The Cherry On Top

"Well," He frowned slightly, trying to come up with examples of when a team had come back. "it doesn't happen so often that people expect it to happen, but there are certain teams that are more - well, that have come back more often than others." Nodding, he smiled slightly.

"But it's not like they actually die. They just lose. Badly. It's just - I don't know." Frowning, he twiddled his thumbs, "When you word it like that, you make it seem awful."

"I think that would be nice," she said softly, "Seeing someone come back... it would make you feel... good inside... hopful. It would be good."

She gave the boy a soft smile, "Sorry; I suppose I just manage to make everything sad."

"It does," he nodded, grinning, hugging himself. "It makes me feel all warm and nice inside when I see a team come back. It's nice."

Tilting his head, Afonka shook it, "You don't make everything sad. You don't even make most things sad."

Faye smiled slightly at him stifling a yawn, "Just sports then?"

Her eyes twinkled even though she quite believed what she had said and not Afonka's contradiction. She however had come good at just keeping these thoughts to herself, and smiling along.

It usually made them stop.

Smiling slightly, Afonka nodded, "Just sports." he confirmed, spooning more ice cream into his mouth as he hummed softly.

"So," he said after a few minutes, "how's life in Fayeland?"

Faye snorted into her long forgotten icecream. It had melted into mush, and she had begun to play with it with the spoon.

"Fayeland?" she shook her head and let out a little laugh. "I suppose Fayeland is all good; I mean... as good as Fayeland can be... considering." She shrugged.

Watching Faye, he spooned more ice cream into his mouth, humming softly around the spoon in his mouth.

"That's good." Afonka said softly, "You know," he began, after a moments silence, "you'll get better. Sooner or later. I know you will."

Faye continued to focus on her spoon, shrugging slightly.

"Yeah, I guess," she said softly. She hoped so, wanted too but....

What about the chance that she didn't? She was starting to think that... well people should really....

Maybe she, everyone, should start thinking about what would happen if she didn't.

His brow furrowing, he put his ice cream down, turning to focus all his attention on the blonde. "You - you guess?" he repeated slowly.

Sure, there'd been times when he hadn't been sure that he'd ever get back to normal, but in the long run, he'd always known that it'd happen sooner or later.

"You - you should - shoudn't you be more positive?"

Faye shrugged her shoulders and refused to look at the boy. She knew what his face would say anyway.

"I... I mean I hope so but..." she bit her lip, "I mean its not like its all in my head and believing I'll get better will make me better... I just think that sometimes..."

She sighed and took a deep breath.

"People need to... I need to... we all need to think about what might happen maybe if... you know... I don't."

Listening to Faye quietly, he pulled softly on the hem of his shirt, biting his lip.

He had to say something. But it was like his mind had went blank.

"But - but -" he struggled to spit out, "no one wants to think about that possibility."

"that's," she said softly, finally looking up at the boy. Her eyes as firm as her voice, "Exactly why they should."

She sighed and wrinkled her nose slightly.

"I mean... its just- just as much a possibility as... it is not happening, and I think that maybe if-if everyone just... thinks about it... maybe," she frowned. "Maybe it won't be so bad when it does happen."

"If," he corrected softly, flicking his gaze away from Faye for a moment. "you might - you probably will get better. If - if anything happens to you -" he cut off, shaking his head. He'd already lost Phille this year. He didn't want to think about losing someone else.

"I've already lost one friend this year. I don't even want to imagine going through that all over again."

Faye frowned at her lap. Look at what she'd done. She really should just...

She didn't undestand why people allowed her to speak for so long, or spent so much time with her when all she did was-was...

"You're right," she siad softly, "I shouldn't... I'll be fine, yes just fine... why-why bother people with the possiblity that...."

She frowned again and set her ice cream aside, "Its late.... I should- I should probably go to bed."

Biting his lip, Afonka watched her, his brain deciding to shut down. He didn't - he didn't know what to say to that. Frowning to himself, he swirled his ice cream around in it's bowl with a spoon.

"OK," he said softly, "I - I guess I'll just - stay here." Smiling slightly, he picked up his ice cream, glancing down at it.

Faye look at Afonka for a moment, her eyes saddening slightly as she took him in. She should have kept her mouth shut. She should have let him have his postivity instead of just...

She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek, "I'm sorry; you're right - I'll be fine. I'll get better. I mean I feel better already. Just ignore me... really I just get... I'm sorry."

She nodded her head and slipped off the counter walking towards the door. She stopped when she got there and gave him a small smile.

"I'll see you around, Afonka. It was nice to talk. Really."

And then she was gone, her small frame disappearing into the dark of the hallway.

At the sad expression Faye made when she looked at him, Afonka frowned down at his lap. It was his fault she was sad. Because really, if he hadn't said that earlier, then they wouldn't be sitting here awkwardly.

Blushing at her kiss, he smiled at her, reaching a hand up to softly brush. "You don't need to apologize," he said with a shake his head, "you - you didn't do anything wrong."

Watching her leave, he waved at her retreating figure before sighing softly, picking up his ice cream bowl to finally polish off his remaining ice cream.