For a few very long moments, Eileen didn’t know what to say. This was not the direction she had expected this night to go. When she’d been listening to Ayla’s worries, she’d assumed that they’d have to look for someone and had already added it to the list of things she needed to do. In fact, her mind was going through a list of acquaintances who’d be able to come to Teodes on such short notice.
Nowhere in her mind was this a course of action. It hadn’t even been a possibility. Hell, she'd thought Ayla was asking about the wig because she wanted to know whether she could disguise herself. Now that seemed like the least of her worries.
She stared into the sparkling hazel eyes, took in the determined tilt of her face and the excitement already vibrating through her. And suddenly she knew exactly what to say.
“That’s an absolutely insane idea.”
“That wasn’t a no.” Was the very unhelpful reply.
“Ayla, you can’t be serious.” Eileen was moving off the lounge, feeling a sudden need to stretch her legs.
“It’s a perfectly acceptable solution.”Aylasaid following her to her feet.
In reply to that, Eileen gave her a deadpan glance. Hopefully it conveyed just how insane she found this course of action. Only Ayla would think that the solution to her mother wanting to set her up on a date was to have her very female friend be her date in disguise.
“Come on.”Ayla whined. “It might even be fun.”
Eileen huffed. “How in the seven seas would this be in fun? In any definition of the word?”
“I know you can do it!”Aylaexclaimed, practically bouncing on the feet now.
“That’s besides the point.” Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. A part of her thought this was a very bewildering dream. Maybe she needed to lie down instead of pacing. “What even led up to this?” She asked instead.
“I need someone I can trust and there’s no time.”
“Can’t you ask someone else?” Eileen had to ask. “I have some friends who could be your date. Maybe you could talk to them?”
“No.”Ayla shook her head.
“You haven’t even met them.” She pointed out in an exasperated huff.
Aylastared at her with uncharacteristic somber expression for a few seconds, before shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Because it won’t be any different than my mother setting me up.” She shook her head. “I don’t trust them.”
“There has to be someone you trust.” At the look that got her, Eileen felt a need to add, “Someone else you trust.”
Instead of the continued protest she was expecting, Ayla instead tilted her head in question, “Are you saying no?”
She almost did just that. But then she made the mistake of looking into her eyes. Saw the dejection building in them, along with something else. It gave her pause. She gulped down the “no”, resignation building in its place.
Fine. She’d go along with this hare-brained scheme. The desperation she’d seen in Ayla’s eyes meant nothing good. She had a feeling if she refused her now, it would lead to a much more dangerous situation. Grandpa had told her to trust her intuition, she only hoped she was making the right decision.
“Why does it have to be me?” Eileen needed to reiterate.
“It can only be you.”Ayla stated. “No one else will do.”
Searching her gaze, she could only find the utmost conviction. Eileen sighed. No one else will do. Well. If her decision hadn’t been made already, it certainly was now. Only time would tell if it was the right one.
“Alright.” Eileen sighed.
“Alright?”Ayla’seyes widened, as if she couldn’t quite believe her ears.
She shook her head, even as smile played on her lips. “Alright.”
It made a grin spread on her face in return, elation replacing the dejection. A relieved laugh escaped her lips as she bounced excitedly in place. “This is going to be so much fun!”
“I would like it to be put on record that I think this is a terrible idea.” Eileen told her even as she was accosted by a crushing hug. “This is most definitely going to back-fire and I still think this completely mad.”
“But you’re still going to go along with it.”Ayla pointed out, not deterred in the least after having gotten her confirmation.
“Well, I can hardly let you do it by yourself, can I?” Eileen gave her a pointed look. “It would be a guaranteed disaster. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how your last scheme went.”
That had her releasing her and an annoyed glance being thrown her way.Ayla huffed in place, an accusing finger pointed at Eileen’s face. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about the fountain fiasco!” Another huff. “It would have absolutely have worked if that cake hadn’t been in my way.”
“You were trying to figure out how the chandelier stayed afloat with so much weight. I don’t see how that has anything to do with the cake. Or with you in a fountain.”
“I told you. I needed to get past the guards to look at the mechanism and if the cake hadn’t been in my way, my dress wouldn’t have been stained and I wouldn’t have had to clean it. Thus I wouldn’t have been so close to it when the horse spooked me.”
Eileen had to squash a laugh at that. Somehow she didn’t think she’d managed to completely hide the smile it left behind. “And like I told you, you could have just gone to the restroom to clean it. You just like picking the most extra solution.”
“But then they would have asked me why I was near it to begin with.”
