Uh oh! We're up to 8pm already! This was the beginning of the end ...
8.09pm: Throwing the Dumpling
Tommy and Lil sat on the couch in front of the TV, eating their newly arrived Chinese take-out.
"Want some rice?" Tommy asked, passing Lil the container with fried rice in it. She shook her head.
"No thanks. I'm on a no carbs diet."
Tommy crossed his eyebrows. "What do you need to go on a diet for, Lil? Where are you trying to lose weight from, your feet?"
"I'm not trying to lose weight," Lil defended herself. "Starchy foods have been making feel gross lately, so I'm cutting them out for a couple of weeks."
"Oh," mouthed Tommy. "Sorry."
Lil smiled at him. "No big deal. But are you saying my feet are fat?"
"No!" said Tommy quickly. "I didn't mean – "
"I've always thought my toes are a bit on the podgy side … " said Lil, extending her leg out to examine her foot.
"Your toes are not podgy. There's nothing podgy about you," said Tommy conclusively. Lil smiled at him again and laughed.
"I'm being stupid, T! But thanks for the 'not being podgy' line."
Tommy smiled back. "Thanks for sucking me in to say it."
"Any time," said Lil, helping herself to some honey chicken.
Tommy decided to change the subject.
"So you didn't tell me properly. What's up with Phil and Kimi?"
Lil swallowed her chicken and rolled her eyes. "Oh, that! I'm so happy they're finally going out."
"What do you mean, 'finally'?" said Tommy, who'd never imagined Phil and Kimi going out before. Had he missed something?
"Seriously, T. The torture those two put me through for the last two months! Kimi told me – in confidence – that she liked Phil, and made me 'cross my heart hope to die' not to tell anyone. Then, that same week, Phil told me he liked Kimi – also in confidence – and also made me promise not to tell anyone. So ever since, the two have been using me to talk about each other in secret, and I could never tell them about the other because they both made me promise I wouldn't! Did that make any sense?"
"Some," said Tommy, still coming to terms with the shock Phil and Kimi had liked each other for two months. "Sounds like a pretty a mental situation. It was good of you to keep their secret."
"It wasn't easy, " she confessed, before lowering her voice. "I'll tell you something I heard from Susie, though. She didn't make me promise or anything, so I don't see the harm. Everyone will know about it eventually. They won't be able to hide it."
"What are you talking about?" said Tommy, completely confused.
"Chuckie didn't tell you who his date was tonight, did he?"
"How did you … ? I mean, no, he didn't," Tommy confirmed. "He called and told me he was going on a date before you came over, but wouldn't say anything else. So you know who he's out with then?"
"Yuh huh."
"Who?"
Lil sighed with suspense.
"It's not who you'd expect … "
"Who?"
Tommy was on the edge of his seat; his Chinese dumpling haphazardly pinched between his chopsticks, threatening to drop in his lap at any moment. Lil paused, looked at him wearily, then …
"It's Angelica."
"ANGELICA!"
The dumpling did not drop in Tommy's lap; instead, acting upon his astonishment, Tommy flicked it behind him and sent it soaring to unknown location. Lil lifted an eyebrow at him.
"No need to throw food around," she said with a grin. "That's really more of a Phil thing."
Tommy, however, was still caught up on the previous topic.
"Chuckie and Angelica? Charles Finster and my cousin, Angelica Pickles? Are you sure?" Even when he said their names out loud it sounded wrong.
"I've known for a while now," Lil continued. "Trust me, I was as psyched out as you were."
"Wait a sec," said Tommy, holding up his hands in a halt gesture. "Did you say you've known for a while?"
"Two weeks," Lil verified. "That's how long ago Susie spilled the beans. Apparently something happened between them, and Angelica's got it for Chuckie now. And Chuckie, from the looks of things, feels the same way."
"What … what happened between them?"
She shrugged. "Susie wasn't sure. Angelica obviously didn't tell her everything."
Tommy slumped back against the couch, bewildered. "How come Chuckie never said anything to me? I thought we were best friends … "
Lil slumped back with him. "Don't feel bad, Tommy. Maybe he wasn't ready to say anything yet."
"But, how come I didn't see this coming? Or Phil and Kimi? Nobody tells me anything!"
"Um, hello?" said Lil in an obvious tone, referring to herself. Tommy smirked.
"Yeah, but I'm still the last to know."
"Not true. You'll know before the rest of school does," she tried to sooth him. "And don't worry about Chuckie. I'm sure he'll tell you everything by tomorrow. Then you can counsel him with his many embarrassing boy-type questions about dating and girls."
This managed to cheer Tommy up. Slightly. Something else was bothering him.
"Today's been like one prolonged episode of the Twilight Zone. All our friends are going out with each other, Dil's on a date with a human … everything's changing so fast. We're never going to be the same again, are we?"
"As my mom would say, it's called 'growing up'," said Lil wisely. The curse of puberty! Sometimes friends, well," Lil took a moment, "they just … end up feeling differently about each other. You realise you want more … "
Tommy folded his arms grumpily.
"I don't feel changed. Why do things have to change anyway?"
"Change doesn't have to be all bad," said Lil a little sadly, resting her head. "When it happens, it happens. Like a light going out, it'll hit – "
Lil stopped in mid-sentence. As fate would have it, all the lights and electricity went out in the house. After a moments silence, Tommy eventually spoke.
"Did you do that on purpose?"
"Er … " said Lil uneasily. "I don't think I did. Pretty cool timing, huh?"
"Definitely cool. Not to mention spooky."
8:36pm: Let There be Light
"How's it going up there?" Lil called out.
