replied.
Frances stared at him, as if waiting for the punch line. Allen continued to eat his breakfast unperturbed, however so, she went back to her own and decided to ignore him.
*****
They both got into the University of Minnesota; it was the only campus they both applied to that they both got into. Frances was in shock that she got more than one acceptance letter so she was quite willing to let Allen guide her as to which to choose. He was legal now and able to take charge of his parents’ fortune. He paid his uncle the money he promised and then sold the house. He didn’t want any reminders of his childhood; the death of his parents weighed heavily on that house, and the abuse his uncle had subjected him to. The only good memories the house had was after Frances came to live with them. He was ready to let it go. Let the whole town go in fact and start fresh. His administrators were opposed to such drastic changes and did their best to dissuade him. He only convinced them by pointing out the financial impracticality of maintaining a house in Prosperity, Indiana when he was going to spend the majority of the next four years in St. Paul Minnesota. It made more economic sense simply to get an apartment in Falcon Heights; after all it wasn’t like he had relatives to come back to in Prosperity. The administrators agreed that this was a plan and Allen and Frances packed up the house.
Frances was very insecure about her suitability to be a college student but Allen rode roughshod all over her objections and signed her up for whatever classes he thought might interest her. This included linguistics, French, literature and history. At that point, Frances took over and chose her own classes. Freshman year of college was a period of adjustment; the freedom was intoxicating for Allen; but Frances had always been unencumbered by adult supervision so it was par for the course for her. Allen tried everything on offer from LSD to sky diving. He spent the minimum time he could actually in class that would enable him to pass his exams. Frances on the other hand, spent all her time in class, or at the library catching up on the quieter side of growing up. They still lived together at an apartment off campus but somehow, they rarely saw each other.
Frances met a guy in the library in the beginning of sophomore year. He was intense in a way that fascinated her; his ambitions were boundless and he came from a poor background too. He was only able to study at the U of M because of a scholarship and financial aid. He wanted to get his degree and go home to change his neighborhood. Frances fell in love with his passion and he fell in love with her brain and her sass. Allen was against it. He did everything he could to dissuade Frances from going out with him.
“Look at him with those dreadlocks. Its so pretentious; who does he think he is? Bob Marley?” Allen said sneering derisively at Kareem who was checking out some books as Frances and Allen waited.
“Don’t be jealous,” Frances said amused. “I still love you.”
Allen slapped at her arm with the back of his hand, “I’m being serious.”
“So am I!” she protested.
“What is it anyway? You lookin’ to get laid or something? Because I’m pretty sure I know a few guys who are more experienced than that Sean Paul wannabe you hangin’ with.”
Frances laughed. “Have you been taking surveys?” she asked amused. “Or are you relying on locker room boasts; because you might not know this man, but boys lie. All the time.”
Allen glared at her, “I know that chica; I’m trying to help you here.”
Frances turned to face him, “Allen, I like him okay? Do I try to get between you and your girlfriends?”
“Ha! What about Kristen?”
“What about her? I didn’t tell you to get rid of her; you did that all by your damn self.”
“Yeah but it was coz of you,” Allen said.
“Fine. But Kareem’s not asking me to choose between you and him so you can just step off Allen. Green is not a good look on you.”
Allen snorted, “As if. I’m not jealous.”
“Whatever you say slugger,” Frances said smiling as Kareem came up to them.
“Got the books,” he said. “Can’t wait to debate the merits and demerits of Homer with you.”
He was grinning at Frances which annoyed Allen to no end. He pulled her away from Kareem as they were walking to the car.
“You know I can debate Homer just as good as he can,” he hissed at her.
She just laughed and pulled her hand out of his grip, hurrying forward to walk with Kareem. Allen had a date that night but he blew it off to lounge in the study watching Frances and Kareem read and talk about The Odyssey. He was pretending to study as he did it but Frances wasn’t fooled. He was seriously cock blocking her.
“You want to like, take this to my room?” she asked Kareem. Allen took a very deep breath and seemed like he was about to stand up and maybe block the door.
