TAGGING → Frankie Hollingsworth, Zig Novak
TIME FRAME → Two weeks ago
LOCATION → Toronto Music Festival
NOTES → Zig finds Frankie to confess his feelings and finds she has a confession of her own.
Zig: Once he had stepped away from Tiny and Grace, Zig started to scan the crowd for the face he was looking for. The festival was getting more and more crowded as the night wore on, making it especially hard to spot Frankie's petite figure in the throngs of people. He tried to look for Jenna or Sadie just as diligently, hoping he could find Frankie that way. He couldn't leave the festival that night without saying what he wanted to say. "Shit--sorry!" he muttered as he bumped into someone amidst his search. Looking down, Zig released it was the exact person he'd been looking for. He offered a goofy smile, suddenly nervous. "Frankie! Hey... Hi, I was, uh... looking for you," he stuttered. After a few more seconds of sputtering and nervous laughter, he took a deep breath. "I was looking for you because I need to tell you something," he stated in a more serious tone.
Frankie was looking around to find more of her friends, hoping to be able to tell them her good news before they heard anything from Jenna. She wanted to tell people herself, make it more personal as she missed her friends and didn't want them thinking she'd ditched them. Pausing for a moment to take a breath, she glanced around the crowd, standing on her toes a bit to see above all of the moving heads around her. Suddenly she found herself jolted forward a bit and whirled around in surprise, trying to see who had bumped into her. Seeing Zig's familiar face, she beamed instantly, tempted to pull him into a hug but not wanting to catch him off guard. "Oh, hey!" She exclaimed, returning his smile warmly. "You were? Oh, cool, I mean - I was hoping to find you at some point too," she admitted, watching as he continued. "You do? Oh, I um, I have to tell you something too. But you can go first, if you want."
Zig: Zig nodded as Frankie spoke, but he hardly registered anything she said. His heart was beating so fast that her words went in one ear and out the other. "Yeah, sure," he agreed hastily, the same anxious smile plastered on his face. He opened his mouth to speak but immediately closed it again, searching for the right words. What did he say? What part should he tell her first? His face wrinkled as he struggled internally, undoubtedly looking like an idiot to Frankie. "Okay, so the thing is -- well, one of the things is, what I wasn't telling you -- one of the things I wasn't telling you, is that I was sort of in a gang." Immediately regretting what he chose to led with, Zig frowned. "No! I mean, yes, I was in a gang -- but that's not the most important thing! Frankie..." He hesitated before taking her hands in his. "Frankie, I love you. And not in like... a friendly way. I really, really love you -- and I did when we were together, but then everything got screwed up. And I know you didn't remember, but I think you loved me too."
Frankie watched as he seemed to hesitate, feeling a bit anxious about what he had to say. Did it have to do with the gang stuff they'd talked about not too long ago? Or was this something completely different? Whatever it was, he seemed eager to speak but seemed to have trouble finding the right words. She nodded encouragingly, urging him to continue. As he started, she listened closely, tuning out all of the loud music and chatter around her. At the mention of the gang, Frankie bit her lip, and she realized he was probably surprised that she didn't seem to have much of a reaction. Instead of speaking up, she decided to let him finish first. Feeling him take her hands, she looked down at them, her skin warming up a bit at his touch. Looking back into his eyes, his words only changed the warmth to a feeling of chills running down her spine, unable to believe what she'd just heard. Speechless, her jaw fell a bit, a smile forming at the corner of her lips. As the thoughts of what to say jumbled in her mind, Frankie simply took his face in his hands and pulled him close, capturing his lips with hers in a soft yet passionate kiss. Pulling away gently, her nose brushed against his as she smiled, gazing into his bright eyes. "Zig, I...I remember. I remember everything. And I do love you. I... always have.
