Francy's p.o.v

Few hours later I was at the train station with a sulking look on my face. This day went by way too fast.

Elric was sitting next to me playing around with my hair, his other hand on my thigh.

"I can't believe how fast this day went by." I said.

"I'm really happy I saw you. That's all I can think about right now." He pressed a kiss over my lips.

I was still sulking. He lifted my wrist up. "Was the present not enough to make you happy?"

After leaving the house, Elric took me to a jewelry store as a surprise and bought me a heart shaped bracelet. When you miss me, just look at this and remember I miss you just as much. He told me.

I finally smiled looking at the bracelet. "I am happy. I'm really happy. And I'm glad you told me about your past today." I said.

"Me too." He touched the tip of my nose. "I'm glad I got to tell you these things. In the future I hope to learn more about you as well. Whether it is something you have a hard time talking about, I want to be there for you."

I put out my arms and snuggled closer to him. I couldn't care less what people thought.

"I love you." I closed my eyes.

As the train sounds could be heard from a distance, Elric leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear with a voice, that was enough to mute everything in the background and only resonate the words "I love you too."

***

Remi waited for me with the two bikes in front of the station. We had about half an hour before the daylight completely went out, so we didn't waste any time riding the bikes home.

"Do we have food at home? Should we buy anything before getting home?" I asked.

"Sole is at the house. She came around eight to paint and she brought groceries over and offered to cook us dinner." Remi explained.

Oh, thank god. I was starving. That was so sweet of her.

"How did it go with Tim?" I asked.

Remi sighed and shook her head like it was a great tragedy.

Ah. I knew she and Kai won't be able to do much.

"I tried my best." She explained.

"I'm sure you did."

"We managed to clear out the outside of the greenhouse though." She smiled.

"That means we're making some progress," I said.

This was probably the best thing I could hear. If the greenhouse renovation was in progress means we actually made huge progress in the project all together.

"How was your day?" Remi asked.

Ha.ha.ha.. Oh my friend. Where do I start?

"Just pedal home. I have so much to spill."

"Drama?" Remi asked excitedly.

"You have no idea."

The moment we got home, Remi urged Sole to hurry up with dinner so I could tell them what happened.

I sat on the couch, legs culled under me and I played with the little bracelet on my hand. It was comforting to look at for some reason. No wonder Elric never took off the bracelet I got him.

"Come on, I wanna know." Remi was bringing stuff from the kitchen to the dining room table.

"I'm coming." Sole carried the plates full of food and placed them on the table.

Remi slammed the napkin next to the plates in a hurry and then ran to get some glasses.

"Wait.." Sole stopped Remi before she put the glasses down.

"I brought a surprise as a thank you gift." Sole walked in the kitchen and then came out with three wine glasses and a bottle of white wine.

I gasped while Remi screamed so loud it pierced my ears.

"Open it, open it!! I'm gonna grab my camera."

Sole opened the wine and poured in the glasses while Remi took pictures like a mad woman. She was way too excited for someone who couldn't handle alcohol.

"Cheers." We clinked our glasses and took a sip.

"Tell us the drama now." Remi finally dropped on the chair and was ready to listen.

Sole took a sip from her wine and focused on food.

I started the story about how lovely everything was, the date, seeing Elric again..and then I told them about Halo.

"She even told me that I'm just a girl who lives in a bubble, knows nothing and doesn't even understand what her boyfriend does. I mean she might as well have said "you're a virgin who can't drive."

"Tell me you had a mean come back to that." Remi slammed her empty glass on the table.

"I was too mindblown to even come up with something good. Like can you imagine the courage it must take for her to say those things so upfront and not care about the consequences? She knows we've been dating for months, that we're so in love and she still is convinced that she's better for him."

"Unbelievable. Ugh, if only I was there I would have given her a slap." Remi leaned on the table.

"She even insulted my outfit."

Remi lifted up her fork. " We dug a grave once, we can do it again."

"Oh and when I confronted her at first she said I was the hostile one. I was hostile. Can you believe that?"

Sole who was done eating placed her fork down. "That bitch."

I don't know why when Sole went from completely calm to saying that, made me laugh. In mid anger, I laughed like crazy.

Remi covered her mouth obviously finding it funny too.

"Oh god." I leaned back on the chair resting from the laugh. "Thanks Sole. I needed that."

Sole just shrugged.

"Don't let her get to your head," Remi warned me. "She's only trying to make you angry to lash out on Elric and then break up so she can get him. Did you say anything to him though?"

"How can I? If I say something and drama happens she might drop out of the competition and Ace and Elric can't re-enter which means there goes their chance of finding the hacker who discredited them."

