Chapter 5

Frankie hobbled into her last class of the day on crutches to find a substitute teacher behind the desk. That was good since she didn't finish her essay on Little Women over the weekend. She mostly slept and felt sorry for herself after her humiliating date with Steve. She had thoroughly convinced herself that the kiss on the cheek was a sympathy kiss since he hadn’t kissed her again at the door when he helped her into the apartment. Depression loomed over her like a greyscale rainbow.

"Wow, only the third week of school, and the teachers are already skipping out," she leaned over and whispered to Faith.

"Why can't we do that without getting into trouble?"

The teacher stood behind the desk and cleared his throat, calling the class to order. "I am Michael Winters. I will be your teacher for the remainder of the year," he informed the class. "Mrs. Reid will no longer be with us." That was all the explanation the students received on the matter. She realized the rumor mill would buzz about conspiracy theories before class ended.

"We know Martians didn't abduct her; they would have already sent her back," some random kid said from the back of the room. A ripple of laughter floated through the air. Frankie giggled as well.

"When I call your name, please stand up so I can put a face to a name," the new teacher announced. The class groaned in unison. Mr. Winters looked in his early 30s, with dark brown hair, milk chocolate eyes, a muscular build, and the sexiest dimples Frankie had ever seen. By her estimation, he was pretty nice-looking. Frankie decided that her English Lit class had just gotten much more bearable.

"Jimmy Adams" came the first name. "Maryann Berkley, Amy Brock," Mr. Winters continued.

"Mark Jones,” Frankie tuned the teacher out until he reached her name. "Frances Montgomery," she cringed at the sound of her given name and struggled to her feet.

"Frankie," she corrected, balancing on her good foot. Mr. Winters froze – staring at her without comment. She looked at Faith and mouthed, "Is there mustard on my face or something?" Faith shook her head in the negative. A wave of unease washed over Frankie, and she fought the urge to leave the room. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at the floor.

"Excuse me?" he stammered.

'I prefer to go by Frankie." She stated, looking down at the floor.

"Yes, of course. Frankie." Mr. Winters stammered as he made a note in his grade book.

Frankie sat back in her seat, confused by his reaction to her. "What was that all about?" Faith whispered across the aisle to her best friend. Frankie shrugged, not knowing why he was being so weird toward her. Frankie was a bit shaken by his reaction toward her. She couldn't dismiss the cold chill running up her spine. However, she had no choice but to shake it off, open her notebook, preparing for class.

"Kelly Lanham." Mr. Winters' voice sounded quivery as he continued with the roll call.

"Scott Norris, Faith Williams." Faith jumped so quickly at the mention of her name that she knocked her books to the floor.

"Smooth," the boy sitting behind her teased.

"Shut up," Faith hissed and sat back in her seat.

Mr. Winters shot them a warning look and continued with the attendance. He sat on the edge of his desk casually. Frankie initially thought he could be an exciting teacher, at least one nice to look at, but now she wasn’t so sure.

"After reading through the lesson plans of your former instructor, I have decided to take a different approach to this class." He began. "Mrs. Reid had a structured reading plan for this literature class. I believe you, the student, should have a voice in your education. Therefore, I will provide a list of reading materials that I believe will be of more interest to you, and hopefully, you will read the assigned books." Soft laughter floated through the air,

"As a class, we will choose three of the books I suggest. In addition, as we move through the course, you will have the opportunity to make suggestions of titles you would like to read as a class." Mr. Winters continued, "We will alternate between a book from my list and a book the class suggests." His smile was warm as he glanced around the room, landing on Frankie and holding his stare just a little too long for her liking. Many students nodded. The overachievers hurriedly scratched titles on loose-leaf paper to supply Mr. Winters with their preferences. Frankie rolled her eyes. She was not an overachiever by any stretch of the imagination.

Mr. Winters began a lecture on Little Women, finishing up where Mrs. Reid had left off. Frankie caught him scrutinizing her several times. Maybe it was her guilt for not writing the assigned essay over the weekend and being too sensitive to his glances. However, his gaze was fixed on her several times when she looked up from her notetaking. This guy is eerie, she thought to herself.

"What is his deal with you, Frank?" Faith whispered when Mr. Winters had turned his back to the class to write the night's homework assignment on the whiteboard.

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"I don't know, but it feels like the plot of a horrible horror story, and I am the lead character." She squirmed in her seat again. "This can't end well."

Just then, to Frankie's relief, the final bell rang. Students quickly gathered their belongings and darted for the door. Because of her crutches, Frankie could not join the mass exodus and had to wait for the room to clear before rising from her seat.

"Ms. Montgomery, can I see you a moment before you leave, please?" Mr. Winters requested. Faith shot her a sympathetic look.

"I will be right outside." She assured Frankie and put up her fists as if to say she had her back. Frankie gave a weak "don't leave me" look, but Faith vanished into the hallway.

Frankie shuffled her way to the front of the classroom on her crutches, "I'm sorry I didn't get my essay completed. I was in—" she began her explanation in a hurried breath.

"No, it isn't about that." Mr. Winters began cautiously, "You remind me of someone."

"Okay..." She dragged out, wrinkling her forehead.

"That is an interesting birthmark you have," he began. Frankie's hand flew to her face, covering the heart on her cheek.

"Oh, that." She sighed in relief. He stared at her because of the birthmark, not some sinister plot. "Most people think it is a tattoo, but it isn't. My mom has the same birthmark on her cheek." She offered.

