STRAY KIDS.

XXXIX. FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC

( STRAY KIDS! )
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE.
❝ flowers in the attic ❞

    HE WAKES UP half an hour later. eli's ringing.

"well, congrats. i can't go back to sleep anymore. you owe me 20."

  ". . .minutes?"

"dollars."

   "i'm sorry, i didn't mean to—"

"so, let's play truth or dare."

   "over the phone?" peter asks, any remnant of sleep gone as he sits up on his elbows.

"yeah, why not. so, which one do you pick?"

   "dare?"

"well, well. aren't you a brave little soul. i dare you to lick your big toe."

   peter rolls his eyes. "really? and how will you even know i've done it? you can't actually see me."

"oh, i'll know."

  peter looks down at his socked feet. "do i have to?"

"you can pick truth, i guess."

  "okay, lay it on me. i choose truth."

"have you ever fantasized about your aunt?"

  "jesus!" he's so loud he's sure he might've actually woken up aunt may.

"what? she's a good-looking lady. anyone with eyes can see that."

   "god, seriously—"

"okay, okay. don't pull out the bath salts. i'll ask something else."

    "thank you."

"if she weren't your aunt, would you then fantasise about her?"

   "elliott!" he runs a hand over his eyes, trying to block the scarring mental image that's slowly taking shape on his retina.

"come on, fess up. tell me your dark secrets, parker."

    "an we move past this flowers in the attic moment, please?"

"sure. truth. do you miss liz?"

     peter stills under the covers. maybe he should've seen this coming, because he's sorely lacking in preparation.

"it's okay to say yes, you know. i mean, i miss her, too," eli replies after an awkward silence. "she was great."

    "she was," peter agrees quietly.

"she talked to me about you once or twice."

   peter sits up so fast he almost hits his head against the bunk ladder.

"she said you're cute when you're nervous," eli elaborates without much inflection.

    "oh. . . what did you say?"

"what did i say?"

    "yeah."

    he can hear her breathing softly on the other end. "i said you look constipated when you're nervous."

  peter shakes his head with a knowing smile. later, he'll pin this down as the moment he fell in love with her.

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