Phil

"Have fun!" I called, waving away Dan's taxi until it drove out of sight. I looked at the girl next to me. She had straight, dirty blonde hair that fell to just above her shoulders and dark makeup lining her eyes. Her clothing style was dark, with black skinny jeans and a dark grey jumper.

Olivia smiled.

"He will, he hasn't seen his family for months" she explained. It was funny, our Australian friend had only been moved in for 2 months, but she might as well have been here all along, she understood us so well. We stood in silence, watching the delicate snowflakes fall, wondering what the next three days would be like without Dan around. Finally Olivia spoke up, breaking the thoughtful silence.

"Come on Phil, let's go inside. My ass is freezing itself off". I couldn't help but smile at that last remark.

The sun was setting delicately by the time we were fully warmed up. I watched Olivia as she made her nightly cup of tea, wondering what thoughts were going through her mind to cause her to put her empty mug in the microwave.

She stood watching the telly in silence, her eyes unfocused. It was obvious she was lost in thought, so I decided not to break her concentration. When her mug was drained she shook herself back to reality, mumbled something I took as a 'goodnight', and left for her bedroom. I somewhat followed her actions, not thinking about what was going on on t.v, but instead thinking about Dan. I went to my own bed shortly afterwards, and we both slept soundlessly.

The only difference was that my cheeks were stained with hot, silent tears.

I stumbled clumsily out towards the kitchen in the morning, only to find Olivia already awake.

"Morning," I slurred.

"Morning, Phil". I was careful not to let her meet my eyes. I was sure my eyes were red from lack of sleep, and not entirely recovered from the tears they spilled earlier - I didn't want her asking about it. Even so, I couldn't help but notice that she had the same unfocused look on her face, like she wasn't really here. Apparently she was continuing the mental debate she seemed to be having last night.

Olivia took a bite from her Vegemite toast, finally realising that she still existed.

"I don't think I'll ever understand how you eat that stuff," I said. My nose wrinkled just looking at that vile spread. Olivia just sighed.

"Okay, you're not meant to spread it like peanut butter. You're supposed to still be able to see the toast,"

"So basically it's meant to look like a thin layer of crap was spread over your toast?"

"Precisely."

"Charming."

She rolled her eyes at me as she clumsily plopped her plate in the sink and proceeded to make her tea. I pulled up a chair near the kitchen so I could talk to her and still hear her over the water she was about to boil.

"Hey, Olivia?"

"Mm?" She replied, starting up the kettle.

"Um, well I ah, kind of, I don't know, like someone and, uhm. I don't know if they..." I trailed off. What was I doing? Why was I telling her? Luckily, she seemed to understand.

"Phil, there is never a one hundred percent chance that they will accept your attraction to them," she chuckled, now pouring the boiling water into her mug and dropping in the tea bag "Well, who is it?"

"Ah, well it's kind of, um..." Why are you telling her?! My mind screamed.

Olivia set aside the milk she was pouring, leaned against the bench and stared straight into my face. Her icy blue eyes were so intense - especially with the heavy makeup - I thought she was staring into my soul.

Apparently she was.

"It's Dan, isn't it?"

I felt all the colour in my face that had built up during my pointless attempts to explain drain away. My jaw dropped and I just stared at her, shocked.

Her eyes grew wide.

"It is Dan, isn't it?" A note of uncertainty haunted her voice "because I'm going to feel like the world's biggest prat if it isn't,"

How does she do this?! I didn't have a clue what to do, so I just nodded.

She left the world again. She just looked into nothingness, absent-mindedly stirring her tea - she was obviously deep in thought.

How long had she known?!

Once she decided she had stirred her tea enough, she returned to this dimension. She walked out of the kitchen and sat on the lounge. Naturally, I followed her. After a few minutes of silence, Olivia spoke up.

"So how long have you liked him?"

"I don't know, since about a month before you moved in, maybe?"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"No idea."

She smiled at that.

"How about you pick him up from the train station tomorrow? You can tell him I had heaps of work to do. Talk to him on the way home, and if you need more time after you get home, just make the excuse to me of needing Dan's help with editing,"

I just stared at her. She could think of these things instantaneously and I had no idea how.

"You're a genius, you know that?"

She shook her head, "Woman logic."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Are you sure it'll work?"

"I don't know, you might as well try."

"Cool, thanks" I couldn't help grinning as I bounded off towards my room, where I would spend the rest of the day planning what I would say to Dan. Assuming he followed the script.

I woke early that morning, my eyes still closed. I lay there for a while, gathering my thoughts. As soon as I remembered what day it was, my eyes flew open, I shoved on my glasses and I practically ran to the kitchen.

Today was the day that Dan would come home.

Today was the day that Dan would know how I felt.

Today was the day that Dan would love me back.

I inhaled my cereal in seconds before bounding towards the bathroom to have a shower. I wasn't really paying attention - my thoughts were focused on Dan!

Maybe that's why I ended up smelling like Olivia's shampoo.

I quickly dried and dressed before rushing into my bedroom to brush the knots out of my hair. I must have been noisy, because I woke Olivia up.

She opened my door and leaned against the door frame. Eesh, she looked so weird without her eyeliner.

"You know he's not going to be here 'til three," she informed, an eyebrow raised "right?"

I exhaled loudly. "I know, but I'd rather be ready"

She just rolled her eyes at me, a slight smile playing on her lips, before leaving to intensify her eyes.

About an hour later I think I was finally ready. I walked out to the lounge room to find Olivia watching the telly and eating her demon food.

"Vegemite, again?" I sighed, "really, I think I'd rather eat crap on my toast."

She just gave me a faux grin before singing the old Vegemite jingle.

"We're happy little Vegemites,

As bright as bright can be,

We all enjoy our Vegemite,

For breakfast, lunch and tea!

Our mummies say we're growing stronger,

Every single week,

Because we love our Vegemite,

We all adore our Vegemite,

It puts a rose on every cheek!" She sang, throwing out her arms at the end.

I just put my face in my palm and sat down on the lounge, laughing at her. When our laughter died away, Olivia's eyes became unfocused, staring into the void I couldn't see.

"There you go again," I blurted before I could stop myself.

She reluctantly pulled her eyes away from the screen to look at me, focusing them again. "Where am I going?"

"Into the wormhole of thoughts,"

Olivia laughed, "The what?"

"Your eyes go all glazed, you rarely blink and you're staring at things and not seeing them,"

She smiled, "I do that a lot,"

"Why?"

"I just... think, I guess. Wonder about things deeply,"

"What have you been thinking about lately?"

She hesitated before saying, "You and Dan."

This surprised me a little, "How long have you been thinking about us?"

"Well, I noticed the thing you had for him about a month after I moved in. But it was after he left that I really started to wonder about it,"

I said something really intelligent like, "erhm, uh,"

She chuckled, "don't worry about it,"

I got the feeling the case was closed.