“You could have said you wanted to see whether it was safe to eat because of your mother’s allergies.” Eileen pointed out. It really was easier to convey this in person than through letters.
Ayla blinked, mouth opening and shutting a few times. “I…hadn’t thought of that.”
A snort escaped her at that, even as a fond smile pulled her lips. “Clearly.”
“Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a disaster if you’d been there.”Ayla sighed as she dramatically sat back in her seat.
Honestly, it was a miracle no one had come to check up on them yet with the noise it made. But then again, they’d sound-proofed her room after the night she had kept them up with her incessant passing while waiting for a meteor shower. Anyone who knew her knew she had a one-track mind when it came to astronomy.
Eileen sat back down as well. “Well, I’m here now.”
“Yes you are.”Ayla smiled, before a mischievous grin took its place. “And I’m never letting you go. Muahaha.”
Eileen shook her head, a fond smile forming again as Ayla held her hands up in mock threat after the faux evil laugh. “I’m not going anywhere.”
After all, she still had things she needed to do. More than she had an hour ago, now that Ayla had spontaneously hatched this insane plan. It really was ridiculous. A part if her wanted to tell her she’d changed her mind. The larger part knew she wouldn’t be able to do it. For better or worse, she had a hard time telling her no.
“When is this ball anyway?” It had surprisingly not come up in the long-winded rant.
“Oh.”Ayla blinked, face scrunching in contemplation. “It’s in three days. I think.”
Three days. It wasn’t very much time to work with, but by no means unmanageable. “And where is it?”
That got a sheepish look. “I don’t know.”
Ah. Well, she supposed that was to be expected. It would be hard to remember the location of an event you didn’t want to go to in the first place. Not to mention Ayla’s tendency to block out everything she didn’t like.
“Well, I doubt you can ask your mother right now, but you can always text me when you know.”
“We can talk on the phone now?”Ayla blinked, clearly having narrowed in on the detail she was interested in.
“Of course.” Eileen smiled. “I can hardly not use one when everyone already is.”
They hadn’t used one to talk to friends before because there was a large chance that someone might come across it and they didn’t want to be recognized. With letters, even if they were discovered, it wouldn’t be hard to pass them off as fake. After all, there was fan fiction about her grandpa, or more precisely the Great General, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched that someone would pretend to be her.
But a phone had threads which couldn’t so easily be hidden. Which was why they’d had to use decoys with no personal information to communicate in the past. The sense of paranoia from seeing so much war had never quite left her grandpa, buzzing beneath his skin and making him restless.
Eileen Devencrux was dead. Only a select few knew she was still alive. And it had to stay that way if she was ever going to be able to find out what had happened. Although the Westfords knew she was alive as well, she didn’t want to risk them that much. Which was why she’d snuck in through the window instead of knocking at the door.
She wouldn’t have even come to see Ayla, but she hadn’t expected to feel such a strong sense of loss staying in that house. Grandpa had warned her she might, but she’d thought fourteen years had done something to dull those emotions. A sentiment that felt very naive right now.
Before she could spiral more down the hole of her thoughts, Ayla’s excited squeal brought her out of it. For the third time that night, Eileen found herself being glomped by her best friend. Not that she minded. Still though…
“Get off.” She laughed, “You’ve gotten so much more huggy since the last time I saw you.”
Instead of getting off, Ayla instead chose to sprawl herself over her lap. “I’ve been starved of your presence.” She bemoaned dramatically, an arm falling to cover her eyes. “One hug is just not enough.” She smiled mischievously, “I’m afraid you’ll just have to get used to it.”
That just had her laughing harder. “Maybe I should mention this to your mother. Then she wouldn’t think you’re opposed to all human contact.”
“She’d never believe you.”
Whatever she could have said was overtaken by the laugh that followed those words. Her hand went to push her off gently. Ayla finally does get off, but not without protest, and she didn’t wander far. Their eyes met and then they were both doubling over in quiet laughter.
“We really do need to plan this a little more if you want to actually go through with it.” Eileen wheezed out between peals of laughter. Somehow they’d both managed to end up lying on the ground.
“Maybe.” A yawn. “But I don’t think I can make my brain work right now.”
A glance out the window confirmed that it was indeed late out. And that it was still storming out. “Alright.” She concedes. “We can talk about it in the morning. But I can’t go home in a storm, so we may have to find something to do.” A pause. “Or I suppose I could just read while I wait.”
“Why can’t you just stay here?”Aylaasked, turning on her side.
