PruLiech Day 9 Phone Calls

The opening notes of the Swiss National anthem played on Lili's phone. She smiled ruefully and answered it. "Wie geht's, Vash?"1

"Gut. Are you on the train now, Lili?" Her brother didn't like to waste time on small talk.

"Ja, of course," Lili said as she looked out the window on the Hungarian countryside. "I should be in Vienna in half an hour."

"That's quick! I don't think I can get there to meet you. Why didn't you call me before you got on the train?"

"I didn't want to bother you, Bruderherz2, and besides, I can always contact Austria if I need any help."

"Did you have a good time? What did you and Elizabeta do?"

Lili sighed. "Yes, and why don't I tell you when I get home? I hate to talk on the train with all these—"

"Are you hiding something from me, Lili?"

"No!" Her voice rose a little. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired and I'd really rather tell you about the weekend in person. Oops, here's the conductor. Tschüß, Vash!" She ended the call over her brother's protest. There was no conductor, but she knew if she kept telling Vash to wait until she returned home, he would keep peppering her with questions. She studied her lime green fingernails with the little daisies Feliks had painted on them; after the fight last night, his offer to give her a manicure seemed to be his way of saying sorry. She had also been glad to avoid Elizabeta's gaze as she watched Feliks select colors and file and chat about how things were going with him and Toris.

Her phone went off again, this time a passage from Liszt. Lili hesitated to answer it. She had a feeling she knew what Elizabeta wanted to talk about and she didn't want to do it over the phone on a train.

The Liszt passage kept repeating, until the mortals in the train gave Lili dirty looks. She answered it. "Why didn't you pick up?" Elizabeta demanded.

"Oh I was in the 'loo," Lil lied. "Thanks for having me over, Elizabeta. How's the TV and laptop working?"

"We've got more serious things to talk about." A pause. "Roderich and I are worried about you, Lili."

Lili froze. Not the Truth or Dare game again. Or was it something from their argument last night?
"I'm fine, Elizabeta. There's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to do with Vash?"

Lili laughed. "Oh, you know about me and Vash!"

"No I don't, Lili." Elizabeta sounded serious. "That was quite a bomb you dropped at dinner. If he's doing anything

Lili's phone beeped. A new call was on the line, a number she didn't recognize. "Oh Elizabeta, I have to take this call. But don't you and Roderich worry about me, everything is fine. Later!" She switched over to the other call, thanking the god of cell phones for convenient timing. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lili." She couldn't quite place the male German voice.

"Heeeyyy. . .you?"

"Wat,3 you don't recognize my awesome voice?"

"Prussia, I mean Gilbert?" Lili was startled. She felt her mouth pull into a wide smile. "Oh my goodness! Oh, I'm so sorry! I can't believe—" stop babbling, Lili, she scolded herself. She took a deep breath. "I've never heard your voice on the phone before. Isn't it funny how people's voices can sound different in person and on the phone?"

"You sound like a little mouse! Oh, Scheiße, that came out wrong. It's cute. Your voice is cute, Lili." They laughed a little. "Is this a good time to talk, Lili?" Gilbert asked.

She knew from the tone of his voice that he meant if Vash were around or not. "I'm on a train from Budapest to Vienna. Vash is at home. We can talk."

"Ah, gut." Mutual silence. "So, um, that was a crazy party, ja?"

"Which one?" The moment she spoke, Lili wanted to bang her forehead against the window.

"How many parties are you going to, Fraulein? I meant Feliks's. Crazy party girl."

She laughed nervously. Mein Gott, he must think I'm an idiot. "Ja, Feliks's party was great." She remembered it, what she had done with Gilbert, and she felt a strange calm return. "It was good to be with you."

"Ja, same here." His voice sounded warm and quiet. "Lili, I'd like to see you again."

Her heart started pounding, like a drum program gone mad. "I'd like to see you, too! But I'll be back at Vash's this evening. Text or email me and we'll see what we can do."

"Ja, will do." Another pause. "So do you need some virtual company on the train?"

"That would be nice." She was touched by the gesture. "So, do you have any gossip about Feliks's party on your blog?"

"Awesome stuff!" And he proceeded to tell her all the way to Vienna.

1 German: how's it going. An informal version of the greeting "Wie geht es Ihnen?"

2 German: Brother heart. Actually more intimate and realistic to use in addressing an older sibling than "bruder"

3 Gilbert uses "Wat" instead of "Was" for "what" as a Berlinism.