• It's nighttime now. We've just finished dinner, and my mom has put my baby sister Rona to bed. I'm lying lazily on the couch, flipping through the channels, waiting for Lloyd to show up for our “sleep over”. I come past a news channel, the missing man's face plastered in the corner of the screen. I cringe. Mom trots down the stairs, kisses my forehead, and pats the top of my mopy red hair, giggling a bit. I sigh and look up at her, embarrassed, even though nobody else is around.
    “I'm so excited for you, hon, it's been forever since you've had a friend over. I'll try and stay out of the way.” her voice is sweet, bitterly so. She's one of those mother's that coddles and babies you into your old age. It's disgusting. If she had the option, I'm sure she'd still make me wear a bib when I eat. Bleh. I just turn away, shake my head, and reply as I think she would like, hoping it will satisfy her and make her leave.
    “Thanks mom. I love you.” I chuckle under my breath, I sound like such a kiss-a**. My idea pays off, and she smiles brightly, trotting off and humming to herself. I know why she treats me like this, it's a way for her to cope with my father leaving us. She thinks that I'll be her baby forever. She's wrong. Dead wrong.
    Soon after she departs for her room, I hear a knock at the door, and know in an instant that it's Lloyd; who else would it be? I get up to answer it, and before I even get to the door he's knocking again. I guess that he must be eager to get this whole ordeal over with, I don't blame him. I open the door to greet him, but before I can say anything, he let's himself in, pushing past me and tossing his things in the corner. Felicity follows him in. My heart stops. Why did he bring her!? The second I get the chance I grab Lloyd's arm and rip him away from her, to the side.
    “What the hell are you thinking? Why is she here!?” I half whisper, hoping she doesn't hear me, but as close as she is, I'm certain she does.
    Lloyd simply shrugs me off and heads for the kitchen. “Don't worry Sax, it's all cool. Felicity here is gonna help us out a bit, that's all. Don't get so bent out of shape.”
    I tug on his sleeve as he tries to walk away. “What do you mean? Did you tell her all of what I said?”
    He chuckles. “No, actually-”
    “I overheard, on accident. I got curious and I was eavesdropping on your conversation.” Felicity cuts in, stepping forward. “I'm sorry, but I want to help you out. My dad's a cop. If you're right about all this, I want to do what I can to help.” She looks away shyly. I'd never realized it before, but she's pretty shy too. She looks like she thinks I'm going to yell at her.
    I sigh heavily and shake my head. “Alright...if you're really that concerned, you can help us...” My heart's racing. I didn't look her directly in the eye when I talked to her, just nervously away while brushing the back of my neck with my hand. Felicity looks up smiles at me and then turns away.
    “Do you have anything to drink?” and I direct her to the fridge, stocked with soda, tea and juice. She helps herself.
    Once she is out of the room, I catch Lloyd giving me a sly look. I turn to him, returning his look with a curious one, but with a bit of anger too. “What are you looking at?”
    Lloyd punches me playfully in the arm. “You dog, practically drooling over her like that. Now aren't you happy I brought her over here for ya?”
    I punch him back, but a little harder than he hit me. “If she wants to help, I don't see the big deal. Besides, you may have brought her over here, but you can't take credit for her eavesdropping.” But I know in saying this that he'll find a way. That was his nature. So much pride in himself.
    He crossed his arms and snorted. “Look at it this way: despite the situation, the girl you have a crush on is spending the night at your house. Jackpot.” With this last word he laughs hysterically and pats my arm rather than punching it this time. “Try to control your self, lover-boy.”

    Time passes quickly. We sit on the couch, watch TV, and snack on soda and chips until almost midnight. Felicity won't touch the soda or chips though. She has a glass of tea and an apple. She strikes me as someone who's on some kind of diet, or something like a health-nut. But she has no reason to be. She's thinner than I am.
    Lloyd passes out around 11:30. We'll have to wake him up later. This leaves me and Felicity alone, awkwardly sitting on the couch on opposite sides of the sleeping boy, both of us looking away shyly. Finally one of us speaks.
    “So...it's Saxon right?” She takes some of her long flowing hair and brushes it back gently with one hand. “That's a unique name. I'm envious.”
    I don't respond directly. I just nod. Nod, blush a little, and force a handful of chips in my mouth so that I have an excuse not to say anything.
    She smiles softly when I nod and nods back, looking up this time. “Lloyd talks about you a lot. Everybody does. But...I think Lloyd has nicer things to say than everyone else.” She looks back away. “He's a good friend.”
    I hear the admiration in her quiet voice, and my heart sinks. I start to think she has feelings for Lloyd. So what if she does? I don't stand a chance anyway. You know what they say anyway, it's all about confidence, and Lloyd has boat-loads of it. I just nod again in reply. This causes her to chuckle a little bit.
    “Do you ever say anything, Saxon? You're so quiet.” I blush even harder. “Or is that only when you're alone with a girl?” She chuckles some more. She may be shy, but she deffinately has a sense of humor. I like that. It makes me smile a bit.
    She shakes her head. “That's alright...under normal circumstances, I'd be quiet too.” She takes another drink of her tea and looks at the clock. “We'd better get Lloyd up. It's about that time.”