AN: FYI, Francie, Chester and everyone are living in a COVID free world, okay? I wouldn't do that to them...

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"Come on," Francie wheedled. "Please? I need it. Heck, you need it."

"I'm not really in a 'date night' kind of place right now, you know?" Chester responded. "I'm kind of surprised you are, actually. And I just don't think it would be prudent to go out with things the way they are, that's all."

"Prudent?" Francie mimicked, punching Chester playfully in the shoulder.

"Ow," Chester mouthed, rubbing his shoulder. 

They were in Francie's dining room, doing homework. It had been a few days since the graffiti had appeared at school, but they hadn't heard anything from the police. Things had been strained at school, with all but Francie's closest friends treating her like she was invisible. The boys all gave her knowing looks and smirks, making her feel very uncomfortable, and screenshots of her naked, spray painted image were making the rounds on their cellphones, she knew. Even though they weren't actual photographs of her, it still made her fee vulnerable and exposed.

"Yes, prudent," Chester repeated. "Some weirdo's spreading rumors about you at school and being an absolute jerk. It just doesn't seem like the right time to be footloose and fancy free and running all over the city, you know? It just feels like, I don't know, asking for trouble or something. Why can't we just stay in and watch a movie or something? Cuddle?"

"Chester, as much as I love to cuddle with you, and believe me when I say I do," Francie said, leaning her body into his and giving him an eyeful down her top, "I feel like I'm going stir crazy. I want to get out of the house and go somewhere that isn't here or school, you know?"

"Like where?"

Francie shrugged. "I don't know, how about a picnic? Or dinner and a show? Yeah, that sounds really nice, doesn't it?" Francie looked at Chester hopefully.

"How can I say no? At least at the theatre we'll be around adults," Chester said in resignation. 

"Well, I wasn't thinking of 'the thee-ah-tah' exactly," Francie said, exaggerating the word and making it sound snooty. "I meant like off Broadway, you know, maybe something a little edgier?"

"Edgier?"

Francie nodded, making her curls bounce.

"How edgy?"

"Maybe something in the village? I can ask my dad's assistant to find something fun for us," she suggested, blue eyes sparkling. Come on, Chester, it'll be fun!"

"Famous last words," Chester said morosely.

"Aww, come on, don't be such a downer," Francie teased. "Smile for me and I'll let you look down my top again."

"Deal!"

So tickets were procured for a show on Friday night, and Francie had something to look forward to while she struggled through the next two days at school. Someone superglued a bunch of baby pacifiers to her locker, and though Francie was able to rip them off pretty easily, a little tip of the rubber parts remained stuck to her locker, and the custodian had to come and remove them with a razor blade during lunch.

"God, if anyone ever needed a night on the town, it's this girl," she said dolefully to Chester aftershock on Friday as she hugged him.

"I know, sweetie, and I'm sorry. I'm actually kind of looking forward to it myself," Chester said, kissing her forehead. "I was reading about the show we're seeing, and it's supposed to be pretty interesting."

So they took an Uber down to the Village, where everything was extra colorful and loud, and found the theatre that was showing an all female version of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Some of the women were very effectively dressed as men, and it was a very clever take on gender bending and role reversal and things that were taken for granted in a male dominated society. Francie and Chester held hands and laughed and forgot their troubles for a couple of hours, something both of them desperately needed. 

Because Pete's assistant was very good at her job, and because of Chester's crutches, they had seats right in front, which meant they were able to see the performers very well, and the performers were able to see them very well also. During intermission, Francie commented to Chester about this fact.

"I really like these small venues, where there's no stage, you know, where you could just reach out and touch the performers?" she smiled and ate the cookie she'd bought at the concession stand. "You feel like you have a real connection to the performers.

"Yeah it's really cool, but--"

"But what?" Francie turned to look at her boyfriend, surprised.

"I feel like some of them were staring at you during the performance, especially during some of the musical numbers," Chester admitted. "You wouldn't notice it during a regular performance because they'd be up on a stage and much farther away, but because we're so close here, they can really see you, and you know, you're so pretty, especially tonight."

Francie rolled her eyes. "Not this again," she said, shoving her cookie in her mouth and brushing the crumbs off her lap. She was wearing a white, A-line sundress with pink dahlias all over it which really showed off her figure and her pretty legs, which were very toned from all the swimming. "I'm sure no one's looking at me. I've done a couple of plays, and all you're thinking about when you're onstage is not screwing up or throwing up, and that's about it, I promise."

"You just don't notice because you're used to it," Chester complained. "But I swear they were looking at you in that way, Francie. I recognize it because I do it to girls, too. I mean, I used to," he said quickly when he saw the look on her face. "Plus, they're women, so you're probably not looking for it or whatever."

Francie just shook her head as they flashed the lights, indicating intermission was over.

After the second half of the show, which was just as witty and entertaining as the first, they were getting ready to leave when an usher brought Francie a note.

Francie took it questioningly and looked at it, biting her lips together as she read it. 

"What is it?" Chester asked. "It's from the woman in the play, isn't it?" The one in the red skirt?"

Francie nodded and folded the note as Chester held out his hand for it.

"No," Francie protested with a laugh. "I don't have to let you read it. I'm telling you who it's from, and I'm telling you that you were right, isn't that enough?"

