The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

Tying my hair into a loose bun as I walked, my feet landed on the bottom step of the stairs and I could now hear my friends from where I was standing. I followed their close voices into the living room, my first sight being a beaming Frank, lying on a sleeping bag on the shag carpeted floor.

My eyes then wandered to the dark green couch Frank was lying in front of, seeing something I wasn't expecting to.

Mikey was sitting on the couch that he had previously called 'dibs' on, only he had his arm wrapped around a grinning Dahlia's waist.

"See, I told you guys. Something's wrong with her," I heard Frank's purposely loud whisper to the others. "This is like, the second time tonight she's just completely stopped walking and zoned out."

I shot him a playful glare before shuffling my lime green sock covered feet towards the sleeping bag laid out next to Frank's and sitting cross-legged on it.

"Sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind," I shrugged, honestly having no clue what the reasons were for my sudden 'space outs'.

"Whatever. Let's watch a movie now!" Dahlia said childishly, leaning her head on Mikey's shoulder comfortably.

"Eew! If you two are gonna have sex on my couch then. . .we're sleeping over here!" Frank exclaimed, abruptly rising to his feet so he could grip the bottoms of both sleeping bags and pull them to the other side of the room, not bothering to wait for me to stand up, resulting in me falling backwards and hitting my head on the ground.

"Just give me brain damage," I sighed, sitting back up on my blankets.

Dahlia rolled her eyes at how typical Frank's statement was as Mikey shot daggers with his honey eyes to a clueless Frank.

"What movie?" I asked, getting comfortable under the thick, cotton blanket of the sleeping bag as Frank walked towards the television.

"My choice!" Frank said happily as he started looking through a collection of DVD's next to the entertainment center.

I glanced at Mikey and Dahlia for an answer.

"Nightmare Before Christmas," they both replied in monotone as I nodded in understanding.

"Just ruin the surprise," Frank joked, finally returning to his spot next to me.

"I'll get the lights," Mikey sighed in annoyance at his friend who was too busy getting in a comfortable position in his sleeping bag to worry about the lights. "Now I understand why you call him dumbass, Kelly," Mikey smiled at me, rising to his feet so he could walk to the light switch. The room soon enveloped in darkness, the only light coming from the television screen. Dahlia and I laughed as Mikey walked back to his spot on the couch, nearly tripping as he did so.

"Oh, if you guys hear the door open or anything, it's just my mom coming home from work," Frank told us, receiving 'okay's from the three of us.

I turned my head to Frank a couple seconds after he'd said that, seeing that he was laying on his side so he was facing me, instead of the appropriate way so he could see the TV, a sweet smile on his lips.

"Have a good birthday?" I asked softly, turning on my side as well.

"The best," he replied simply, his smile not faltering in the least.

A helpless smile found its way onto my face as I reached my hand out to brush some of Frank's messy black hair from his eyes, only to cause his smile to widen, if that were possible, as we both directed our attention to the screen now playing one of my favorite movies.

A yawn escaped my lips as the credits of the movie began to roll down the screen in, what seemed, a never ending list. I closed my tired eyes, only to have a voice interrupt what could have been a peaceful sleep.

"Look at those two," I heard Frank's close whisper, his voice enough to triple my heart rate.

My eyes immediately shot back open so I could look at Frank, seeing him nodding his head towards the couch. Turning my head, I was met by the sight of two bodies asleep on Frank's couch. Mikey was still sitting up, his neck practically hanging over the back of the couch and his mouth opened slightly, and Dahlia was lying across the sofa, her head resting comfortably in Mikey's lap.

"How much longer do you give them?" Frank asked, his smirking face popping up next to mine as he placed it on my shoulder.

"Three weeks," I guessed, actually hoping they'd get together before that. "What do you think?"

"I give them at least another week," he smiled at the two before connecting his eyes with mine.

"Happy birthday," I said randomly, Frank letting out a light laugh as he rolled back onto his blanket.

"Thank you," he said as another yawn left my lips. "Night, Kelly."

"G'night, Frank."