Hey guys! Once again I'm back, despite being extremely busy, but I've kept on with my writing, nevertheless :) So here we are, what with Tilly being miserable about Dante, and Dante being a bit of an idiot (let's face it)...anyway, here we go...

Saturday, 9th February

10:13 am:

Forever alone.

Once again.

How on earth am I going to go on?

10:14 am:

I am now a thousand percent sure that I will never, ever have another boyfriend. When I'm eighty or so, I'll end up living in a big house with one cat for every year of being alone. And eventually, I'll die, miserable and alone, and all my cats will eventually turn on me, as they will have found other Sims or animals to go and have fun with.

10:15 am:

I haven't spoken to Dante at all since the fiasco at the concert. He's tried to ring me, presumably trying to grovel on his knees at my feet until I take him back. Well, not going to happen. If he wants to go round kissing every single one of his ex-girlfriends (even though it was true that she kissed him first), then he can just bloody well forget about it.

10:17 am:

The doorbell's ringing. Oh, God. I'm not dragging myself out of bed to go and get it. It's probably Emelie, or Becky. I rang them a day or so ago to tell them all about my sad tale about Dante. But while Emelie was hissing on about stalking him, then drinking every drop of his blood for revenge, and while Becky tried to offer her words of wisdom ("He's not worth it, Tilly. There are plenty more fish in the sea...just grab your rod and go fishing, girl!"), I zoned out a bit, trying to stop myself from crying even more.

10:19 am:

I feel an almighty jolt as someone bounces onto my bed, the springs creaking. "Tilly Tierney, it's time for you to get out of that bed and stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

I raise my head above the bedcovers and stare into Ben's brown eyes, which are full of a mixture of anxiety and determination. Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I run a hand through my rather messy hair.

"Ben, what are you doing here?" I mumble, looking at him. "And how did you find out about–" I try to say Dante's name, but fail.

"Do you honestly think that if everything was all right, Becky would have called me up late last night to tell me how down you are?" Ben demands, scrutinizing me. "I know that this hurts, Tilly, but you will get over it. Don't you worry." He crawls up beside me and puts an arm around my shoulder.

10:23 am:

"How would you know how I'm feeling right now?" I choke out. "You don't!"

Ben shakes his head. "Maybe I don't, Tilly. But I do know that sitting here moping isn't doing you any good. And I certainly do know that all your other friends and I are here for you, okay? Even Flora has your back. Trust me, if I hadn't managed to put my foot down very firmly indeed, I'm pretty sure she would have stormed over to Dante's house and cursed him something terrible. Turned him into a toad, or something."

I manage a laugh. "Flora? Really?"

10:25 am:

"There's one more thing." Ben says. "You have to give Dante a chance to explain himself. Whether you like it or not, you're going to have to hear each other out."

"But–" I try to think of some lame excuse (as right now, I'm not sure that I'd even want to be within ten metres of Dante), but Ben holds up a hand. "Please, Tilly?"

I shrug and give a half-smile. "Sure. Whatever, then."

2:40 pm:

Ben was right. I've only just realized that I've spent the past few days in a sorry state, and haven't done anything to help myself. Lydia and Fred have been worriedly venturing into my bedroom every so often, possibly to check that I haven't curled up and died from a broken heart. Even Bonehilda has been tactful and hasn't ventured into my room to clean it up. Well, not any more. Recovery, though it may be a slow one, is starting first thing tomorrow morning. I am determined.

2:42 pm:

Well, as determined as you can get, wearing a pair of cuddly pink PJ's, and cuddled on the couch with the pets watching the end of Super Shopping Network.

After all, it's important to give these things time, right?

Sunday, 10th February

3:22 pm:

Today has gone surprisingly well, in terms of my 'recovery'. I've even managed to sit myself down and finish my Egyptian book! There's just a bit of tweaking to be done, but it's pretty much all done. Pip rang me around midday and said that Flora and him were hosting a 'Wings' themed party that night, and that I was invited, as he thought I might need cheering up.

I asked casually, and said, "So Pip, just out of curiosity, how many fairies are attending the party? Because if the theme is 'Wings', then..."