“Sure I do,” Kareem replied face brightening visibly. He glanced at Allen as if aware of his cock blocking intentions and then stood up, holding out his hand to help Frances up. Allen stood too, wanting to stall with something but not thinking of something in time. Frances and Kareem strode past him, headed toward her room. Allen followed them with his narrowed eyes. He was surprised at how much he wanted to ram the switch blade he always carried on his person into Kareem’s heart. He hadn’t experienced such violent thoughts since a random druggie had almost knifed Frances for the money she was carrying when they were still living on the street. Allen wondered at it; maybe he’d developed a paternal complex and was treating Frances as if she was his daughter? Somehow, Allen didn’t think so…
He waited twenty minutes and then strode over to Frances’ door, knocking loudly. There was silence from inside which was making Allen feel like breaking down the door to see what they were up to. He was just assessing it for sturdiness when it opened suddenly.
“What?” Frances asked irritably.
“I need to talk to you,” he said to her.
She lifted up her eyebrow in inquiry.
“In private,” he said.
Frances sighed, looked into the room with an, “Excuse me”, and then stepped out and shut the door behind her.
“What’s going on Allen?” she asked.
He leaned down and put his lips on hers. She stiffened in surprise and he was just as surprised as she was. It hadn’t been his intention to do that. He hadn’t known what his intentions were but they weren’t that. Still, now that his lips were on hers, he found himself wanting to explore the inside of her mouth, taste her, know the texture and softness of her lips. He was surprised how soft her lips were; she was such a hard ass on the outside, he expected them to be more chapped, not so plush and soft; tempting a body to lean in and squash them against his own lips; suck them open and insert his tongue inside her mouth. And she was letting him; he wondered if she was still in shock or if she wanted to kiss him back.
He lifted his head and looked into her green eyes flecked with gold. They were wide and staring at him as if she’d never seen him before. He cleared his throat and straightened up.
“Umm,” he said.
“What was that?” she whispered hoarsely.
Allen shrugged and continued to stare into her eyes. He shouldn’t be thinking it, but all he wanted to do was kiss her again.
“Please tell me you didn’t just kiss me so I’d get rid of Kareem,” she hissed.
“What? No! It…it just happened,” he protested.
She bit her lower lip
making Allen jealous of her teeth; he wanted to bite her lower lip. She was looking at him pretty skeptically and he should probably be paying attention to that.
“I’m not sorry though,” he said.
She lifted her eyebrows. “You’re not sorry for what?” she asked eyes still wide and staring.
“I’m not sorry I kissed you. Are you sorry I kissed you?”
“Oh God, I’m not having this conversation. Go to sleep Allen,” Frances said walking back to her room and slamming the door behind her. Allen stood in the hallway and just watched her door for a bit. After an interminable amount of time, he decided to just go and sleep. There was nothing more he could do right now. He opened the door to his room and flopped on his bed, watching the hallway hopefully. Surely she was going to get him to leave…she wouldn’t do this to him, would she?
Allen sat up until 2am waiting and finally the door to Frances’ room opened. Kareem padded down the hall, in nothing but his boxers and a wife beater. He did a double take as he passed Allen’s door and saw him sitting on the bed staring into the hallway.
“Whoa man, you scared me,” he said with a laugh. Allen just glared at him. Kareem saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere with him and went on his way, using Allen’s house; drinking his water, peeing in his toilet and sleeping on the bed he bought. Allen was ready to commit bloody murder. In the morning, he started awake and realized he’d fallen asleep sitting on the end of his bed. He got up, ignoring his complaining muscles and walked to his doorway, peering down the hall at Frances’ door. It was wide open, and the bed was made. It was also empty. Allen looked the other way, towards the kitchen, but there wasn’t anybody there either. The apartment was silent.
He went to the grocery store to restock the fridge and then decided to attend his afternoon classes. When he got home at six pm, it was to find Frances seated cross legged on his bed, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.