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The house was silent except for the sound of the typewriter coming from our bedroom. I walked in, past the bed, and peered over Diane’s shoulder, her face dimly lit by a candle.
"Whatcha writing there?"
She jumped at my voice, her face pink. She pulled the sheets of paper out of the typewriter and put it face-down on the wooden desk.
"Is it something I can't look at?" I asked.
"Um, it's just my little fan-fiction," she stammered. "Anyway, how did you do? I thought you were coming home tomorrow."
"I missed you. The cameras, the crowds... none of it felt real when I knew you were back at home waiting for me." I brought her over to sit on the edge of the bed with me. "Come here, sweetie Pie."
She rubbed her shoulder, and I handed her a metal disk from my backpack. I watched her examine it, running her nail along my bite marks. She looked up and smiled for me.
"Congrats! On getting gold in the hundred yard dash!"
"You mean the hundred meter dash, idiot." I playfully flicked her on the forehead.
"O-of course, the hundred meter dash!" she replied, rubbing her forehead. She wrapped her arms around me. "I knew you could do it, Dashie!"
I didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry," I said eventually.
She pulled away.
"Dashie? It didn't hurt that much."
"No, I mean, I'm sorry for not helping around the farm. And complaining about it being boring here all the time."
"It's okay. I know you have to train and stuff." She looked out the window. "And even the horses get bored here. I know my family's different, and it's normal that you're not used to it." She patted me on the cheek. "So don't be so blue."
"I can't help it. I just feel like we've been so distant lately."
"What do you mean? You're right here, though?" She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"I mean metaphorically."
"Medal for Ickly?"
"I mean, I feel like I can't tell what you're thinking."
"Well, duh."
I sighed. I glanced over at the face-down pages on her desk. The candlelight flickered on them. I walked over and picked up the first page.
"Wait, you can't read that!--"
"Huh?" I interrupted. "Isn't this me?"
"T-they're just characters from a children's show."
"What do you mean?" I crumpled the pages into a ball, and threw it at her face. "Any reader would think this is just me and you!" I turned around and kicked, breaking the wall opposite the bed. "Except I'm not this violent!"
She glanced at the hoHELPle, wordlessly moving her lips. "P-please calm down... You're scaring me." Her voice was shaking, and tears welled up in her eyes.
I started to say something when I heard her family open their bedroom doors. Neither of us said a word for what felt like an eternity.
"I'm sorry," I said eventually. "I'll leave."
I picked up my medal and my backpack and left the room.