'Nothing happened'

Lillian Grey hissed while staring at her mobile phone.

No matter how many times she refreshes, there was no new notification popping out on the screen.

There was burning agitation stirring up inside of her.

Throwing the phone to her sides, Lillian changed her resting position from lying down to on her tummy. She buried her face deep into the cozy bed.

The bed felt comfortable yet lonely.

It had warmth yet not sweet; Lillian Grey missed the supple lavender smell.

Flipping over the next second and landing on her back, she threw an intense gaze on the ceiling. It had nothing exciting, but still, Lillian stared at it like it's a painting. Very soon, she got bored out of it and woke up to search for her phone.

"Where the hell did I throw the damn phone!"

Lillian muttered to herself while searching the messy bed.

Succeeding, she found her mobile phone under her unfolded and wrinkled blanket.

Hurriedly picking it up, Lillian took a glance at it.

Still no notification.

"..."

'What is happening?' - Lillian worried.

She sent a few messages to Giselle one after the other continuously, yet there was no sign.

..

Previously, when Lillian sends texts, Giselle would reply to it within five minutes. However, this time, Lillian sent those messages an hour ago, and still, there was no acknowledgment from Giselle's end.

Going through the inbox, again and again, Lillian saw no response from Giselle.

Pissed off, Lillian Grey threw her mobile once again on the bed and went back to rest.

Covering her eyes with an arm, she rested on her bed.

Mind clustered from the sudden loss of contact, Lillian couldn't keep calm. She seethed inside and even went to the point of visiting Giselle personally.

Just as she considered that to be the best option at hand, a buzzing sound heard.

Lillian sprang forward, lifting her upper body in a flash; she looked for her phone and found it at the corner of the bed. When she threw it, the mobile landed on edge, thankfully clinging onto the sheets.

Crawling as she picked her mobile, Lillian saw the notification.

All of her excitement disappeared as soon as she noticed that it was a text message from Anna.

Displeased, Lillian still read the text Anna sent.

//

Anna- 9:29 PM

No, she is not answering me either. What's wrong? Did something happen with you two?

//

Lillian's mood completely got destroyed after knowing that Giselle did not reply to Anna's calls too.

'Why is she not replying?'

'Did something happen to Giselle?'

'Did she reach home safely?'

Lillian feared. Scared to even harbor such a thought, Lillian gagged, trying not to exaggerate.

'Nah, she could be busy with her family. I mean the exams are over, they must be celebrating.'

'I am the delusional one.'

Lillian laughed to hide the anxiety.

"Maybe, I'll call her tomorrow," she convinced herself and once again threw her mobile carelessly on the bed and fell on her back.

Not a few seconds, she could be stable. Bouncing off and rolling left and right on her bed, Lillian Grey silently rebelled.

"Why aren't you replying to me, Giselle?"

Lillian yelled, finally letting out all of the frustrated pent up inside. She kept calm for almost an hour, waiting for a response from Giselle, but it didn't happen. Now that Lillian is sure that there won't be a reply, she finally blew a fuse.

Hanging her head outside the bed, Lillian Grey scratched her temple.

"What happened with Giselle?"

...

A voice broke out Lillian's melancholy.

Startled from the unexpected entrance, Lillian Grey fell on the floor, crashing her neck. Thankfully, the bed wasn't too high from the ground. She managed to get support from her both hands.

..

"Careful now," Edwin entered Lillian's room.

Seeing her crash, Edwin helped Lillian get up.

"What is with you?" Edwin asked.

"Uh, nothing," Lillian replied, rubbing the place she got crashed.

"Are you okay?"

"Did you hurt your neck?" Edwin worried, watching his daughter wither in pain.

"It is not hurting dad, just a little twinge. I'm okay," Lillian assured.

"What's up?" she asked casually.

Edwin glowered from her relaxed response.

"Are planning to skip dinner and cry alone in here?" he questioned.

***

The dinner time at Grey's residence is usually at 9 PM, give or take a few minutes before or after. Regardless, the two would punctually assemble even without any notice. Of course, the exam seasons go without any warning, Edwin Grey would deliver the dinner to Lillian's room directly.

