I've decided to stick with what I'm good at - oneshots. I hope y'all enjoy.
"Willa, I love you," is what I want him to say. Every hour, of every day, I'd wish he'd just notice me and say it. But, he doesn't. He's stuck in computer land. He's never going to notice me. Ever.
Everyone likes to ask if something's wrong. I like to shrug it off, claim that I didn't sleep well. Everyone gets so concerned, but then they're not because I'm good at lying. I'm good at hiding.
Philby used to be able to tell when I was lying. But, he hasn't looked at me in a week. Sometimes, I don't think he'll ever notice. Ever. No one could see the tears, the pain. Dell used to be able to. He hasn't even noticed that Charlene and Maybeck had gotten together, or that Finmanda had broken up. He didn't notice how Finn and Amanda were through each other cold glances. He didn't notice Maybeck kissing Charlene.
Dell didn't notice anything.
It was so easy to hide. It was too easy to hide.
"Willa, could you bring me some tea?" Dell didn't even look up from his computer screen.
We were at his home planning our next step against the OT's. At one point Dell decided to take a technical approach and soon became a computer zombie.
"I'll get it," Charlene offered. She left the room. Maybeck called after her not to, he said that Philby was so far gone that he probably didn't even have taste buds.
Dell didn't even roll his eyes.
He had been this way for months. It tore me apart every time I saw him or everytime I checked my phone even though he was never going to text me.
I loved Dell Philby, I did.
"So, what are we doing?" Finn's voice sounded sleep deprived. I think he had trouble sleeping after the break-up. Finn and Amanda broke up because they were mad at each other. Now, we had a sleep-deprived Finn and a red-eyed Amanda.
"I'm reconfiguring the system." Dell's voice was vacant of emotion or expression. He wasn't there anymore.
"Oh." Finn didn't understand anything when he was sleep deprived. I don't know why he bothered coming. Why did I bother coming?
"I have to go," I whispered. Dell didn't hear or acknowledge me. Charlene walked into the room with Dell's tea and grew concerned when she heard me.
"Willa?" She asked. Her cheerleader blond hair hung down her back in a loose braid. She was beautiful. I wish Dell had chosen her. I thought he did at some point. But, he chose his computer. Maybeck chose Charlene. They're happy. I'm not. That's not going to change.
"I have to go, my mom wants me back," I lied. Charlene saw apparently. Charlene saw my lie. She didn't see my pain, but she saw my lie.
"We need you to translate from Philby into English." She was smiling. Of course, she was.
"Okay." I felt small. There was no way to get out of this.
"Guys I have it!" Dell spoke with emotion for the first time in weeks.
"You do?" Amanda asked. I don't think she knew what "it" was, but she was excited
nonetheless.
"One second." There was another painstaking five minutes. I drank Dell's tea.
"Don't get our hopes up," Charlene moaned.
"Please," I whispered.
"Guys! I did it!" Dell exclaimed, jumping from his seat.
"Did what?" Charlene asked.
"We beat the OverTakers." Dell was smiling so wide. So was everyone else. I was playing
along, like I had been for months. And then he saw me.
"Willa, what's wrong?" His eyebrows were raised. He had a frown on his face.
"I didn't get enough sleep last night," I lied.
"Don't lie to me, Willa." Dell took a step towards me.
"I'm not lying." My tone had become rather defensive.
"You did it again." He put his hands on my shoulders.
Everyone around us had faded into their own worlds. They weren't paying too much attention. Or at least that was how it appeared. They were listening, I knew they were.
"It's just, I mean, Charlene and Mabeck got together. You didn't notice. Finn and Amanda broke up. You didn't notice that either." I choked over my last few words.
"That last one is just stupid," Dell commented.
"And you didn't notice-" I cut myself off, not daring to finish that sentence.
"You?" Dell asked. I didn't reply, I only looked into his eyes. "Willa, I got so caught up."
"I know," I replied.
"I didn't mean to forget to talk to you or forget to even notice you," Dell rambled.
"I know," I replied.
"I can't believe this. I want to talk to you every day of my life, how did I forget?" Dell seemed actually confused. "I didn't mean to lose track."
"I know," I replied.
"I, just, I love you!" Dell exclaimed.
"I kn- I'm sorry, what?" I asked. Did he just say that he loved me?
"I don't know why I said that." Dell sat down on the arm of the couch.
"I know," I replied.
"I'm sor-" I cut him off with a kiss. He hesitated, but kissed me back nonetheless.
"There's nothing to apologize for," I tutted. Dell's cheeks burned crimson.
"There isn't?" He asked.
"No, I love you too."
Thank you for reading my cheese! I hope y'all liked it!