It's Lisa, right?

Chapter 29

29

“This is… impossible!” I said, a goofy smile on my face.

Henry, who was sat on the chair next to mine, smiled also. “I know,” he said. “Which makes it even more amazing!”

“How… I mean, how can you just become a real person?” I asked. “You’re my imagination!”

His excitement seemed to fade for a second, and he looked at the ground. “It’s actually only for tonight, Lisa,” he shrugged.

My smiled dropped, and I was suddenly frantic. “What? No! You can’t just come back, and then leave again –”

“No, no, Lisa,” he said, shaking his hands. “I mean they’ll only be able to see me, for tonight. After that, I go back to being… whatever I was before, you know, you and me.”

I calmed down, and sat back in my chair. “Oh, right. Well, that’s great, right? We can go back to normal.”

He nodded.

“How did you even get in here, by the way?” I asked.

“Oh, I just seduced the woman at the door,” he smiled, jokingly. “It wasn’t hard, what with my good looks.”

Suddenly his eyes widened, and he stood up, taking my hand. “Oh, I have to show you something!” he said, giddily.

I smiled, and stood up. We headed towards the doors that led out of the function room, but then I heard Toby calling me. I brought Henry to a halt and turned to see Toby weaving his way through the throngs of people. Eventually, he came to a stop in front of us.

“Oh, my God,” he said, looking at Henry. “You’re actually… Henry. Wow. You’re real.”

I frowned. “Of course he’s real,” I said. “You thought I made him up?”

“Well, technically – ” Henry began, before I shushed him.

“Well, come on,” said Toby. “You have to admit that your story was kind of… strange.”

I sighed – now that I thought about it, it did sound rather far-fetched.

“Lisa!” Henry whined, tugging my arm. “Come on!”

“Hold on, Henry,” I said.

He sighed, and said he would meet me out in the corridor, and then swung the doors wide open so he could go through.

Toby smiled. “Doesn’t really act his age, does he?”

“You have no idea,” I said.

“Well, uh, I guess I’ll see you, soon, then,” he said.

“See you, soon,” I replied, heading out into the corridor.

I found Henry turning the dial on the wall that dimmed and brightened the lights. He looked completely fascinated. One moment the corridor would be pitch black, the next he will have turned it to full brightness, and I’d be practically blinded. I rolled my eyes, and pulled him away from the dial.

“So what did you want to show me?” I asked.

He took my hand again, and we carried on down the corridor, in a sprint. His eyes were shining and his smile was wide. I had to lift my dress, so as not to trip over the hem while we ran.

“Slow down!” I said, “I’m wearing heels!”

Suddenly he stopped outside the restrooms. He kept hold of my hand as he headed towards the Mens, but I came to a halt.