"Scare the shit out of people. That way nobody will ever see just how scared you are."
Chapter 1
She was not a ravishing beauty.
Frances was tall and curvy, with long black hair, that Gerard always suspected she dyed, that went down to her waist. Her eyes were green, her lips too full and her nose too big. She wore way too much eye makeup and her eye brows had an unusual arc. But she was stunning. Boys and girls alike always turned their heads when she walked down the hallway, at the dramatic flair she had, at the way she’d hold your gaze for barely a moment before looking away, making you beg for a second look. She tricked people into thinking she was beautiful.
She rarely smiled, and when people tried to talk to her, she practically burned them with her eyes until they lost their courage and ran away. Most girls came to school wearing short skirts and 'cute' (ie slutty) shits, but Frances wore lacy dresses to school, either in black or white, or long skirts with old fashioned shirts. She didn’t wear sneakers or heels to school, but instead leather boots. She seemed like the girl that everyone would bully, but everyone avoided her, scared of her. Except for the boys that tried to have sex with her. In fact, Gerard constantly heard that she slept around, that she slept with this boy one night and that boy the next, every single day, but he was never sure whether or not they were genuine stories, or made up by the jealous ones.
Frances was relatively new to the school. She kept to herself, constantly hunched over a journal or a book, writing, drawing, or reading, rarely looking up except to glance in annoyance at certain people. But more often than not, Frances kept to herself. She seemed content to live in her own world instead of the world around her. Sometimes, class would end and all the other students would leave, except for her. She'd stay seated, staring straight ahead, not moving. She'd appear to be in a trance, but nobody would try to get her out of it.
Until one day, during study hall, the teacher left the room, leaving everyone alone. Shortly after, somebody slammed the door shut, blocking the exit. The noise startled Gerard, and when he looked up, somebody slammed his face onto his desk. The classroom filled with laughter as Gerard quickly tried to get up and was knocked back onto the ground. Several students surrounded him, and the class started chanting “Fight, fight, fight!” Gerard desperately got up and tried to fight back, but it was five against one, not to mention the five being on the football team, and before long he had became a punching bag. But suddenly, Frances walked into the circle. Very calmly, almost seeming bored, she pushed her way into the group and walked to Gerard and stood in front of him. Everyone stopped talking.
“Hey, I don’t wanna hit a girl.” One of them said. She held her head up high, very high, letting her hair fall back, and crossed her arms over her chest. Gerard inched back, confused, but she looked like a savior to him.
“Why don’t you just leave him alone?” she asked. It was the first time anyone ever heard her speak, and they were surprised by how light her voice was. Light and dainty, childish. The boy laughed.
“Come on, sweetheart, I don’t want to fight you too.” He said. Frances grinned.
“No, you don’t have to worry.” She giggled, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth for a moment. The entire class stared as she reached down, still giggling, and pulled a knife out of her boot. She stood back up to full height, still smiling, and held the knife up, running her finger along the edge of it.
“I know how to protect myself.” She said. “Don’t bother fighting him- it’s not a challenge. Why don’t you try with me? I’ll give you a run for your money.”
After another pause, the boy reached out to grab her by her hair, and she instantly grabbed his arm, twisting it back, digging her nails tightly into it. He cried out and she yanked him closer and smiled.
“What’s the matter? Afraid of losing to a girl?”
With that, she released his arm and turned back to Gerard, kneeling over slightly to help him up. He gratefully took her hand as somebody grabbed her arm. She spun around and punched whoever it was in the gut first, and then in the nose. Just then, the bell rang.
Everybody left quickly, obviously relieved to get away from her. She kneeled down again and helped Gerard up.
“Can I give you some advice?” she asked. He nodded.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Never let a girl save you. It’s beneath you.”
“I-“ before Gerard could respond, she was gone.
Frances was tall and curvy, with long black hair, that Gerard always suspected she dyed, that went down to her waist. Her eyes were green, her lips too full and her nose too big. She wore way too much eye makeup and her eye brows had an unusual arc. But she was stunning. Boys and girls alike always turned their heads when she walked down the hallway, at the dramatic flair she had, at the way she’d hold your gaze for barely a moment before looking away, making you beg for a second look. She tricked people into thinking she was beautiful.
She rarely smiled, and when people tried to talk to her, she practically burned them with her eyes until they lost their courage and ran away. Most girls came to school wearing short skirts and 'cute' (ie slutty) shits, but Frances wore lacy dresses to school, either in black or white, or long skirts with old fashioned shirts. She didn’t wear sneakers or heels to school, but instead leather boots. She seemed like the girl that everyone would bully, but everyone avoided her, scared of her. Except for the boys that tried to have sex with her. In fact, Gerard constantly heard that she slept around, that she slept with this boy one night and that boy the next, every single day, but he was never sure whether or not they were genuine stories, or made up by the jealous ones.
Frances was relatively new to the school. She kept to herself, constantly hunched over a journal or a book, writing, drawing, or reading, rarely looking up except to glance in annoyance at certain people. But more often than not, Frances kept to herself. She seemed content to live in her own world instead of the world around her. Sometimes, class would end and all the other students would leave, except for her. She'd stay seated, staring straight ahead, not moving. She'd appear to be in a trance, but nobody would try to get her out of it.
Until one day, during study hall, the teacher left the room, leaving everyone alone. Shortly after, somebody slammed the door shut, blocking the exit. The noise startled Gerard, and when he looked up, somebody slammed his face onto his desk. The classroom filled with laughter as Gerard quickly tried to get up and was knocked back onto the ground. Several students surrounded him, and the class started chanting “Fight, fight, fight!” Gerard desperately got up and tried to fight back, but it was five against one, not to mention the five being on the football team, and before long he had became a punching bag. But suddenly, Frances walked into the circle. Very calmly, almost seeming bored, she pushed her way into the group and walked to Gerard and stood in front of him. Everyone stopped talking.
“Hey, I don’t wanna hit a girl.” One of them said. She held her head up high, very high, letting her hair fall back, and crossed her arms over her chest. Gerard inched back, confused, but she looked like a savior to him.
“Why don’t you just leave him alone?” she asked. It was the first time anyone ever heard her speak, and they were surprised by how light her voice was. Light and dainty, childish. The boy laughed.
“Come on, sweetheart, I don’t want to fight you too.” He said. Frances grinned.
“No, you don’t have to worry.” She giggled, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth for a moment. The entire class stared as she reached down, still giggling, and pulled a knife out of her boot. She stood back up to full height, still smiling, and held the knife up, running her finger along the edge of it.
“I know how to protect myself.” She said. “Don’t bother fighting him- it’s not a challenge. Why don’t you try with me? I’ll give you a run for your money.”
After another pause, the boy reached out to grab her by her hair, and she instantly grabbed his arm, twisting it back, digging her nails tightly into it. He cried out and she yanked him closer and smiled.
“What’s the matter? Afraid of losing to a girl?”
With that, she released his arm and turned back to Gerard, kneeling over slightly to help him up. He gratefully took her hand as somebody grabbed her arm. She spun around and punched whoever it was in the gut first, and then in the nose. Just then, the bell rang.
Everybody left quickly, obviously relieved to get away from her. She kneeled down again and helped Gerard up.
“Can I give you some advice?” she asked. He nodded.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Never let a girl save you. It’s beneath you.”
“I-“ before Gerard could respond, she was gone.
Update, pwease?
12/21/13