Nosiness and Comfort

Jill and Kelly were reclining on the couch. Jill was restless and fidgety. She occasionally grumbled and sighed, muttering statements under her breath. She had gotten up and started pacing two times already, and would probably do it a third time if she didn't get answers to the questions spinning in her head.

I hate this. What we should be doing is having a conversation with Sabrina. I really would like to know her side of the story again. I would also really like to know about her. She never talks about anything from her past except Bill and the Police Academy, or getting her degrees in college. How can one person be so brash and outgoing, yet so unnoticeably introverted?

Jill shot straight up and let out loose with a string of curses, finally snapping. Kelly looked at her blonde, usually fun-loving friend with wide eyes.

"Jill, you okay?"

Jill sighed and leaned her head against Kelly's shoulders, yawning and stretching her back like a cat. She gave Kelly a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah, Kel, just tired of all this."

Kelly narrowed her eyes and looked at Jill, analyzing her behavior with sharp green eyes.

"That's not all that's bothering you, Jill. C'mon, sweetie, talk to me. What's on your mind? Is it Sabrina?"

Jill looked at Kelly with an inquisitive expression on her face, one that she rarely ever showed. How in the world do you do that, kiddo?

"Yeah. She just- I'm so worried about her. She always puts on this front, y'know? This-this mental guard that she has." Jill waved her hands in the air. "It just bothers me that we can't get to her. Have you noticed that she never talks about her past?"

Kelly was shocked at Jill suddenly losing her composure like this. She regained her calm, understanding look and nodded to let Jill know that she understood what she was saying.

"I get that she puts up a front, Jill. I see it too. But Sabrina does talk about her past. She talks about Bill all the time."

Jill sighed and looked at Kelly, wondering how her usually sharp friend didn't notice Sabrina's secretive nature.

"Kelly, you and I both know that Sabrina likes to talk. She's very brash and outgoing, and she'll stand up to protect herself in a second. But don't you notice how she never lets us take the bullet? She's so hard on herself." Jill blew out a long breath that she had been holding in. "Don't you notice how she never talks about before she and Bill got together? Before the police academy?"

Kelly stared at Jill. "You're right. Why, I've never even thought about that before! How come she doesn't talk about before the police academy?"

Jill nodded; glad that Kelly finally understood where she was coming from.

"See? She's brash, she's outgoing, and she puts up a front: but the question is, where does the need to put up that front come from?"

Kelly had been patient with Jill this whole time, but now she decided that she should stop Jill before she got too nosy. Kelly, too, had a past; she knew what it was like to have to wear a mask to hide your true emotions. There were some terrors of her past, some secrets so horrible, that she had not yet told her friends about, and did not plan on doing so. She would have to face them herself, in the times she occasionally spent tossing and turning in her bed, crying out for someone to come and take the monsters away. She had learned to fight most of her ghosts off because of the long conversations with her friends. Her family. The only real family she ever had. But no matter how hard you try, some nightmares just won't go away.

"Jill, listen. I know that Sabrina may be strangely evasive at times. I know that she always talks about Bill whenever the subject of her past comes up. But don't you think that there is a reason for doing so? Don't you think that we should just let her be?"

Kelly's voice was rising unintentionally.

Jill suddenly felt extremely guilty for being so nosy about Bri's past. And she had gone and upset Kelly, adding to her misery.

"I'm sorry, Kel. I didn't mean to upset you at all. I was curious towards Sabrina's story, that's all. I feel so lousy. I never had such a hard time myself growing up. I guess I misunderstood the need for a mental guard sometimes. You're right, we-I-should let this go."

Kelly sighed.

"I didn't mean to raise my voice, Jill. Don't kick yourself. It's just that I know exactly what having to hide from past demons is like. I don't know about Bri, but she'll probably tell us when the time is right. As you said before, she likes to talk." She gave Jill a gentle, reassuring smile.

Jill smiled back, knowing that she had been forgiven. They didn't say anything for a while, just sat in silence, enjoying the peace for once.

The doorbell rang, a rude interruption to the silence. Jill, never one for staying still too long, jumped up and bolted for the door, managing to slip on the carpet and land flat on her back. Kelly burst out laughing at her friend's comical behavior, and then got up in a much more stately manner, walking past Jill to greet whoever was at the door. It creaked open to reveal Kris, a worried look on her face that did not at all suit her.

Jill jumped up from her sprawled position on the floor and pounced on the smaller blonde, pulling her into a bear hug.

"Um, Jill, you can get off of me now." Kris's muffled voice came from being held against her big sister like she was a teddy bear.

"I refuse to oblige to this preposterous proposal." Jill responded, a look of haughtiness forming on her features.

"Uh, Jill, seriously. Get off of me. Ouch."

Jill quickly let Kris go, turning her around so that she could have a better look at her.

"What's up, li'l sis?"

Kris exhaled and kissed Kelly lightly on the cheek before falling into the couch, sighing softly as the pillows enveloped her. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, breathing softly.

"Mmmmm, she has a very comfy couch. I approve."

Jill looked at her sister in confusion. "Kris." She tried again. "What's up?"

Kris opened her eyes, realizing that she was still in the world. "Oh. Sorry. I just wanted to swing by and check on Bri. Is she okay? I heard what happened from Charlie yesterday." The concerned look appeared on her face once again.

Kelly smiled. "She's asleep. Out like a rock."

Jill nodded vigorously. "Won't be woken up by anything. Kelly put on the blender just a few minutes ago for coffee, and she slept right through it. She's like me when I'm asleep!"

"No one sleeps like you do, Jill." Sabrina stood in the doorway, smiling softly.

Kris looked up and grinned. "Hiya Bri! How are you doing?"

"Oh, much better. Actually, I just woke up because of all the racket you two were making." She narrowed her eyes at Jill and Kelly, who looked down guiltily.'

Bri grinned. "I'm just kidding, don't feel bad."

"Something must have woken you up." Kris said.

Bri shrugged and sniffed the air. "I smelled coffee." She sniffed again, and her expression changed to an impossible cross of joy and disgust. "And something burning. What's Kelly cooking?"

Jill laughed, and Kelly hung her head in shame.

"I tried to teach her, Bri, but to no avail. She just couldn't get the rhythm of it. So I handed her some leftover lasagna you had in the fridge, and she heated it up, but she kinda left it alone for too long and, well…

"No more lasagna?"

"Basically. Unless you like it charcoal?"

Sabrina grinned. "Uh, no thanks."