❪ 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗟'𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘 ❫

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗂𝗑 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━
then it was four. ╱ season four, episode eleven.

THERE'S NEVER REALLY moments where Frankie is truly overwhelmed, but here she is, watching from the other side of the curtain as most of their new-found group makes their way down the driveway, conversing with an occasional smile of amusement. Frankie wanted nothing more than to be alongside them, pester Carl a little bit more, and make a smile peak onto his lips.

Frankie hadn't had the opportunity to see Carl's true grief just yet, she realized since she had come into his life she had been a sort of distraction for the boy. She was able to distract him with her snarkiness and humor, he had the chance to forget about his world for a little bit. She could tell Rick was keeping a close eye on the both of them as they conversed for most of the morning. Frankie couldn't tell his true feeling about her, but every time the boy laughed at something she said, she noticed relief spread through the older man's features. By the reaction, she knew she was slowly getting herself in his good graces, and that's all she wanted.

But the relief quickly subsided as she saw Carl's grief come shining through. It started to change when Carl sat and ate cereal with Frankie and Michonne. Frankie had quickly found herself liking Michonne from the moment the woman introduced herself. The woman was guarded most definitely, but the moment the woman was around Carl, Frankie knew how much Michonne cared for him by how her guard was instantly down the moment she looked at the young boy.

The three of them soon found themselves in a good rhythm, and Frankie was starting to think about her decision of joining was going to be a good thing. Jokes and smiles of amusement were thrown around as they all ate breakfast. Frankie was focusing on Carl and Michonne, but occasionally her eyes would fall toward the looming gaze of Charlie, as he watched the three of them with a scowl. Frankie wanted to call him out and snap at him, but she knew that would do no good. She hated when someone disliked her, especially when he didn't even bother to get to know her.

She lost focus of the back and forth that Carl and Michonne were having, only focusing on the dark brown eyes that were searing into her head. But she quickly was brought back when she felt an eery and cold silence fall throughout the table.

Frankie quickly remembered subconsciously hearing Carl's voice rise in amusement as he spoke without thinking, his tone only showing amusement. "I would rather eat Judith's formula-"

But the second he uttered those words, his reality hit him roughly. His face dropped and Frankie connected the dots. She watched as he visibly and internally shut down right in front of her eyes. It was long before he stumbled to his feet with a gulp, quickly dismissing himself from the table, eyes glazing over with grief as he did so.

Frankie's heart ached to watch him shuffle away with his head down, no doubt his mind filling with painful memories of his little sister. She wanted to go follow him, give him some comforting words, or maybe a shoulder to cry on, but with the look of slight hopelessness on Michonne's face, she knew that would be futile.

As the morning went on, Carl was still closed-off, his behavior reminding Frankie of the cold boy she met a day ago. She hated it, she was helping Carl, she could see it. It was so disappointing to watch her progress instantly fade away. She wanted to go on the run and make him feel better, to knock him out of the sadness he was feeling. But that didn't end up happening.

The newly formed group's consensus was that Rick, Charlie, and Frankie would stay behind while the others ventured out and scavenged for food before they all left hours from now. Frankie hated suddenly being locked in a new house, with two people who didn't seem too fond of her. She felt awkward as she stared out the window wantingly, wishing she could feel the early spring breeze fall across her skin. But here she was instead, locked in a house with someone who glared at her twenty-four-seven and someone who wavered in the background, stuck in his own thoughts.

While she was here, she knew Rick wouldn't try to talk to her, she could just feel his slightly aloof nature unless it was regarding their safety or plans. Frankie just knew he wasn't one for small talk, so she wasn't really going to try with him. But Charlie...he was different. Unlike Rick, Charlie naturally just disliked her and it irked Frankie more than anything. At least Rick was giving her a chance, Charlie was just deciding to let himself be difficult.

Frankie decided that this moment would be the perfect time for her plan to go into action. There was no one really to distract them, so while the others were out, she might as well try to win Charlie over. Frankie wandered throughout the house, half trying to locate the boy in question and half trying to find something that could possibly amuse her if her plan crumbled before her.

