"Danielle! Danielle wake up!" Anita impatiently yelled as she knocked on her door. She heard a yelp and a loud thump from inside. Slightly alarmed, she let herself in, only to find an half asleep, and really annoyed Danielle, laying in a tangle of covers on the floor. One look at each other and they burst into laughter.
"Am I interrupting something?" They looked toward the door to find Ben standing there, looking more than a little amused. Danielle jumped up from the floor, only to fall back down, because her feet were impossibly tangled in the sheet. This sent Anita into another fit of laughter, Ben with her.
"Yeah, my pain is something to laugh about. Thanks you guys!" She set to work on her feet and after a minute of failure, Anita sighed and tried to help her. Nobody but Ben noticed as Genna silently slipped into the room and crept up behind Anita. She grabbed Anita's sides and began to tickle her. Anita yelped and jerked around to see the offender.
"Genna…Marie…Get the…HELL…off of ...me."
"Not 'till you come to my room to hear all of the details! Then you have to spill!"
"NO! No spilling until I am out of these sheets!"
Ben watched all of this with a grin on his face. He'd never met three women so hyper and loud in the morning. He was about to leave them to it when Danielle remembered that he was standing there.
"Ben! Cam you help me?" She had to scoot away as the other two almost rolled on top of her. He went to her and started to work on her feet. He'd just assumed that they couldn't get it undone because they were weak girls. He found out however, this was not the case.
"How did you manage this?"
"Don't know I was asleep. Hey, why are you here?"
"Right. He handed her a folder.
"Thanks." She was about to open it when she heard him give a triumphant "Yes!"
"Doubly thanks!" He helped her up and said his goodbyes. Danielle looked down at her crazy friends. Anita had Genna down now. "Hey you guys, I've got to take a shower and go to the lab. I'll meet you two at lunch. No spilling until then okay?"
"Why can't you do it now?" Anita stopped her attack on Genna and looked up.
"Because your annoying boyfriend is working me to death, that's why."
"Say it again."
"Your boyfriend is working me to death."
"MY BOYFRIEND! Hahaha!" Danielle and Genna gave her a look that clearly said, 'What are you on?'
"Okay I've gotta go, I'll see you two at lunch!" Genna hurried from the room. Anita left after her, still grinning like a mad woman. Danielle just shook her head, glad that her friends had found the happiness they'd been hoping for.
Danielle walked into the lab to find Rodney sitting at his desk, staring off into space.
"Good morning lover-boy." This seemed to snap him back to reality.
"Hello Danielle. Have you talked to Anita yet?"
"Briefly." He got this goofy look on his face. "But not about last night. I woke up late, or rather she woke me up late. She scared me half to death. I ended up falling out of the bed. I won't get details 'till lunch."
"Oh okay." He started to work on his laptop, but stopped every few minutes and just stared off into space.
"Would you like to tell me how you think it went?" She guessed this is what was bothering him.
"I think it went wonderful! I just don't know if she does."
"Well, she asked me why I had to go t o work this early and I told her that her boyfriend was working me to death. She asked me to repeat it and then yelled MY BOYFRIEND! Hahaha! I would take that as a good sign." Amazingly, he seemed relieved.
Danielle just shook her head and took out the file Ben had brought her. Inside she found the report she'd requested for reference. She flipped through it carefully, not wanting to miss anything. She finally reached the page she'd been looking for, only to find a small envelope tucked in with the page. She smiled as she recognized the handwriting.
Dear Danielle,
I have a gift for you. The catch is that you have to find it. You first clue is where the sun and the moon meet.
Love,
Your Secret Admirer
She had to laugh at this. He was sending her on a scavenger hunt. 'Where the sun and the moon meet'. Where would that be?
"Hey Rodney, where do the sun and the moon meet?"
"I'm not supposed to help you."
"What do you mean? Do you know who this is?"
"No, but word was passed around today not to help you."
"No fair. Oh well, more fun for me." She began to think. It could be the sea, but how in the world would he put a clue on the sea. Then it hit her. In Weir's office, there was a bronze wall ornament, it had the sun and the moon crossing each other.
"Hah! I've got it!" she yelled triumphantly, startling Rodney.
"So, where is it?"
"It's in Weir's office."
"Why are you still here?"
"Because I work here."
"I mean why haven't you gone to get the next clue?"
"Don't you need my help?"
"No, I figured it out yesterday before I took Anita out.". She jumped up out of her chair and ran out the door, yelling a goodbye over her shoulder.
She reached Elizabeth's office in record timing. As she stepped in, Elizabeth gave her a wide smile and pointed to the ornament. Danielle walked over and plucked the envelope from it.
Danielle,
She has black hair, a PhD, a month for a middle name, and your next clue.
Love,
Your Secret Admirer
Great, there are at least twenty girls with black hair. Maybe eight with PhD. Danielle knew of three with months for middle names. Suddenly it hit her. She said her thanks to Weir and left.
She walked up behind Anita and covered her eyes.
"So, Anita June, I hear you have something for me."
"Yep I sure do." She grinned as she handed Danielle the envelope.
"You don't happen to know who's behind this do you?"
" Nope, I'm just the messenger."
Danielle,
You have two clues after this one. Your next clue is a little cliché. Think Shrek.
Love,
Your Secret Admirer
What in the hell did he mean 'Think Shrek.' "Anita, what on Shrek is cliché?"
"You mean besides the fact that it's a fairy tale gone all funny? Nothing really."
"That doesn't help me much." She began to rack her brain, remembering the movie. Finally, the intro began to replay itself inside her brain. '…She was locked away in the highest room in the tallest tower…' Aha! She had it. Only two more clues left.
