Smiles Echo In My Memory

Charley laid him on the bed, feeling Franks’ wrists.
“There’s a strong pulse. He’ll be fine… I think he just passed out, Sazzy. I don’t know about the blood…” he mumbled, looking over at me. I was still sat on the side of the bed; Frank’s sleeping form and Charley behind me. I nodded, looking down at my all-black converse. I felt a pair of thin arms wrap around me again from behind, slithering around my neck. I placed a hand on Charley’s elbow, sighing. He wiped away the stray tears, and got up off the bed.
“I’m going to get the first aid kit, okay?” I nodded in reply, looking down at the carpet.
Sydney rushed in, out of breath and slightly pink in the face. She looked over at me, panting slightly.
“Katie didn’t finish her story,” she said bluntly, coming over to me and crouching down to my eye level.
“I don’t really need to know the rest, do I? Jake drugged Frank,” I replied in a whisper, looking into her eyes.
“You’d want to know…”
“Then tell me.”
She took a deep, shaky breath, standing up and sitting down next to me, after glancing over at Frank with eyes of worry.
“You’d hate Jake even more,” she said, looking at her folded hands in her lap. A wave surged through my body. I wanted to know badly now that she said that. She probably noticed, because she smiled. Her face soon turned serious, and her eyes locked themselves back onto her hands.
“Jake tried to get Katie and Frank to make-out.”
My head started to pound. I had this image of Frank and Katie pushed up against the wall of the living room, glued at the lips. I shuddered, my eyes watering.
“Sazzy…?” Syd called, shaking my shoulder slightly. I blinked a few times, shaking my head to concentrate properly. I’d lost all track of time, and I was so tired. All the worry, alcohol and partying didn’t really help, either. A sudden realization hit me.

“Because… Jake, he… he tried to make Frank…” she trailed off, mumbling to herself.

“Oh my god…” Sydney muttered. She had obviously just remembered what I did. Our eyes met, and she sighed.
“It didn’t work. Nothing happened. Frank really likes you, and won’t cheat on you. Even if he is drunk,” she said, smiling. I grinned back at her my heart swelling just that tad bit more.
Charley walked in with the small green first aid box, rubbing his eyes. He sighed, climbing over the bed and next to Frank, opening the box.
“…Charley? Do you want me to do it?” I whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. This is probably just as hard for him as it is me. Frank and Jake were his best friends, and losing one of them over the other is no doubt distressing.
He shook his head vigorously, rubbing at his eyes again.
“Charley…? Charley, look at me,” I said, just as I heard the door shut quietly as Sydney left us alone. His body started to shake softly, his shoulders shuddering with each quiet sob. I wrapped my arms around his back, feeling his hands rest on my lower arms. We stayed like that for a while, until he sighed about five minutes later, brushing away his tears. He turned his head to face me, and pecked me on the forehead, then the cheek. He lingered in front of my face, staring at me straight in the eyes. I blinked, looking away and sitting myself next to him.
“Where’s Jake?” I asked, trying to break away at the awkwardness that had formed in the atmosphere.
“I dunno. I think I broke his nose…” he stated simply, starting to mop at the dried blood plastered over Franks’ face. I couldn’t watch him do that, so I looked away at Pansy while he did it.
“You think…?”
“Yeah. You know what I’m like. I think I battered him a lot, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in hospital tomorrow,” he stated. I could hear the smirk in his voice.
I probably knew that Jake would be in hospital tomorrow. Charley wasn’t one to exaggerate, and I of all people knew that. In the times when we dated, he would always be over-protective, and because of that, I saw that he never exaggerated. When he said “I’ll brake your leg,” he would brake the kid’s leg. Not that he ever did, though.
“I’m done, now… Shall we change him?” I heard Charley ask. I turned back around, giving him a look.
“You mean his clothes…?”
“Well, yeah. They’re really dirty…” I looked over at Frank, who now had a clean face and neck. He just looked like he was sleeping now. Charley was right; his clothes were covered in mud and dirt. I’m actually surprised I didn’t notice before. Although, I was a little pre-occupied with the whole ‘Frank got drugged’ thing.
I nodded in agreement, throwing a pair of white shorts and a plain green t-shirt at Charley.
---
We laid Frank back down in his previous comfortable position, and he starting moving a little. Charley didn’t realize, I’m guessing.
“Charley! Frank’s hand!” I whispered urgently, pointing over at Frank’s right hand. I rushed over, sitting on the bed next to him carefully, and taking a hold of Frank’s hand, lacing it with mine.