She found herself shuffling into the kitchen, eyes glazed over in boredom. But the dullness she once felt was instantly washed away once she found Charlie. She went to say something to get his attention, but that quickly faded once she noticed familiar CDs littering the kitchen island. It wasn't long until she noticed that all of her stuff was spread across the marble. Charlie had gone through her bag.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Frankie demanded, storming up to the boy and ripping her beloved walkman from the boy's grip.

Charlie simply ignored the look of animosity that was sent his way, just shrugging as he examined her stuff that was scattered across the island. "Was just making sure you were who said you were,"

"Oh and what? My music taste was supposed to prove your point?" Frankie snarled, the walkman was slightly digging into her chest due to her tight grip, but she didn't dare to hold it any less tense.

"Why is most of your stuff extra batteries and CDs?" Charlie questioned, overlooking her harsh tone. "You know that's not really gonna last you long if you wind up alone,"

"They're important to me Asshole," Frankie hissed, slowly snagging her bag from Charlie, instantly shoving her stuff back into the pouch as she glared at him. "And who said I was going to end up alone? Planning on getting rid of me?"

The boy tensed at the interrogating yet rough tone escaping the girl who was usually very carefree. He didn't know if he liked her giving him a taste of his own medicine. "No, I'm just saying. It's stupid if you just have that stuff instead of actual supplies."

"Well, they are important to my survival, you may think their non-essentials, but I don't,"

"Why do you have so many CDs anyway?" Charlie questioned, eyes glued to the five CDs stacked in Frankie's hands.

The girl swallowed, refusing to answer until she could gather the courage to speak without sounding vulnerable. "They were my mom's."

"Where is she now?"

Frankie snapped her eyes up, fury slowly filling them, she couldn't tell if he was taunting her or if he was asking a genuine question. "Where do you think?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Charlie replied, his words being the softest she had ever heard from him. Her glare fell the moment she knew he was being genuine. "My mom's gone too, so I get it."

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Frankie stated, shrugging as she stared at the CDs lying loosely in her hands. "There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about her,"

"Is that why you have all those CDs?"

Frankie smile lightly as she gripped the walkman. With fondness in her eyes, her gaze flashed up to Charlie's. "Yeah, music was such a huge part of our relationship, so when I listen to her CDs I feel like she's right beside me, it brings me back, even if it's just for a little bit."

"I wish I had something like that," Charlie muttered, it was so quiet that Frankie knew it was just meant for himself to hear, not her.

"You don't have anything left? I'm sorry,"

Charlie bit his lips, trying to stop the anger from bubbling up. Anger was all he was able to feel these days. "My home got overrun, I couldn't grab anything before we left. Not all of us we able to have that luxury."

The last words jabbed at Frankie like a knife stabbing her in the chest. Just as the hope of him opening up spread through her chest, it was quickly replaced by hurt as malice filled the boy's voice. "I was lucky I got to have something, I know, but you don't have to be a dick about it,"

"I-"

"I get that you've been through a lot and you've lost a lot and I'm sorry for that, but so have I, so don't make me feel bad for having something to hold on to." Frankie interrupted, her words holding a powerful tone Charlie hadn't heard before. He wavered for a second, feeling slightly guilty for the cruelness he let spill from his lips. From all of the emotions he's been feeling lately, sometimes he gets caught up in his grief and lets things slip before thinking. He knew Frankie was hurt, and for the first time since they'd met, he was finally feeling guilty for the way he was treating her. 

"Sorry."

"Thank you for apologizing," Frankie replied, her words curt and making the pit in Charlie's stomach shrink. And her next words, made his guilt dissipate completely. "Maybe I might let you experience the beauty that is my music taste."

The boy snorted in amusement, without even thinking about his actions as he gestured toward the plastic resting in her grip, "With the amount of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks there is, I think I'll pass,"

"Is that amusement I hear?" Frankie questioned, her tone teasing as she fought the triumphant smile on her lips. She slowly began bouncing on her heels from the excitement she was feeling. She possibly might be winning him over.