“Because your mother might come in here and I still have a house to fix up.”
“The house made you sad.”Ayla says around a yawn.
Eileen turns as well. “I didn’t tell you that.”
“You didn’t have to.” She smiles tiredly, “I can guess.”
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that for all Eileen knows Ayla, she knows her just as well. So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that she would have picked up on why she was here. But it was.
“It won’t forever.”
Aylafixes her with a narrowed look. “But it does right now.”
“I think that might just be part of the process.” It needed to hurt before it could heal.
“I still don’t like it.”
Eileen huffed a laugh. “I know.”
It took some cajoling, but she finally manages to makeAylaagree to go to sleep. Although she refuses to stay there unless Eileen is lying beside her as well. When mentioning that she’s going to leave soon, Ayla argues they don’t know long it’s going to be and that there’s more than enough room.
After a few minutes of arguing over the situation, it still ends with both of them lying on the bed. She’d be upset, but it really is more comfortable than sitting on the lounge. It’s not pressed against the wall for one. So, she supposed Ayla had a point. Not that she was going to tell her that.
Lying on the mattress, waiting for the storm to go down with her friend snoring lightly by her side, she feels at ease. Coming to see her may have been a rash decision, but that didn’t mean it was the wrong one. Eileen pursed her lips as a sigh escaped. She hadn’trealisedhow much she had needed it.
For the first time in years, she was staying in a place far away from her grandpa. And the empty house had done nothing to abate the loneliness or what she nowrecognisedas homesickness. Maybe now she’d be able to manage it better.
She’d soon get over the feeling. It was the same with any new place she’d been. It was unsettling at first but she’d get used to it after a few days. By the time the ball came around, she’d likely not be so affected.
In the meantime, she had Ayla.
Visiting her had already gotten rid of the sorrow plaguing her, but her presence beside her gave a comfort she didn’t know she needed. Although, it was still crazy that the first thing they did together after so long apart was such a hare-brained scheme. Eileen laughed softly in resignation. It held a touch of hysteria, and she didn’t quite know whether to laugh or cry.
Oh well. Mama had always said that every relationship is different and some are more insane than others. Granted, this is was probably not what she had meant when she’d told eight-year-old Eileen that, but she felt it still applied.
But she wouldn’t have it any other way.
For a few very long moments, Eileen didn’t know what to say. This was not the direction she had expected this night to go. When she’d been listening to Ayla’s worries, she’d assumed that they’d have to look for someone and had already added it to the list of things she needed to do. In fact, her mind was going through a list of acquaintances who’d be able to come to Teodes on such short notice.
Nowhere in her mind was this a course of action. It hadn’t even been a possibility. Hell, she'd thought Ayla was asking about the wig because she wanted to know whether she could disguise herself. Now that seemed like the least of her worries.
She stared into the sparkling hazel eyes, took in the determined tilt of her face and the excitement already vibrating through her. And suddenly she knew exactly what to say.
“That’s an absolutely insane idea.”
“That wasn’t a no.” Was the very unhelpful reply.
“Ayla, you can’t be serious.” Eileen was moving off the lounge, feeling a sudden need to stretch her legs.
“It’s a perfectly acceptable solution.”Aylasaid following her to her feet.
In reply to that, Eileen gave her a deadpan glance. Hopefully it conveyed just how insane she found this course of action. Only Ayla would think that the solution to her mother wanting to set her up on a date was to have her very female friend be her date in disguise.
“Come on.”Ayla whined. “It might even be fun.”
Eileen huffed. “How in the seven seas would this be in fun? In any definition of the word?”
“I know you can do it!”Aylaexclaimed, practically bouncing on the feet now.
“That’s besides the point.” Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. A part of her thought this was a very bewildering dream. Maybe she needed to lie down instead of pacing. “What even led up to this?” She asked instead.
“I need someone I can trust and there’s no time.”
“Can’t you ask someone else?” Eileen had to ask. “I have some friends who could be your date. Maybe you could talk to them?”
“No.”Ayla shook her head.
“You haven’t even met them.” She pointed out in an exasperated huff.
Aylastared at her with uncharacteristic somber expression for a few seconds, before shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Because it won’t be any different than my mother setting me up.” She shook her head. “I don’t trust them.”
“There has to be someone you trust.” At the look that got her, Eileen felt a need to add, “Someone else you trust.”
Instead of the continued protest she was expecting, Ayla instead tilted her head in question, “Are you saying no?”
