"HEY! WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL, GUYS!"

The three of them turned around just in time to see Maggie charging toward them, hair flying, milkshake in one hand like a weapon of rage, her other dramatically wagging a finger. She looked like a Disney villain who had been personally victimized by brunch.

"We just left you behind!" she barked, doubling over to catch her breath. "I was two seconds away from staging a one-woman uprising!"

Molly winced, guiltily twiddling her fingers. "Oops. Sorry. We got so... wrapped up in our date we kinda... forgot you existed for a second?" she admitted, her words trailing off in a pitiful squeak.

"Suuuure you did," Maggie grumbled, her voice drenched in the flavor of every third-wheeling trauma she'd ever endured. She adjusted her jacket dramatically, like she was preparing to deliver an Oscar-worthy monologue.

"Hey!" Heat cut in cheerfully, clearly trying to rescue this sinking social ship. "Let's all meet at my house this weekend to talk about racing plans!"

Molly and Joey instantly brightened and nodded, the picture-perfect couple from a toothpaste commercial. Meanwhile, Maggie stood there like she had been left out of a group project again, arms folded, face twisted in cautious curiosity and lingering betrayal.

"You're not seriously thinking of joining him, are you?" Maggie asked, incredulous, as she plopped herself dramatically into their usual lunch spot — a picnic table slightly tilted from years of bad decisions.

Between bites of her apple, crunching loud enough to sound threatening, Molly chirped, "What?! Of course! I've always wanted to race! It's, like, my second biggest dream after inventing chocolate that burns calories!"

"Weird dream," Joey mumbled affectionately, ruffling her hair.

"And Joey's on board too, right?" Maggie pressed, squinting like a suspicious grandma.

Molly practically exploded with sparkles. "Absolutely! We're gonna tackle it as a team!"

Joey wrapped his arm around her and added a confident, "Yep!" like he was sealing a blood pact.

Maggie watched this romantic flex happening two inches from her face and made the world's most dramatic gagging sound. "Ugh," she groaned, slumping across the table like a Victorian widow. "I just wish I had someone to share gross couple stuff with. Being single is like... like being the only person at a buffet with no plate."

Molly pouted sympathetically, while Heat very awkwardly patted Maggie's back like you would comfort a wild raccoon.

Then Molly's smile dimmed, her phone lighting up and drawing her attention. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unlocked it.

"What is it?" Maggie asked, suddenly serious, straightening up.

"It's... it's my sister," Molly said quietly, her thumb hovering over the screen.

Joey leaned in immediately, protective instinct kicking in, while Maggie's irritation dissolved into real concern.

"Sam," Molly murmured, voice barely a whisper. "She's still missing. And I miss her so much."

Joey squeezed her shoulder gently. Maggie awkwardly shoved her fries away, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore.

"We all miss her," Maggie said softly, surprising even herself by how tender she sounded. "She's still out there. I know it."

Molly nodded, blinking fast to keep tears at bay, her friends rallying around her like an accidental but very effective support group.

After a beat of heavy silence, Maggie grinned crookedly and elbowed her. "...And when she comes back, you owe me, like, ten milkshakes for emotional damages."

Molly laughed wetly, wiping her eyes. "Deal."

Joey added, "Make it fifteen. I suffered too."

Heat, completely missing the emotional context, blurted, "Can I have a milkshake too?"

They all burst out laughing — messy, tired, healing laughter — right there at the rickety picnic table.

Just as the laughter began to die down, Maggie's phone buzzed against the wood of the picnic table, vibrating so hard it almost launched itself into space. She glanced at the screen and raised an eyebrow.

"Huh. It's Camille. She's inviting me over," Maggie said, her voice somewhere between suspicious and intrigued, like she was being recruited into a secret society.

"You should go!" Molly chirped, nudging her. "We'll catch up later!"

Joey smirked. "Yeah, go have your single adventure without us boring lovebirds."

"Rude," Maggie muttered, but she packed up her stuff anyway, standing and throwing her bag over one shoulder. "Fine. But if I end up in some weird MLM scheme selling skincare to frogs, I'm blaming all of you."

"Have fun storming the castle!" Heat called after her with a grin, waving dramatically.

Maggie flipped them off playfully over her shoulder as she stomped off, already texting Camille back.

Once she was out of sight, a new, quieter atmosphere settled over Molly, Joey, and Heat — the comfortable kind that only came when you knew you were with people who just got you.

Molly beamed, bouncing slightly in place. "This is nice," she sighed, squeezing Joey's hand.

"Yeah," Joey agreed, lacing their fingers together naturally. "It's finally just us."

