“Gripped” Relationships: Missy Kent & Laurelle Mahoney

Our character relationship series continues with Missy Kent and Laurelle Mahoney, who are notorious best friends in the Gripped books. The books describe them as, “Wherever Missy and Laurelle went, their contagious laughter, bright smiles, and childlike pep captivated everyone’s attention.” Missy believes it’s her job to liven up every social gathering, and Laurelle eggs on her playful behavior.

Laurelle is a work hard/play hard type of person who kills it in the classroom and on the dance floor. Out of all the senior girls, she’s the one who’s best friends with all the guys. She’s known as a free-spirit because of her and Missy’s escapades and her open relationship with Pat Ryan, but she never lets her fun-loving nature interfere with her responsibilities. (This is where Laurelle and Missy differ a bit.)

Missy tends to get a bit too caught up in the moment—to the chagrin of her much-tamer boyfriend Luke Davids. Thankfully for Missy, Luke is as dependable as a loyal dog, so she can always count on him to play babysitter.

In the books, Laurelle and Missy leap from one adventure to the next, both being Enneagram 7s who loathe boredom and stagnation. Missy basks in the glory of the limelight. Laurelle, who draws just as much attention as her frivolous bestie, does so for a different reason—one that is better revealed in Gripped 4 and the upcoming Gripped 5. Missy and Laurelle have much bigger roles than usual in book 5. Stay tuned!