Life Lines

34: Probably Forever

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Ce?"

"Hm?"

"How long are you going to be...asleep?"

He opened an eye and looked at me. Kells stayed long enough to help me move him over to the bed but after that, he said, I was on my own. Instead of leaving straight away like I planned before, I curled up on the bed next to him, hugging one of the pink satin pillows to my chest. He was trying to drift off and I was trying to talk to him.

"For a bit. Why?"

"Well," I picked at the ruffle. "It's our birthday."

The corner of his mouth turned up and he closed his eye. "I noticed that, yes."

"I was wondering...you know if you were coming. Tonight."

His eye cracked open again and looked at me. "I'm pretty sure Allie would bust a gasket if I showed up. I'm not exactly her favorite person."

"But what if I want you to come? We used to spend our birthday together, remember?"

I thought this moment would be awkward, I mean we kissed for Christ's sake. Maybe it was because he was barely holding on to now that it wasn't as awkward. Or maybe it was because we were who we were. Nothing ever seemed awkward except when we weren't really talking. It made me wonder if that was over. If he would start acknowledging me in public again. And that kiss...what did it mean?

"I remember. If you want me to come, then I'll be there."

"Promise?"

He nodded. "I promise."

"You know you'll have to dress up right? It's a formal wear party. You'll have to don a tux and stuff."

"I will? Imagine that."

I thought about my next statement before I said it. The whole thing could backfire in my face and considering my luck, it might actually do it.

"You can...bring a date if you want."

That got me two open eyes. He stared at me for the longest time and it was starting to freak me out. Especially since his double was sort of—glaring at me.

"Stop talking so I can go to sleep."

"Is that what you call it?"

"Tally."

"What? It's a valid question."

"Sleep, downtime, powering down, resting." His eyes bugged out of his head like he was trying to tell me 'duh' without actually saying it. "Now be quiet."

I bit my bottom lip and stared at him, trying not to laugh. His eyes were closed again and he was completely still. The whole thing was strange. I would've thought he was dead if I didn't know better. Then I started to wonder. If they had no brain activity while they were like this, did it mean they didn't dream? And if they didn't dream than where they really alive? Schylar told me once that if you don't dream, you die. So that made me start to worry.

"You shouldn't stare. It's not polite."

"I didn't know you came back."

"You were distracted." Kells sighed. "He'll be like that for a while. You should get dressed and I'll take you home."

I looked over at him. He was standing at the end of the bed, looking at me through a panel of the sheers. He still had a happy gleam in his eye so I wasn't too worried. I stole one last glance at Cecil before sitting up.