#frooper

No one understood. No one would be able to understood the guilt Cooper felt about everything: moving back to Lima and out of his home in Los Angeles, looking at other women again, and even just attempting to carry on with his life made him feel as though he was somehow doing Caroline wrong. She and J.J. had been his entire world. Now what was he supposed to do? They were so young. They were entirely too young to be having a talk about what the other was supposed to do if they passed away. The man had no formal blessing. He had no sense of direction or guidance, aside from his parents telling him to loosen the reigns with his mini-me. They had urged him to trying to lead a normal life and to not shut them out anymore. For a while there, Cooper had been sick, or so Mr. and Mrs. Anderson thought. After the funeral, he had pretended nothing had happened and that he was completely self-sufficient. The grief counselor said otherwise. Junior was his everything now: Cooper Sr. wouldn’t allow himself to ruin his son’s life. Not anymore.

Meeting Frannie Fabray again brought a rush of mixed feelings. It wasn’t as though he was in love with her: Cooper was still grieving. But for the first time since becoming a single man once more, she made him feel something. It wasn’t lust, or love, or anything, really. It was something though, almost like butterflies, though Cooper never got those. He couldn’t stop thinking about her though. It had taken everything in his power for him to resist blurting out, “Wow, so someone got hot after high school.” Thinking back on her, Frannie had never been unattractive. In hindsight, which always had twenty-twenty vision, she was one of those cute nerds that he could have had Blaine make over, like in She’s All That, minus the bet to make the nerdiest girl in school the prom queen. Somehow, however, after he left Lima, she became what only could be described as “movie star hot.” Cooper, being a celebrity, even if he exaggerated to what extent, was quite familiar with this level of attractiveness. Finding a girl so beautiful in his hometown was a shock. But, aesthetics didn’t make the woman. No, she was goofy with him, at least over text messages; she was kind to him and didn’t make him feel stupid, like most people had the tendency to do; in Cooper’s mind, she may very well have been an angel sent from Heaven to nudge him and say, “stop feeling so sorry for yourself.” Still, nobody understood how guilty he felt.

With a sigh, he had been pacing around his childhood bedroom for an hour, his son downstairs wanting to play with his parents. With a sigh, he glanced down at Frannie’s contact information once more. Why couldn’t he do it? He had promised Charlie ice cream, had he not? He couldn’t do it without calling Frannie considering how odd that would look. Plus, he wanted her to be there. He wanted an excuse to talk to her that wasn’t completely lame and related to his son’s daycare, the same one she was employed at. No, he wanted a chance to enjoy her company. Cooper could have used some company right about then to just press the call button rather than allow him to continue on the way he was. Everyone knew about his dramatic tendencies.

Come on, Anderson. It's just a stupid phone call. Just press the call button. You don't even have to dial the number like you would if you were ancient and a teenager in the eighties.

His dad pounding on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Have some balls, kid!” Walter was always blunt and definitely the more stern than Mrs. Tara Anderson. Cooper’s dad was always hard on him for his grades as a child, but the two had an excellent rapport, especially since the incident. Though at times a bit overbearing in high school, Walter was always the first one to crack a joke with his son. He was definitely always one to mess with him for his own amusement, though he usually knew when to draw the line. Telling his son to grow a pair was just part of their relationship: Cooper had heard that many times in high school as well. With a small smile, he looked back towards the door, but didn’t say anything. His dad had already made his way down the hall, judging by the sound of his steps. After calming himself down at bit, he blinked and unlocked his phone once more, his mind racing once more.

She's pretty... and she's smart... and she already knew you from high school. God, is that a good thing? She could have thought you were a grade A douchenozzle… but then again, she was real nice when you signed up for daycare and texted you first. Maybe she thinks you’re cool. You’re not asking her to move in with ya, just if she wants ice cream with the Charliezard. What’s so wrong about that?

Suddenly, interrupting his own thoughts, he had a small burst of courage. Finally hitting the call button on the touchscreen, he swallowed hard as he noticed a slight tremor in his opposite hand. No one understood the guilt he felt about finding another woman attractive, let alone attempting to ask her out for ice cream, even if Charlie and his son were there too. Get it together, Cooper. It’s just ice cream. That’s when he heard the line pick up. Swallowing hard, he licked his bottom lip before speaking up after she had addressed with, “hello?” It took him a moment before he could speak.

"Hey, Francesca. Um... Hi. It's Cooper. Uh, Cooper Anderson."

"Hey, Coop Dogg." Frannie must have still been thinking about their nickname-off from earlier considering how she let out a small giggle. Cooper definitely thought it was cute, causing him to tense up more. "What, um... What can I do for you?"