She almost did just that. But then she made the mistake of looking into her eyes. Saw the dejection building in them, along with something else. It gave her pause. She gulped down the “no”, resignation building in its place.
Fine. She’d go along with this hare-brained scheme. The desperation she’d seen in Ayla’s eyes meant nothing good. She had a feeling if she refused her now, it would lead to a much more dangerous situation. Grandpa had told her to trust her intuition, she only hoped she was making the right decision.
“Why does it have to be me?” Eileen needed to reiterate.
“It can only be you.”Ayla stated. “No one else will do.”
Searching her gaze, she could only find the utmost conviction. Eileen sighed. No one else will do. Well. If her decision hadn’t been made already, it certainly was now. Only time would tell if it was the right one.
“Alright.” Eileen sighed.
“Alright?”Ayla’seyes widened, as if she couldn’t quite believe her ears.
She shook her head, even as smile played on her lips. “Alright.”
It made a grin spread on her face in return, elation replacing the dejection. A relieved laugh escaped her lips as she bounced excitedly in place. “This is going to be so much fun!”
“I would like it to be put on record that I think this is a terrible idea.” Eileen told her even as she was accosted by a crushing hug. “This is most definitely going to back-fire and I still think this completely mad.”
“But you’re still going to go along with it.”Ayla pointed out, not deterred in the least after having gotten her confirmation.
“Well, I can hardly let you do it by yourself, can I?” Eileen gave her a pointed look. “It would be a guaranteed disaster. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how your last scheme went.”
That had her releasing her and an annoyed glance being thrown her way.Ayla huffed in place, an accusing finger pointed at Eileen’s face. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about the fountain fiasco!” Another huff. “It would have absolutely have worked if that cake hadn’t been in my way.”
“You were trying to figure out how the chandelier stayed afloat with so much weight. I don’t see how that has anything to do with the cake. Or with you in a fountain.”
“I told you. I needed to get past the guards to look at the mechanism and if the cake hadn’t been in my way, my dress wouldn’t have been stained and I wouldn’t have had to clean it. Thus I wouldn’t have been so close to it when the horse spooked me.”
Eileen had to squash a laugh at that. Somehow she didn’t think she’d managed to completely hide the smile it left behind. “And like I told you, you could have just gone to the restroom to clean it. You just like picking the most extra solution.”
“But then they would have asked me why I was near it to begin with.”
“You could have said you wanted to see whether it was safe to eat because of your mother’s allergies.” Eileen pointed out. It really was easier to convey this in person than through letters.
Ayla blinked, mouth opening and shutting a few times. “I…hadn’t thought of that.”
A snort escaped her at that, even as a fond smile pulled her lips. “Clearly.”
“Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a disaster if you’d been there.”Ayla sighed as she dramatically sat back in her seat.
Honestly, it was a miracle no one had come to check up on them yet with the noise it made. But then again, they’d sound-proofed her room after the night she had kept them up with her incessant passing while waiting for a meteor shower. Anyone who knew her knew she had a one-track mind when it came to astronomy.
Eileen sat back down as well. “Well, I’m here now.”
“Yes you are.”Ayla smiled, before a mischievous grin took its place. “And I’m never letting you go. Muahaha.”
Eileen shook her head, a fond smile forming again as Ayla held her hands up in mock threat after the faux evil laugh. “I’m not going anywhere.”
After all, she still had things she needed to do. More than she had an hour ago, now that Ayla had spontaneously hatched this insane plan. It really was ridiculous. A part if her wanted to tell her she’d changed her mind. The larger part knew she wouldn’t be able to do it. For better or worse, she had a hard time telling her no.
“When is this ball anyway?” It had surprisingly not come up in the long-winded rant.
“Oh.”Ayla blinked, face scrunching in contemplation. “It’s in three days. I think.”
Three days. It wasn’t very much time to work with, but by no means unmanageable. “And where is it?”
That got a sheepish look. “I don’t know.”
Ah. Well, she supposed that was to be expected. It would be hard to remember the location of an event you didn’t want to go to in the first place. Not to mention Ayla’s tendency to block out everything she didn’t like.
“Well, I doubt you can ask your mother right now, but you can always text me when you know.”
“We can talk on the phone now?”Ayla blinked, clearly having narrowed in on the detail she was interested in.
“Of course.” Eileen smiled. “I can hardly not use one when everyone already is.”
They hadn’t used one to talk to friends before because there was a large chance that someone might come across it and they didn’t want to be recognized. With letters, even if they were discovered, it wouldn’t be hard to pass them off as fake. After all, there was fan fiction about her grandpa, or more precisely the Great General, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched that someone would pretend to be her.
