"I want to meet Dan and Phil."
Her parents had looked at her as though she had transformed into a werewolf, with incredulity, shock and speculation mixing in equal measures swimming in their eyes. At that moment in time, she definitely wanted to turn into a werewolf, brandishing her razor sharp claws with might that rivalled that of Wolverine, with incredibly agile and swift movements. She didn't have any of that. She wished she did.
When the girl was younger, before the unfortunate struck her across the head like a truck travelling at full speed, her parents used to tell her in that sweet and soft voice that usually meant a lie being told for the sake of a child's innocent ears, that if you wanted something, you wished for it.
She was a sucker for believing in such a ridiculous, beautifully fabricated lie. Late at night, with the cicadas, crickets and other nocturnal insects emerging from the shadows and producing noises that matched the eerie silence of the night, she would stare at the cobalt-blue, nearing black sky with her eyes one of acute hope, and submitted her wish to the stars above her in a hushed little whisper. It was always a request of some sort - sometimes a bigger teddy bear for her following birthday, sometimes wishing for her mother to get better when she became ill. Nothing major or worth noting. It was basically normal requests from a typical young child, who had been oblivious to the world outside her neighbourhood, who had not seen the brutality of the world, who had never been warped by failed expectations and far-flung hopes and dreams. That was how a child was supposed to be.
Yet, even if she had wished relentlessly, nothing came into fruition. It was forever stagnant with none of her desires coming true. Maybe the stars hadn't heard me properly last night, she would think to herself as a form of consolation, and upon closing her eyes, she would wish once more. When everything she once knew and once prided herself in crumbled into ashes and blown into the wind, she knew she didn't wish hard enough. If she did, she wouldn't have gotten this burden on her shoulders. It wouldn't have happened.
As her thoughts progressed, she remembered herself clenching her fists. She wasn't entirely sure of the cause of her anger. Lately she had become frustrated more easily than usual, and anger management and therapy were of no use to her at the present moment. Most of all, she knew that the reason of her anger was not towards her parents, nor towards the bed lying loyally beneath her, and it was most definitely not held against the professionals at work. No, she was angry at herself. She was incompetent in accomplishing anything, even if she possessed the initiative. Sometimes, initiative and the will to do something wasn't enough. It couldn't kill it off. No matter how persistent she was in getting it done, it ended up in madness and mayhem, leading to a couple of people, namely, her parents, to clean up the mess she had made. She hated herself for being so weak. There was only one thing that kept her moving throughout the day, to have any desire to live at all - and that was Dan and Phil.
"Honey, I don't think it wise to waste a chance like this on them. We could go so many other places. We can go to a theatre. We can go to a concert. We could even go to Hollywood if we ask nicely. The world is at your fingertips, darling." Her father reprimanded her, as her mother nodded in agreement, her short red hair flapping on both cheeks. It was the only choice she had ever gotten the chance to take charge of. Because this choice was hers. And no one, not even her parents, could change her decision.
"No, the world never was at my fingertips. Even my mug isn't at mine." She replied in a flat tone, disinterested in further attempts at discussion. "This is my choice, and I will make the final call. I want to go meet Dan and Phil, and soon." She crossed her arms across her chest.
Her parents exchanged worried and knowing looks at each other. For one, they weren't sure whether she was fit for travel, and secondly, they knew that once her decisions were made, it was final, with no place left for debate. They nodded solemnly at their daughter's direction, and proceeded to tell them her request on meeting the two British youtubers. She averted her gaze to the window, as snow was still continuing in a white torrent on to the floor and roof. From her line of sight, she could almost see a blanket of white, white snow outside. It was almost Christmas, the occasion being next week. This was also one of the main reasons why she had wanted to visit Dan and Phil as fast as possible, as she didn't intend to ruin their holiday plans.