Cooper: “C’mon, little dude.” J.J. rushed to Cooper’s side, taking his hand and walking towards the daycare center with his dad as they got out of the rental car. “Up! Up!” The little boy needed attention considering how he had spent the majority of the day with his grandparents, even going so far as to help make pancakes for the family. Cooper Jr. loved the kitchen. With a small grin, Cooper obliged his son and picked him up, letting the boy hug him around the neck as he rubbed the younger Anderson’s back softly, wanting him to feel comfortable. A lot had changed for the four year old: he had just about the hardest transition a four year old should ever have to go through. Six months prior, back when Junior was three, his mother had passed. That was difficult, even though he may not have understood the concept of death. His fourth birthday was celebrated with the two of them seeing a movie. Considering how it was one of the rare times Cooper would leave the house to drive, he held his son close to him the entire time. J.J. never understood why Daddy wouldn’t let him go. Cooper didn’t need another tragedy on his hands.

As the two walked inside, Cooper carrying his son, the sliding glass doors pleasantly surprised him; he thought it was pretty nice for Lima. It had been a long time since he had been home. Never had he intended on moving back. With a sigh, he walked through the doors before seeing a young woman lift her head. Holy Hell. That was his only thought. His jaw almost dropped as he glanced over her features: it was the first time a woman even remotely caught his eye since “the incident,” as it was referred to in the Anderson family. Cooper never wanted to talk about it; it was a kind way of mentioning it without triggering him, at least not too much. This woman was something else though, and seemed vaguely familiar at that. “Holy…” The word came out of his mouth before his son tapped him on the nose. “No bad words,” he reminded in his sassiest voice. Cooper had a thing about not swearing after the boy came home saying “hell” after going to the playground when Caroline was still around. He needed to compose himself and do it fast as he approached her. Quickly, he whispered “sorry” to J.J. and kissing him on the cheek before looking back to her, swallowing hard as he attempted to talk to the first attractive woman he had seen in town, let alone had any interest in since the accident. “Uh… Hi, my name’s Cooper Anderson. I called up here earlier and talked to a woman… Sorry, I didn’t get her name. I, um… I’m signing my son up for the daycare program.” He blinked as he stared at her, offering a small smile as J.J. turned around and waved. This would be something.

Frannie: It had been a relatively slow day at the daycare, which Frannie was thankful for. Usually it was bustling with children, running around and tugging at her pant legs. Today, however, was different. The sun was out and it was one of the nicer days Lima had experienced since the summer had started. She assumed most people had skipped out of work that day, taking their kids to the beach or the Six Flags a couple hours away. So when someone walked through the door, she was not only surprised, but she was even more surprised to find Cooper Anderson walking through the door. Cooper had been one of her biggest crushes in high school; her, along with every other girl, wanted some sort of attention from Mr. McKinely himself. Of course, leaving Lima meant leaving her crush behind and thus it fading until eventually, Cooper was just a memory. Seeing him in the daycare center was... surprising. She was happy to see he had grown into a handsome man with an even cuter son. “Okay,” she said softly, tucking some hair behind her ear as she attached an enrollment form onto a clipboard and set it on the desk in front of him, as well as a pen. “I just need you to fill out this form and put down the deposit fee.” She smiled at the two of them, giving a small wave to the younger boy.

Cooper: Upon receiving the paperwork, Cooper gave the woman a nervous smile before rubbing his son’s back again and looking at him. “Okay, bub, can you go sit in that chair and be haved for a couple of minutes? It’s boring grown up stuff.” The boy nodded before his father set him down on the ground; it wasn’t long before Cooper Jr. tugged on his father’s shorts. “Candy Cwush?” J.J. was smiling, excited whenever he was able to play on his dad’s phone, like a big boy. Cooper grinned back at him, before handing him the phone and patting his butt to scoot him along in the right direction. “Go get Daddy a new high score, bubba.” With a soft grin, he watched on for a moment to make sure his son got to the chairs okay, ever the attentive parent. Once sure that he was okay and into the game, he turned back towards the table, bending over to fill out the form.

“You, um… you look familiar. I didn’t get your name, miss.” There it was. There was Cooper’s game. Well, sort of. He was rusty, though it was second nature to him. Manners were always the way to go though: calling a girl “miss” usually surprised girls in Los Angeles, though they found his Midwestern charm cute. Girls like this, however, were probably used to it in some capacity, though she looked like she had a tender heart. The woman seemed so innocent, but in a good way. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear was adorable, though the old Cooper would have gone ahead and done that for her, making eyes with her while cooing how beautiful she looked. Now he felt like a shell of the guy he used to be. Though the old Cooper was abrasive at times, at least he was more confident and sure of himself. Caroline’s death had turned his world upside down. But… for the first time he noticed that there wasn’t a ring on his finger. Maybe she would try to flirt with him and he would have a little nudging to get back in the game. Maybe it was better to not try to play footsie with a woman who worked at the daycare J.J. would be at. Regardless, filling out paperwork as difficult to do when all he wanted to do was try to talk to her. She was way too attractive to be living in Lima. This mystery woman was already fascinating him.