Zig: In the seconds that followed after he admitted his feelings, Zig could feel his hands begin to tremble as they held onto Frankie's tightly. It felt like an eternity as he searched her face for a response, even though there was hardly a full minute that passed before he felt her warm hands on his face. Stunned at her action, he felt a jolt of emotion hit him as she kissed him. Once the wave of confusion passed, he returned the kiss with the most force he could manage under such shock. When she spoke, he was still blinking, dazed at what had just happened. "You -- you what?!" Zig's eyes widened. "When? How?!" He was practically yelling out of excitement. As it fully set in, a goofy grin washed over his face. "You... you remember? And you love me back?" Zig didn't know which was more exciting to hear. He had waited so long to hear that she loved him, but hearing she actually remembered him was another feeling entirely. "How long? How long have you remembered?" Zig asked, the same silly, happy smile permanently set on his face.
Frankie couldn't help but giggle at Zig's excitement, trying to figure out how best to explain everything to him at once. So much had happened, but all that mattered was that she was here with him, able to be completely honest with him. "Last weekend, I was at the game store with Hunter and well - I kinda hit my head when a game box fell off the shelf, but I'm fine now and it ended up bringing my memory back," She explained, still giggling as she went on. "Yes, Zig! I really love you and I wish I had told you that a long time ago. And I think even when I didn't remember everything, deep down I knew you were still someone special. You were there for me more than anyone and looking back, I don't know who I'd be now without your support." Frankie beamed at him, moving her hands to grip his arms before pulling him into a loving hug. "Thank you Zig, thank you for being so wonderful to me." Pausing, she pulled back slightly, looking up at him. "But wait...what were you going to say about the gang? Is...everything okay?"
Zig: Zig's facial expressions shifted multiple times as Frankie explained what had happened. He was still too stunned to really comment on it, but he couldn't help but grin. "If I'd known you needed to hit your head, I would've made you hang out with Hunter more often," he teased. "Not that I ever /want/ you to hit your head. It's a nice head," he added, lifting a hand to graze the side of her face as he smiled down at her. Laughing softly out of pure joy, he gave her waist a squeeze and nuzzled her neck, enjoying the hug. "I love you, too. I love you." It felt like he couldn't say it enough. Remembering the gang only when Frankie mentioned it, his smile deepened. "Everything's great! Vince is in jail! Hopefully prison after that. I might have to... answer some questions, and I don't really know how his guys will feel about that... But I really think everything's going to be okay now. It has to be -- because I have you," he explained, smiling wider.
Frankie laughed at his comment, rolling her eyes playfully. "I guess I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner somehow, but maybe it was sort of nice having that whole weird new beginning for a while. It made me realize a lot, you know? A lot about myself and other people." She smiled at him, giggling at his words. "Why thank you!" Butterflies ran through her as she held him close, her smiling growing larger than life at his repeated confession. "You make me happy, Zig," Frankie promised him, giving his cheek a quick peck. His expression intrigued her, considering talking about the gang had never seemed to be a topic of choice for Zig. However, his words brought a look of excitement to her face. "Really? He's in jail? You mean it's really all over, for good?" She practically jumped into his arms at this, hugging him tightly again. "Oh, I'm so happy! I'm so proud of you, I knew things would get better for you," Frankie exclaimed, blushing at his sweet words. "Aw shucks, I couldn't have done /that/ much," she said teasingly, caressing his arms gently. "But really, this is amazing, Zig. Incredibly."
Zig: The girl's comment sparked a thought for Zig. "Can you remember? I mean... can you remember things that happened when you /didn't/ remember? Like watching movies with me?" Zig mused aloud, though he was mostly thinking about his fight with Miles. It obviously didn't matter since the real Frankie was back, but it seemed important to him. If she remembered all of that on top of her old memories, that meant the past few months hadn't been a complete waste for them despite Zig's mistake. Growing solemn for a moment, he glanced at the ground. "I'm sorry," he said, thinking about everything. "I should have been there for you -- we should've been together when you had your accident. If we had been..." The thought and his frown disappeared at her comments, and a smile formed as she embraced him again. "Yeah! Well, hopefully it's over. It's definitely over for Vince. I don't know if the cops will want me to talk to them some more or whatever, but... It's over for me. The gang's done for me." It felt surreal to say, even more surreal to be saying it to the old Frankie. Smiling to himself, Zig reached out to take her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Does this mean we can leave here together?"