Heat nodded enthusiastically, hands flying as he signed, "Now we can talk about racing without Miss Grumpyface interrupting every five seconds!"

Molly giggled as she translated for Joey. "Heat says Maggie talks too much."

Joey barked a laugh. "No lies detected."

As they started walking again, the three of them fell into an easy rhythm, chatting about racing dreams, favorite cars, and childhood memories.

Heat told them, in his own vibrant way, about how he used to sneak out as a kid to watch illegal street races, his brown eyes shining with mischief. Even though he couldn't hear the engines, he felt the roar in his chest — the vibrations, the electricity in the air — and that was enough to make him fall in love with it forever.

Molly listened with stars in her eyes, hanging onto every animated gesture. "That's... that's the coolest thing ever," she said, grinning so wide her cheeks hurt.

Joey smiled too, squeezing her hand. "I think we found the perfect team leader."

Heat puffed up with pride like a rooster. "Damn right you did."

They eventually wandered their way to Heat's house — a cozy little place tucked between a bunch of louder, taller buildings. It had a crooked porch swing, a garage that looked like it had serious history, and a mailbox covered in racing stickers.

"Home sweet home," Heat signed with a grin, kicking open the gate with flair.

Molly looked around, feeling a warm excitement blooming in her chest.

"This is it," she whispered, glancing at Joey. "The start of something awesome."

And Joey, still holding her hand, simply smiled and said, "Yeah. Let's make some history."

As they stepped through the front door, a loud bang echoed from the living room. Startled, Molly jumped, her hand shooting up instinctively to shield herself. Joey, ever the protector, instinctively reached out to steady her, but Heat just grinned and signed, "Relax. It's just Derek."

Molly blinked. "Derek?" she repeated, still a little on edge.

"Yeah. My roommate. He's... well, you'll see." Heat grinned, clearly amused by the whole situation.

They walked into the living room, where a tall figure was bent over a cluttered coffee table, surrounded by what could only be described as a chaotic scene of wires, metal parts, and—was that a half-eaten pizza? Heat's roommate, Derek, was perched on the couch with his legs flung over the armrest, deep in concentration as he attached what looked like a mechanical arm to a very confused-looking mannequin.

"Derek!" Heat said, waving his hand in front of him, but Derek didn't notice.

Molly gave Joey a concerned look, but Joey only shrugged, clearly intrigued by the odd scene unfolding.

Finally, Heat had to physically tap Derek's shoulder to get his attention.

"Yo, Derek!" Heat signed with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "You're gonna give our guests whiplash if you keep being so weird."

Derek looked up, his hair sticking up in every direction like a deflated mop. His eyes were a little wild, as though he had been awake for days—or possibly just high on caffeine and weird projects. He grinned sheepishly when he saw the group standing there. "Oh, hey, guys! Welcome to the chaos zone!" He stood up quickly, accidentally knocking over a pile of empty soda cans with his elbow. They clattered to the floor like a small avalanche.

"Sorry about the mess," Derek said, looking around at the wreckage with a shrug. "I'm, uh, working on something. You know, important stuff." He gestured vaguely at the mannequin with the robot arm now attached to it.

Molly blinked. "Uh... what exactly are you making?"

Derek's grin grew wider. "Well, it's a robot butler prototype, but it's going a little... sideways. It might be able to make pizza now, though, so we're making progress!" He reached out and patted the mannequin's robotic arm. "Also, I swear the arm was supposed to hold a tray, but it's just kind of flailing around at the moment."

Joey couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Well, at least it has good intentions."

Heat, still watching his roommate with an amused smile, signed, "At least he keeps busy."

Derek waved it off, totally unbothered. "Busy, chaotic, same thing." He looked over at Molly and Joey. "You two new to the racing scene or just dragged along by Heat's enthusiasm?"

Joey grinned. "A little of both, honestly. Heat's kind of... convincing."

Molly giggled. "Yeah, I'm just here for the thrill! Racing seems like the perfect excuse to get away from my usual routine."

Derek's face lit up. "Oh, that's the spirit! Racing is all about embracing the chaos!" He suddenly grabbed his soda and took a swig, only to have it spill over the side of the can, drenching his shirt. He looked down and shrugged. "Meh, it's fine. I'll wash it later."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been working on this robot butler?"

Derek paused for a moment, scratching his head. "Uh... two weeks? Maybe three? Time flies when you're making a mechanical servant to bring you snacks and rescue you from awkward social situations."

Molly, her curiosity piqued, leaned in closer to the mannequin. "Do you have any idea if it'll ever, like... work?"

