Ding! Ding! Ding

"SOMEBODY GET IT!" Allen shouts from downstairs. He's probably sitting on the couch watching a football game on the TV.

"YOU'RE DOWNSTAIRS! WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT? OLLIE!" Finn shouts in reply.

"I'M POOPING!" Oliver screams the loudest.

"FINE! I'LL GET IT!" I yell and head downstairs. Once I open the front door, a streak zooms right at me. I step to the side just in time for her to pass me. I think she's yelling my name.

"DEEEEELLLLLLAAAAAA!" Franny stops and runs back at me.

"Yeah?" I ask warily.

"Dude," She stares intensely at me.

"Yes?" I back away to give us space.

"Dude..." She leans closer, almost nose-to-nose.

"Oh my gosh, Franny." I roll my eyes. "So help me, if you don't spit it out, I'm going to leave you here."

"Wait, wait, wait." She giggles. She seems to be in a great mood.

"I'm listening girl," I smile, though my patience is wearing thin.

"So you know the guy I have been talking to?" She bounces back and forth, getting more excited by the second.

"Evan?"

"No, not Evan. Jonathan." She shrugs, and then adds. "I've been with him for a week, and you don't even know his name?"

I open my mouth, then I shut it. I don't know what to say. I forget all her beaus. She has so many that i have given up remembering them all. I feel surprised she is still with Jonathan for a week. I'm more suprised she didn't tell me, or perhaps I did not pay attention. It was not a great week.

"Anyways," she continues, "I think I want to take things slow and serious with him."

I cannot stop myself from laughing. I really try not to laugh, but I find it difficult.

"Delany." Franny frowns and saddens.

"Oh, sorry. I'm really sorry." I stop and hug her. "I'm glad you want to go slow and steady with him."

"Is he the one?" I pull out of the hug and say seriously. I don't believe in love at first sight, or even true love, but Franny does. Her heart shattered after the guy she thought was "the one" cheated on her multiple times. She's better now, but I know her heart is not completely healed. I'm not the slightest bit guilty that my brothers and I beat the son of the bitch for being such a d-bag. He broke up with Franny over some lame excuses and put the blame on her.

"I've never felt this way before," she sighs. "Well, not since you know who..." She doesn't even say his name anymore.

"Jonathan..." I mull over his name. Why doesn't his name ring a bell? "Tell me more about this guy."

We head upstairs to my room so we can talk.

"Start slowly," I chuckle, more to myself, as we climb onto my bed. I doubt she will start slowly.

"Jonathanisacollegeprofessorbutheisreallyyoungsoit'sfine. He's really gorgeous, funny, smart, and incredible." She sighs lovingly.

"Nope, nada." I cross my arms and glare at her. "Repeat these exact words and more slowly."

"Jonathan is a college professor..." She looks at my faded paint stain on my carpet. It's not an unappealing splot of stain so I know she is just avoiding my gaze.

I swallow my judgment and tell her to continue. Her eyes brighten as she describes him, going into great detail to the point of too much information.

"How did you meet him?"

"My mom..." Franny looks at the floor again.

"Franny, I'm not going to judge you. C'mon, I'm your best friend. You can trust me." I pat her arm. I slightly disapprove of Jonathan already. He is a college professor and should know better than to be in relationships with young high school girls. That's a huge no in my books already. And he's somehow acquaintances with Franny's mother? Deborah is not a bad lady; she's just lonely because her husband has a lot of mistresses and cheats on her. I feel pity for her mother, who loves him still. Her mother does not have the greatest company and friends because she just wants company. I sometimes wonder why they are even together. Is this what it means why people who earn more money tend to be less happier?

"How old is Jonathan?" I cross my heart he's not in his late twenties or early thirties.

"He's twenty-two years old." She says quietly. Okay, that isn't as bad as I thought. Yet, he should know better. The man is a college professor.

"You're jail bait!" I groan anyways.

"I"m turning eighteen in less than a year." She argues. Sometimes I forget she's still older than me since I skipped a grade. That does not mean she's of legal age yet.

"Okay, besides that." I shake my head because she's a stubborn girl. She has never been one to let age be an obstacle in her relationships. "I want to meet him. I'm sure he's all the things you described him as. Thus, it'll be fine if i meet him right?" I propose.

"Fine," she agrees easily.

"Just fine?" I stop. This sounds suspicious.

"Yeah, go ahead." She grins confidently. I feel like she's already falling in love with Jonathan, if not already in love. I am beginning to worry about who this guy is. He better not be some con man or shady guy.

"Okay, let me know when to meet him. I don't want you coming." I say strictly.

"Okay," her grin widens as she nods swiftly. I don't know why but I expected her to argue with me. I guess she respects and trusts me enough to let me meet him, or she thinks I am going to approve of him. As of right now, he's not on the top of my good list.

"Who was--?" Ollie pops his head into my room, sees Franny, and then goes back into his room.

The serious atmosphere is disaparated after Ollie interrupts us. We laugh and lay down on my bed.

"Are you painting again?" Franny whispers, "like before?"

"I think so. I hope so." I glance at my canvas that has the beginnings of a sketch on it.

"What are you painting," she stares at it.

"I don't know. I just paint whatever is on my mind, and I was half asleep when i did that last night." I shrug, though I am fully aware what I plan on painting on there.

"I just texted him. He says he can meet you at the Starbuck's near the mall tomorrow at 5 PM." She looks up from her phone.

"That's perfect." I nod. "So are you staying over tonight?"

"A chance to see your brothers in their pajamas, or while they are sleeping?" She sits up and shrieks. "Hell yes!"

And there is the happy Franny I know.

"Jonathan. You have Jonathan!" I laugh. I'm the one usually staying over at her house because her parents don't care, or they don't even notice. I think the last time she stayed over was once last year. Huh, she also gushed about them last year too.

"SO?" She gives me a "are you kidding me?" expression.

"Your brothers only wear boxers to sleep. ONLY BOXERS! HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE ABS?" She enunciates dramatically.

"I'm their sister." I flick her. That is a good enough explanation. "Oh my god. You better not take any pictures of them." I realize with a mortified expression. That was a tragic day when I found some unexplained pictures in her phone. Yeah, I do not know what she did with them...

"Thank goodness for genetics," she skips around my room.

"Say something new," I get up and change into my sweatpants.

"I just sent you Jonathan's number. Let me know everything that happens tomororw. EVERYTHING!" She points at me with a serious glare.

"Right, I will." I nod.

"HEY! DINNERTIME!" Allen calls us.

-----

A/n

thanks for reading!

i try to update every weekend!

vote if you liked

comment

critique!