Charlie rolled his eyes, feeling an internal panic wash over him, knowing that she had caught him before he could notice. "I don't know what you're talking about,"

"You're tone said otherwise." Frankie snorted, finding his adamant denial even more entertaining. "I think I might be winning you over,"

"You're delusional," Charlie quipped back, shaking his head at her sing-songy tone.

"Hmm, I don't know," Frankie mused, her bright smile burning his anger away. She stared at him teasingly as she looked him over. "You're no longer looking at me like you want to push me off a cliff, so I think your hatred is blooming into the start of a lovely friendship."

"Friendship?" Charlie exclaimed, shocked at how fast she jumped to conclusions. He immediately shook his head in refusal, hating the delighted grin on her face. "Just because something you said was slightly amusing, doesn't mean we're friends. You're still a stranger."

"Well, I might not be a stranger if you actually got to know me," Frankie teased, rolling her eyes in faux annoyance towards his words. "So tell me something about yourself,"

"No."

"Why?" Frankie questioned.

"Because."

"Are you secretly boring?" Frankie interrogated with an amused grin, tilting her head in teasing confusion. "Do you not want me to find out if you're boring? Is that why you don't want to tell me things?"

"I'm not boring."

"If you're not boring, tell me something about yourself."

"Like what?"

"I don't know..." Frankie trailed off as she took a moment to think about her question. As the question lit up in her brain, she her lean deepened as she put her weight on the marble of the island. "Okay easy, what's your favorite movie?"

"I don't have a favorite movie."

Frankie stared at the boy incredulously, "You're really leaning into the boring narrative,"

"I'm not boring," Charlie snipped, eyes rolling as he stared at her.

"Come on, everyone has a favorite movie,"

The boy shrugged as he sighed deeply, slightly shuffling his weight on his other side, attempting to ease the awkwardness washing through him, "Well, I don't. So not everyone has one. "

"Seriously..." Frankie exclaims softly, her frustration towards the boy beginning to get the best of her. Before she could even think about her next movements, to think over if it would be a good idea or not, Frankie was calling out another name. "Rick!"

"What're you doing?" Charlie questioned instantly. A slight franticness filled his voice, he reminded himself of a child trying to avoid getting told on.

Frankie shrugged nonchalantly, giving him a teasing grin. "Getting an outside opinion,"

"There's no way he has a favorite movie," Charlie tested, crossing his arms in a slight arrogance believing he knew more about Rick than she ever would.

"He totally does, you just haven't asked him yet," Frankie states with snippiness seeping into her tone. That dig should've been the last one, but the next words she uttered, she couldn't stop them from escaping. "You're boring, so it makes sense you wouldn't ask him fun questions,"

Charlie went to snap back, but his attention was quickly grabbed as the older man waltzed into the kitchen, Frankie couldn't hide the smile slipping onto her lips as felt the angry stare sent from Charlie. Rick leaned in the doorway, glancing between the two teens that stood across from each other on the island. Noticing the visible tension between the two. "What do you need?"

"Do you have a favorite movie?" Frankie questioned, her tone impatient, but the grin on her face told a different story.

Rick looked perplexed as he furrowed his eyebrows, eyes jumping between the people in front of him. "Why?"

"I'm trying to prove a point, so answer my question please," Frankie insisted, rocking back and forth on her heels awaiting his answer.

"Please refrain from using me to prove a point," Rick's tone was curt and to the point as he snorted. The man was slowly turning away from the teens to make his exit, Frankie's smile faded watching Charlie's lips perk up in response. Rick's answer made Frankie swear to herself, hating that Charlie was right. But just as Frankie was going to plead with the older man to answer her question, he paused sending them one more look, a humorous glance, as if he found her antics amusing. "Stand by me, to answer your question."

Frankie stops in her tracks, slowly turning to the boy behind her, sending Charlie the biggest shit-eating grin he's ever seen. The look made the boy's annoyance bubble over and it only got worse when she uttered three small words. "Told you so,"

"You're so annoying," Charlie groaned, meaning every word he was saying, not caring if it would hurt her feelings. Her lips soon twisted upwards, and for some reason, Charlie didn't mind seeing the triumphant smile. Actually, it was a really nice smile.

