One of those days {open}

[Ariella Rockwell]

Ariella Rockwell sat at the Bravura table in the dinning hall, picking at her food from dinner. Most of her housemates and the students from other houses had left already and Ariella was glad of it. Not that she didn't like them, just that the noise level had gone own considerably. A tiny sigh escaped her lips and she dropped her fork, steel against steel ringing out into the mostly empty room. She put her chin in her hands and rested on them heavily. She didn't know why she was feeling so down, just that she wanted to go to sleep and not wake up for a long time. She blinked and stared at the open book in front of her. She should be studying for her Transfiguration test the next day, but the words just wouldn't stick in her mind. It was just one of those days that reality hit her and she realized that the chasm between her and her twin Sarena was growing more by the day. She made an exasperated sound and buried her head in her arms.

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

Once again Frankie had over slept. Yes it was just after dinner time, but Frankie had overslept… in class. Not that it was out of the norm. By now the teachers just let him sleep because he didn’t care if he got detention and the teachers were almost out of ways to punish him. Sometimes they sent him to detention but Frankie kind of enjoyed it.

So now Frankie was walking into the Cafeteria his brown hair messy and his chocolate brown eyes sleepy. He lazily walked in taking long strides with his huge legs. A first year passed by and stared up at him with huge frightened eyes and practically ran out of the room, well that’s what you get for being abnormally tall, 6 foot 8 inches.

Then Frankie heard a clatter and a loud sigh. He looked over at the Bravura table to see a girl… Ariella he thought it was. If there were two people in the school that Frankie knew hey were Serena and Ariella Rockwell. Honestly she seemed kind of upset, well Frankie would be too if he had to study for Transfiguration (he saw her book), but Frankie doubted that was the root to her frustration.

Sitting down across from her Frankie began to load his plate with any food he could see. After here was a huge mound of food on his plate Frankie looked over at Ariella, because he wasn’t looking at her at all before, too busy grabbing food. ”Hey Sugar. Wha’s the matter?” Frankie asked, his voice twanging due to his Southern accent.

[Ariella Rockwell]

Ariella's head snapped up as the table moved violently, due to the fact that a giant of a guy had just sat down. Her eyes widened some and she took in all 6 foot howevermany inches he was. She swallowed, feeling really small. She watched as he piled his plate full of food, more than Ariella could have thought anyone could ever eat and then he looked up, a cheery smile on his face. ”Hey Sugar. Wha’s the matter?” He asked. His voice had such a southern twang to it that it made Ariella smile a bit and she shook her head. "Hey yourself, and I'm fine. Its just one of those days you realize everything might as well be a lost cause, ya know?" She wasn't sure if he did know the feeling or not, but saying it out loud made it more real for her and another small sigh escaped her lips. She looked back at the giant (his 6 foot whatever compared to her 5"1' made him a giant.) and introduced herself. "I'm Ariella Rockwell." Her eyes flickered to the badge on his robes and saw he was in her own house, but it seemed he was a 6th year, and while she being a 7th year, might explain why they had never meet. She didn't think she had even seen him in the common room of the Bravua house.

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

Well of course Frankie knew those days where everything seemed lost. That was the reason Frankie stopped caring so much. Because the more you care the more you can lose, plus it’s a nice buffer between his controlling father. However Frankie understood but felt he had no advice because he doubted that many people could just stop caring about everything like he had.

”Oh I know a bit more than you’d think.” Frankie said mysteriously and shoveled some food into his mouth. Seeing how Frankie was so huge he tended to eat a lot of food. Of course he looked like a pig but Frankie was starving and practically finished half of his plate before she even said her name.

”I’ma Frankie Cuzco,” Frankie said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Whenever Frankie smiled he never really meant it. He remembered when he was younger and cared about things and actually strived to be what his father wanted, then he could smile a smile that would melt her chocolate eyes. Now though he couldn’t bring himself to smile like he meant it. ”Don’ worry I’ma sure ya will work it out.” Frankie told her reassuringly.

[Ariella Rockwell]

”Oh I know a bit more than you’d think.” He said mysteriously. Ariella raised an eyebrow and watched the guy, Frankie, inhale his food. Well that was an odd thing to say. She thought. I wasn't really looking for a reply answer, but ok. She blinked and stared at his plate and then back at him. It seemed like in the 15 seconds it took her to introduce herself, Frankie had eaten half his plate already. "Good lord Frankie, do you always eat that fast?" She asked, teasing a bit, but a real question was in between the teasing. Then she looked up at his face and saw the smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. That made her sad for some reason, that he wouldn't be able to smile fully and really mean it. She saw him glance at her Tranfiguration book. She rolled her eyes and snapped it shut with a small laugh. "Unfortunately Transfiguration is not one of my best subjects." She shook her head and shoved the book away. Then Frankie said something that made her want to smile, he said it so reassuringly. ”Don’ worry I’ma sure ya will work it out.” Ariella couldn't tell if he meant it or not, but even if he didn't mean it, it still made her smile.

