» ㅤlake。

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "Thanks, Maria," Frank said waving over his shoulder as he walked off to the gate of his house.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria stuck her hands in her pockets and snorted at the other, playfully rolling her eyes. "You never know, they might like the smell of stale water and fish, it makes me seem a little...earthy." She said putting emphasis on "earthy" as she leaned forward a bit, they would probably mistake her for some homeless person who followed their son home. "Maybe next time." She said quietly as she watched Frank walk off, she decided to stay where she was since she could see him go inside the house perfectly fine.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "I don't want you to worry," Frank said softly and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "They possibly are," he shrugged, retrieving his hand and walking on forth. "I'd invite you in f-for a coffee or something, but I don't think you're ready for my folks," he chuckled.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ "Why not? We're your friends." Maria whined before she looked at the house he was pointing to, she shook her head at the suggestion with a huff. "No, thank you, I'm more worried about you than my lack of love life." She smiled back at him and lifted her hand up in the direction of his house. "And your people are waiting for you."

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "I can't do that either," he said and looked up ahead. "Yeah, right there," Frank said pointing down the street where the intersection was. His house was on the corner, conveniently. "Well, we still need to g-get you somebody too, before I actually do leave," Frank admitted pulling the sleeves of his sweater down to cover his exposed forearms, giving Maria an amused smile.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria shook her head with a sad smile "No, you can't, but while you're here you can." She let a silence past before she looked around again remembering this was not just a walk but she was accompanying Frank home. "Are we close by?"

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "If I decided to stay," Frak snorted and shook his head. "I don't really have a reason to," he said in a small voice. "I'm grateful, for both of you and Kristine, to a-at least talk to me. But I can't rely on you two for the rest of my life, can I?" Frank lowered his head as he gave the whole things a thought.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria knew that tone, it only came when the other had some serious complaints or she was not understanding him properly. She has never been uprooted from her life like Frank was, she never had to change schools in her entire life, every she needed was in Magnolia. "It is a lot being taken away from you, but what if you decide to stay? You have to know a few people by then but since you're not, I guess you don't have to put yourself out there, it's all up to you. I just think it's important to have some type of communication, that's all." She finished with a small shrug with her hands behind her back, the thought of Frank eventually leaving made her sad, he easily became one of the few people she thought about throughout the day.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "Maria," he started in low spirits, almost in agony to be having this conversation in the middle of the road without enough alcohol lever or any other substance in him. He wasn't good with emotions and this was a very sensitive topic for him, at least recently. "You lived somewhere a-all your life and had that taken away? Your m-memories, your friends, even those d-damn ex's. It's no joke to be thrown into a completely new environment at my age," Frank complained, but he was aware that it didn't have to be like that if he had done things differently before the move. And that made it even worse, that the option was there, but he didn't go for it. Just as for many things in his life. "It took years for me t-to build a friends circle that I had. And now I can't even t-talk to them properly. Do you think I want that to ha-happen again? When things settle and go my o-own way, do you think I want to be losing someone again? I don't. It has already been enough."

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ "What do you mean? Talking is good for talking if you don't want to be alone." Maybe it was nothing for Frank since he did go through a period of selective mutism but it was still important. "Why are you so against it other than knowing you can be a little awkward?" It also made Maria wonder if he wad more afraid of people than talking to them and she could understand if that was the case.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "What is it good for?" Frank snorted a chuckle, giving the impression of someone wondering long and hard about something, whereas he only blurted those words out without any deeper meaning. He knew what was communication good for, but at the same time, in his case, it was something that could disappoint people. Even Maria agreed that she lost some kind of an interest in him. And he was pretty sure that would happen again and again with her, or anyone else for that matter.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Frank telling her that he canoodled with a guy was something that wouldn't leave her memory for sure, she also had her own experiences with girls but they never went further than a simple kiss. "It's always something you can work on if you think it might help you." Maria was not going to agree with him on that, she thought it would seem rude of her if she did, despite his stutter he was a good speaker for her old man ears.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ Frank nodded in approval once Maria seemed to understand what was he about. "I've fooled around at one point, but that was different," he disregarded that topic as for now, seeing how Maria was sort of upset with him. "Yeah," he nodded, the idea in his head a different situation when she mentioned talking to a stranger. He imagined them running away or being completely uncomfortable. "I just at so-social interactions, let's face it," he chuckled.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria stopped mid-sentence of her rant and paused her arm flailing as she stared at him in shock "Oooh..." She drawled out and slowly let her arms drop to her side, she thought Frank must have been with a guy or at least flirted with one in his life. "Well, I won't force you to do anything, but just know guys and girls are the same when it comes to talking to a complete stranger."