Frankie nodded excitedly at his question. "I can! Like, I remember feeling confused and not really knowing all the details about everything, but when I remembered it didn't overwrite those memories or anything. It just made everything a lot clearer, like finding out hidden details to a story after reading it the first time," she explained, giggling at her comparison. Watching his serious expression, hers mirrored his, looking at him in slight concern as he seemed to be in thought. His apology brought the smile to her face again, though she shook her head slowly. "No, it's not your fault. We just...we didn't always communicate things well, but I think we know better now," Frankie said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. Hugging him tightly, she beamed up at him, her smiling growing as he went on about the details. "If they do, it's okay. I'm sure it'll only be for your benefit," she promised him. Feeling him reach for her hand, she happily squeezed his again and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Sure, I'd like that. Besides, I certainly won't be driving for a while still," Frankie joked, turning to smile up at him again. A question appeared in her mind as she looked into his eyes, and she stood in front of him once again curiously. "Does this mean you get to go back home?"
Zig: Zig's brows shot up as she explained her current memory, unable to hide his excitement. "That's great! That has to be a miracle or something, right? I mean, who does this happen to?" For the first time in a long time, he felt like the past few months hadn't been a complete mistake. A wave of emotion washed over him, forcing him to take a moment of silence. He ran his thumb over the top of Frankie's hand, admiring how familiar and comfortable he felt in that moment. Zig nodded quickly. "We do. At least I know I do. And now all of our secrets are out, right? Unless you like, hate my cooking or something -- and by cooking, I mean the way I make my mac 'n cheese," he teased. "I went home yesterday. It was... hard. I was so worried about disappointing my mom that I didn't stop to think how much better it would make me feel to talk to her about stuff," he explained. "I guess I wasn't good at communicating with anyone," he added, thinking back to how nearly all of his relationships had been affected.
Frankie beamed at his enthusiasm, nodding with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I guess so! It's definitely been a pretty dynamic year, it's hard to imagine how different things were at this point a year ago..." She drifted off slightly, remembering that it was already almost a year since their initial break-up. After all the ups and downs of the past year, she was happy to be here with him, knowing their relationship had only been strengthened by their experiences. She smiled lovingly at him, looking into his eyes warmly as he stroked her hand. Laughing at his words, she shook her head quickly. "No, no! I think your mac 'n cheese is very delicious, honest," She promised with a giggle, placing her hand atop his reassuringly. Her expression grew more serious as she listened, feeling a wave of relief hearing that he'd been able to talk to his mother about everything. "Oh, Zig, that's so wonderful, I just -" Frankie paused mid-sentence before pulling him in closely again. "I'm so proud of you, I really am. And I'm so glad that you two reconciled, because even I've missed your mom," She added with a smile. "She really loves you, you know. And so do I."
Zig: Zig's expression as mimicked hers as he thought back to a year ago. Considering what they been through individually and even together, it was somewhat of a shock that they were in this moment together. "That's good, 'cause it's the only thing I really know how to make... Well, that and cereal," he said with a chuckle, half joking. He had almost forgotten how nice it felt to hear Frankie's affirmation; there was something about her approval that made him almost giddy. Feeling his cheeks flush slightly, his mouth spread into a coy grin. "I didn't think I could feel any better than I did after I talked to her, but now I'm here with you... My girlfriend." Being able to call her that only widened his grin. "I didn't think I'd ever get to call you that again," he admitted. "But I'm glad I can. And I'm glad we went through what we went through, even if it kind of sucked."
