Not Just Charity

10 Questions

Eve awoke later that night to a hand shaking her shoulder.

"EVE! WAKE UP!" It was Danny, he was shouting at her and shaking her in the middle of the night. "Are you ok? You were screaming in your sleep, and thrashing around. You actually punched me when I tried to wake you up!"

"Huh?" She mumbles, still not fully awake.

"Are. You. Oh. Kay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a dream."

"Just a dream? You were screaming bloody murder and shaking so hard you looked like you were having a seizure. That isn't JUST a dream. That was like a nightmare, mixed with a panic attack, mixed with somebody trying to give a cat a bath!"

"I'm fine really. You. You can leave. I'll be fine. It was just a nightmare, no big deal, no cats with baths, or panic attacks. I promise."

Danny sighs. "Look, I would love to believe you, buuuuuuut. I've had panic attacks before, and that, was pretty close to being one. What were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Really. Can you just leave?"

Danny just stares at her, with concern painted across his face, but his eyes were searching her expression. His dark, brown, eyes, framed by long lashes the same color as his hair. Light brown, the color of dirt, at its finest, yet so unlike dirt in it's softness...

Eve snapped out of it, realizing what she'd been doing.

"LEAVE!!!!" She yelled at him.

"Not until you tell me what's going on! Does your mom know? Does anyone know?"

"How would she know? She's never home." Eve muttered. But he still heard her.

"Look, I know you don't like me, but I'm trying to help you! So how about we play 10 questions?" He looked at her earnestly.

"I believe it's actually 20 questions."

"Yeah, but 10 is fine for now!" He grinned a little. She relented.

"Fine." She sighed with exasperation, but deep down she was kind of looking forward to this.

"Ok! One, what were you dreaming about?" She gave him a look and he raised his eyebrows, expectantly.

"My dad." She said, not bothering to elaborate. Danny looked surprised.

"Why would..."

"My turn!" She cut him off. "What gave you a panic attack?"

"Stress." He answered, equally vague. She rolled her eyes.

"Two, what happened in your 'dream'?" He said dream sarcastically, still not believing it was just that.

She swallowed. Looked around the room for anything to distract from the question, but she couldn't find anything. "I saw my dad." Choosing the simplest answer again.

"You know, this really isn't gonna work if you don't give me anything to work with!"

"You're not giving much either man!" He rolled his eyes and nodded for her to give him a question. "What causes you stress?"

"A lot of things. Life, family, lacrosse, my friends too sometimes." He looks at her. "Was that enough for you?"

She gave a sharp nod, not at all prepared for him to actually open up to her.

"Three, lets try this again. What did you see in your dream?" He looks deep into her eyes, like he thinks the answer will be there if he just looks hard enough.