Derek grinned, his eyes gleaming with the kind of confidence that only someone who's 75% caffeine and 25% daydreams could possess. "Who needs to know if it'll work? It's all about the journey, you know? Besides, it might take over the world by next week, and I'll be ready."

Heat sighed dramatically, though there was a fondness in his eyes. "And that's why Derek is the one who keeps the pizza and the chaos rolling."

Molly and Joey shared an amused look, both feeling simultaneously entertained and slightly concerned. This was definitely going to be an interesting ride.

Derek winked. "So, are you guys into crazy ideas or just here to judge my genius?"

Joey, grinning, placed his arm around Molly's shoulder. "Definitely here to judge, but we'll give you a chance. Besides, I have to see if your butler can actually make pizza before I'm convinced."

Heat threw his arms up in the air. "See? You're all on my side now."

Derek smirked and pointed at Joey. "Good luck, my dude. You'll need it when you see the mess we call 'teamwork'." He sat back down on the couch, offering them a seat. "Want to test out the robot arm? It's, like, 50% functional, at best."

Molly, still trying to wrap her head around the chaos, chuckled. "Maybe after we talk racing plans first? I think we might have a bigger mission at hand."

"True, true," Derek acknowledged. "But keep in mind, when the racing's over, and you need a break, I'm your guy."

As the group settled into the living room, Heat's eyes wandered around, taking in the mismatched decor and half-finished projects that seemed to define Derek's space. His gaze landed on a picture on the wall—a picture that seemed oddly out of place among the chaos. It was a photo of Molly and a girl, both smiling wide in a summer setting, with the kind of carefree joy that only comes from moments frozen in time.

Heat tilted his head, noticing the frame was slightly askew. "Hey, is that your sister?" he signed, pointing to the picture.

Molly froze, her smile faltering as she looked at the photo. Joey noticed immediately and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering her a comforting squeeze. Molly's hand clenched tightly around the fabric of his shirt as a wave of emotion hit her.

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice unsteady. "That's Sam."

Heat, sensing the shift in the mood, looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "She looks like she means a lot to you." His expression softened. "Where is she now?"

The question hit Molly like a punch to the gut. Her eyes welled up, and she quickly wiped at her face, trying to hide the tears threatening to spill. She had told Joey about Sam before, but it was different telling others. Heat's earnestness and the sudden quiet in the room made her feel exposed in a way she hadn't expected.

Joey immediately pulled her into a tight hug, his hand gently stroking her hair. "Molly," he said softly, "it's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

But Heat, ever the curious and well-meaning soul, felt a pang of empathy. He signed slowly, "It's okay to talk about her, if you want to. We're here for you." He glanced at Derek, who had stopped fiddling with his robot parts and was watching quietly, his expression softening in understanding.

Molly looked at Joey, then back at Heat, and the dam finally broke. Her voice trembled as she spoke, each word more difficult than the last. "She's... she's been missing for a while now. We don't know where she is. She just... vanished." Her breath hitched, and she wiped her eyes again, but the tears wouldn't stop. "I don't know if she's... okay, or if something happened to her. Every day feels like a thousand years, and I don't even know how to keep going."

Heat's heart sank at her words, and though he couldn't fully understand the weight of her pain, he could see it clearly in her eyes. He signed again, this time more slowly. "I'm sorry. You're not alone in this."

Joey held her even tighter, his voice steady. "Molly, you're not alone. I'm here. Always."

Derek, who had remained quiet up until now, gave a single nod of condolence, his face reflecting the empathy he felt. "You have us, Molly," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "And whatever it takes, we'll figure it out. You're part of the team now. We don't leave anyone behind." He paused for a moment, looking at the picture on the wall. "I'm sorry, really. I can't imagine what you're going through."

Molly took a shaky breath, letting Joey's steady presence calm her, but the words she had been holding back all this time were out, and she felt a little lighter. It didn't fix anything, but for a moment, the overwhelming grief seemed a little more bearable, knowing she wasn't alone.

"Thanks," she whispered, finally pulling away from Joey's embrace to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down like that."

Heat gave her a small smile, the sadness still there but laced with compassion. "It's okay to break down. We all have our moments. But you don't have to carry it by yourself."

Joey smiled softly at her. "We've got you, Molly. And we'll do whatever we can to help find Sam."

For a moment, there was only silence as the weight of the conversation hung in the air. But it wasn't a heavy silence—it was a quiet understanding. A reminder that sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone is just be there.

And so, with the comfort of her friends and the shared determination to move forward, Molly took another deep breath. It was going to be a long road, but maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone as she'd thought.