Frankie snorted at his complaint as she grabbed her walkman, quickly plucking her headphones and placing them on her ears, "At least I'm not boring, and I actually have a favorite movie,"

Charlie didn't get the chance to snap back before Frankie pressed play and music began flooding through her ears. She hiked her bag over her shoulder and made her way out of the kitchen. Her next mission included relaxing in the upstairs bathroom while she painted her nails like she's been wanting to do since earlier this morning as she forgot all the problems at hand. Little does she know, all her problems will soon enough show right up at her front door, making her face them once and for all.

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AS FRANKIE HAS STAYED put in the bathroom with the door shut for the past few hours, she only occasionally heard the shuffling of who she assumed to be Rick as he went into the master bedroom. She knew he was planning on hunkering down for a few hours, hoping to get some type of sleep before they headed off when the other got back.

Frankie ached to sleep as well, with her eyes sunken in and her eye bags being out of control, she clearly needed it. But for some reason, her brain wouldn't shut off and sleeping would do her no good. At least not right now. If she lay in one of the empty beds, she would only merely stare at the ceiling waiting for the rest of the group to come back. Knowing they were out and in the world with potential danger, she worried about them. She feared that the men chasing after her would find them, and make an example of what would happen to Frankie if they found her.

She knew she shouldn't be thinking like that, but there was such a large possibility that they would eventually find her and kill the only people she cared about. She couldn't watch them die, the thought of that happening haunted her at night. Every time she slept she saw images of what would happen if the men caught up. The simple image of their calculated and evil smiles made her chest tighten. They plagued her mind, the memory of them created ghosts that always stood just out of the corner of her eye.

Being hunkered down in this bathroom gave her the time to think about all the bad things that are creeping just around the corner. She pushed through her bubbling anxiety and continued to paint her nails. She was glad she was alone because she knew if Charlie saw what she was doing, there would be copious amounts of judgment thrown her way. She just needed a moment to think about herself and do something that reminded her of her old life.

The last time she painted her nails was a few weeks before the outbreak, she remembers it like it was yesterday. It's funny how time works now, even though she knows it's been almost two years since the apocalypse started, but life before the fall seems like it was only days ago. She still feels like her old world is just out of reach, like for some reason she could wake up in her bed at home just as her alarm goes off signaling that she needs to get ready for school.

She misses normalcy, she would do anything to sit through an English class right now. She would give anything to only worry about what assignments are coming up. All of the mundane and tedious tasks that came with the old world, she aches for something as simple as them. Frankie hates being plagued by death and survival, there's always going to be something horrible and evil stalking behind every corner she turns, and the only thing that's going to keep her alive is if she guns it down before it gets to her.

A satisfied smile twisted on her lips once she held up the finished nails, Frankie basked in the pale pink color that was splayed on her nails. The color reminded her of her mother, she knew the older woman would've liked it. Frankie has done a lot of things for her mother lately, she often wonders if the woman is looking down on her, watching and making sure she was safe. Frankie wondered if her mother was proud of her, she prayed that the woman wasn't disappointed in the mistakes she made. She's trying to be better, but in this life, it's hard to do anything good without it coming at a cost.

Just as she twisted the cap of the nail polish, she heard the slam of the front door in the distance, followed by the sound of thudding footsteps. A grateful grin found its way to her lips as she assumed the people flooding in were a part of her group. As she let the headphones fall around her neck, she had a grip on her walkman as she began toward the bathroom door.

Just as she opened the door, the smile she once had dropped as a sinking feeling of panic flooded her bones. Familiar slimy voices echoed throughout the house, the ones she had tried so desperately to escape from. It felt like the air got knocked clean out of her lungs, she felt like she was going to pass out. They had found her.

