When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

I knocked on the door awkwardly. I didn't have my own key because my mom didn't trust me 'with that kind of power'. There was a weird tension between Mikey and I. There is always weird tension at my house. My mother is evil.

I heard footsteps approach the front door. The tumblers moved and in one second my mom's angry face 'greeted' us.

"Hello," she told me coldly. Then she saw Mikey and her face brightened up, fake-smile and all. "Why, hello, Michael!"

"Hi, Ms. Briggs," Mikey said. I bit my lip in an attempt not to laugh. She hates being called that. Her evil-fake smile faded into and evil-real frown.

"Call me Deloris," she said through her teeth.

"Let's go, Mikey," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him passed my mom. My mission: avoid evil dictator, make it to and up the stairs, and get to room.

"Layla, honey." The Dictator ruins mission in progress.

"Yes mom?" I said, turning around to glare at her. I let go of Mikey's hand as a sign that he should go up stairs. But he stood his ground.

"How was school?" The sweetness in my mom's voice yelled 'I hope you had a bad day'. I'd have to give her the satisfaction so that she wouldn't make my day any worse....

Yeah, she's that bad.

"Bad," I stated, folding my arms in front of me. "My boyfriend called me a whore and broke up with me."

I could tell she was trying not to smile.

"Too bad, honey," she said in a fake-caring tone. "You staying for dinner, Michael?"

I looked at Mikey, hopefully. He simply shrugged and grabbed my hand, making my mission possible again.

Once we got to my room, we threw our book bags aside and I fell on my bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mikey asked. I looked up at him.

"Talk about what?" I asked, a little too harshly.

"You know...Rodney or your mom...or Frank."

I stood up, so intimidatingly close to Mikey there was no space in between our bodies. "What about Frank?"

I was making Mikey nervous. I didn't feel one bit guilty.

"Y-you like him...right?" he asked.

"Let's just do our homework." I took my books out of my book bag and started trying to figure out when the hell they put exclamation points in math. Mikey mimicked me.

But I couldn't take it. Is it that obvious I 'like' Frank? Crushing on people is so...middle school. Is Rodney even worth this empty feeling I'm having? Yes, my mom is a witch. It felt suddenly like the four walls of my small room were collapsing around me. And I was crying and I didn't even notice until Mikey whispered, "Come here." He pushed all our books to the floor and I fell into him. Crying into his chest like a baby. I stopped eventually. But Mikey's hand going up and down my back did not have the same affect as Frank's.

"What is this?"

That voice...that annoying voice...

I look up and there's Kelsey, her arms folded and an eyebrow raised. Next to her is Bob, gaping at us. And next to him was...well, you're smart enough to guess.

"What happened to Remi?" I asked Frank, pulling away from Mikey's warm embrace. He stopped gaping long enough to answer my question. Or attempt to, anyway. Kelsey interrupted.

"Her parents kicked him out!" she said excitedly. Mikey and I burst out laughing.

"So what the hell were you two just doing?" Bob asked.

"Oh, we were about to fuck, moron," I said sarcastically. "Why the hell did my mom let you in anyway?"

"She's a basket case," Kelsey said.

"True," Mikey said. I elbowed him.

Frank was gaping at me again. But he smiled again, somewhat nervously, and said, "Always use a condom."

Bob and Kelsey laughed like the cute idiots they are. Mikey 'dramatically' fell off of my bed. And me? I made a mental note. I just thought, I'll keep that in mind, pretty boy. I will keep that in mind....