"What's that?"
"I love him."
Florence "Flo" Carter took one last sip from her chocolate malt before setting it aside and turning to her friend, Joanne. "Love him? Joanne, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Roy."
"Roy DeSoto? Oh Joanne, No!" Flo clutched her hair in despair. "What on earth brought that trouble maker up?"
"I can't help it, Flo." Joanne slowly stirred her strawberry shake with her straw, daydreaming all the time about Roy, the boy she just now realized she was in love with.
"Joanne! Yoo hoo!" Flo waved a perfectly manicured hand in front of her friend's face.
"Oh Flo, stop it! I'm serious. Dead serious." She turned to Flo. "Know how you feel about Jimmy?"
"Jimmy isn't a trouble maker!"
"Neither is Roy!" Joanne shot back, defensively. "Flo, I've known him since the third grade!"
Flo rolled her eyes. "Have you forgotten he used to pull you pigtails and call you funny names?"
"Oh, but primary school was so long ago..." Joanne hung her head and looked down at the counter, defenselessly. "Please, Flo. I need help here. How do I get him to ask me out?" She looked to her friend.
"How should I know! Oh Joanne, let's forget this whole thing! It's silly!" Flo slurped the rest of her malt from her glass.
"Florence, that's just it. I can't forget, no matter how hard I try! Please?" She begged. "Oh please, Flo! You've gotta at least give him a chance!"
"Okay Joanne, you win."
A broad smile quickly spread across Joanne's pretty face. "You mean it?"
"Yes. I'll ask Jimmy for advice. He sort of knows Roy."
"Oh Flo!" Joanne threw her arms around her best friend. "I knew you'd understand!"
"Sure thing, Dolly. Just be careful, please? Promise me you'll be careful."
"Well, cross my heart and hope to die!" Joanne jumped up from the red-and-chrome barstool, not even bothering to finish her shake.
"Okay. Well, I'll ask Jimmy Monday." She stood as well. "Take it easy, would you? These things take time."
"I can't thank you enough!" Joanne gushed. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, Joanne. Don't think about him too much. It ruins the whole thing. At least that's what Jimmy says."
"I won't." Joanne promised. But still, all the way home, she couldn't help but to think about Roy.