When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

"Layla?"

I looked up at Frank. I felt devastated.

"Please talk to me," he whispered. I shrugged. Which isn't really responding to that, is it?

"Please forgive me?"

Forgive you? Forgive you for what? Giving me the best kiss of my life? Making me feel like a piece of crap? Oh, yes. You are forgiven.

Of course I didn't say that, though. I just gave him a small smile, hoping that he'd realize that I have feelings for him, and maybe realize he has feelings for me, or at least realize I was in fact miserable and there was nothing to "forgive". But instead he let out a sigh of relief.

"C-can you not tell anyone?" Frank whispered. "Especially not Remi?"

Remi...

Frank looked so hopeful. He looked almost like his life depended on this one decision I made.

"I won't tell a soul," I told him. My voice was hoarse. But he smiled.

He was too preoccupied with his bitch of a girlfriend to give a damn about my feelings.

"I know you're mad," Frank said. "I said I'm-"

"It's not about the kiss," I said softly. It was, obviously. I just didn't want him to say the S word.

Ever.

Again.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

But I didn't say anything. He sat beside me again, eating French fries, staying quiet. He'd given up way too easily.

You cannot imagine just how awkward it felt. There was a burning hole in my stomach that half made me want to hurt Frank and half made me want to just kiss him again. Who apologizes for these things? He was so hung up on that bitch Remi; he doesn't even care about me.

Walking back to school was even more awkward. Because Frank had nothing to distract himself with and it was a pretty long walk. Once we'd reached the corner where our school was, Frank pulled me aside.

"Tell me what's wrong." Oh, so he does care!

"You," I stated. No point in lying, right?

"D-did...did you...feel something?"

I stared at him as if he were insane.

"No." I said this with about as much sarcasm as I could muster.

"Just tell me!"

"Of course I did, Frank! Kinda hard not too, you fucking ass hole!"

He gaped at me. And then started laughing. That is not the reaction I was looking for.

"Then why are you mad?" Frank said, smiling. Something about that smile seemed forced.

"Because you're too busy worrying about you're bitchy little girlfriend to ask me how I feel."

Frank sighed. "But we're just friends, right? We always have been, always will be. It'll all blow over, right?"

He stared at me hopefully. What was I supposed to do? Admit my love to him and risk ruining the great friendship we have?

Wait. Did I say love?

"Sure." This was me on autopilot. I gave him a fake smile that he, again, fell for. While I rattled my brain, wondering: How'd I say love?

He gave me a cheap half hug and said, "I'm so damn hot."

I shoved him away playfully. "About as hot as the north pole!"

"No, more like Ray's hair!"

"No, more like an ice cube!"

He started chasing me. And we were back to normal. Just friends. The closest friends, the goofiest friends, the greatest friends. Except that that burning feeling in my stomach wouldn't go away.

Especially not when we saw that Ray and his girlfriend Sarah were waiting for us outside the gate.

"'Sup, Ray dude?" Frank said as we approached them. Ray looked worried and Sarah looked up at us, horrified.

"I'm sorry," she said. God, I was getting tired of that word.

"For what?" I asked nervously.

"It's the first time this mission has failed," Ray said. What mission?

"Free the Freshmen?" Frank asked. Sarah nodded.

"Someone told," Ray said.

"Who?" I asked, knowing that I was in for the worst. The most shocking thing to hear was what next came out of Sarah's mouth. The tattler was,

"Some freshman named Remi."