A loud scream of pain had escaped a man downstairs as he begged for someone to stop. Chills traveled up her spine as her situation was beginning to sink in. So many panicked thoughts were running through her mind, so powerful that her brain began to ache. The girl began to shake violently, all of her fears were beginning to come true, she prayed that the rest of the group would steer clear of the house until the three were able to escape. Charlie and Rick.

Frankie squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to avoid the tears that were bound to fall. She had no idea where they were, for all she knew the man that yelled was one of them. She wanted to slip out of the bathroom, to help them, but she knew if she got caught it would not go ever well for not only her but them too.

Before she could even think, she shut the door behind her, so quietly that not a sound creaked from the wood. She dashed up to the counter and immediately shoved everything that was hers into her backpack as fast as she could. She could hear the thumping of feet coming up the stairs and her breathing began to pick up. She quickly scooped up her fur coat and shoved her arms through it, ignoring how her body temperature was rising the longer the fear bubbled throughout her body. Without any hesitation, Frankie opened the window and threw her stuff on the roof seconds before she climbed out with her knife tightly gripped in her hand.

As she ducked out the window, Frankie was quick to plop her and her stuff down and lean against the wall adjacent to the window, so she was out of sight in case people came into the bathroom. She was trying to stop her violently thumping heart so she could think about her next moves. But the dread filling her veins wouldn't cease no matter how long she tried to catch her breath. She was at a loss for words, there was not a single idea traveling through her mind that could get her out of this.

Frankie had no clue how to find Rick and Charlie in the house, she knew they were surrounded by scary men that would take them down the moment they saw them. The girl was slowly accepting her fate, while a part of her wanted to run, to save herself. There was a bigger part of her that needed to help Rick and Charlie escape as well. Hopefully, they would try to make their way to where they knew Frankie was, and they would all escape together. But she doesn't know what's going on inside.

As minutes passed, those single moments eventually turned into twenty minutes. Frankie sat against the wall of the house, her knife clutched tightly against her chest. Just simply trying to think of a game plan. She hadn't moved from her spot of fear that one of the men would notice her. But luckily no one had even bothered to enter the bathroom.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure ducking into the bedroom right next to Frankie. Pushing herself further into the wall so she could be out of sight, she prayed the person wouldn't notice her. But her fear instantly faded when she noticed the familiar baseball cap that usually rested on Charlie's head as he pressed himself against the wall with Rick by his side. She smiled in relief as her dread began to subside, knowing they were okay.

Frankie went to softly knock on the window to get their attention, but she watched a tennis ball fly past them and knock on the wall in front of them. Her smile dropped as she watched in a panic as one of the men was casually throwing the ball, completely oblivious to the two men next to the door. Frankie prayed that they wouldn't be noticed and luckily as quickly as the man appeared, the man disappeared.

There was clear relief flooding from the men's shoulders as the man stalked away, but they both practically jumped out of their skin when they noticed the fearful widened eyes of Frankie as she stared at them with a panic they had never seen before. It wasn't long until they connected her pure terror to the men in the house. They knew the men downstairs were the ones who were after Frankie.

Rick immediately rushed up to the window that Frankie residing at, attempting to pull the window up so they could escape. The girl attempted to do the same but to no avail, the glass didn't budge. Frankie gave the older man an unnerved glance as disappointment settled into her bones, knowing that she shouldn't have thought they would escape that easily.

Frankie's eyes bludged slightly when she remember the bathroom window, waving her hands to the two men who were discreetly whispering. Looking up at the girl, they both noticed that she was gesturing to the open window in the adjacent room. As fast as Rick gave her a confirming nod, the both of them were ducking out of the room.

Her anxiety never ceased as they went out of sight, and it was only worse when she heard a soft grunt come from the bathroom as someone cleared their throat. She had been so consumed by Rick and Charlie and making sure they were gonna make it out that she didn't bother to notice one of the men enter the bathroom.

Frankie knew what needed to be done. If they went into the bathroom right now, the man would put up a fight and make a huge commotion that wouldn't go well for any of them. So Frankie took a deep breath trying to calm the building nerves that fluttered in her stomach as she was looking for a small pebble. Falling along the siding next to the window, Frankie rolled the pebble in her hand as she kept her knife close to her chest. With one swift toss, the rock collided with the window, creating a soft clink.