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "Maria, I've never been with a guy in a re-relationship," he dropped the bomb, laughing afterwards, quite amused by Maria's frustration. "I don't know how to pick up girls, let alone guys," he shook his head and looked to the sky again with a stressed throaty chuckle. "I'm not going to force this. If it ha-happens, then it does,"he shrugged, giving up before he had even started. In his head it was not real, it was a momentary illusion, thrill of the moment, he was quite over the boy now, even if he sat in the back of his mind but just in a form of a question, whether he had the same moment of memorisation as Frank did or not.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ "No, no, no!" Maria said as she flailed her her hands around, she turned around to give herself a minute to compose herself, some part of her had to know he wouldn't take this as serious as she thought he would. She turned back around with her hands placed on her hips, her weigh being supported by her left leg. "Take this seriously, you can really go somewhere if you do." She tried to encourage the other but it seemed like he was not having it.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ Frank stopped again, shoulders lowered in defeat as he sighed looking up at the sky, praying to whoever to make this quick. Frank wouldn't take it seriously of course. He looked Maria straight in the eye, his own wide open to emphasize what she was trying to hint at. "Hi. What's your shoe size? Do you perhaps have the s-same as mine? I happen to lost one on the way, you si-see," he kept an even tone, as if he was really trying to pick up quite an odd conversation.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria slapped her hand to her forehead and let out a long sigh before she dragged her hand down her face, she was amused but that was not it. "No, Frank, you sound like you were forced to talked to me more than anything, and you're not going to die alone." She chuckled, maybe if he took her advice seriously then he would get somewhere. "Practice on me, pretend we don't know each other at all and ask me a basic question, but nothing that won't lead into a conversation- and make sure to keep eye contact with me." She said as pointed two fingers at the other, she noticed he had the tendency to look elsewhere than another person's face unless he was comfortable with them.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "How was your day, Maria?" He asked in a very obviously mocking tone, a joke hidden behind his intention as he did follow her instruction as if part of a practice. "Am I memorable yet?" He hit the punchline and started walking again, shaking his head. "I'm going to d-die alone," he muttered with a pretended weep and a chuckle. "I'll be quiet. I a-appreciate it," he said with sincerity. Maybe it won't be such a bad idea.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria stopped walking when he did and looked at the other her assured expression turning to one of concern. "Well you don't have to tell me how long you've been single, then, everyone gets self-conscious when it comes to flirting or talking to the person they like, a little older or not." She said as she threw her hands up, from what she could assume the other had to be single for at least a year or three to be so worried about picking up anyone. "But say something nice or ask about his day the next time you go, you're going to be more memorable to him if you do that." Maria said before she started walking again, she wasn't much of a coach at all but if he wanted her help then she had to offer it. "Shh, they might hear you if say that." She immediately thought of Kristine, the other would kill her if she blew her plan.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "Look," he sighed and stopped in the middle of the road. "It's not that easy. I'm not the young lad I used to be. And I'm not going to tell you ha-how long I have been alone. That bloke would be running away screaming," Frank said with little to no effort to hide his feelings at that point. He wanted Maria to know that his "game" was weaker than she perceived. That was mainly the reason he had mentioned a gradual process of getting to know somebody before falling for them. He was no model, nor was he charming, and considering the boy's seeming age, there was ought to be quite the age gap. Besides, he had swirling thoughts about other people that had settled in his head overtime and he didn't feel confident about them either, despite knowing them better than the butcher's bloke that he saw for ten minutes at most. "I know, you always have a partner in crime," Frank broke into a light laughter, quite certain that Kristinewas involved as well.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ "No." Maria said flat out, annoying and pushy did not look good on Frank at all. "Just be yourself like you are with me and I'm sure he'll find you just as cute as I do." She clasped her hands together after she was done talking, Frank could easily have someone wrapped around his finger now, if he had a bit of confidence and charisma like he did when it came to music. But even she fell for him when he was just being a stubborn old fart, he was good. "But I told you I was going to do that, that doesn't mean I'm going to do the whole shebang." She backtracked to cover her tracks.

