Chapter 11

"This is so unfair."

"I made us two cookies each. How's that unfair?"

"You have two chocolate chip cookies. I have one chocolate chip and one oatmeal raisin." I made a face at the last two words.

Phil pulled a sad little kid face. "I'm sorry! I ran out of chocolate chips."

"So you thought I wouldn't notice?"

"Yeah..."

I burst into laughter. "Oh, Phil.."

He looked at me baffled. "You're- you're not mad?"

"No! They're just cookies. But I love to see you squirm." I smiled mischievously.

"Evil..."

"I'll go get some milk."
I opened the fridge to find pretty much everything but the milk carton. I shut the door dramatically, whipping around to face Phil. "We're out of milk."

Dan walked in at that precise moment, acting as the sound effects. "Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUN!"

Phil jumped up. "Cookies without milk?! Why that's...preposterous!"

"Unspeakable!" I added.

"Unspeakable!" Dan echoed two octaves higher than his normal voice.

"This. Is. Serious." Phil grabbed the door handle, but I stopped him.

"Wait!" I grabbed his jacket, tossing it to him. "Don't forget your cape!"

He slung the jacket around his shoulders. 'Thanks Robin. I'm off!" He opened the door, then stopped. "Oh, hi."

A woman with ginger hair, a small frame, and striking blue eyes entered the apartment. "Where are you off to?" She queried.

"Off to save the world- err...I mean, buy some milk."

The girl giggled. She couldn't be older than twenty-five. "Yup. Still haven't changed a bit." Where had I heard this voice before?

Dan cleared his throat. "Um, would you like something to drink?"

"Oh yes please. Some white wine if you've any."

Then it clicked. The girl from the telephone call. My heart sank. I should've known Phil would have a girlfriend.

"So how's Manchester?" Phil asked as the two took a seat on the sofa.

"Oh, you know. Good old Manchester. Rainy as ever."

Phil laughed. "Of course. How's Edmond?"

The phone-call woman frowned. "Still awfully ill. But he's been receiving treatment regularly, so should see some improvement in a week or so."

"That's wonderful." Phil smiled. I winced. The smile this woman I didn't even know loved.

Dan walked into the living room, handed the woman a glass of wine, and took a seat on a chair opposite the sofa. She thanked Dan, and I saw this as an opportunity to join the congregation. Phil smiled at us, then it dawned on him. "Oh my gosh. I'm the worst mate ever. Amy, this is Dan and Lucy. Guys, this is my Aunt Amy."

What? Dan and I looked at each other in complete shock.

Amy stood up to shake our hands, so we stood too. "So this is the almighty danisnotonfire." Dan nodded. "And you must be his girlfriend, yeah?"

Dan and I looked at each other. "Um, no," we said simultaneously.

"Then you're Phil's girl?"

Phil blushed and so did I. "Um, no Amy. Lucy is just our neighborly friend." Just a neighborly friend? Really?

"Really? If I were you, dear, and I lived across the hall from two well fit boys like like these two, I would flirt like there's no tomorrow." I blushed an even deeper red.

Phil cleared his throat. "Um, would you like to set your things up in my room, Amy?"

Amy turned to Phil. "Oh, yes. Thank you. I'll just be a moment."

After she left the room, Dan spoke first. "She's staying with us?"

"My aunt's a really lonely woman. Plus, she hasn't seen me in well over two years. she's nice, I promise."

Dan sighed. "Alright, then. Since she's family."

They both turned to me as if to ask for my permission. "What? It's not my apartment.

"But you're here all the time," Dan interjected. Phil nodded in agreement.

"Who am I to reject family? As long as she doesn't try to set me up with either of you, I'm fine with it."

So that was that. Amy was staying with us.