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At lunch, the group of friends went over to Penina who was sitting in the corner of the dinner hall eating lunch by herself. They all sat down at her table "Look, what's going on Penina?" Raven asked "Why are you avoiding us like we're all bad smells?"

"I didn't think you'd want to hang out with me." Penina muttered.

"Why the hell wouldn't we want to hang around with you?" Gerard cried "You're our friend! Look, what's going on?"

"It was okay last week. But not this week."

"What are you going on about?" Ray asked, raising his eye-brows.

Penina took a deep breath "I smell."

"... I'm sorry, what?" Jennifer looked confused.

"Look at me!" Penina snapped "I smell. My hair's greasy. I ran out of eye-liner and I can't afford to buy anymore. They cut our power off this weekend." She burst into tears "I don't know what to do anymore!"

Tiara put her arm around her "Start from the beginning Penina."

Penina took a shaky breath and told them everything. Raven sighed "Why didn't you tell us? What is it with you and Frank keeping things to yourself? What do you think we're gonna do? We just wanna help you."

"Because I didn't want you to hate me." Penina sobbed. She explained about what had happened in her old school.

"Well we're not like that." Callie told her "We're here for our friends. Always. And we'll do whatever we can to help you. Frank as well even if his Mother hates us all." Penina smiled through her tears "We'll think of something Penina."





After lunch, Alicia went to her room to have a nap and Frank sat in Mia's room with her. She hadn't eaten much for lunch, just some dry toast because Frank didn't want her puking all afternoon. She'd only puked once the whole day and he wanted to keep it that way. He had his arm wrapped around her and was reading her a story "Can you read it again please?" Mia asked when he finished it.

"I've read it to you three times now."

"I know but I like this one."

"Can't we pick something else?"

"No, I like this one. Better than all the other ones."

"Well Frankie doesn't like it so Frankie's gonna choose another one." He told her, getting up and going over to the bookshelf "What about this one?" He picked up a book called 'Indigo Blue' and sat down next to her.

Halfway through the story, Mia interupted him "Frankie? Do you really love Penina?"

Frank put down the book and thought about it "I think I am. Why?"

"You're not gonna run off with her and leave us by ourselves are you?" Mia asked, looking up at him.

"Of course not! What makes you think that?"

"Well Mommy's always running off with her boyfriends so I thought if Penina was your girlfriend-"

"No! I'd never leave you or the girls, okay? I love you, I love them... I just happen to love Penina too." Frank kissed her cheek "Don't you think I'm ever leaving, okay?"

"Okay Frankie." Mia smiled and slid under her duvet "I wanna sleep now. Will you stay here?"

"If you want me to." Frank stroked his little sisters hair until she fall asleep.




Penina walked down the road holding onto Samantha's and Lauren's hand. She was pretty nervous about seeing Frank again "Frank won't shut up about you." Isabella told her "He LOOOOOOOOOOOVES you!"

Penina swallowed. She hoped that was true. Because she knew she loved him.