What My Mother Forgot

Killer Queens

Kylynn, Shayla, and I started to drift.

Shayla was still dating Andrew, but I was dating his brother Matt.

And while Matt's mom loved me, she hated Shayla.

So Shayla and Andrew couldn't hang out unless it was at my house. 

But like I said, we weren't really friends so much as frenemies. 

We hung out because our boyfriends were brothers.

This particular day, as she had many times before, Shayla asked to come over with Andrew after school.

"Will Kylynn be there?" I asked.

Earlier in the day she'd told me they were hanging out, but I wasn't invited.

"Yes." She said. 

So I told her no. It was already awkward just hanging out with the two of them, but by this point I'd really started to dislike Kylynn.

She seemed annoyed, but I felt kind of good for saying no.

That afternoon, not too long after I got home from school, the phone rang. 

When I picked it up, and a robotic voice said it was a collect call.

I couldn't accept it, my mother would kill me, but I listened to see who it was.

"Are you scared of the dark?" Kylynn whispered.

I hung up, and I went back to watching T.V.

Then the doorbell rang, and someone was banging on the door.

Ever since the almost break-in I'd been pretty nervous about being home by myself. And I always made sure I locked the door.

 I peeked out the curtains; Kylynn and Shayla were standing on my porch.

I debated ignoring them, but I also worried that if I did they would break a window or something and I'd get into real trouble.

When I opened the door I made sure to stand in the door way because I didn't want them to come inside.

"What do you want?" I tried to sound annoyed, but I was already a little scared.

Kylynn slapped the door out of my hand and together Shayla and her pushed their way inside.

"Get out." I said.

Kylynn just laughed, "Were you scared."

I tried to seem tough. "No. I knew it was you."

Then they shared a look.

"You ready?" Kylynn asked Shayla.

"Get her." Was Shayla's answer.

 Kylynn grabbed my shoulders, but I kicked at her. 

She moved in grabbing my shoulders while Shayla grabbed my legs.

They tipped me over the back of my mother's white couch and Kylynn pinned me down.

"Now are you scared."

I made myself laugh. "No."

Shayla went into the kitchen, and I heard a drawer open.

My parents didn't keep knives in a butcher block on the counter like everyone else, their's were hidden in a drawer in the island.

Shayla spent the night at my house plenty of times.

And she'd witnessed my little brother and I fight.

When we were mad we'd race to the kitchen and open up the knife drawer. Neither of us ever took them out, but we'd open the drawer and shake it to scare each other.

She'd probably seen this happen about a million times.

Shayla came back holding a large butcher knife, and she pressed it to my throat.

"Are you scared now?" She asked.

Now it started to sink in. They weren't joking.

I started to sob, "Please let me go."

Shayla pulled the knife away, and Kylynn let me go. 

I ran for the phone, and they chased me. 

I started to dial 911.

"What are you doing?" Kylynn asked.

"I'm calling the police!"

Kylynn and Shayla glanced at each other and started laughing. 

"Why? It was just a joke. You should have seen your face."