For Y/N's eighth birthday, her father got her a special gift, an adorable plush toy that she loves dearly. What she didn't expect was the living, breathing man that came with it. Is her doll really talking and moving around, or is her imagination th...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
____________________________________
As usual, when lunchtime rolled around, Darcy came to sit with me at a table in the school cafeteria. Ever since we met a little over a week ago, we've been getting to know each other, and she has been a great help in making me feel welcome. She is a very nice person, so it wasn't hard at all to get along. Today, however, she walked over with a few people I've never met before, probably her other friends. I can't help feeling just a little nervous when I looked them over and instinctively stuck a hand in my pocket where Max hides. So far, only Darcy is aware of the fact that I bring him to school everyday, and thankfully, she promised to keep that secret. I'd rather no one else finds out, since it might get me in trouble. I might be told not to bring him anymore, or worse, I'll get bullied, which would certainly frustrate my plush friend.
"Hey, Y/N, there's some people I'd like you to meet. These are some of my other friends. She's Lori," she starts off by introducing a girl dressed comfortably in a red pullover, black leggings and boots. She has long, blonde hair draped over her left shoulder, which is kept out of her face by a red headband, short bangs that run across her forehead, and when her lips part, her smile reveals the braces on her teeth. "That's Helena." My attention shifts over to the next person, a girl with dark brown, curly hair wearing a pink sweater and blue jeans with a pair of black Converse on her feet.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
She also has on a soft pink lipstick, a light amount of eyeliner and a silver, cross lies around her neck.
"Actually, Helen's fine," she says, giving me a gentle smile, which I regard with a nod before Darcy ends off the introductions with two more names.
"And these two are Lionel and Cavanah." She gestures to the pair of boys who have their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. Lionel has neatly combed, dirty-blonde hair and crystal-blue eyes and is dressed simply in a blue and white, plaid shirt and dark blue jeans; meanwhile, Cavanah has shaggy, brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes and is wearing a black teeshirt with the Batman symbol on it and grey, ripped jeans. They smile and wave at me, so I naturally wave back and greet them in a small voice.
"Hey."
"Darcy told us you skipped a few grades. Is that right?" questions one of the boys, seeming intrigued, and I nod my head in confirmation. Cavanah grins in awe and gives me a strong pat on the back. "Goddamn! That's crazy awesome! You must be a genius." I let out a small giggle as he sits beside me, relaxing a bit as the others find their seats.
"So, Y/N." I look over at Darcy, who holds up her chin with her hand. "We're having a sleepover at my house. Wanna come? It'll be fun," she asks hopefully, and for a moment, my eyes lit up in excitement because I've never been invited to a sleepover before, but a moment later, I found myself torn.
'I'd love to go, but...' I squeeze Max's plush, little hand from within my pocket and look at the table in uncertainty. What would I do with Max? I don't want to leave him at home. He'd get lonely. Max should come first. "I... I don't know."
"Oh, come on, it'll be super fun! We'll stay up late, play games, watch some movies, and Darcy's dad always keeps a secret stash of sweets." Helen's words tempted me further, but that only made the guilt worsen. Max would love to join the sleepover, but I knew that might not go well. It's the same reason my parents don't know the truth about him. I'm sure he'd understand, but I would still feel terrible for leaving him behind.
"Well... I'd have to ask my parents first," I excuse. That should give me enough time to think of an answer.
"Is that all?" I felt my heart sink when Lori took out her cellphone and slid it across the table to me. "Here you go. You know their number, don't you?"
"... Yeah." I force a smile and look down at the phone before slowly picking it up to dial mom's number, silently hoping she's too busy to pick up or that she'll say no. If she were to reject the idea, then the decision wouldn't weigh so heavily on my shoulders. It rings a couple times before a familiar voice is heard on the other side.
"Hello?"
"Hi, mom. It's Y/N."
"Oh, hello! What are you calling for? Is everything all right?" Her voice conveys concern, but I quickly assure her I'm fine.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. I was just wondering if I could spend the night at my friend's house. They're throwing a sleepover." I mentally cross my fingers for a no only to be disappointed when she answers with,
"Oh, a sleepover? Of course you can go, sweetie." She even sounded happy for me. Now, I feel more obligated to go.
"Really? You sure?"
"Yes, I think it's a great idea! I'm glad to hear that you're making some friends. I was a little worried the older kids wouldn't take to you. It's better than being cooped up in your room all night, like you usually do, so don't worry about a thing. It's a Friday, so you won't have to worry about waking up for school, and I'm sure you'll have fun." I smile softly and give a silent sigh.
"Okay, then. That's all. Thanks, ma. I'll see you at home. Bye."
"Bye, sweetie. Have a good day at school. Love you."
"I love you too." With that, I hang up and hand the phone back to Lori as they all give me a curious stare. "She said yes."
'Oh, I hope Max won't mind. I really want to go, but I don't want to leave him at home.'
"Awesome! Tonight is going to be great! All my besties together in one place." Darcy and her friends laugh as the girl pulls Helen and Lori, who sit at her sides, close to her in a warm embrace, shaking them a bit. I smile at her energetic behavior. She reminds me a lot of Max, which is probably the reason we get along so well. Lunch carries on, mainly with me listening in on their conversations until the bell rings, but I did get over my shyness a little bit towards the end. We all get up and say our goodbyes before separating to go to our classes, but I remain with Darcy, since we're headed to the same place. As we walk, my guilt eats at me again. I just can't stop thinking about Max.