He laughed and said, "Flora pretty much did all the inviting, Tilly, so I'm really not sure!" He paused for a second, then added, "But if you wanted to break the stereotype in terms of your themed outfit, then go ahead!"

3:24 pm:

Hmm. I rather think I will.

7:42 pm:

At the Goodfellow residence...

So far, at least ninety percent of the party population are fairies, sporting the biggest, most colourful wings I've ever seen, which in Moonlight Falls, is saying something. The rest of the guests are made up of Dwayne and Erica, who are both dressed in matching red and yellow outfits, and helicopter caps. And then, there's me.

Dressed in a black and yellow bumblebee outfit.

With an wobbly antennae to accessorize.

7:45 pm:

Dwayne ventures over towards me. "Hey, Tilly." He gives me a big wolfy grin that shows most of his teeth. "Nice outfit."

"Thanks." I straighten up and adjust my antennae, which has leaned noticeably to one side. "What type of helicopter are you and Erica supposed to be?"

"We're the talking helicopter Bubba Bee from that TV show Kidszone." Dwayne says, indicating his helicopter cap. "He's a good sort, Bubba. He's the only character on TV nowadays that I can really understand. I mean, he has a real voice that doesn't squeak and isn't high-pitched like all those other God-awful animated characters."

7:46 pm:

Right...

8:25 pm:

I've been dancing with Erica, Pip and Dwayne for a while now, and are enjoying myself very much. Flora keeps dancing through the room every quarter hour with a crowd of her fairy friends behind her, and asking excitedly, "Having fun, everyone?" All her fairy posse then screech, "Yes, of course!" then move through the crowd after her. All this would be fine, apart from the fact that I've noticed that Flora's eyes are unusually bright, and that every so often, she rises a few inches above the ground before landing unsteadily with a loud thump. Plus, the amount of nectar in the bottle keeps disappearing at an alarming rate. Oh dear.

8:43 pm:

"So, how are Lydia and Fred getting on?" Dwayne asks, reaching for a glass of nectar (I think it's truffle flavour) and downing it in one. "And how about Lydia's doggy admirer?"

I take a sip of the nectar, which is rather pleasant-tasting, and reply, "Good, thanks. Fred is just, well, as Fred-like as he can be. He does this wide-eyed, staring sort of thing. Like this." I open my eyes wide in an imitation of Fred, which makes Dwayne laugh. "And as for Lydia, I think that the whole canine courtship ordeal is going well. You know, I'm sure that this male corgi called Samuel adores her in his own way, playing fetch and chase-the-bone with her and looking at her with loving puppy-dog eyes..." My voice trails off as an image of Dante flashes into my head, on the Egyptian bridge and smiling at me like he truly loved me, with the sunlight shining through his hair, making his ink-blue eyes light up...and then the feeling of his mouth on mine...

8:46 pm:

But before I can begin rambling on about how much I wish I was a dog, and be able to be in a nice, carefree relationship with another dog, a loud squawking sound catches out attention, and Dwayne, Erica and I, seated in chairs in the corner of the room, all look up. Flora Goodfellow has now gone past the point of tipsy, and is now hanging onto Pip, her arm around his shoulders. Pip looks slightly uncomfortable, but nevertheless, he's helping to hold her up, with all her fairy friends are twittering away at the sight before them.

"Guess what, everyone?" Flora shouts, throwing an arm dramatically up into the air, her huge wings flapping excitedly. "I have decided, less than thirty seconds ago, that I'm getting married again!"

8:47 pm:

Oh dear God. All the other fairies are squealing and clapping, and Pip is smiling gently at Flora.

"But Flora, who are you getting married to? We're already married." he explains patiently.

"Well, let's just do it again!" Flora laughs. "Such fun! And Till...Tilly...shopping till...you can be a midesbraid! So can Erica! Won't you?" She looks at me with an earnest face. "And we can have a wedding cake, with frosted glassing, and Dwayne, you can be one of the groomsmen, along with Dante, if Tilly and him are ever, ever, getting back together..." She begins to sing Taylor Swift, waving her hand in the air, before Pip kisses her on the cheek.

"Come on, Flora, let's get you to bed." he says, all the fairies nodding at him in agreement. "You can tell me all about it in the morning." He begins to escort her up the stairs, which all us guests take as the cue to leave.