"What the—"

The unfamiliar voice questioned, Frankie, sucked in a breath as she sunk further into the siding behind her. Thudding footsteps came toward the window, and she didn't hesitate to raise her knife. Her heart pounded violently and the breath was taken from her lungs as her reality crept into her brain. One wrong move and things would be over for her.

The following moments happened in slow motion, Frankie couldn't even think as the man's head began to be in sight. Within seconds, the knife she held so tightly was now roughly plunged into the man's neck. A shocked breath escaped her watching the man struggle as he looked up at her, realization washing over his eyes, recognizing the girl they were desperately trying to find.

He didn't have much time to connect the dots as his eyes rolled back in his head and he began to lose his grip and fall backward, all his brain functions beginning to fail. Frankie didn't hesitate to jump to grab the man, she struggled to hold her grip due to the man's dead weight. But she didn't dare let go, knowing the sound he was going to make if he hit the floor.

As Frankie stared towards the bleeding man that was tight in her grip, she couldn't focus on anything except the life that was fading slowly in his eyes with each second that passed. She had killed someone once again. The three tallies have now transformed into four, but the only difference about this time is that she didn't feel so bad anymore. Frankie didn't know if that was a good thing or not. But she'd find that out sooner or later.

But her attention was quickly diverted from the dead man in her grasp to the sound of the door clicking open. Frankie flashed her eyes up to see the only men she wanted to see at the moment. Relief flooded her bones watching them jump into the bathroom, slipping in as Rick shut the door with enough precision that there was no noticeable echo as it clicked shut. They both stared at Frankie with shock lifting on their features, not expecting to find the fairly dainty girl covered in blood as she gripped tightly onto a quite large dead body with half of him hanging out of the window with her.

"You guys mind helping me? I'm about to lose my grip," Frankie clipped softly, the blood that seeped from the man's brain traveled down his head, making it harder and harder to keep a grip on him.

They didn't hesitate to move in, quickly grabbing the man away from Frankie. They placed him softly on the ground, careful not to make any noise to alert the people outside the door. Relief flooded Frankie's viens not only due to the lack or straining in her muscles but also the fact that she knew that Rick and Charlie were okay and the men surrounding them have no clue she was even there. Well, minus the dead body that lay on the ground below her.

Before she even knew what was going on, she watched Rick open the door quietly, as he scooped up the man's automatic rifle from the ground as he and Charlie made their way to the window. Frankie jumped out of the way as Charli began climbing onto the window sill and eventually right onto the roof where she kneeled. The hard surface of the roof panels dug into the skin of her knees, but she paid no mind as the adrenaline washed over her in waves.

Rick shuffled down the side of the roof, looking down to the ground below, and examining their next steps. He quickly waved them over, and Frankie didn't hesitate to stumble over to him. Rick's next words were soft and hushed but held so much authority that Frankie didn't hesitate to listen intently. "Okay, I'm going to climb down and right after Charlie will follow, and then you. We need to do this quick, quiet, make sure they don't know we're here,"

All the older man got were nods in response and he took that as a sign to begin making his way down. As Frankie watched the man climb down, anxiety didn't hesitate to creep up on her as she quietly swayed next to Charlie, who was intently watching Rick's movements to follow his lead when it was his turn. Frankie worried about the outcomes, worrying that one wrong move from her could lead them to be in big trouble. She focused on her lack of height and upper body strength, knowing that it could possibly lead to her undoing.

Before she knew it, she was watching Charlie climb down, for a moment she lost focus and was watching how Charlie's arm flexed as he strained to keep a good grip on the gutter as he lowered himself to the patio below. Once he was out of sight, she was brought back to reality. As his feet touched, both men looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to begin her descent. But she stared between them and the ground, with agitation and apprehension settling on her features.