But a phone had threads which couldn’t so easily be hidden. Which was why they’d had to use decoys with no personal information to communicate in the past. The sense of paranoia from seeing so much war had never quite left her grandpa, buzzing beneath his skin and making him restless.
Eileen Devencrux was dead. Only a select few knew she was still alive. And it had to stay that way if she was ever going to be able to find out what had happened. Although the Westfords knew she was alive as well, she didn’t want to risk them that much. Which was why she’d snuck in through the window instead of knocking at the door.
She wouldn’t have even come to see Ayla, but she hadn’t expected to feel such a strong sense of loss staying in that house. Grandpa had warned her she might, but she’d thought fourteen years had done something to dull those emotions. A sentiment that felt very naive right now.
Before she could spiral more down the hole of her thoughts, Ayla’s excited squeal brought her out of it. For the third time that night, Eileen found herself being glomped by her best friend. Not that she minded. Still though…
“Get off.” She laughed, “You’ve gotten so much more huggy since the last time I saw you.”
Instead of getting off, Ayla instead chose to sprawl herself over her lap. “I’ve been starved of your presence.” She bemoaned dramatically, an arm falling to cover her eyes. “One hug is just not enough.” She smiled mischievously, “I’m afraid you’ll just have to get used to it.”
That just had her laughing harder. “Maybe I should mention this to your mother. Then she wouldn’t think you’re opposed to all human contact.”
“She’d never believe you.”
Whatever she could have said was overtaken by the laugh that followed those words. Her hand went to push her off gently. Ayla finally does get off, but not without protest, and she didn’t wander far. Their eyes met and then they were both doubling over in quiet laughter.
“We really do need to plan this a little more if you want to actually go through with it.” Eileen wheezed out between peals of laughter. Somehow they’d both managed to end up lying on the ground.
“Maybe.” A yawn. “But I don’t think I can make my brain work right now.”
A glance out the window confirmed that it was indeed late out. And that it was still storming out. “Alright.” She concedes. “We can talk about it in the morning. But I can’t go home in a storm, so we may have to find something to do.” A pause. “Or I suppose I could just read while I wait.”
“Why can’t you just stay here?”Aylaasked, turning on her side.
“Because your mother might come in here and I still have a house to fix up.”
“The house made you sad.”Ayla says around a yawn.
Eileen turns as well. “I didn’t tell you that.”
“You didn’t have to.” She smiles tiredly, “I can guess.”
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that for all Eileen knows Ayla, she knows her just as well. So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that she would have picked up on why she was here. But it was.
“It won’t forever.”
Aylafixes her with a narrowed look. “But it does right now.”
“I think that might just be part of the process.” It needed to hurt before it could heal.
“I still don’t like it.”
Eileen huffed a laugh. “I know.”
It took some cajoling, but she finally manages to makeAylaagree to go to sleep. Although she refuses to stay there unless Eileen is lying beside her as well. When mentioning that she’s going to leave soon, Ayla argues they don’t know long it’s going to be and that there’s more than enough room.
After a few minutes of arguing over the situation, it still ends with both of them lying on the bed. She’d be upset, but it really is more comfortable than sitting on the lounge. It’s not pressed against the wall for one. So, she supposed Ayla had a point. Not that she was going to tell her that.
Lying on the mattress, waiting for the storm to go down with her friend snoring lightly by her side, she feels at ease. Coming to see her may have been a rash decision, but that didn’t mean it was the wrong one. Eileen pursed her lips as a sigh escaped. She hadn’trealisedhow much she had needed it.
For the first time in years, she was staying in a place far away from her grandpa. And the empty house had done nothing to abate the loneliness or what she nowrecognisedas homesickness. Maybe now she’d be able to manage it better.
She’d soon get over the feeling. It was the same with any new place she’d been. It was unsettling at first but she’d get used to it after a few days. By the time the ball came around, she’d likely not be so affected.
In the meantime, she had Ayla.
Visiting her had already gotten rid of the sorrow plaguing her, but her presence beside her gave a comfort she didn’t know she needed. Although, it was still crazy that the first thing they did together after so long apart was such a hare-brained scheme. Eileen laughed softly in resignation. It held a touch of hysteria, and she didn’t quite know whether to laugh or cry.
Oh well. Mama had always said that every relationship is different and some are more insane than others. Granted, this is was probably not what she had meant when she’d told eight-year-old Eileen that, but she felt it still applied.
But she wouldn’t have it any other way.