8:50 pm:

The cool night breeze blows around my face as I walk down the street to where my car is parked. The pang in my stomach I felt watching Pip and Flora hasn't lessened. At least they've got each other. They're married. I don't know if I'll ever get married now, given that I've lost Dante.

Suddenly, my phone starts to ring. I check the caller ID and my heart misses a beat.

I'm about to hang up, but then I remember what Ben said to me. 'You have to give Dante a chance to explain himself. Whether you like it or not, you're going to have to hear each other out.'

8:52 pm:

Tentatively, I answer. "Dante?"

"Tilly. Hi." He pauses for a couple of seconds. "Look, I know that you don't want to talk to me, and that you're still really mad at me, but I just...I just have to see you."

"Oh." My mind flounders around for things to say, and eventually comes up with, "Um, I do, too. I want to talk to you. Sort stuff out, you know?" Oh great, my eyes are starting to prick. Focus, Tilly.

"Great." Dante sounds relieved, presumably thinking that I'd hang up on him and never want to speak to him again. "So, can I come over tomorrow? Because I can't stand you being mad at me. And...I'm sorry. Like, really." He finishes, then there's a silence that seems to stretch on forever. "Tilly?"

8:54 pm:

I nod, then remember that he can't see me. "Yeah. Sounds good." I swallow. "See you tomorrow."

Monday, 11th February

3:38 pm:

Right. I can do this. It's just a question of hearing him out, then deciding where to go from there. I will keep calm and collected, and ignore the part of me inside that is silently screaming, "What have you got to lose? Just take him back and be done with it!'

Yeah, not exactly the best way to go. Oh, hell. There's the door. Oh, God. Deep breath, and open the door...

3:39 pm:

"Hey girl!" Emelie says eagerly, standing on the sunlit doorstep with Becky nodding by her side. "Has Dante come to talk to you yet? We want to know all the details."

Quickly, I pull them inside into the living room, and hiss, "What are you two doing here?"

Becky looks a bit crestfallen. "Well, you told us this morning that he was coming round to talk to you, so we thought that we'd come and see you, and–"

"Guys, he hasn't been here yet!" I exclaim, irritated. "And besides, you don't really need to know what he's got to say to me, because it's my–"

3:40 pm:

The ringing of the doorbell shuts us up. For a second, we stand and listen, then Dante's voice calls out, hesitantly, "Tilly? Are you here?"

My friend's faces mask my expression of both shock and panic. Oh my God. This can't be happening.

"What do we do?" Becky hisses. Emelie's eyes are darting round the room to look for an escape route. Except...there isn't one.

"Hide!" I whisper frantically, making shooing gestures with my arm as I leave the room. The two of them dive behind the sofa, and I'm left to open the door to Dante.

3:42 pm:

He's standing on the doorstep, wearing dark grey trousers and a white shirt, as good-looking as always. He gives me one of his half-smiles when he looks at me. "So, here I am."

I resist the temptation to a) either slam the door in his face, yelling, "I don't care! If you want to snog your ex, then fine with me!" of b) throw myself onto him and plead him desperately to forgive me. But instead, I say, "Sure. Come on in."

3:45 pm:

My heart almost stops when he tries to sit on the sofa that Becky and Emelie are crouched behind. Instead, I shout, "No, no, sit here instead!" pulling him away and leading him over to one of the armchairs, which I practically push him onto. He looks at me, confused.

"I figured that you wouldn't want to sit there, because...I've just had the sofa, erm, re-stuffed." I say, perching on one of the chairs, and trying to figure out what to say next.

3:47 pm:

It's been two minutes, and the both of us are sitting there in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say to the other.

How long will this last?

3:48 pm:

Eventually, Dante breaks the silence. "Look, Tilly, what I really want to say to you is that I'm really, really sorry for what I did at the concert. I shouldn't have let myself stand there and let my ex-girlfriend kiss me like she did, I should have said something, and–" He breaks off and runs a hand through his hair. "What I'm really trying to say is that I should have told you about her and been honest."

I nod, still trying to think of something to say, but not being able to concentrate due to the fact that Becky and Emelie are grinning at me behind the sofa, and that Becky is mouthing something at me. What? I shake my head in confusion, then look up to see Dante looking oddly at me.

