"Well, well, look who we have here!" Fran said, leaning against the wall, her bad leg hanging loosely. Austin Ellis, the guy who made her miss months of her favorite thing to do in the world, now stood before her. His eyes grew at her sight, and he dodged behind another person.
"You stay away from me! You�re gonna give me another concussion." Fran laughed, a bit flirtatiously. Taylor, who stood next to her, didn�t like it at all. "Why are you here? You don�t play anymore."
"Yeah, thanks to you!" Fran said, her voice raising. She was glad Coach Curtis wasn�t around. "I have hired goons that can beat you up if you run too fast for me. This broken tendon is a big pain in the ass�"
"I didn�t mean to do it, I just wanted to trip you because you were being bitchy�" She gave him a look. "I mean you weren�t all that nice. I didn�t think you�d land wrong or flip over or anything. I�m only thirteen, I�m too young to die."
"I�m thirteen too, you asshole. You could of ruined my career. I don�t know if I can still play. I haven�t even picked up a stick in three months. You broke my leg, you ripped a tendon and thanks to you I just got out of a four-hour surgery."
"Well I was in a coma for four hours."
"I don�t care, you�re fine now! You were fine two days after I did that! You ruined my life!" She snapped her fingers. "Tyler, get him." Austin took a step back as Tyler advanced on him. "Oh wait, I forget I wanted him to die a slow death. Just punch him a few times. Come on Taylor, we need to go home." Fran grabbed her crutches as Tyler beat the crap out of that boy.
"Aren�t you at least a bit afraid of what�s going to come of that?" Taylor asked. She looked up at him, confused. "Well you basically just hired a goon to beat the crap out of him. He�s bound to tell someone about it." Fran shook her head.
"I really don�t care." She looked out at the road ahead of them, then remembered that Kyle was taking the two of them back home. "Great, now we have to wait for Kyle. He�s so slow." Taylor cracked a smile. "God, it took forever to get over here. You can tell he�s not an experienced driver."
"Did you ask them about the party?" Taylor asked. She nodded.
"Yeah, they�re all going to come. I say we make it early March cause I won�t be able to walk until then." Taylor nodded, then something dawned on him.
"Oh, a bit after my birthday we�re going back to LA." Fran looked at him, surprised. "I didn�t really remember until now. We shouldn�t be gone all that long, cause we�re just shooting a video."
"You�re shooting a video?" Fran asked. He nodded. "Damn! To see you in a music video will most definitely freak me out. I�ll be having one of my lounging days, I�ll turn on the TV and there�s Taylor!"
"The album comes out in May." She shook her head, not believing the whole ordeal. Of course he�d been gone for five or six months recording, but it never really sank in�it still hadn�t�that he was going to have an album in the stores. "Middle of Nowhere."
"Dude, where�d you come up with that?" she asked, rolling her eyes. It was only the most popular phrase when referring to Tulsa. Yeah, we�re located in the middle of nowhere. "I only hear that twenty million times a day."
"Hey, it�s also in one of the songs, so shut up." Kyle walked out of the arena and over to them, looking tired out.
"Okay, I just ran all around the arena looking for the two of you and find you here. Why are you waiting in the cold weather when you could be inside in the�well, colder weather?"
"We were about to walk home, but I remembered that you�re taking us home so I figured we�d just wait for you to come out. Now hurry up, I can�t just stand here forever." He rolled his eyes and walked over to the car. Fran followed, Taylor by her side. It was weird to see her without her cast on, even though she�d looked just the same as before it came on. Well, besides the muscle atrophy.
Fran climbed into the car and quickly put on her seat belt, much to Kyle�s humor. "Afraid I�m going to kill you, huh?" he said, and started up the car. She nodded, and reminded him of his seat belt. "I�m a good driver, alright. I�ll get you home in one piece. I got you here, didn�t I?"
"Yeah and you could of killed us then too," Fran commented. "So, how�d Tyler do on Austin?" Kyle put the car into gear and backed out of the space. "I didn�t stay long enough to check it out."
"Yeah, he did a number on him. You and your hired goons," Kyle said. She smiled, broadly. "He�ll go home with a few bruises and a busted face, but he�ll live. We�ll never let him live up to what he did."