Frankie giggled at his words, shrugging her shoulders. "Hey, it takes real talent to make a quality bowl of cereal!" She teased, nudging him playfully. Smiling up at him, she swung his hands side-to-side, swaying to the song that was playing in the background. Hearing him call her his girlfriend only caused her to beam even more excitedly, leaning forward to plant a sweet peck on his lips. "I'm glad you're my boyfriend. I couldn't possibly ask for a better one," Frankie promised, resting her head gently against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "It's okay. We made it through, didn't we?"
Zig: "You would know. Your cereal is always way better than mine," Zig replied in jest. He smiled softly at the familiar feeling of her petite figure leaning into hers. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as he rested his chin atop her head. "You're right. I am the best," he whispered jokingly, following it up with a quiet chuckle and a kiss on the top of her head. Thinking hard about her statement, he gave a firm nod before resting his head back on hers. "We did. Finally," he agreed.
Grace: "As long as it doesn't involve you being in danger with no way of getting help from it? Yeah, I'll take that over anything," she said, shaking her head. As he began to hug her back, she closed her eyes briefly and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in. Pulling away now, she tilted her head and smirked. "Is that what you're waiting for? I knew it," she snickered, nudging his shoulder lightly before thinking about what he had said previously. "You're scared? Well, I don't know. I think that's normal. But... I think it's better to be scared of this than to be scared of having to run for your life and constantly keep looking over your shoulders," she reminded him, shrugging her shoulders as she continued to walk towards the police station. "You're making the right decision here. You've just go to keep remembering that, but I'm guessing this is something you've thought about for a long time."
Zig: gnawed on the inside of his cheek, considering what she said. He knew she was right; being scared about doing the right thing was definitely a better alternative than fearing for his life, or even fearing for the safety of those he loves. "Right... It can't be worse, anyway," he agreed slowly. "I just don't know if I'll be 100% safe after this," he added with a weary smile, a sign of nervousness. Zig didn't know how the gang would react to their ring leader getting ratted out to the cops, especially when Zig already knew he couldn't just walk in and spill his guts just to walk out again. Once he told the cops what he knew, he would have quite a few more run-ins at the police station, but that felt like a mute point. He shook his head, physically trying to shake the nerves. "Whatever. I just know I'm done looking over my shoulder, just like you said. And now I can be an actual Outsider again... right where I belong," he said with a genuine smile. More than anything he wanted to go back and make sure he never stopped being an Outsider, but there was no going back. Only forward. He started to walk again, looking at his feet. "You're right. I've thought about it... almost every day. Usually just to tell myself I'd never be able to actually do." He shrugged, glancing over at her. "That's sorta why I asked you to come," Zig admitted. "I knew I could go if you went with me."
There was something different about the storefront that Zig couldn’t identify. He gazed up at the same sign he had been looking out for most of his life, but the letters no longer looked the same. While they undoubtedly were the same, Zig knew the reason: he was looking at those letters and at the store through new eyes. He was a different person standing out on the sidewalk in front of the family’s store, and for that reason, he wasn’t entirely sure how he would be received. All he knew was that he couldn’t go another day without being where he needed to be – he couldn’t stand not being home.
Despite the unfamiliar feel of the store, the bell above him made the song loud “ding!” it always did upon his arrival. Zig turned his head in either direction of the store, scanning the aisles. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been there. Zig’s mom wasn’t big on changing things in the store; she would tell Zig that the store’s never-changing appearance was a comfort to their customers, particularly the ones that had been around as long as the store had belonged to the Novak name. He couldn’t speak for the customers, but he knew it was a comfort to him as soon as his eyes fell on a gallon of milk in the exact spot where milk had always been in the cooler.