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

While she spoke again Frankie finished his plate and began loading it again for seconds. He had about the same amount of food if not more piled on his plate and began eating again. However when she made a comment about his eating he put his fork down and swallowed. ”Sorry bout that Sugar,” Frankie drawled, ”I’ma growin.” Then with a wink he went back to his food.

As she talked about Transfiguration Frankie continued to inhale his food. Frankie had to say that he wasn’t the greatest at Transfiguration either. Actually Frankie was rather smart but in order to be his own person and not his father’s Frankie doesn’t try at school and is now on the verge of failure, but really Frankie didn’t care.

When Ariella smiled though Frankie was a little shocked, he was used to seeing people smile of course but surely if he was the cause it was because he did something to a teacher that made people laugh or they were smirking at him for one reason or another. Then there was the fact that she actually smiled. Not a smile like Frankie’s, hallow and meaningless, but a smile that lit up her eyes and had feeling behind it.

”You got ta pretty smile there Darlin,” Frankie said like a classic Southern gentlemen before he knew it. Did he really just say that? Before he she could catch a glimpse of surprise in his chocolate brown eyes Frankie ducked his head and finished his plate and began loading it on with thirds.

[Ariella Rockwell]

”Sorry bout that Sugar,” Frankie drawled, ”I’ma growin.” Ariella laughed some. "If you grew anymore you wouldn't be able to fit into the doorway." She teased. Her smile grew as he piled more food on his plate and inhaled even more. Frankie seemed like he was a total gentlemen, and the southern accent was attractive, so that was a plus. Though Ariella did wonder what happened to him that would leave his smile and eyes so empty. ”You got ta pretty smile there Darlin,” He said, a throw from left field. She blinked, and a blush crept up her cheeks. Maybe it was just his accent, but everything he said sounded even better. "T-thank you." Though it seemed to surprise him as much as it surprised her. He ducked his head and and she looked down at her own plate as well, the smile on her face growing. Her worries before had all but disappeared. "Your a smooth talker you know that. But not that I mind." She smiled

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

Actually Frankie couldn’t fit in the doorway now so there was no point in avoiding the growing. His mom was a mediwitch and actually predicted that he’d grow to be around 7 feet 2 inches, and then she went on lecturing him that he could take shrinking potions and such, but Frankie saw no point in stopping it. Maybe if he got the tall genes from his father then he would try it but the tallness came from his mom, seeing how his father was barely even 5 foot 10 inches.

After devouring about half of his third plate Ariella stuttered a thank you and then shocked him even more by calling him a smooth talker. Frankie wasn’t one for talking too much. The only time he would talk was to annoy a teacher or to give an excuse. There were very few occasions where Frankie willingly started up a conversation. Maybe it was because his father hated it when Frankie refused to talk, calling him rude and showing his father would show his ugly side. Not that Frankie enjoyed thinking of his father’s ugly side.

Why did everything always go back to his father? Maybe it was that Frankie centered his attitude toward everything on being what his father hated. That was probably it but Frankie disliked the fact that everything always went right back to the man he was supposed to call Dad.

”I don’ know much bout talkin Darlin’,” Frankie said and took a drink of water. ”I don’ talk all too much.” With another meaningless smile Frankie finished his third plate and started desert. After pulling a big bowl of chocolate pudding toward him Frankie began shoveling that down as well.

[Ariella Rockwell]

Ariella was glad that she had met Frankie. Maybe she could help him with whatever made him smile like that. And maybe he could help her with her own problems. She looked up at him again, watching him eat. She couldn't deny, he was very handsome, and his towering height made her feel safe around him.

”I don’ know much bout talkin Darlin’,” Frankie said and took a drink of water. ”I don’ talk all too much.”

She grinned. "I can tell. I would remember that southern twang anywhere." She giggle, something she never really did now a days and it made her happy. Ariella hoped some of the good feeling she was having now would transfer to Frankie. There was something about him that made Ariella want to help him, to protect him.

ooc: sorry its a bit short

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

With a quick heartless smile as a reply to Ariella’s words Frankie finished up his pudding and pushed the bowl away. Leaning onto the table, elbows rested on the table and his head in his hands he looked into her eyes and saw something. It was something Frankie had abandoned, it was hope. With a shiver Frankie looked away and sighed.