"Of course not. I still can�t walk and he tripped me back in November." Kyle shook his head and pulled out onto the main road. "And he has the nerve to still trip people. We really need to beat him up more often."
"You went to trip him, Frenchie," Taylor said. "And what did you learn from that?"
"Avoid Austin and beat the shit out of him if I get hurt." Taylor smiled, letting out a small laugh. "I�m too tough to not do that anymore. I haven�t hit anyone in a long time."
"What the hell?" Taylor said. "You hit me yesterday!"
"That doesn�t count," she said. "I mean I haven�t hit anyone to get them out of the way in a hockey rink in a long time. That�s why I love hockey so much! I get to hit people and I don�t get yelled at for it. Well I get yelled at some times, but pretty much I get to hit people for fun."
"And you seem to use every opportunity too," Kyle commented. "Sometimes you check me and don�t even notice it. I am on your team you know." Fran just shrugged. "You better stop doing that because I know better not to hit you." Taylor smacked her arm.
"Yeah, me too." Fran punched him in the arm, causing him to wince. "That�s why too. That hurt you loser." She punched him again. "Stop that!" Kyle turned onto the familiar road that Taylor and Fran lived on. "Look, we�re almost home. Stop punching me."
"Fine then, don�t let me have my fun." Taylor gave her a look. "Okay, I had some fun but it�s fun hitting you cause you can�t hit me back." He crossed his arms and looked away. The houses whizzed by, until the car came to a stop.
"Okay, get out. I don�t want to see you again." Fran smacked him and got out of the car before he could hit her back.
"Welcome to the fourteenth annual Taylor and Frenchie Holiday Bash, please make your way to the backyard and join the fun," Zac, the official bouncer of the Taylor and Frenchie Holiday Bash, said mechanically. Kyle and Tyler pushed him out of the way and made their way through. "Hey! I have the authority to kick you out."
"Yeah," Kyle said, joking, "and we have the authority to kick your puny little eleven year old ass." Zac shut his mouth and turned back to the front, waiting for the next guest to arrive.
"I really hate this job," he muttered. Kyle and Tyler made their way around the back of Taylor�s house, a route which they knew a bit too well. These things were always a blast because there was so many people and they had to have fun or Fran would beat the shit out of them.
So far only a few of the teammates and the two hosts were there, but it was still a half an hour before the whole thing was scheduled to start. Fran, now able to walk, slowly made her way over to them. Tyler and Kyle grinned to each other at the sight of her walking, even though she wasn�t very fast.
"Hi!" she said, waving.
"Where�s your bikini?" Kyle asked, smiling. She gave him a look, and swayed a piece of her hair behind her shoulder.
"Kyle! It�s like fifty degrees out here, do you actually think I�d be wearing a bikini?" Kyle�s smile brightened and he nudged Tyler. Tyler grinned. "Stop it! You people are perverts."
"Who�s a pervert?" Zac said, suddenly appearing in the backyard. Fran turned to him.
"What the hell?" Fran yelled. "Get back to your post. What good is a bouncer if he�s not there?" Zac stood there, glaring at her. "Don�t make me come over there. It�s going to hurt if you make me." Zac made a face and walked back to the front of the house. Taylor came running, and nearly toppled Fran over in his embrace. "Someone�s a bit excited today."
"I�m hyper. There�s like no more jellybeans." Fran shot him a warning glance. "I�m kidding, I couldn�t of eaten them all. That�s your job."
"It�s not all that fun yet cause nobody�s gotten here yet and our DJ is getting potty trained." Tyler exchanged glances with Kyle. "Mack, our DJ, he�s in the middle of getting potty trained. Normally I would have Isaac do it, but he has to taste in music whatsoever."
"He�s got the same taste I got," Taylor said, defiantly.
"Like I said, he has no taste in music whatsoever." Taylor squeezed her, and she smiled. "I�m sorry honey but I left it up to you guys all I�d hear is like late fifties music and I really want to hear something from the nineties, if ya don�t mind."
"Whatever," Taylor said. "If you want to listen to that crap, go right ahead." She elbowed him in the stomach. "Ow!" She tried to look innocent, but didn�t get very far.