"All right, Tilly?"

I nod. "Yes, of course. I'm just trying to say that..." I quickly rack my brains, and eventually come up with, "I'm sorry too, about what I said. I just didn't like what you said to me about not being honest, and the fact that I had fallen in love with Ben. I mean, I didn't know that he batted for the other side at the time! And, I–" I press on, "I think we should agree to tell each other stuff. You know..." My voice trails away.

3:50 pm:

"You're right." Dante says thoughtfully. "Let's agree to both be honest with each other, no matter what. Right?" He takes hold of my hand.

"Right." I agree, managing a smile. "It's been really difficult not talking to you. Just saying."

Dante leans forward. "I know. It's also been difficult not doing this, either."

3:51 pm:

And before I can say anything, he's kissing me hard, like he hasn't kissed me in years.

Wowzers.

3:53 pm:

I know that this means a massive grilling from Becky and Emelie afterwards, who I know are still hiding behind the sofa, watching the drama all unfold. Probably telepathically demanding me to 'get a room'.

But I have got a room, after all. They're just in it.

And frankly, at the moment, I don't give a damn.

Valentine's Day

8:10 pm:

It's Valentine's Day today. The day that the world celebrates luurve. Given that it's the second year that I've actually had a proper Valentine (the first time was when I was ten, with this boy in my class who sent me a card with only my name written on it in wonky crayon writing), it's a day worth celebrating.

After I had sent my Egyptian book 'Adventures in Al Simhara' off in the mail and said goodbye to the pets and Bonehilda, Dante and I went to the movies. I feel I should mention at this point that Lydia and Samuel were engaging in a romantic game of 'round and round the garden', while Fred and his favourite ball of string watched on. Even Bonehilda was sporting a pink apron with hearts patterned on it, and seemed to be in a more giggly mood than ever.

8:15 pm:

After the movie, and a walk round the park (at which there was what they call a 'Love Day' celebration occurring), Dante and I met up with Becky and Dennis, Dwayne and Erica, Pip and Flora (it seems as though they are indeed renewing their vows, after sitting down and talking it through) and Emelie and her 'boyfriend' Robert. He's about the same height as Emelie, with dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and casual street style. Even though he's not a vampire, they seem to be a happy couple. Ben was also there, attempting to be happy with all the couples around, but I could tell it was painful for him as well. Poor Ben. Hopefully Abdul gets his act together soon and comes over to visit.

8:17 pm:

Flora and Pip seem very excited about their upcoming nuptials, and the fact that Erica and I are indeed going to be bridesmaids. Dante has agreed to be one of the groomsmen, as well as Dwayne, however the two of them agree that they refuse to take part in the traditional 'Hover' event at the wedding, where the bridal party are supplied wings and have to hover over the bride and groom as they make their vows. Flora says that it's only a matter of time before they come round.

8:19 pm:

A couple of hours later, Dante and I said goodbye to everyone. He wanted to know if I wanted to go back to my place, but I said that it would be mayhem, due to the fact that Lydia and Samuel would most likely be spending a lot of time in their newly-bought 'dog house', and that Bonehilda may have even bought a male skeleton friend home by the name of Jack Skeletor. You never know.

8:20 pm:

I turn round to see Dante standing behind me, a grin on his face. "Should we go upstairs?"

I burst out laughing. "Dante! That sounds so–"

"What?" he asks, wrapping an arm round me.

I quickly shake my head. "Nothing."

He shrugs, still smiling. "Anyway, I know you've secretly been dying for me to do this, so..." Before I can say another word, he's picked me up in his arms, bridal-style, and is carrying me across the room. He has a bit of trouble managing the stairs, but we're both laughing, so it doesn't matter, and all of a sudden, we're in Dante's bedroom, lying on the bed. He pulls me on top of him, then we're making out, it's getting kind of heavy, and then–

10:27 pm:

Well, you can probably guess what happens next.

You know...

10:28 pm:

Happy Valentine's day, Tilly Tierney.

What did you think? Anyway, this is the second-to-last chapter of Tilly's diary, so I hope that you liked it. I've got a few things lined up for the next chapter, plus an appearance of someone you may not have seen for a while...any ideas? :)