In Love with the Prince (of Darkness, That Is)

"Gem, you have to talk to me at some time."

"Says who?"

"Your self-appointed best friend since the third grade."

"I can't believe he invited you to another city and you couldn't take ten minutes to call and tell me. At least then I could have covered for you."

"I've apologised six times now, Gem! What else do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. I just can't believe you--"

"I know. I should have told you."

"Yes."

"I was wrong."

"Yes."

"Are you ever going to forgive me?"

"Yes."

"Today?"

"I guess."

"I love you."

"I know."

"What, no return?"

"I have a no spoken-love policy," Gemini said, in an officious voice. "Any admissions of personal feeling will be accepted by the heartless loner before you, but it is to be assumed that they are returned, because it will never be stated."

Dreama laughed and rolled her eyes. "You're such a nerd, Gem."

"I think we should go out tonight," Gemini said suddenly. "Not dancing, we do that all the time. I think we should go see a sappy chick-flick and pig out on popcorn and M&M's, and then you can come over to my place and we'll bug the hell out of my sister during dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."

*~*~*

Gemini's little sister Diana was in the living room practising her back walkovers when Dreama and Gemini burst in through the front door, laughing.

"No, no, even better--Jesse has a girlfriend!"

"What? You never told me that!"

"Well, I've only met her once, but she is the cutest thing, Gem. And--get this--probably the only girl in high school that could resist making out with Jesse."

"Aw, poor kid. Doesn't he have any game?"

"She's religious."

"Oh. So he does have game."

"I wouldn't know, to tell you the truth."

"Mind if I find out?"

"Gem, that's disgusting!"

"What? The boy is gorgeous--you know, for a high school guy. Although, you know, Craig--I would tap that."

"I can hear you!" Gemini's mom said from the kitchen.

"Ew! Stop!" Dreama cried. "That's my brother you're lusting after!"

"What? You think my cousin's cute."

"You don't have to live with your cousin. Besides, he's not that cute."

"Yeah, and there's only one person you're interested in tapping anymore."

"Oh, shut up."

"What's this I hear?" Mrs. Lyons asked, emerging from the kitchen. "Does my surrogate daughter finally have a real boyfriend?"

"I think you should worry about your biological daughter and what she's been fantasizing about doing with my brother," Dreama hedged.

"Who said anything about with? I was just planning to do it to him."

"Okay, girlies. Dreama, are you staying for dinner?"

"Am I invited?"

"Of course you are. But I'm going to need some help in the kitchen."

"Sure thing, Mom. Just let us dump our stuff in my room."

Dreama followed Gemini up the stairs into her bedroom. "Hey, wait a minute, chica," Gemini interrupted as Dreama turned to head back down. "Don't think I didn't notice your little dodging act down there. What's up with that?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, cut it out. You didn't answer my mom. What, this guy isn't your boyfriend?"

Dreama sat down on the bed and picked at a loose bit of fluff on the comforter. "I-I don't know. Maybe. I mean, we've only been on... what? Four dates."

"Um, hello? He took to another city? He introduced you to his friends. Why wouldn't you say you're his girlfriend?"

"Yeah, but...."

"He hasn't asked," Gemini predicted.

Dreama sighed. "No."

"So why don't you ask him?"

"He just... he doesn't strike me as the type to commit. I'm enjoying what we have, Gem. I don't want to ruin it by asking for more."

"But you want more."

"I can't ask him to be exclusive."

"You are," Gemini said, examining her reflection in the mirror above her dresser.

"Not by choice," Dreama lied.

Gemini fixed her with a sarcastic look. "Yeah, okay."

"You want me to prove it?"

"What, you're going to go on a date with another guy just to prove to me something that I already know you're lying about?"

"In some convoluted way, that made sense. And no, I'm not going on another date to prove anything to you."

"So you want to prove to yourself that you're not lying, then."

"Since when did you become my shrink?"

"Since you lost your backbone."