Stories To Be Told

chapter six

I woke up three hours later and went back down stairs. At the top of the stairs, I heard Lillian and Kat talking in hushed voices.

"They're close, no doubt," said Lillian, "but I don't think they've got some secret relationship." She exaggerated the word "relationship".

"Aw c'mon! They spend, like, every waking moment together when possible. Hell, they'd probably sleep in the same bed if they could."

"Sure, it'd be cute, but by the looks of it, they're too shy. Even if they did have feelings for each other, which I'm not saying they do or do not, neither of them would have the guts to act on them," Lillian concluded.

That was when I decided to make my presence known. I ran, almost stumbled, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hey guys!" I said, "What's up? What's the 411? The chitchat. The buzz."

"Oh hi, Eleanor. Kat and I were just talking about you, actually. You and-"

"How was your nap?" Kat asked me, even though she was giving a stern look to her mother.

"It was great. Nice to lay down. What were you saying, Lil?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Oh! Nothing, really."

She looked at Kat, who still had a very stern facial expression, as if to say, "Don't you dare say a word." I was quite suspicious.

"Mhm," I hum. "Out with it."

Kat let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I was pitching my theory about you and Dan to Mum."

"Guys. There is nothing happening between me and Dan. Nada. Zero. Zip. Goose egg. It's not even possible to quantify the act of having feelings for someone, but if it was a large zero would show you what's between your son and me."

"I told you!" Lillian says to Kat.

"Ugh. Whatever. It's not even that I want it to happen, I just see it," responded Kat

"Promise me you won't bring this up again. Especially if Dan is around." I honestly thought that our friendship wasn't a big deal, especially to Dan's family. The whole conversation bothered me, so I went back upstairs.

About an hour later, I heard a knock on my door.

"Yeah?" I called.

In walked, who else, Dan.

"Hey. Hi," he said.

"What's up? Is it time for dinner?"

"Erm no not yet. I thought you could use some company. And I got bored with the Spanish soap opera, so y'know."

"Ah sí, did Alfonso and Ana ever get back together?" I asked.

"I, uh, don't know. Can't speak Spanish, but I heard you're fluent. What's up with that?"

I shrugged. "You can sit down, y'know; you don't have to lean against the door." I patted the space next to me on the bed and rolled my eyes. "How'd the test go?"

"Meh. Fine, I guess. Thanks for helping me study, by the way."

"No problem. When do you get out of school?"

"Just one more week. Guess what happens after that?" He looked giddy.

"What," I said, rolling my eyes at his childish grin.

"My birthday. Which means I'm turning heckin sixteen!"

"Am I older than you? Also, please don't tell me you just said 'heckin'."