Then with a rush of air an owl landed in front of him. Frankie would notice that owl anywhere, it was his father’s owl. ”Shit,” Frankie muttered and grabbed the letter from the bird. The only time his father ever bothered to write to him anymore was to tell him off for being so unruly and try to tell him what to do and usually there were a few insults and threats tossed in there too disguised with pretty words. ”Go away,” Frankie said harshly to the bird causing it to fly away. ”Sorry bout that.” Frankie said to Ariella not looking at her but at the letter shaking in his hands.

[Ariella Rockwell]

Ariella jumped a bit when the owl landed in front of them, but recovered quickly. Though the look on Frankie's face told her he didn't want anything to do with the owl or the letter it carried. He muttered a curse and shooed the owl away after he had the letter clutched in his fist. His hand shook slightly, but Ariella looked at is face, concerned by the look of anger on his face. "Frankie?" She started to reach out a hand to his arm, but stopped when he apologized for the owl. She shook her head. "Its fine. No big deal. But are you ok?" The look on his face had her alarmed and it looked like he didn't want to read the piece of parchment. "Frankie?" She asked quietly, in her softest voice.

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

This would be the reason Frankie didn’t talk to many people. If he talked to them then they might feel some sort of connection then maybe they might assume they are friends and then they might find out too much. This was the perfect example of Frankie’s fear of getting close to anyone at the school. Ariella had seen the owl, seen his reaction, and now she wanted answers, answers that Frankie wasn’t going to give.

If there was anyone Frankie would give answers to Ariella seemed to be the perfect type. She was known to be nice and caring by many people at the school. However Frankie couldn’t be her charity case, no way. Besides even if she tried to help Frankie doubted she could, he was a lost cause, well he thought so anyway.

”I’m fine,” Frankie said shortly, not looking at her but glaring at the letter residing in his large fist. Then something happened that only happened when his father did something like this, Frankie lost control. The letter in his hand started smoking and Frankie quickly dropped the envelope that was now singed around the edges. Leaving the letter there Frankie looked at the burn mark in his hand and quickly turned it back into a fist. ”Don’ worry bout me,” Frankie drawled in a harsh tone almost willing her to run away from the craziness she wanted to help.

[Ariella Rockwell]

Ariella frowned some as she watched Frankie. His anger was evident and she didn't know what to say, especially when he snapped an "I'm fine." at her. She bit her lip gently, her forehead crumpeling."Frankie..."She said softly. Then she saw the edges of the letter were singed and smoke was curling up from between his fingers. He dropped the letter and stared at his palm for a second, before curling his fingers into his fists. ”Don’ worry bout me,” She looked at him and sighed some. She held out her hand. "Let me see your hand." She figured if the letter was burned, then his hand was too. She pulled her wand out from he pocket and set it on the table, waiting to see if he would trust her enough to let her help him.

[Frankie Cuzco]

FRANKIE CUZCO !!

Honestly Frankie didn’t understand why she even cared about him. Sure people had cared about him before his mom had, but she was always stuck at work as a medi witch caring for others that she barely had time for him before he went off to Salem. Maybe his Father cared, but Frankie doubted that the man had any room in his heart to care. So why would someone like Ariella who barely know him care so much about so many people?

When she said his name again Frankie couldn’t look her in the eyes because Frankie knew he needed help, but he wasn’t going to ask for it or take it if offered because there was a higher chance of losing something if someone tried to help. Sure he wasn’t winning right now but at least this type of loss was familiar.

Then she actually asked to see his hand, she even had her wand out ready to mend even the tiniest burn. Maybe to her it was just mending his hand but to Frankie it would be letting someone in. Finally he looked at her, confusion and hesitation swimming in his eyes. He couldn’t let her help even if he felt like he could.

”Why do ya even care?” Frankie asked. Maybe if it was something for her own gain then he’d say yes. Like if a teacher was standing near by and she wanted brownie points or she wanted to practice a spell then maybe he’d let her. However he couldn’t let her help because she wanted to just fix his hand because Frankie knew it was more than that.

[Ariella Rockwell]

”Why do ya even care?”

[/b] Ariella huffed and motioned to her hand again. "I care because I see a person in front of me that is very much in pain and if I can heal even a small part of the pain then I am going to have to insist that you give me your hand." She said the last bit a little forcefully, seeing the hesitation in Frankie's eyes. She wanted to erase that hesitation and have him trust her, but he seemed to be resisting at all costs. She stared at him, forcing him to keep looking at her. "I just want to help Frankie. Tell me to go away or you don't want my help, but don't ask me why do I care. Its like asking why water is wet or why the wind blows." She continued to stare, being completely serious.[/font][/color][/blockquote]