“Can I help you?” The boy looked over his shoulder and was met by the gaze of an unfamiliar woman. She was older than him, but not quite the same age as his mother. She could have been 29 – maybe 30 to 35. Zig was never good at paying attention to that kind of thing. All he knew was that he had never seen her before, but judging by her attire, she was the newest employee at Novak’s Convenience. “I need to talk to my mom,” Zig replied, his tone shaky. Disinterested in the look of confusion on the woman’s face, he turned away and walked to the back door that led to their apartment. This door looked as foreign and new to him as the first door, but when he reached for the door knob, a sense of nostalgia hit him. It was the same comfort that came with seeing a never-changing store front, or milk in the same spot where he left it.
As he ascended the stairs, a lot of things crossed his mind; too many for him to process in such a short period of time. He didn’t know what he was walking up to find. His mom could kick him out, she could cry; she could do both if she really wanted to. Zig hadn’t even thought of the words he would use to explain what he had been through for the past few months. He had no idea how he would apologize for nearly a year of leading a double life, one that he hid from her and lied to her about. There was nothing he could say that would justify putting himself – or her – in danger. But for the first time, he felt like words didn’t matter. He had been vacant from his mother’s life long before she asked him to leave.
“Mom – Ma?” Zig called out when he stepped into the apartment. “Ma – Ma, it’s me,” he said again, his voice choking up on each word. Considering how small the apartment was, there was little ground to cover before he inevitably stumbled upon the person he was looking for. He saw the back of her head as she stood at the stove, an image that was burnt into his brain for years since childhood. The television was on in the living room just a few feet from where the kitchen sat, and different substances simmered in the pots and sauce pans assorted on the stovetop. “Ma! Ma, it’s me!” He watched as the woman dropped the spatula in her hand and turned to face him, visibly alarmed to realize someone was there. As conflicted as he had been on his journey up the stairs, the same emotional turmoil showed on Mrs. Novak’s face. Her expression hardly changed, but in her face, Zig could see a million different things.
Refusing to face the silence any longer, Zig cleared his throat and straightened up. “Ma, I’m… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I ever made you feel like I needed to leave,” he began, his tone growing stronger and more self-assured as he spoke. “But I… I want you to sit down. I need to tell you something. I, uh – actually, I need to tell you a lot.”
When he was done, Mrs. Novak stood still for a moment, just looking at her son. She turned to the counter and quietly placed the spatula on the counter top before she walked over to the small dinette table and took a seat. When she looked up, she tilted her head and nodded once. “Tell me,” she said with a soft smile – and in that smile, Zig found what he came looking for: home.
Grace: "Me? Sensitive?" she asked, holding her hand over her heart and quickly shaking her head. "Not a chance. But you're welcome for sparing you anyway," she joked. Her expression turned into one of relief as he said it would be over today, her eyebrow quirking in hopes that this really would be the end. "You, staying out of trouble? That'd be great to see, you know. And it'd cause me a lot less stress too." She was always worrying about him, even if he gave her plenty of reason not to. She hadn't realized he stopped walking until she was a few steps ahead, and she slowly turned to look at him to listen to what he said. And those were the words she had been waiting for for months, but it felt so surreal. She had no response, only standing there staring at him blankly. It wasn't something she would normally do, but it felt like the only right thing to do in this very moment. Without anymore hesitation, she took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a rare hug. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she let the realization wash over her. "I'm proud of you," she said lightly, knowing it wasn't something he heard often -- but it needed to be said right now.
Zig: "Whoa, I didn't say all of that," he interjected quickly. "Trouble and the Zigster go hand in hand, Grace, it's just who I am. I just plan on keeping the trouble to a PG-13 level from here on out." It was unrealistic for Zig to claim that he could stay out of trouble altogether. High school wasn't over, and he had hardly matured enough to make that statement. He knew that he would spend many more school days in Simpson's office, but that was a better alternative than spending his days in a coffin or a jail cell, which was his inevitable home if he continued this cycle. Her movements were so sudden and new to him he had little time to react before she embraced him. After the few seconds it took to process what she was doing, he eased slightly, returning the hug. It was a strange and rare moment for them, but it was just what he needed. "Really? Thanks," he responded, his tone equally soft as she squeezed his neck. As terrified as he was, knowing he made her proud made it seem worth while now. "I'm scared," he added with a small laugh before sighing to himself. Pulling his shoulders back up, he squinted. "You're not going to like, kiss me or anything? Right?" The male winced as soon as she spoke, fully expecting the punch that was undoubtedly coming.