Mr. Winters' face turned white like he had seen a ghost. "Your Mom, her name wouldn't happen to be Rachel, would it?"

"How on Earth would you know that?" Frankie asked in horror. The scenarios immediately running amuck in Frankie's head were all over the place.

“I went to school with a girl, Rachel Templeton, with a birthmark similar to yours.” He cleared his throat several times.

“Oh, well, that isn’t her.” Frankie declared decisively and hurried out the door to meet Faith waiting in the hallway as best as she could on crutches.

“Well?” Faith asked, jittering her foot against the linoleum floor. “What did he want?”

“He asked if mom’s name is Rachel,” Frankie’s brow wrinkled. “He said he went to school with a girl, Rachel Templeton, with the same birthmark.”

“Rachel Templeton?”

“Yeah, Mom legally changed her last name to Montgomery when she left Dallas right before I was born. Something to do with not getting along with her parents.” The explanation sounded weak as she told the same story her mom continually repeated. “I don’t know the details. I have never met my grandparents.”

“So, what did you tell him?” Faith bounced on her heels.

“I told him it wasn’t her,” Frankie stated, wanting to end the conversation.

“Why?” her bulged, and her mouth fell open.

“I don’t know who this dude is, Faith. He could be a serial killer for all I know,” Frankie said through clenched teeth, her jaw set. “Besides, I was taken off guard when he said it. Just drop it, okay?”

“But wait, are you going to tell your mom?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. She has been stressed out lately.” Her stomach dropped every time she thought of having to leave Holly Springs and her friends.

“I think you should tell her.” Faith’s eyes glossed over suddenly. “What if he was an old boyfriend?” Faith squealed. “It could be like a Hallmark movie! You know, lost love reunited!”

“I doubt it. She has never mentioned a boyfriend named Michael Winters before.” She rationalized. “Let’s just drop it, okay?”

“Fine,” she conceded. “But I swear, Frankie, you don’t have a romantic bone in your body.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Frankie retorted sardonically. “I am a realist. Unlike you, I don’t live with my head stuck in the clouds.”

Faith sneered at her friend, hiked their bookbags on her shoulder, and stuck her tongue out at Frankie’s retreating back as they headed toward the glowing red EXIT sign at the end of the hallway.

The temperature was deceptively cool for late September in North Carolina. The late afternoon sun was blindingly bright as Frankie and Faith stepped out of the building. She spotted Steve standing beside Faith’s dark green Volkswagen Bus, named “Pickle,” and her insides began to quiver. Approaching Steve, she unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, which caused her to lose her balance as one of the crutches slipped from underneath her armpit. Her arms flailed wildly as she lurched to one side, resembling a baby bird learning to fly.

“Whoa, steady, Frankie!” Steve lunged into action and caught her before her bottom hit the pavement. Once again, it was Steve to her rescue. She felt a flush creep across her cheeks. Steve set her back upright but held on to her until she was balanced correctly. Faith snickered, not so softly, behind her hand.

“Uhm, thanks. Again.” Frankie said sheepishly, her ears turning red. I am such a dope! she scolded herself.

“I wanted to see how your ankle was feeling today.” Steve smiled at her brightly.

“Oh, much better. Thanks,” she stuttered, trying desperately to regain her composure. He made her feel warm and gooshy from her twisted ankle to the top of her head. She started to sweat. “I noticed you weren’t in Trig this morning.” Great! She thought, now he thinks I was looking for him!

“Yeah, I was at the dentist.”

“You mean the filling station?” Faith said, cracking herself up at her silly joke. Steve looked at her blandly, then turned back to Frankie as she rolled her eyes.

“That’s great. I am glad you aren’t in as much pain as you were Friday night,” He sounded pleased. “Uhm, would you like to go to the movies this weekend? That is, if you’re up to it. You know, with your ankle and all.” Steve asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Was he sweating too?

“Yes!” Frankie blurted out. “I mean, sure, that sounds great.” Faith snorted out loud this time. She secretly prayed the ground would open and swallow her whole.

“Great,” his smile was dazzling, and she melted a little. “I’ve got to get to football practice. I will call you later. Okay?”

“Okay. Sounds good.” Did he just wink?

“Bye, Faith.” He said before trotting off in the opposite direction. Frankie’s smile was all teeth and gums.

“Put your teeth back in your mouth, Frankie.” Faith teased her.

“Oh, hush!” she scolded her friend half-heartedly, still grinning as she climbed inside Faith’s Volkswagen.

“Okay, Pickle, let’s blow this popsicle stand!” Faith exclaimed as she patted the dashboard affectionately. Three cranks later, the engine finally turned over, and they headed out of the parking lot. Faith turned the radio up, and they sang eighties dance tunes as they headed toward Frankie’s apartment.

Life doesn’t get much better. Frankie thought as they rounded the corner and turned onto her street. That is when she noticed the FOR RENT sign in front of her apartment building. Her pulse quickened. “Oh, my goodness, Faith….”

“You don’t know that sign is for your apartment, Frankie. Your mom is still looking for a job here, right?” Faith tried to sound optimistic, but the quiver in her voice contradicted her words.

“Yeah.” She confirmed weakly. Even if the sign wasn’t for her apartment, it reminded her that the possibility remained that in two short months, she could be leaving Faith, Steve, and Holly Springs for good.