Nex: Why are you struggling so much?
Celeste: Just like that š
Nex: Okay cool, let's go now.
Celeste: Here, hold these for me.
Nex: Waitāyou handed me ALL the bags?! Seriously?!
Celeste (grinning): Well, if you're gonna walk with me, you might as well carry my stuff too š
(But just as Celeste finishes her sentence, she sees stars and wobbles like a cartoon character)
Celeste faints dramatically and lands straight on top of Nex.
Nex (panicking): What theā?! This is not funny, okay! I don't like this kind of joke!
Nex: Wait... she really fainted? Uh oh. Uh ohhh.
A Few Hours Later...
Celeste (groggy): Where am I... MOM?? Where's MOM??!
Nex (confused): Uh... hi? You're in the hospital.
Celeste: Oof. I remember little bits... like something breaking... š§ š„
Nex: Apparently it was a heatstroke or something. You fainted right onto me like it was a trust fall gone wrong.
(Suddenly the mouse clicksāliterally)
Celeste turns and sees that Nex had placed his laptop mouse on her chest.
Celeste (furious): EXCUSE ME?! Why the heck is your mouse on my chest?! š”
Nex (panicking again): I was working while sitting beside your hospital bed! Multitasking, okay?!
Celeste: And you couldn't find anywhere else to put it?!Ā
Nex: I jus, "Why not use her chest as a mousepad?" š
Celeste: You're unbelievable. So you brought your laptop... to my hospital bed?!
Nex: Yeah, had to submit an office leave request online. No break for the weak!
Celeste: You literally used me as a desk š
Nex: ...Flat surface, don't blame me š
Celeste: WHAT DO YOU MEAN "FLAT SURFACE"!?!
Nex: Nothing! I meant...
Celeste: And why were you lying in the patient bed with me?!
Nex: Because my arms were tired! Holding your hand all night was not easy!
(Nurse enters)
Nurse: Okay, lovebirds. Time to discharge you bothāAngel ward is that way ā¤ļø
Nex: Yes ma'am! Finally, peace!
Next ā Come on Celeste, you've rested enough.
Celeste ā I even ate somethingā¦ I think it was in a dream.
Celeste walks out and gets into the taxi.
Total silence. Like someone hit the mute button on both.
Normally, Celeste is a talking tornado, but today? Knocked out in the taxi like someone pressed "sleep mode."
Next (thinking) ā "Finally. A peaceful ride that doesn't need subtitles."
They reach home. Celeste? Still asleep.
Next ā "She must be awake now."
Celeste (half-asleep) ā "We are home. Good."
Next ā "Yeah... GPS says so too."
She walks inā¦ and promptly falls asleep at the gate like a stray cat who chose that spot.
Next ā "She's literally asleep on the welcome mat."
But she looked so innocentā¦ like a giant sleepy baby.
And since it was nighttime and kinda creepy outsideā¦
Next ā "Great, now I have to carry her."
He lifts her ā
Next ā "She looks lightā¦ but this is gym-level weight."
Puts her on the sofa, sighs, and goes to sleep in the other room.
Midnight.
Celeste appears like a haunted whisper.
Celeste ā "Nexā¦"
Next ā "What happened? You hungry again or scared?"
Celeste ā "I want to sleep with you."
Next ā "Cool, I'll scoot over."
They lie down.
Celeste (softly) ā "I don't knowā¦ whenever I'm with you, I feelā¦ a little like I belong somewhere."
Too bad, Next was already in dreamland, snoring like he heard nothing.
Next morning.
Celeste wakes up and sees Next sleeping on the floor like a fallen pillow.
Celeste ā "Why is this man sleeping on cold, empty floor?"
She stares at him. For like, a full minute.
Celeste (thinking) ā "What am I even doing? Is this ? Or just really confusing sleepover rules?"
to be continue...