Michelle awoke to the sounds of those annoying birds outside her window and groaned, then rolled over to check the clock on her nightstand. It was just after one o'clock. I don't want to get up yet, but I'd better go make sure that Ellie hasn't burned anything, Michelle thought as she slowly sat up in bed and, after a moment of self-cajoling, stood up and walked into her kitchen, only to find Ellie sitting cross-legged on the counter, drying dishes.

"Hey Michelle," Ellie answered as she set down a bowl she had dried and picked up a plate.

"Good morning," Michelle answered, taking the bowl from Ellie and putting it in the second cupboard to the left of the fridge.

"Afternoon."

"Whatever. So how was school yesterday?"

"Fine."

"Did you get in trouble in math again?"

"Michelle, that teacher doesn't know ANYTHING about calculus! It's not my fault she-"

"Ellie! You know they don't have to let you take that class! They could always bump you back to sophomore math where you belong!"

"I do not belong in sophomore math," Ellie said exasperatedly, shaking her head and wiping a plate vigorously with her red dishrag.

"But you're a sophomore," Michelle said, "even if you are a brilliant one."

"Thanks."

"Eh, that's what I'm here for," Michelle said, shrugging. Ellie threw the dishrag at Michelle and turned to put away the last plate. Michelle caught the rag with one hand just as the phone rang.

Ellie picked up the wireless phone near her on the kitchen counter and stared at it, waiting for the caller I.D. to show up. "Almeid-"

"I'll answer it!" Michelle interrupted as she jumped across the kitchen and snatched the phone from Ellie's hands.

"Dessler," Michelle answered nervously as she half-ran back to her bedroom, feeling a little bit like a thirteen-year-old with a crush.

"You know that you don't have to answer your home phone like that?" Tony's voice said on the other end.

"Yeah, it's just a habit," Michelle admitted.

"I do it too," Tony said. "So, how're you holding up?"

"Pretty well..." Michelle began. "I'm not sure that everything has really sunken in yet though, you know?" Like helping to dig out my dead co-workers. Yeah... not sinking.

"Yeah. Well uh, are you busy tonight?"

"No, not at all," Michelle said, glancing sideways at her reflection in her mirror. I think he's asking me out! Don't be too obvious!

"Well, how about I pick you up at like seven? We could go get dinner, or a movie, or both..."

"I'd love to!" Michelle said excitedly. Well, THAT wasn't at all obvious!

"Okay great, so I'll-"

"Tony?" I guess now's as good a time as any- this way he won't be too surprised.

"Yeah?"

"Umm, just to let you know, my little sister lives with me." Smooth, Michelle. That was just pretty much the most random thing you could've said. Now tell him that you had a pet dog named Christopher Cranberry Santa Claus Halloween Dessler when you were six that got run over.

"Really? Okay."

"Yeah, just so you're not too surprised or anything when you..."

"So seven?"

"Seven." SEVEN!