The Bucket List

e i g h t

I suddenly felt uneasy. There was a strong discomfort as I slept in bed. A groan escaped my lips as I realised someone was pushing my shoulder. I pushed the hand away, and pulled the blanket over my head, but the hand came back and pushed my shoulder again.

"Five more minutes, dad," I mumbled, sinking my face into the comfort of my pillow.

I heard a chuckle. A chuckle that couldn't be dads. Dad's laugh was robust, one that could pass off as Santa Claus. This one was different. It had a hint of mocking amusement and clearly, someone very cocky. Daniel.

"Get up," he said.

I pulled down my blanket only to my nose and forced my eyes open to my intruder. I should be screaming right now. But instead, I yawned and asked, "Why are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you to school," he replied.

His weight shifted the bed again. I glared at him. I had the temptation to kick him off the bed, throw him out of my apartment and call the police. But I only felt lazy, so I sufficed with pushing him off the bed with my feet.

"Go away," I mumbled.

Daniel stumbled on the floor but laughed. "You're not a morning person, are you?"

Something was seriously wrong with him. How could he be so happy this early in the morning? Was there someone else in the room? Where was dad?

"Get up and get ready," Daniel ordered when I didn't reply.

He shook my shoulders again and I scowled. I shoved his hand away from my shoulder and shifted in bed, so I could face the wall. I looked at the time on my phone. I had another ten minutes before my alarm would go off. Why would he wake me up now?

"If you don't get up, I'll tickle you."

I closed my eyes. "I will destroy you," I warned, using the same tone as his threat. I'm ticklish, but he didn't need to know that.

The bed suddenly dipped. "Then I'll try something else," he said evilly.

I frowned. But before I could ask what he meant, I felt his arm wrapped over my shoulder and pulled me against his body. I instantly screamed and jumped out of bed. I stood a few metres away from the bed and glared at Daniel as he burst into fits of laughter.

"What happened" I heard dad.

Dad ran into the room, his eyes frantically searching for the intruder. But he completely ignored the perp who was sitting right across from him on the bed. Was I imagining Daniel? Oh god, how pathetic would I have to be if I was dreaming about him?

"Ellie's overreacting, sir. Someone just didn't want to get up for school," Daniel answered casually.

Wait, he just spoke to dad. How? What? He was real? I looked at dad, waiting for a response. I was expecting dad to turn into the hulk and kick Daniel out of my room. But all he said was, "Oh, right."

"Dad!" I yelled.

Dad jumped and looked at me with a startled expression. "What?" he asked obliviously.

"You let a boy come into my room?"

"Oh, right..." dad cleared his throat awkwardly. He looked over to Daniel. "Uh, get out, son," dad said trying to imitate an angry and overprotective dad. But he just sounded like he was doing a very bad impression of Barak Obama.

"Do you even know who he is?"

"Of course, I do. He's our neighbour. Did you know he's mum is a UN representative? Why didn't you tell me you were friends with Daniel?"