"Did you notice I�m walking now?" Fran said. Kyle and Tyler nodded, proudly. "I�m so happy. I haven�t have a chance to get back on my skates yet, but I�m gonna try rollerblading first to see if I still have my balance. I�m not getting back on the ice just yet, cause I can barely walk."
"You�re getting there, Fran," Tyler said, grabbing a seat and spreading himself out. "Before you know it we�ll all be back at full strength." Fran sighed and held onto Taylor�s hands. She knew he�d be gone in two days, but she didn�t know when he�d be back. They�d always been a bit sketchy on the details. She knew he�d probably be in LA, while she sat at home and tried to recover as quickly as possible.
"Are we just going to sit around and talk this whole time?" Kyle asked, a grin on his face. Fran sarcastically looked around.
"Is there anyone here yet? No! It�s your fault you decided to come an hour early." Kyle shrugged and found himself a chair to sit in. Fran remained standing for she was happy she finally could without two sticks poking at her. "And half of the people that came last year were late. You know that."
"Yeah but we want to bug you," Tyler commented, and threw a jellybean at her. "What�s with you and jellybeans anyway? They�re everywhere."
"Hey, jellybeans are good. Especially the red ones," Fran said, defending her favorite food. "But anyway�guess what I heard."
"What?" Tyler inquired, seeing the strange grin that somehow crossed Fran�s face. It had to be important or she wouldn�t be like that. Or maybe it was the jellybeans.
"Austin�s moving to Detroit in a week," said Fran, slyly. "So we gotta beat him up one last time before he leaves. You know, as a farewell gift." Tyler stood up and walked over to her.
"Hey, that�s a reason for a party. Let�s get this thing started," he said, and ran over to the music. Fran slowly followed after him, her leg slightly stinging with each step. She�d figured it was just normal because she�d been walking on it more than she should. It didn�t bother her much, she was going to have too much fun to think of a repairing leg.
An hour later everyone was there and the party was reaching a peak. A few friends from around the neighborhood and the whole hockey team was there, along with the hosts� parents and all of Taylor�s siblings. All in all there was over thirty people around. Fran was in the middle of dancing when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and faced Zac.
"There�s some guy named Austin here, should I let him come back?" he asked. Fran smiled and told him to wait as she walked over to the DJ stand and turned off the music. Already people began to complain.
"Aw man turn on the music�"
"What the hell?�"
Fran smiled and grabbed a microphone. "Sorry about that, but Austin�s here, for those of you who know him. If you don�t, Austin�s the guy that broke my leg. Anyway, why don�t we give him a nice welcome?" Fran�s teammates started cheering. "Kay, Zac, bring him back." Zac disappeared and a minute or two later Austin and a few of his Hawks teammates (of which Fran had never seen) came back. Fran put down the mike and walked over to them.
"Hey! You�re walking now!" Austin said, a broad smile on his face. "That means you can�t beat me up anymore." Fran snickered. Like hell I can�t, she thought. She caught Diana out of the corner of her eye and unclenched her fist that was preparing to hit him again.
"Why are you here?"
"Say goodbye," Austin said. "Hopefully make peace. I never understood why you were so bitchy at me." Fran glanced over at Tyler, who�d found his way next to her. "I mean if anything I should be mad at you for sending me into a coma."
"Hey, I�m still not playing, you asshole," Fran said, poking him in the chest. One of the tall guys standing next to him pushed her hand away. She looked up at him�he had to be a foot taller than her�and almost had to laugh. She used to beat up guys his size all the time. "And what do you think you�re doing?"
"Don�t touch him, little girl." Tyler raised his fist to hit him, but Fran stopped him.
"No Tyler, this is my deal." Tyler looked at her skeptically. "I�m sure about this. Stop worrying about me." She watched as he walked away. "Hey big guy, leave me the fuck alone!" Fran yelled, in the process having the entire party freeze. Her teammates and Taylor all were waiting for her to snap.
The big guy got upset and smacked her, harder than anyone had smacker her before. Tyler ran over again and punched him, causing him to fall over. "Tyler! Go away!" Fran yelled at him.