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@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "Should I be annoying and p-pushy?" he asked with his eyes wide open, wondering if that was such a great idea. It would work for Maria, of course it would, after all, she's attractive in many aspects, who wouldn't let her be annoying and pushy to get what she wanted? Guys were animals and Frank couldn't speak for the girls, but he believed they too quivered around Maria. "I knew you were up to something," Frank raised an accusing finger at Maria, a suspecting smile plastered on his face.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria's anticipating grin quickly turned into a nig frown when he came up with an excuse, it could have been a coincidence, but the fact Frank actually claimed to have fallen in love at first sight made her want to help him. The two could have been friends at least if he was not interested. "You never know if you don't try, I wouldn't meet so many guys if I wasn't so annoying and pushy." She would hate it if this crush of his just stayed a simple crush. "Do you- nevermind, that's none of their business." Maria was going to ask if his parents would be cool with him dating a guy but she decided it probably none of their business. "Great, because I thought the little cake I made would go to waste."

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "I will pray that I won't see him," Frank admitted sighing quietly as he hoped that topic wouldn't come up. "It was just a co-coincidence," he said and slouched a little more as he walked. He actually spaced out while looking at the boy, thinking of something completely else, until he realized that they were sharing a moment. It was a strange experience, because he expected to share such a moment with a girl at least once in his life. Why he was so reluctant to pursue this thing was because it could have been a completely different situation in the head of the other. After all, Frank was staring at him for a good minute without blinking or even realizing that he was doing that. "I do, but I don't think it w-would help much," Frank admitted, reconsidering being alone on his birthday, so far from anyone he knew. He might as well spend it with the few friends he has in town.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ "Like someone is going to take responsibility for two drunkards, I would be going home alone at that point." She laughed at the thought, Maria was overly affectionate when she was drunk and her memory took a hit too, no one was going to deal with that. "Maybe we can find your crush!" Maria exclaimed as she remembered what was mentioned in the chat. "Wouldn't that be exciting? He must be really cute from how reluctant you are to talk to him." She went on some more without taking a breath. "I thought you wanted to be alone."

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "No," Frank said in a matter of fact tone. "I don't mind you f-following suit," he shrugged. "We'll get your date to get us ho-home," Frank joked, chuckling for himself. He had a limit, quite reasonable limit when it came to drinking, never going as far as blacking out or not knowing his whereabouts. Fuzzy and intoxicated, hard of seeing, yes, but never dysfunctional. And he doubted there would be anyone to impress, so being in his own little world would hurt anyone. "If it means something, then I'll try to be as p-pleasant as possible," he said, referring to the birthday party, which supposedly was non-existent.

@frank d。ᵒᵘᵗᵒᶠˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ Maria rolled her eyes at him, out of nowhere her annoyance spiked, but decided to say nothing, she knew he was just kidding. "I- that means I have to be somewhat sober to get us both back home." She retorted with a snort directed at the other, she would be lying if she said she didn't want to get as drunk as a fish the night they went clubbing, and maybe have some company of her own that night. "Not telling!" She said as a wide and mischievous grin spread across her face, just her saying that probably gave it away but she wasn't telling the other anything.

@maria r。ᵐᵃʳᶦ "I'm messing with you," Frank said waving his head at Maria as he saw her hug herself, the reaction getting through to him as an act of self-consciousness. He didn't know how good could her kind smell others, but he sure would have to be in a quite near proximity to someone. Although, he usually smelt of various disgusting scents, like cigarettes, sweat and alcohol, when he arrived home most of the time. "I'm getting -faces, so this take this as a w-warning," he chuckled and turned his head slightly towards her. "Have you planned something? For the b-birthday?" he asked, the realization coming to him.