When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

Linda kicked me out. But before she did, Frank and I were alone in his room together...

"I don't want to get you sick," he'd said softly, with a cough, after I'd attempted to explain everything what was going on inside of me. After that we stayed silent. Breathing rhythmically. Just...in each other's company.

"I need you," I had said quite a few times in an even softer tone, his grip on me tightening because I felt I needed to remind him to make sure he didn't feel pressured and because every time he coughed or sneezed his grip loosened ever so slightly.

Now, in the back of Ray's car with Mikey's arm around my waist, I feel stupid for ever thinking about...doing something stupid.

I laughed as Mikey explained why he was no longer grounded. Despite the fact that he went to Kelsey's without permission on the last day of school, he proved to be more responsible than his eighteen-year-old brother is by not getting home drunk that same night. Gerard was, and I quote Mikey's quote, "Being a very bad example to your little brother!" Now, Gerard can't go anywhere without his brother's supervision because, and I quote again, "He's much more mature than you." At least until they decide it's okay or until college starts because, well, you can't control an eighteen-year-old in New York City.

I laughed again when Ray explained his brother's drunken rant about not drinking before you're twenty-one.

It felt good to laugh.

We rolled up to Kelsey's house. I turned to Mikey and hugged him.

"Thank you," I spoke into his shoulder. I pulled away from him and leaned forward, kissing Ray on the cheek. "Thank you guys, really."

"Oh, shut up, we're always here for you," Ray retorted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. I smacked his arm playfully and stepped out of the car. Ray got out of the driver's seat and went to open the car's trunk where my suitcase was. He pulled it out and placed it on the floor. I pulled up the handle and started walking up the yellow brick road.

Okay. So it wasn't a yellow brick road. More like...a silver marble road.

"Bye, you guys!" I said, waving them off. Mikey leaned out of the backseat's window, waving idiotically at me. Ray honked the horn a few times and they were off.

I walked up to the door, relieved to call this mansion-like place my home. But before I could open it, it was swung open and two bodies came fiercely toward me, in a tangled mess of friendly hug.

"Layla!" Sarah and Kelsey both exclaimed. I laughed.

"Hi, you guys," Isaid choked. "Will you, uh...let me breathe?"

They pulled away from me, beaming.

"Did you guys drink too much coffee?" I asked. M came by, pleasantly smiling as she took my suitcase from me. I smiled back. Sarah and Kelsey wrapped their arms around me and led me into the living room.

"Before you even ask," I began as Sarah and Kelsey sat on either side of me with expectant expressions, "it was horrible. Okay? Nothing happened with Frank so don't even go there."

They sighed and leaned back on the couch. I smiled, relieved and, well, shocked that they let it go that quickly.

"Okay," Kelsey said with a sigh. "Good. Now we go shopping."

"Shopping?" Sarah and I both asked.

"Yeah," Kelsey said matter-of-factly, standing from her seat. "We can't have that party-like thing on July fourth without decorations!"

Sarah and I looked at each other, smiling. As much as I loved Kelsey...she was a bit insane. And shopping with the rich girl got tiring after a while...

"Come on!" she insisted. "Please, pretty please, with a cherry on top? Please?"

Sarah walked through the curtains in a short blue skirt that hugged her in the right way, a "revealing" red top, and an unsure expression. Kelsey and I smiled at each other, than applauded.

"Ray's gonna love you in that skirt!" I said. We'd been at the mall, looking for similar outfits that would celebrate the country's independence, but really we were just goofing off and trying stuff on.

"That's what worries me," Sarah said with a sigh. She turned back around and went back into the dressing room.

"Why would that worry you?" Kelsey said, rolling her eyes and blowing the gum she's been chewing into a bubble. I reached for it and she pulled away, letting it do my job by popping in her face. I laughed.

Who knew it would be so much fun to go to the mall?

"I know what goes on in guys' minds and I'm just not ready for that," Sarah said from the other side of the certain.

"You're an idiot," I told her. Kelsey laughed.

"How?" Sarah said defensively.

"Yes, please, explain to us your hypocrisy," Kelsey stated.

It always comes back to that, doesn't it?