"I suppose," Chester said ungraciously, withdrawing his hand.

"Is there a reply?" the usher asked, interrupting their words.

Francie pulled out a pen and scribbled something on the back, folding it so her words were on the inside, and handed it back to the usher. "Thank you," she told him as he left.

 "What did the girlfriend stealing old witch want?" he asked as they walked out of the theater and into the warm, noisy night.

"She was inviting me to a party," Francie told him as they began walking towards the restaurant where they had reservations.

"And may I ask what you told her?" Chester was obviously striving to keep his voice light. 

Francie laughed and leaned in to peck his cheek. "I told her that one, I was only sixteen, and two, I was with someone, but thank you for the invitation," she answered. "There, are you satisfied?"

Chester nodded, mollified. "Yes, well done, Francesca Dahlia, well done." He smiled back at her. "Now where is this Indian restaurant, anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Francie answered, looking around. "It's supposed to be pretty close. Let me check my phone."

"Hey, baby, you lost?"

The words came out of the night in a slightly slurred voice.

Francie looked up from her phone and saw that they came from one of three guys who looked to be in their mid-twenties, slightly scummy looking, baggy clothes, and probably high, or at least drunk.

"Nope, I'm good," she returned politely, sliding her phone in her pocket and attempting to go around them.

"Come on, sugar, you too fine to be talking mean like that," the second one said, looking her up and down. "Mm, mm, mm, look at that fine body, fellas, and all alone on a Friday night, too."

"I'm not alone, I'm with him," she said cheerfully, tugging at Chester's arm and again, attempting to go around the trio who stood blocking their way.

"What? You tryna tell me a fine thing like you wasting your time time on a crip like him?"

The closest one reached out and ran a hand down Francie's arm, from shoulder to elbow.

"Come on, guys, knock it off," Chester said in a warming tone, she's only sixteen, way too young for you, anyway."

"Hey, we don't mind if she don't mind, ain't that right brother?" one of them said with an unpleasant laugh. "And she looks like she'd be worth the trouble, mm, mm, mm, look at those titties." 

The first one who'd spoken, who was wearing a backwards baseball cap, spoke again. "Come on, baby, why don't you ditch old crips here and come with us? We can definitely show you a better time." He made suggestive motions with his hips while leaning in close to Francie.

"Look, I'm saying no, so is this going to turn into a forceful, ugly thing?" Francie asked, pulling out her phone and dialing 911. Her finger paused over the "send" button. She gave them a steely, blue-eyed glare. "One more step or word toward me or my boyfriend and I'll push this button, so what's it going to be?"

"Gawd, what a cunt," the farthest away one drawled.

"I bet her pussy tastes like old fish, and you suck on her titties and sour milk comes out," the second one said. "Let's go, guys."

The threesome stepped out of the way and took off, hurling a few more epithets over their shoulders as they did so.

"Blech," Francie said with a huge shiver after they left. "I hate that so much." She turned. "I think it's this way." 

She realized after a few steps that Chester wasn't following her, and turned back. "Are you coming?"

"Francie!" Chester remained where he was, so Francie returned to him. 

"What?"

"Are you okay?" Chester sounded strange.

"I feel like throwing up all over my brand-new strappy sandals, but I think it's a better idea to get out of here and into the restaurant before the Lecherous Triplets come back, don't you?" she responded.

Chester nodded and they got moving, finding their restaurant within a couple of minutes and going inside.

Even after they'd ordered, Chester was noticeably quiet, to the point that Francie finally just put her water glass down and asked, "What? You still freaked out about what happened?"

"I just feel bad," he finally admitted. 

"Why? Nothing happened."

"No thanks to me," he said. "I just stood there, a stupid crip, like they said," he said, gesturing at his crutches. "If any of those guys had made a move on you, I couldn't have done a thing!"

"Oh, Jesus," Francie said. She paused talking while their food was set in front of them, then continued as they ate. "First of all, you have before, you stuck up for me at the retreat, remember?" She gestured at his forehead, where he would have a scar forever. She shrugged. "Was it nice? Sure, in a sort of 'knight in shining armor' way, I'll admit it was nice, because you were never in any real danger, you know?" She leaned forward. "Tonight, though? If you'd been anyone, I would still have done the same thing." She nodded for emphasis.

"Really?" Chester sounded disbelieving. "What if I'd been hairdo? Antonio? Wouldn't you have just let him step in and defend you?"

Francie shook her head. "No way. Are you crazy? Those three looked seriously crazy. And dangerous. I wouldn't have let anyone I cared about even a little bit take them on. Seriously, Chester, I don't want to be rescued. I don't have a princess complex. I already have a father, a really good one." Francie smiled across the table at Chester. "That's not what I'm looking for in a boyfriend, okay?"

Just then, their very handsome waiter came by and filled Francie's water glass, which was still mostly full, while giving her a heart melting smile. Chester's glass, which was nearly empty, he completely ignored.

"I suppose I just have to get used to stuff like that," Chester said in resignation, lifting his  glass and shaking his head.

"Here you go," Francie said with a laugh, lifting her own glass and pouring half its contents into Chester's glass. "I'll always take care of you."