Today, because Lillian worked hard for her finals, Edwin thought of celebrating it with his daughter's favorites.

The dinner included a grilled cheese sandwich, hot wings, and blueberry pie. Though the meals were all prepared in appreciating Lillian's efforts, Edwin reheated the leftover food from the afternoon for himself. He is too old for Grilled cheese or the blueberry pie, but never aged for hot wings. Edwin knew that they both love hot wings and prepared a lot.

He cooked the food and made sure it got done before 9 PM.

The time reached, and he waited.

But Lillian Grey did not appear.

Edwin waited.

He waited.

…

Time passed, but there was no sight of Lillian. She never came to the table.

Edwin worried if she went to sleep already from the tiredness. He wanted to check on her, and so, paid a visit.

Not what he expected, Lillian Grey was awake, with her head dangling from the bed downside?

Edwin squint his eyes to see what she was doing; by now, he had already noticed Lillian's mobile hanging at the edge of the bed.

'What is she doing?' Edwin thought.

He called her and then visualized the entire ruckus unfolded in front of his eyes.

***

Seeing her gloomy, Edwin thought if the girl is planning to skip from eating. He worked hard to prepare only her favorites, and he took himself the leftovers from lunch.

"Nothing, dad," Lillian repeats.

"..."

Edwin suspected that something's wrong with his daughter.

"Are you hiding something from me?" he asked, unsure of what was going on with Lillian's life.

The girl behaves strangely in recent days, though it caught Edwin's attention, the father did not inquire.

However, right now, he feared that something is going on without his notice. Edwin wanted to know what caused this minor change in his daughter.

Edwin's question sent ripples to Lillian's already crashed head.

Why was she panicking?

Lillian Grey, herself did not know the answer to that question;

The reason for her odd behavior today is because of certain someone who did not reply to her messages earlier.

Who knew that Lillian Grey would care about getting a reply text this much?

She was so frustrated that it didn't come to her sense at all. There were times when she would ignore Anna's calls or text messages, but not with Giselle. They have been sending texts back and forth. Suddenly, not receiving them bothered Lillian Grey. More than upset, she hated it.

However, all of that innermost feelings, she wasn't ready to expose in front of her father. Still maintaining the controlled act, Lillian Grey responds, "N- Nothing like that."

The more Lillian kept repeating 'Nothing,' the more he got curious and suspicious of his daughter.

"Then, tell me what about this Giselle, not replying to you!" Edwin knew what he intended and still went for it.

As expected, he noticed a shift in the girl's expression as soon as the name 'Giselle' sounded.

Cleverly, Lillian Grey stood up and walked away in search of her mobile phone. She didn't want to expose her madness over Giselle.

"N-"

Before Lillian could once again utter the repetitive word, Edwin helps her finish it.

"Nothing again?"

"…" Lillian got dumbstruck.

"Lilly, come here and sit down in front of me."

Edwin ordered.

Dropping her act, Lillian went back and sat down.

Edwin moved his chair closer to Lillian Grey.

"Tell me?" he asked.

"What?" Lillian feared.

"Don't keep it to yourself. There is certainly something going on!" Edwin insisted on knowing.

"N- Nothing-"

"One more time you say 'Nothing,' and I'm going to serve you burnt hot wings!" Edwin warned.

"Hot Wings?" Lillian's eyes grew double the size.

"I made your favorites for dinner. That is not the point of the conversation here, talk to me," Edwin expressed.

Lillian sighed.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

Edwin grew alert and was careful in choosing his words.

On rare moments, the father and daughter have a conversation like this where Lillian Grey gives an open option to her father, who can ask anything to her.

Edwin thought for a while. He had a few things going on his mind related to his daughter, but for now, he only wanted to know the answer to one question.

"Why are you sulking ever since you returned from school?" he asked, hoping that he shot the right one.

He did.

Lillian sighed once again. She looked over at Edwin nervously.

"Today-" she began speaking, exhaling for every word she uttered.

"Today, Diego ask me out to prom," Lillian announced.