Tommy and Lil were now outside in Tommy's backyard. With a flashlight in his hand, Tommy was standing on the high point of a ladder, his face in the fuse box at the side of the house.
"How should I know? I'm a film director, not an electrician!"
"Then why did you say you could fix it?"
"I figured I could."
Lil sighed. Tommy thought he heard her muffle the word 'boys'.
"T, I don't think there's anything you can do," she informed him. "The whole street's out."
"I suppose the line 'let there be light' wouldn't be worth a shot?" said Tommy jokingly.
"Not unless you've turned into god," Lil replied shrewdly. "Are you seeing heaven at the top of that ladder?"
Tommy began climbing to the bottom. "Negative. Guess we better go inside and see if I can round up some candles – AGH!"
It happened in the blink of an eye. Tommy accidentally missed a step, lost his balance and fell backwards, taking the ladder with him. Unluckily for Lil, she was the one to break his and the ladder's fall.
"LIL!" Tommy cried, feeling her squashed underneath him. Panicked, he pushed the ladder away and immediately rolled off. "Lil! I'm so sorry! Talk to me, are you okay?"
Laying flat on the lawn, Lil simply responded by groaning painfully and muttering, "My head … you whacked me in the head with the flashlight … "
"I'm sorry!" said Tommy again, hovering over her. "Do you think you can stand up?"
"I … I don't know," she responded mistily, looking into his eyes. "You're all dizzy … "
Tommy felt awful. His mind was already preparing himself for the worse case scenario: he'd given her a serious head injury … he'd have to call the hospital and her parents … poor Lil, how could he be so clumsy?
"Lil, sit up," he instructed softly, helping her. "Put your arm around me shoulder … that's it."
With her arm in place, and his arm around her back, Tommy heaved Lil to her feet. "How do you feel about walking?"
"Ah … " She contemplated this. "I don't think I can. My vision's still all spinny ... "
"Right," Tommy affirmed, feeling her wobble against him. "On to plan B then."
Steadying himself, Tommy bended down and, with one arm still around her back, hooked his other arm behind her knees and lifted her clean off the ground. It was a good thing Lil wasn't 'podgy', because Tommy wasn't as strong as he originally thought.
"You all right?" he asked, looking down on her.
"Mmm hmm," she murmured. She sounded peaceful enough.
Tommy rushed inside the house. He left the flashlight he'd been holding on the lawn, unable to carry Lil and it at the same time. Treading his way through the darkness – no easy task, he eventually made his way into the kitchen, and then the living room. Somewhere along his path, something went skwilch under his shoe.
"I found out where the dumpling I threw went," he informed her. "Uck! Lil? Lil, you still with me?"
He gave her a shake. Thankfully, she murmured incoherently.
Managing to locate the couch, Tommy eased her down before hurrying back to the kitchen to find another flashlight. After finding one and turning it on, he went back to her side and shined the light on her forehead.
"Phew," he sighed. "There's no blood, but I've given you a nasty bruise. How are you feeling?"
Lil blinked at him and touched her sore. "Better," she winced.
"Yeah? How many fingers am I holding up?" Tommy tested her, holding up his rude finger in her face. She chuckled and slapped it away.
"Very funny, Pickles!" she mocked. "I'm not that out of it."
"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Tommy laughed. "But seriously, you are feeling better?"
Lil nodded. "Yeah. Just a bit of a headache … "
"I'll get you an ice-pack!"
Before Lil could answer him, Tommy was on his feet and back in the kitchen. A minute later, he returned with a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a towel.
"Thanks, Tommy," she said appreciatively, taking it off him and laying it on the bruise.
"Brought you your own flashlight, too," he said, handing it to her.
"Wow. So many gifts! Is it my birthday already?"
"No. But it is Valentine's Day – if you consider that to be a serious holiday."
"You got me a flashlight and peas for Valentine's Day, then?" Lil teased.
"Sure, why not," Tommy teased back. "Beats some crumby Valentine's card with a cheesy, cliché message printed inside."
"Er … yeah," said Lil, in a splintered voice that Tommy failed to notice.
"Let's see that bruise," he said to her, aiming his flashlight and lifting the peas off to have a look. In doing so, he had to lean into her close … very close. She smelled kind of nice when he thought about it … like a tropical drink with a twist of vanilla …
"Um, T?"
"Huh?" Tommy seemed to come out of a trance. Pulling back, he saw Lil staring at him very oddly.
"Did you just sniff me?" she interrogated.
"What? No!" said Tommy shortly, suddenly very aware of his heart beat becoming faster and faster.
"Tommy," said Lil, sounding concerned, "are you all right?"
"I'm fine!" he replied, his voice higher then normal. "I just need to, um … CANDLES!"
"Candles?"
"I've got to go get candles! From downstairs ... " He stood up. "Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes?"
Still staring at him in the same odd way, Lil responded, "Yeah, sure."
Walking very quickly and feeling very stupid, Tommy escaped to the kitchen. Once out of sight, he stopped to take a deep breath and lean against the wall.
Something had just happened.
Strange sensations were taking over. His stomach felt all fluttery and his face was pounding with warmth. Calming his thoughts, Tommy retraced his steps: Lil thought I smelt her … so what? … well, I did smell her … how long for, though? I don't even remember … she smelled really, really good …
Tommy's face began to burn. He must've been blushing like a strawberry. Strawberries … Lil smelt like strawberries … she's … oh CRAP! This is not happening!
But it was happening – and there was very little Tommy could do to stop it.
Hey T/L people! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews. And nightgodess, so nice to hear from you again :) Be sure to leave your thoughts on chapter two. Later!