The Heart Never Lies

A soft sizzling mixed with the scent of frying bacon wafted through the morning air, waking me up after not-near-enough hours of sleep. I stretched, yawning loudly, but stopped abruptly when my foot tapped something at the end of the bed.

I opened my eyes and jumped as I saw the green-eyed tuxedo cat seemingly glare at me, his paws tucked under his body. My initial fear quickly subsided as I realized I was looking at Rainbow's infamous cat, Ringo.

"Good morning, Ringo," I said hesitantly. He narrowed his eyes at me then yowled in response, as if there was nothing good about mornings, thank you very much, and promptly jumped off the bed, the bells on his collar announcing his every step. I saw no need in trying to sleep any longer so I got out of bed and went to the kitchen, a few steps behind the haughty cat.

Rainbow was busy cooking breakfast just as she promised, cracking eggs into a glass bowl as Ringo snaked through her legs in an obvious attempt to win a piece of bacon. Other than the small smile on her face, she seemed to ignore him, dropping nothing. He quickly realized it wasn't working and ceased his fruitless efforts, skulking off into what I presumed to be her room.

"Good morning, Addie," Rainbow greeted me. She poured the eggs into a hot skillet and stirred them around with a spatula. It looks like she's making food out of sunshine, I thought sleepily. "Could you do me a favor and wake your friend up? Breakfast will be done in a few minutes and I don't want his eggs to get cold."

"Sure," I replied, still trying to wake myself up. Waking Danny up could prove to be quite the feat.

And sure enough, Danny looked dead to the world. His legs stretched as far as they could across the couch and one arm was draped over his face while the other dangled off the edge. He snored lightly as he dozed into the oblivion. I wondered idly if he was dreaming, and if so, what kinds of things he dreamed about. I never really had a chance to talk with about things like that. He looked so peaceful, I almost felt guilty for waking him up.

"Danny," I whispered, gently shaking the arm that he was using to shield himself. "Danny... Dan. Hey, Danny." No response. "Dan. Daaan. Dannyyy..." I was nudging him with more force, but got nothing. I slumped onto the ground, frustrated. Then I remembered how I usually woke Tom up.

I stopped shaking him and slowly pressed one hand over his mouth while pinching his nose shit with the other. He took one, maybe two breaths through his mouth, then it was clear he was beginning to struggle. His eyes flew open and he bolted upright, pushing my hands out of the way. He looked about the room wildly as he tired to catch his breath and his bearings.

"Wha-- what's goin' on? Where am I?"

"Hey, Danny, hey, calm down." He looked confused to see me. "Danny, you're in New York. You came with me, remember?" He seemed to as he calmed down.

"Oh. Oh yeah."

"Sorry for waking you like that. You were sleeping like a log and breakfast is almost ready."

All was forgiven at the mention of food.

"Actually, it's ready now," Rainbow called from the kitchen. She walked into the living room, balancing three plates. "What would you like to drink?" she asked, setting them down on the coffee table. "I've got orange juice, soymilk, tea..."

"Some tea sounds good," Danny said. I nodded in agreement.

It was a simple breakfast-- scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, but it was delicious. All too soon, we were clearing up the dishes.

"You know, I'm surprised that Layla didn't come over," Rainbow said as she munched on a spare piece of bacon. "I told her yesterday that I'd be cooking more than usual." Danny snuck in and stole another piece of bacon.

"Maybe she's still sleeping," he suggested through a full mouth. Rainbow nodded, accepting the possibility.

"She's not exactly a morning person," she admitted.

Danny seemed to feel a little awkward now that he had eaten all of the food. "Well, er, thanks for the breakfast and couch, Rainbow," he said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "But I really need to be on my way."

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling. "You're welcome back anytime, as long as you ask me in advance."

I walked Danny the short distance to the door. "Hey, thanks for coming with me."

"It's no problem," he laughed. "Gotta make sure my best mate's little sister gets to her new home safely."

I struggled to keep the disappointment out of my voice, choosing to just play it off. "oh yeah, wouldn't want Tom angry if something happened to me, eh?"

"He gets scary when he's angry!" We both laughed, knowing that was very true. "Besides, you're my friend. I gotta look out for you too!" I couldn't help but to hug him for that.

"Aw, Dan, you're my friend too." He chuckled and returned the hug. I noticed for the first time how surprisingly muscular he had become.

"Okay, see ya later, Addie!"

"Bye, Danny!" He waved to Rainbow before walking out the door.

"He seems nice," she said casually.

"He's alright, I guess," I said, laughing as I sat on the couch. Ringo waltzed into the room and jumped onto the lone armchair. Thankfully, he decided to invest in his morning nap instead of another staring contest. Rainbow sat beside me on the couch and turned on the television.

Two handosme young men appeared on the screen. After some driving and squabbling they stopped at a seedy-looking motel and popped the boot of the car. I was shocked to see that it was some kind of armory inside.

"What the hell kind of show is this?" I asked, bewildered. Rainbow couldn't suppress her laughter.

"It's Supernatural. It's about two brothers who hunt--"

Knock knock knock.

Rainbow looked a little confused, as if she didn't know who would be coming over at this time. The knock repeated itself, but this time to a funny tune that I knew was familiar, but couldn't put my finger on. Cautiously checking through the peephole, she smiled despite rolling her eyes when she saw who it was and opened the door. "Layla, you just missed breakfast," she informed her friend as she entered the apartment.

"Aww, really?" The redhead-- no way that color was natural-- looked a little disappointed. But then she grinned. "Guess it's a good thing I stopped at Auntie Anne's on the way over." She fumbled with some zippers and clasps on the navy messenger bag she had slung over her shoulder and pulled out a giant soft pretzel encrusted with cinnamon and sugar. She held it over her head triumphantly before taking a large bite out of it

Rainbow shook her head, amused, and waved who I presumed to be Layla into the living room. Layla gasped when she saw the evil cat curled up in "his" chair.

"Ringo," she called in a sing-song voice.

Without even opening his eyes he yowled a response in the same length and tone. Layla smiled, scratching him behind the ears before taking a seat on the couch.

"Sorry," she said, "I have to say hi to the cat when I first walk in. It's almost like a ritual."

"Sort of like paying your respects to a god before entering a temple?" I suggested. She cracked up laughing without hesitation.

"Yeah, that's exactly it!"

Cats, bringing people together one mew at a time.

"Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Layla." She extended her free hand to me in a handshake, which I took.

"It's cool. Nice to meet you, I'm Addie."

"OH! I thought you were! Welcome to New York!" Her enthusiasm was unexpected, and to my surprise, genuine.

"Thanks, I think I'll really like it here."

"I'm sure you will," Rainbow said, settling onto the couch as well. "The background noise can take some getting used to though." Layla nodded in agreement.

"It helps if you have some white noise. I bought a little fan for when I go to bed and it works great," she added helpfully.

"Thanks! I'll be sure to consider that."

After almost an hour of watching TV and chit-chat during commercial breaks, Layla announced that it was nearly time for her shift at work and she had to leave to get ready.

"It's just waitressing at a bar," she explained to me, "but if I wear a little extra make-up, I get bigger tips." Something about the way she smiled told me she didn't mind it so much.

"She seems pretty nice," I told Rainbow after her friend left.

"Yeah, she's my best friend. We grew up together, so we're really more like sisters. When she can spare the time off from work, she helps me out with my shop. Speaking of," she checked the watch on her small wrist, "it's about time for me to go open it. Come on, I'll show you around."