Frannie watched as the boy scampered away to the chairs lining the wall not to far from where they were before turning her attention back to Cooper. As he started to fill out the form, which had the standard name; address; emergency contact information; etc on it, she cocked an eyebrow at his statement. ‘You look familiar.’ It was a simple statement and yet one she found so surprising; in high school, she was absolutely considered to be a nerd. People like him didn’t talk to nerds like her, and vice versa. “It’s um,” she started, her voice soft before she cleared her throat. “It’s Frannie. Frannie Fabray. We were in glee club together back in high school.” She knew that the name would either bring up mental images of her ‘nerd’ self (including braces, glasses, and the inhaler she needed for gym class), or it wouldn’t bring up anything but confusion.

She pursed her lips after she told him her name, her eyes falling to the paper under his hands. He was nearly completed with it, and she wanted him to be done with it fast. The fact he was mere inches away from her, the guy she had a crush on the majority of high school, was nerve-racking. Granted she didn’t feel that way towards him anymore, she would always remember the days when he would walk passed her in school, even when she spent all morning trying to make her hair just right, or her make up nice, or wearing nicer clothes than usual. She remembered the times she tried so hard to impress him or gain the courage to talk to him after glee club practices, only to get interrupted or too scared to do so. Cooper had been her dream that she’d never reach.

Cooper stopped writing immediately upon hearing her answer: he did know her. It was all coming back to him now. The braces, the glasses, and the little moments they had in the glee club. There weren't many, but he definitely remembered her now that he was thinking about it. "Frannie Fabray... I totes remember you." He flashed her a genuine smile, making eyes with her for a brief moment before looking back down at the paper. "Frannie... what's that short for?" Cooper was finishing up the paperwork considering how it was relatively simple. It was a relief considering how he didn't want to be stuck all day at a daycare center, but also somewhat of a shame at the same time. Usually seeing people from high school made him smile considering how they were going grey or bald by that point, or at least Cooper convinced himself they were, but Frannie was a whole different story. No, Frannie was definitely a girl he was glad he hadn't been mean to considering how beautiful she was. He always had a theory that girls went from being a four to at least a seven on his rating scale after getting their braces off. She was a ten. Once he had signed his name at the bottom, much neater than he usually signed autographs, he glanced back up with her, attempting his flirty eyes he had perfected before the accident. He was rusty, but even Cooper rusty was smoother than most guys. If Cooper was mediocre at everything else, he was good at flirting. Well, that and being a father. Hopefully he hadn’t lost his touch.

Frannie smiled slightly when he told her that he remembered her. In all honesty, besides in roll call during certain classes, she was almost positive that Cooper Anderson wouldn’t have known who she was. “It’s short for Judith,” she replied, before looking up and seeing his somewhat blank expression. “...I, um. My full name is Judith Francesca Fabray. I was... named after my mom.” She shrugged slightly, putting her hands in her pockets as to stop them from fidgeting nervously. “I typically go by Frannie or Francesca.” Once he finished with the paper work, she took the paper and pen from him, making sure their fingers didn’t touch. She wasn’t ready for that. Even the simplest of touches tended to make her jump, and she didn’t want to scare him. She looked it over and, after making sure everything was in order and all the information looked sound, she put the file into a cabinet behind her, under the ‘A’s. “It’s going to be a deposit of 50 dollars to hold his spot, and then you’ll have to pay the normal fee at the end of each week....” Frannie cleared her throat once more, nervously running her fingers through her blonde-brown hair as she pushed it away from her face. Grabbing a couple more forms from the file cabinet, she stapled them all together along with a business card before handing them to him. “These forms need to be filled out by JJ’s first day. They’re really simple, just, um... pick up authorization forms, health care forms, and medical consent forms. If you have any questions, feel free to call the number here on the card.” She looked up at him and flashed him a smile.

Cooper: By the time she finished talking, he was nodding in coherence before getting the chance to speak himself. "Oh.” Cooper was relieved. Despite the moderate level of fame, Cooper was sensitive about his intelligence: rarely did he ever feel like he wasn’t the dumbest person in any given room. Cooper strived to seem more intelligence, though his plethora of made up words and sometimes-limited vernacular handicapped him in a sense. So far he hadn’t made a fool out of himself in front of Frannie though: that was always a good sign. “I was kind of freaking out that I just got dumber over night." He chuckled nervously, somewhat serious in his statement, though he hoped the statement didn’t appear to be that way. "Uh… Well, Francesca's pretty. I'm gonna call you that. It kind of matches you a lot." Cooper gave her a shy smile before taking the paperwork out of her hand, admiring her smile. "Look, um… I don't really wanna talk to anyone else here since the other chick sounded kind of grouchy, so, uh…” The man reached into his back pocket to grab his wallet, pulling out a business card. “Here's my card and just… call or text or something if there's an issue or there's anything I should know… or if you just wanna talk. It's good to see you again, Francesca.” He resisted the urge to wink, not wanting to come off as creepy as he continued to make eyes with her, happy that there was at least one good thing in Lima to look forward to, or so he hoped.