"But Fran�"
"You heard me!" Austin snickered. Fran turned to him and he froze. "You little dipshit, leave me alone." Austin stood tall. He was almost as tall as the big guy that was still on the ground, and yet Fran still had some power over him. Fran sighed, seeing that he wasn�t about to budge. She glanced over to Diana, who was completely amazed by Tyler�s outburst. She never knew how violent this team was, because she�d never went to any of their games. Taylor was the only one who really knew how violent she could be. Not even Sally knew what Fran was often doing.
"Hey bitch," Austin finally said. "You and your little guy over there can just suck it." Fran glanced back at Diana, and looked at her apologetically. "Well? What are you going to do about it?"
"I�m sorry Diana," Fran said. Diana looked confused. Fran turned back to Austin and with one quick swing he was on the ground. "You want to mess with me?" Fran yelled at him. She could see the blood trailing down from his nose and his lip. She resisted the urge to kick him. "Get the fuck away from me!"
"You�ve done enough, chick." That was the other guy. Fran grabbed his shirt and flung back her fist, only to have Kyle run over and stop her. Kyle, being almost as strong as she was, was able to pry her away from the other guy, her kicking and screaming the whole way.
"Fran calm down! Calm down!" Kyle yelled over her, and set her down on a lawn chair. Tyler assisted to removing the others from the backyard. Fran took a few breaths, a bruise forming on her face. It was almost instantly that Diana and Sally were around her, bitching at her.
"What the hell was that all about?" Diana asked. Sally was too pissed to think. She never expected her own daughter to turn into someone like that. "There�s other ways to solve that then to hit anyone."
Fran looked up at the two women, then at Tyler. He was just as confused as she was. Never before had they heard from someone that it was wrong. They knew, of course, that there was other ways, but this was just the best way to solve everything. It always had been, ever since the beginning.
"You learned this playing that game, don�t you?" Sally asked. Fran�s eyes dropped, to look down at her hands. "Dammit I knew it. I don�t want you playing that game anymore."
"What?!!!" Kyle and Fran screamed in unison. The team stopped, again, and all looked at Sally. Tyler returned from taking care of the imbeciles, just in time to hear that comment. It was completely unexpected. Fran continued, seeing the shocked look on everyone�s faces.
"Mother I get into fights all the time! You can do whatever you want but you can�t stop me from playing. I don�t care what you think. I�ve been like this for a while." Fran stood up. "There�s a game in an hour. We�re leaving. This party�s been shot to hell anyway."
Without anymore dispute, Fran had grabbed Taylor and the team were on their way to the game. Tyler, Kyle, Fran, and Taylor had climbed into Kyle�s car, and Kyle wasn�t exactly in the best mood. "I can�t believe she said that," he finally said, halfway to the arena. "Of all the people�"
"Kyle, don�t listen to her. She�ll go on a business trip in a week or so and forget all about it," Fran said, trying to reassure him. She didn�t know what to say, so she had to lie. She�d never heard Sally talk like that.
"I just don�t get it," Kyle said, looking over at Fran.
"Kyle, pay attention to the road," Tyler warned from the backseat. Kyle gave him a look in the rearview mirror.
"Yo Kyle watch out!" Taylor yelled. Kyle�s eyes snapped to the road just in time to run a red light. Another car from the driver�s side pressed hard on the horn, and that was the last thing that Kyle Bronson heard.
Fran opened her eyes and saw Kyle next to her, his head against the steering wheel, in a mound of blood. Panic rose immediately and she saw the huddle of people around. She shook her head, trying to clear this image. But it was real. Her hand went to his arm, shaking him. "Kyle?" she whispered. He didn�t move. "Oh God, Kyle!" She grabbed him and violently shook him but received no response. She turned to the back seat. Taylor was out, and Tyler was stirring. Fran reached out and shook Taylor. Eventually he stirred and opened his eyes.
"Oh shit what happened?" he asked, seeing Kyle. "He�s got a cell phone in the glove box, call for help, Frenchie." Fran reached in the glove box and pulled out the phone. She continued to panic as the phone rang and someone picked up.
As she gave out information, Taylor shook Tyler and the two assisted to try and help Kyle, who didn�t seem to be waking up. Taylor felt for a pulse, and finding none, he turned to Fran, a look of dread over his face. Fran dropped the phone and began to cry.