To Have Wishes or Love

Chapter 7: Doorbell

The next morning I came down to the kitchen and was welcomed by the aroma of bacon in the air. I took my seat at the kitchen table and Mr. Chatter promptly brought me my plate of food.

“Good morning, Mr. Chatter,” I greeted beaming. He silently tilted his head in acknowledgement and took a step back. I took a bite of food and chewed quickly. I was barely able to suppress my urge to sing from pure joy. Last night had given me a total boost. It had been quite some time since I had someone real as a genuine companion.

“Do you think he is going to come see me soon?” I asked Mr. Chatter pointlessly. I knew he wouldn’t be able to respond but I simply had to talk about the mysterious boy or I’d burst. I sat there with a silly grin on my face as I swung my feet with whimsical thought flying through my head. Suddenly a horrible thought crept into my mind.

“What if he doesn’t want to see me again?” I nearly screeched as panic set in. I started to breath heavily and fought tears. Mr. Chatter walked towards me and hugged me robotically and gently patted my head. Even though his movements were clumsy and hollow they helped me more than the pure nothingness that would consume me if he didn’t.

I knew Mr. Chatter didn’t really feel any sincerity or affection towards me and his action were similar to programming that corresponded to my emotions. At times like this it was easy for me to forget this however, and pretend that someone still cared about me and wanted me happy.

“I really hope he comes,” I choked out as I clung to my butler. The silence that followed was just about to smother me when the door bell rang through the large house. Without a second thought I got up and absolutely ran with all my speed to the front door. “I knew he’d come. I absolutely knew it. He said he would!”

Just as I reached the entry way and the door came into sight my socks slid on the linoleum floor and I came crashing down. As soon as I hit the ground I bound back up and ran the rest of the distance to the door. I swung the door open almost tearing it off its hinges. I jumped into the man’s arm outside the door.

“I knew you would come!” I shouted happily as I sealed my eyes shut and hugged him tightly.

“Uh excuse me miss but I’m just here to talk to you about your interview for Fame Magazine.” That sent shock through my system like a bucket of cold water. My face turned red as an apple and I started to babble.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t think I was just-”

“Is this how you greet all the men at your door?” asked a joking voice from behind the reporter. I looked over the reporters shoulder and there stood the boy from last night.

“Hi,” I said very quietly now extremely humbled.

“Hi,” he said as he stuck his hand in his pockets and snickered. “Is this a bad time?”

“Oh no of course not! Don’t be silly!”  I almost shouted trying to get the words out. I turned to the reporter, “I’m sorry but we will have to reschedule the interview I am a bit busy today.”

“But-” he started to question but before he could finish what he said I called for my butler to handle the matter and I invited the other boy in. I all but locked the reporter outside with my butler to keep them from interrupting us.

“Hi,” I said again awkwardly as we were now alone. He smiled warmly at me and stroked my hair.

“I like the new look. It’s cute. You call it the bed head?” he said as he patted my hair affectionately. Curiously I patted my own hair wondering what he meant when I realized that my hair was unbrushed and bedridden from sleep still. A quick look down confirmed my fears: I was still in my pajamas. Horrified I let out a squeak and grabbed my hair with both hands in a pathetic attempt to hide my unsightly hair. He grabbed my hands and pulled them away from my hair and leaned in closely to me and my breath hitched.

“You look perfect.”