When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

So I explained it all to her. How much I liked Frank, how much it hurt me to see him hurt because of Remi, how scared I was that something bad would happen. And Kelsey just nodded whenever it was necessary, listening intently with one hand holding on to the remote. When I was done, she stayed silent.

"Well?" I asked her.

"I think you're stupid," Kelsey said. I just about died.

"What?"

"You're being paranoid. You can't let a few bad relationships ruin you like that, woman! Frank is so perfect for you! He really loves you, Layla. He wouldn't hurt you."

"But what if-"

"No. You can't live life asking yourself 'what if'. You'll never know 'what if' if you don't just go for it. Go for it, Layla."

I shook my head. I was too scared.

"Fine," Kelsey said. "Now, let's see four weird boys find a dead body."

She pressed play on the remote and didn't mention Frank again.

I heard voices. Hushed voices. Female voices.

"So, she admitted to liking Frank?"

"Yeah. But she's scared something bad will happen."

"I wouldn't scold her for it, though. I haven't known her long but I know she's been through a lot."

I opened my eyes, yawning. I must've fallen asleep on the couch. I looked up and saw Sarah and Kelsey whispering to each other.

"Sarah?" I said groggily. "What're you doing here?"

They both looked at me, shocked and almost nervous.

"Good morning, Layla darling!" Kelsey said. "I, uh, told her to come over so that we can go to the mall together. Just the three of us. Us girls."

I let it slide that they had been talking about me and Frank.

I yawned again. "To the mall."

Sarah, Kelsey and I squeezed into a booth at the food court, maybe four hours later, with shopping bags all around us and trays full of food. Kelsey bought everything because she's filthy rich.

"I wouldn't say filthy," she said, taking a bite of my burger.

"You live in a mansion!" I scolded her, smiling. I stole a French fry from Sarah.

"You live in a mansion?" Sarah asked, taking off some crust from Kelsey's pizza.

"No!" Kelsey said defensively. "It's just a really big house!"

"Is that Kelsey's obnoxious voice I hear?"

The three of us looked in the direction of the voice. Sarah and I laughed. It was Bob, of course.

"Is that Bob's obnoxious voice I hear?" Kelsey retorted. Bob ran up to us and kissed Kelsey on the cheek.

"It figures you three would be here," Bob said, squeezing in next to his girlfriend. "Three girls, one mall, one Saturday afternoon. Nothing weird there."

"Are the other guys here?" Sarah asked.

"Yup. Ray, Frank, Gerard and Mikey. Somewhere upstairs. I'll call them to join us, if us boys aren't too much of a bother."

Sarah and Kelsey looked at me. I knew what they were thinking.

Frank...

Kelsey smirked. "Of course not. No bother at all."

I kicked her under the table.

"Yo, Gerard," Bob said into his cell phone a few seconds later, stealing a fry from Sarah's tray. "Yeah, guess who I found! Sarah, Kelsey and Layla... Down in the food court...alright, bye."

"Bob?" I said angrily as he ate my burger. He looked at me. "Stop eating my food and go get your own!"

Kelsey and Sarah laughed. Bob nodded, taking one last bite of my burger before joining one of the long lines in the food court. I sighed. Kelsey and Sarah stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"What are you going to say to Frank?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Even if I did say anything, it doesn't matter because he's still hung up on Remi! Okay? So leave me the fuck alone about it!"

Sarah nodded nervously. Kelsey cocked an eyebrow.

They weren't going to leave me alone about it. I just knew it.