The Bet (Just The Way You Are)

The Bet *Fortuitous Event

Pie rolls her eyes and says, “It’s ten in the evening.”

“What?!” Really? I can’t believe it! I slept the whole afternoon and half the night.

She looks at me smugly and says, “It’s just six thirty.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “You like teasing me, huh?”

“No,” she says slyly, “I just want to see if you trust me.”

I raise my eyebrow and ask, “What’s the verdict?”

She turns away from me and make a point of organizing the pillows and putting them back on their original place.

Okay, no need to wait. I know Pie won’t answer my rhetorical question. Looking around, I notice something. “Where’s Rain?” I ask.

Pie looks at me as if I said something stupid.

“What?”

“Rain’s gone.”

“Gone?” I exclaim. The word has a different meaning because of my creepy-dream-slash-nightmare. “What do you mean gone?”

“Xyrielle came here while you were sleeping,” Pie answers, studying my face carefully. “She wanted to thank you for babysitting Rain, but didn’t want to wake you up. She said they have to go home because no one’s at their house and its getting dark.” She pauses and then continues, “As if you helped.”

“Excuse me?”

She grins, her dimple coming into view. “Nothing,” she says, shaking her head. “Xyrielle said that she’ll call us and then she’ll have something for us.”

“What?” I ask curiously.

“I don’t know,” she replies, “she didn’t tell.”

I feel disappointed because I havent say goodbye to Rain. For the few hours we spent together, I care for him. Even though I didn’t admit it at first. Truth is, I like babies. I just pretended at the beginning that I don’t like him because, well, I wanted to see Pie’s reaction.

Now I’m going to miss Rain. I wonder when I will see him again. I hope soon. On the other hand, maybe I can ask Xyrielle if she wants Pie and me to babysit Rain again.

“What comes first, the egg or the chicken?” I ask Pie.

“That’s not a question,” she says wryly.

I can see that she’s fighting off a smile that wants to form on her lips. “What do you think?” I probe, just to have a conversation with her.

I feel like an idiot, wanting to hear her voice, wanting to have a conversation with her, wanting to. . .

Okay, I have to stop now. I really don’t like where my thoughts are headed. I hear the stupid voice smirking. Am I crazy? Do crazy people ask theirselves if their crazy? No! No! I don’t think I’m crazy. Crazy people don’t think they’re crazy.

Why are you talking back to me then?

Shut up!

“Draky? Draky?”

I have a feeling it’s not the first time she’s calling my name. This stupid voice is—

“Why do you look so annoyed?” she asks curiously.

“Do I?” I ask, trying to put on my poker face to no avail.

“What were you thinking about?” she asks, nudging me on the elbow.