"Frankie! Now!" Rick's rough whisper traveled up to Frankie's ear as he snapped his head back and forth to look at their surroundings, his words instantly brought her out of her thoughts of doubt and she began to make her way down.

She quickly fell to her knees, slowly beginning to let her feet dangle toward the ground. Frankie let a soft grunt escape her lips as she began to lose the strength in her arms as she held herself up. And before she knew it, she slipped. Her body began tumbling to the patio below as her sweaty hands tried to grip the gutter for dear life, but her fingers quickly slipped past it.

All her concerns were now becoming true as they again washed over her, knowing that she would be the reason they would die today. But before her body could make a heavy thud on the wood below, strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping that impending thud only in her mind.

As she was softly placed on the ground, once her feet made contact with the wood below her, she spun around meeting the familiar examining eyes of Charlie as he stood centimeters away from her, his hands still gripped securely around her. There was suddenly an energy swimming between them, it felt foreign for both, never feeling such intensity with just a look before. But they couldn't dwell on it long, as Frankie shook herself out of the haze and squirmed out of his grip, remembering the situation at hand.

Charlie didn't hesitate to do the same as he moved away from her, his attention back on the man behind him. Rick quickly gestured for them to follow him as he made his way down the stairs and toward the yard. They all moved at a fast pace, panicked breaths getting passed through them as they rounded the corner of the house. There were moments where they paused as Rick examined their surroundings, holding up a hand for them to stop. Seconds followed his movements, before he continued on, avoiding the branches and clumps of leaves along the way. Frankie pulled out her gun, attempting to cock it quietly as they moved, knowing that having a weapon ready was an important idea.

They stopped for a moment, as they lined up against the porch's brick foundation. Frankie sunk into the mortar, hoping it would make her invisible, but it didn't. She sent confused glances to Charlie and Rick, knowing that the only thing sitting in front of them and their freedom was this corner of the house they resided. She was about to speak up, but all words fizzled out when she heard the sound of a bouncing tennis ball erupt on the wooden floorboard behind her.

Rick bounced between looking around the corner, praying that their group wouldn't be making their way back to the house, oblivious of what they were coming back to. As the bouncing ball came closer to them, all of them tensed up severely, fearing that the person would find them. Frankie gripped her gun tighter, knowing they could be seconds away from her actually having to use it.

The man on the porch found himself sitting on the railing as he whistled loudly, mimicking a bird call. The sound made Frankie's heart race, knowing the man was inches away from them. It was visible that Rick began psyching himself up, as he gripped the gun tighter, lifting it up centimeters higher than before. His also began fingers curled around the carved wood that began the start of the porch. He sent Frankie and Charlie nods, hoping that they would understand what the next move was. There was no confusion in their plan, as they mimicked Rick's movements, ready to fire when he was.

Just as Rick was about to jump up, with the two teenagers following, a loud scream erupted within the house, making the man above them jump up from his seat on the railing. Gunshots rang out as the man swore to himself, making his way back into the house. Rick instantly shot out from behind the house, making a run towards the street. Charlie and Frankie didn't hesitate to follow, and the girl even sped up her movements when she noticed Sydney and Gabi with fearful looks wafting onto their features.

Frankie didn't have the breath to explain any of what happened, and she didn't even have the time before Rick was hurriedly ushering them away from the yells and panic that was in the house. "Go, go, go, go, go, go."

The young girl didn't even bother to look back, worried that she would see the men who wanted her dead to be staring right back at her. She couldn't face them, not right now, especially with the fact she had more of their blood on her hands and there was no way she could escape her fate now. Not until they were all dead.

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𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘:

DARE I SAY ANOTHER FARLIE
INTERACTION???? ALSO A SILLY
RICK SLAY??? I love him sm

Farlie interacted I repeat they've interacted!
Also this is not edited I'm sorry! Idk if
I have the capacity to read this whole thing rn lol

ALSO‼️‼️‼️‼️
Check out my TikTok I've got
Some fab Charlie and Frankie edits up
and I love them sm

TikTok: @gardensongsswp

hope you guys enjoyed!!!