Daniel lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, the faint light from outside casting soft shadows across the room. He felt a strange sense of quiet contentment settle over him. Playing together with Diana had been… fun. More fun than he'd had in a long time. It was different when he tried to play on his own now, after experiencing the energy of playing with her. Solo games just didn't feel the same.
The energy, the spark, it just wasn't there anymore. It was like a part of him had woken up while they played, something he hadn't realized had been missing.
His thoughts drifted to her again. He knew now, for certain, that she was him. Diana was his reflection, the part of him he didn't know how to access. There had been suspicions at first—vague, confusing inklings—but now, after all their time spent together, he was certain of it.
But if she's me… he hesitated, his mind catching on the thought, …why is she so…?
He hesitated, struggling to find the right word.
Kind? Fun? Good?
That was what bothered him. Diana was all those things, but he had never seen himself that way. It gnawed at him, especially after that moment in the attic, when everything had poured out of him—his fears, his insecurities. She had been there, steady and comforting, telling him that if she was a part of him and he thought she was good, then didn't that mean he was good too?
The logic was simple. But it still felt so far away, almost unreal. Was he really not this weird, unconfident, untrusting, but somehow gullible person he had convinced himself he was?
Could he really be better than he thought?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the door to his room opened without a sound. Lost in his head, he didn't notice the light footsteps approaching. He lay there, still, unaware of what was coming.
Without warning, Diana jumped onto the bed, landing on top of him with a burst of laughter.
"Surprise!" she giggled, her voice bright and full of mischief.
Daniel jolted up, his eyes snapping open in shock. "What the—" He blinked, wide-eyed, as Diana grinned down at him, clearly pleased with herself.
Daniel rubbed his face, half-startled, half-smiling despite himself. "You're ridiculous."
Diana flopped down next to him, still giggling, her hair slightly damp from the shower. Daniel couldn't help but shake his head.
He sighed, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. As she laughed beside him, he thought to himself, Yeah, no. She's definitely not me.
She's who I want to be