I'm sitting cross-legged on my bed while Silena and Daniel sit with eager faces on my window seat. They are both bickering playfully as usual while I dial one of the hotline numbers from the checklist. "Shhh," I hiss, "it's ringing!"
"Put it on loudspeaker!" Silena tries to whisper and I give her a thumbs up in response. She cannot whisper. At all.
*"A healthy person is a happy person. Hello, this the Health Hotline: HEALTHLINE. How can I-"*
"Yeah, no. I don't think so," I mumble as I swiftly hang up. "I am not ever. . . never ever going to want to talk to a guy, even if he turns out to be 'hawt' if he's going to be health junkie going on about the benefits of kale and protein shakes." I hold up a hand to stop Daniel from objecting. "I know you drink them, brother. And I don't have anything against others that do . . . I just don't want anyone to change my views on the delicious, unhealthy junk food that I love indulging in now and again." I shrug.
Silena chuckles and drawls in a faux Texan accent, "Never say never, *honey*."
Rolling my eyes at her, I cross the Health Hotline number off of my list. Yeah, that is never happening, I think, scratching it twice more to emphasise my inner thoughts.
"You do realise that you might not find whatever it is you are hoping to find," Daniel says softly. "Just don't get too disappointed, okay?"
"I know." Truth is, the only reason I am going through all this is to get my mind off all the things I am trying to run away from. And . . . if I do end up finding a 'hawt' guy to talk to along the way, it won't be such a bad thing either.
"Sooooo," I say drawing out the word, trying to change the subject and focusing on the soon-to-be couple. "What did the both of you make today?"
"Silena improved the recipe for her pasta sauce. It's so damn good, Lilah!" Daniel gushes, kissing his fingers.
"White sauce?" I ask eagerly, holding my breath.
"White sauce," Silena agrees, smiling at me.
She is the best friend ever. I love white sauce and she knows it. Her cheesy-white sauce is legendary and if she has changed the recipe up a bit by adding whatever she has, I bet it will taste even more delicious than it did before.
"I could kiss you right now," I say to Silena in excitement but instead punch her in the arm to show my happiness.
Daniel raises an eyebrow at me (seriously, how can HE do it, but I can't). "As much as I would love to see two girls getting it on, I would rather prefer it to not be my little sister and Silena."
"What a guy thing to say," Silena mutters before glaring at me. "And why the hell do you get so violent when you're happy," she groans, rubbing her arm. "You seriously need to learn to express your emotions in a less painful way."
I stick out my tongue at her. "I'll learn when you clean under your bed."
"But that's where Cotton-Eyed Joe went. At least I think that's where it went," she whimpers. "Hey! But you don't clean under your bed either!"
"Yeah, I may not clean it regularly but at least I clean it unlike you. You haven't cleaned under yours for at least a year. Besides, Cotton-Eyed Joe must be dead by now just like all the other Cotton-Eyed Joes before him. " I pat her back in a there-there fashion.
"Who's Cotton-Eyed Joe?" Daniel asks, screwing up his face. "Isn't that a song?" He starts humming the song under his breath.
"It is," Silena agrees. "But it's also this big-ass spider in my room. And I have no idea where it even came from or where it went. Hence, the name: Cotton-Eyed Joe. But I really, really think it is under my bed."
I try not to roll my eyes but fail. "He cannot possibly be still alive. He's dead by now. I am sure of it," I assure her and continue patting her back as Daniel wheels in behind her.
"Actually-" I cut Daniel off with a quick shake of my head, knowing he's about to start a lecture and provide some spider facts that will no doubt spook Silena out even more. Wisely he interprets the signal and keeps his mouth shut.
"Huh?" Silena asks him not having seen what happened.
"Oh, nothing. Just that Lilah is probably right in saying that Cotton-Eyed Joe is dead," he says lamely. Silena turns around to look at him and I swear I see pink and red hearts floating around their heads.
Shaking my head at the two of them, I walk out my room and head towards the kitchen. "When you two are done staring into each other's eyes, come find me. I'll put a movie on!" I yell as I reheat the spaghetti my friend made with the help of Daniel and take it with me to the couch.
Silena comes into view with Daniel wheeling in right after her. Daniel's ears are completely pink and if his toffee skin tone allowed him to blush, his face would have resembled a tomato. And Silena is wringing her hands. "We uh-we weren't staring into eh- each other's eyes," she say, all the while not looking at me.
I bite back a smile. "Kiss her already, will you?" I mouth at Danny and he nearly falls out of his wheelchair. I decide to not tease him but I can't stop myself from laughing. And I don't stop until he throws a cushion at me.