Grace: didn't know what this was all about. Trust with Zig was a wobbly road this year, but it had been getting better, and she was starting to see signs of things improving. She wanted to believe that things were getting better for him, but there was only so much optimism she could have, especially for Zig's situation. But the police station? This time, she was actually getting some kind of positive vibe from it all --- and she really did hope this was him taking her advice from nearly a year ago. Running down the steps as he reached the door, she quickly opened the door and smiled back at him. "If I'm about to witness something drastic, I gotta look my best, right?" she teased, tilting her head and thinking for a moment. "Let's see, you and Tiny are still alive, so... no, no warrant for me. Give it to the end of the summer, though. These summer school kids aren't my favorite people," she joked. As they made their way there, she tried to let the silence take over, but she was curious as ever and impatient. "Are you going to tell me what this is really about, or is this another Zig Novak surprise?"
Zig: scoffed at Grace's quip, rolling his eyes. "Me and Tiny aren't the problems here. Ever stop and think maybe it's /you/ that's just a little too sensitive?" he countered, raising an eyebrow before his expression eased. "Fair enough. Just don't make me a witness to anything. After today, I plan on staying as far away from the cops as possible." The soon-to-be junior sucked in a breath of fresh air, hoping it could stop his head from spinning as they neared their destination. He knew what he needed to do, and he was completely confident in his choice for the first time in almost a year, but that didn't stop him from feeling slightly terrified. As he pondered his nerves, he realized how ridiculous it was for him to be fearful of coming clean when he had literally been shot before -- not to mention his mini vacation with Vince's drones on guard. When the inevitable question came, he took another, longer breath and slowed his pace until he had stopped walking altogether. Standing still on his spot just before the crosswalk, he shifted his gaze, looking anywhere but Grace's face. He hoped she would be supportive and happy for him, but considering everything he had put his loved ones through, he couldn't expect anyone to follow him blindly anymore. "I'm ending it, Grace. I'm turning him in. And I guess that means I'm turning me in, too."
Zig: waited at the end of Grace's driveway, more or less patiently, rather than risk going to the front door and face off with someone from her foster family. They weren't the worst people in the world, but they made no mention of liking Zig at any point during his friendship with the girl. He was half a mind to turn and walk back down the sidewalk in the direction he came, feeling more than a little nauseous at the idea of what awaited them. When Grace emerged, he felt his stomach drop; seeing her was a signal of his situation's reality. His fingers brushed the fabric inside his pockets, feeling the loose strings from years of wear and tear on the same pair of jeans he always defaulted back to. He straightened up and tried to look less nervous than he felt. "You look... police worthy," he noted with a smirk. "You sure you don't have a warrant out or something? Maybe I'll get some reward money for bringing you in." He snorted at his own bad sense of humor, beginning the walk towards the police station without mentioning a word about their real mission in going to talk to the cops that day.
Frankie: a who? you mean there is someone who might come after you? is it...that gang you told me about? are /they/ coming after you?
Frankie: yes...so it /does/ have to do with the gang. i thought you had gotten away from all of that stuff! are they trying to hurt you now?? wait, um.../you/ hurt someone? i thought you had gotten hurt...
Zig: i'm not saying yes... but i'm not saying no. but it's not a yes. it's just not a no, either. i need you to understand what i'm saying /without/ me saying it...
Zig: ok, don't go around just talking about gangs, frankie. this is exactly why i /didn't/ want to tell anyone. i tried to get away from it! it just.. it kind of blew up in my face. and i was going to get hurt if i didn't defend myself.
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