"That is bad." Remi sighed. "What should we do?"

"I was thinking the whole way back. There's nothing I can do. Like my only problem is that she's with him all the time. And it's just driving me crazy."

"Call your boyfriend to come over this week. As soon as possible." Sole raised her wine glass as she talked. "Just tell him. Come over."

"But he has the competition and work and my brother will nag him.." I started but Sole just shook her head.

"You'll drive yourself crazy in a week. You can't talk on the phone, you already know this girl is brave enough to do something and the distance between you and him is hard enough. Ask him to come over as soon as possible. Call Kai and your other brother too. You both need to relax and have some fun."

The more she talked about the idea the more excited I felt. It suddenly didn't seem like a selfish idea but like a really fun thing that everyone can enjoy.

"We can go to the beach." Remi suggested.

"And we can show them the town." I suggested already making a plan of everywhere I'd take Elric.

"And they can come with the car and stay longer." Remi suddenly figured it out.

My whole body could feel the excitement rushing in. Yes. This was just what I needed. A taste of the usual fun we had back home.

"I'll call Elric tomorrow and tell him about this. Thank you so much Sole for this idea. I already feel so much better." I went and hugged Sole.

She gave me back a warm hug and a pat on the back.

"Aww.. Let's celebrate. Glasses up. Let's finish this wine." Remi took the wine and poured us wine until we reached the last drop.

"Cheers."

***

I staggered out of bed, so tired and regretted ever agreeing to work on a Sunday. I put on a dress and headed downstairs hoping there was coffee.

Remi was standing in the kitchen with her hands wrapped around a mug and she was sighing, looking out the window.

"What?" I lazily walked over and hugged her.

Remi brought the mug to her lips. "Just look at that psycho."

I glanced outside and saw Sole in our little garden, her canvas out and she was holding her coffee with one hand while painting with the other.

I ambled over to the living room, opening the veranda door. "Sole, it's six am, what the hell are you doing?"I walked barefoot on the grass.

She turned towards me, the sun in her hair and she pointed at the painting with her brush. "I'm painting."

"I can see that honey. It's 6 am."

She just swirled around happily and continued painting. I could almost bet this was the happiest I have ever seen her.

"We're going to work. You can stay here and paint. If you're going out, just leave the key under the window lock.

She nodded and went back to painting.

I grabbed Remi and we headed to work. As soon as I reached the center of town I got a message. I stopped riding the bike for a second.

"It's a message from Tim." I told Remi. "Oh wait it's from yesterday."

There was a giant message from Tim and it went along something like..

I completely humiliated myself. I can't believe I ever thought I had a shot with her. I can't look her in the face. What am I going to do if she ever comes to the bakery...

I looked up at Remi. "This went even worse than what I thought. What happened after Sole left."

Remi was thinking about it. "Kai went to talk to him."

If Kai tried to console him in any way It would explain a lot.

Once I got home crying cause I got a bad grade on my math test and when I told Kai he just said don't cry. You can't help that you're stupid.

Needless to say I needed two milkshakes and a cupcake from my oldest brother to calm me down and not assassinate the one who called me stupid.

"I'm going to talk to him today." Poor guy. He probably texted me after seeing how useless Remi is. He probably felt embarrassed too.

I wrote him a quick message that I'm coming to work soon and that I'll talk to him.

It was gloom and doom at the bakery. Tim was basically wrapped in black and mourning the death of his ego.

I strategically told Remi to go and change first and approached Tim. "Hey, Tim. You look different today."

He kept wiping the same spot over and over again.

"Come outside with me for a second."

He followed me outside and sat down on the empty chairs we used for a break.

It was a bit chilly outside and the chair was cold. I needed to make this short.

"So Sole is not for you. So what? Why are you doing this to yourself?" I said.

He had completely hunched over his knees.

"Sure it sucks to be rejected. You're allowed to feel bad, but does that make you an undesirable person? No. You'll find someone new to like. You have great qualities, I'm sure someone will recognize them and like them. Don't feel like you've lost everything because of one person."

He straightened up a bit. Yes, I was getting through to him.

"The only thing you can do right now is to work hard at the bakery, have fun with friends, talk to them when you feel bad and they will cheer you up. When you least expect it, you'll no longer think about it and you'll be living a full life."

He smiled in relief. "You're right. I've been stupid about this. Thank you."

"Anytime. Now let me go get change. Unlike you who is always early, I have only five minutes to change before people start pouring in."

"I'll help out. Don't worry."

"I know you will." I left him alone with his thoughts and went back inside happy I was able to help.