When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

"Good night, bitches!"

This from Kelsey.

"Good night, loves!"

This from Sarah.

"What? Are you kidding? I'm not tired!"

This from me.

We'd watched random movies and pigged out on whatever the hell Kelsey had in her fridge (this means a lot of food, mind you). It was just passed midnight. We'd had our bodies lying along the couch with thin blankets hugging us, talking in useless conversation for a good while after getting bored of watching the TV. And now these idiots decide they're tired.

"Fine, okay, good, let's talk," says Kelsey, sitting up and looking between Sarah and I. We followed in her example, letting the blankets roll down our bodies carelessly.

"About what?" I asked, yawning, getting caught in my own lie. Of course I was tired. My back still lightly ached from when I had fallen. My eyes were helplessly droopy. My lungs were begging for rest after having talked to Frank, being that it was growing difficult to breathe around him. In a good way, though... Is there a good way?

"Anything," Sarah said.

"How 'bout Frank and Layla?" Kelsey offered, smirking at me as my stomach turned. Sarah laughed and I held my face in my hands.

"Don't do that to her, Kels," Sarah said.

"Fine. Let's talk about some other couple," Kelsey said, agreeing a little bit to fast for my comfort. "Let's talk about...you and Ray, for instance."

"No, let's talk about you and Bob!" My eyes glowed at my own idea. "We rarely get to talk about you and Bob."

"I love you, Layla," Sarah said, grinning.

"I hate you, Layla," Kelsey groaned.

"So, when was the first time you did it?" I asked her, watching her eyes grow wide. It felt good to be myself again. Sarah laughs hysterically. I only hoped Kelsey got my point.

"Okay...fine. I'll...stop butting into your goddamn business," Kelsey said with a sigh, letting her head fall back on the couch. I smiled in satisfaction.

"Thank you for hearing us out," I stated officially. I winked at Sarah and she giggled. "Your cooperation is greatly appreciated."

"Just shut up and go to sleep."

Sarah put her hand in the air in a high-five gesture, but considering I was at the other side of the room all I could do was make the same gesture.

"Air five!" she declared. I laughed and leaned back, ready for a well-deserved sleep...

...My shoulders shook slightly as I started crying again. Frank's hands went around my waist from behind...comfortingly. I felt his bare upper body press gently against mine. I felt his arms wrap around my narrow waist completely, his warm hands resting on my sides. It felt good. We stayed like this, my body's warmth going into his, his body's warmth coming into mine... He held me until I stopped crying. He kissed me on the cheek and held me a bit tighter, his hot breath falling over my neck. I shuddered slightly as his moist lips touched my bare neck, the cold from his lip ring taking me aback. He leaned down and kissed my upper back ever so lightly...

I sat up; my body forced from its sleep by an unidentified sound, my eyes helplessly shot open. It was almost as if I could feel Frank's arms around me still, his bare chest against the bare skin of my back. I could hear his voice calming me.

I looked around hastily only to find Ray slowly making it into the living room. The sun glared at me through the window, informing me that it was morning. Ray let out a sigh of almost relief when he saw it had been me that he had awoken. I looked around the room to find that Kelsey was gone but Sarah was still lying there, sound asleep.

"Sorry for waking you," Ray said softly as he approached me, one of his hands hiding something behind his back. I curiously looked at his arm as he leaned down and wrapped the other arm around me in a half-hug.

"Why are you here?" I asked him. I figured the obvious and glance at Sarah. But he gave me a huge grin and brought out what he had behind him.

A...picnic...basket?

"I came to give you this but I'm staying to see my girl," he said softly, looking over at Sarah longingly. I helplessly held a half-amused, half-confused expression.

"What's in it?" I asked, eagerly looking at it all over from where I could. I mean...there was nothing special about it. It was just a picnic basket made out of straw.

"I haven't the slightest clue," he said with a shrug. I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"I don't get it," I said with a sigh. He chuckled lightly and stood up straight, reaching a hand into his pocket. He took out a folded piece of torn-out notebook paper and passed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked him, staring at the paper in my hands.

"It's a note," he said matter-of-factly. "From Frank."