Short Story – Questions of Love

"I thought sleepovers were meant to be fun," I complained, from where I was lying on the floor.

"I thought sleepovers were meant to be either all girls or all boys, but here we are," Finn added, sitting down next to me on the floor and holding out a bag of crisps to me. "Want one?"

I reached out and took a crisp, putting it in my mouth as I turned to look at Rosie, sat on the edge of the sofa, blowing softly on her nails, and Max, her boyfriend, lying across the sofa with his head on her lap.

"Rosie?" I began and she looked over at me.

"What?"

"Do we have to spend the whole night waiting for your nails to dry, or can we do something actually entertaining?" She pulled a face at me, before her eyes lit up and I immediately regretted ever saying anything.

"Let's do that thing, with the questions!"

"What thing, what questions?" Finn asked, the bag of crisps rustling as he reached in and pulled out a handful, offering it to me again when he saw I was looking.

"The questions that are meant to make you fall in love with the other person!" I stopped short of the crisp packet and sent a glare Rosie's way. Luckily, neither Finn or Max seemed to notice.

"I thought we were already in love?" Max asked innocently, sitting up, as Rosie seemed about to jump out of her seat and it would have been dangerous for him to remain where he was.

"Yes, so it can make us more in love." 

"What about us, though?" Finn asked, frowning. He didn't know I had a massive crush on him, I wouldn't be here tonight if he did. Telling Rosie about my crush must have been the worst mistake I ever made. She was my best friend, but she schemed and loved match-making like no tomorrow. She was a modern day Emma.

"Well, we can use you as the test subjects. If you fall in love, obviously the questions work!" Rosie announced, standing up abruptly and walking off in search of her phone. Max looked almost proud of himself for foreseeing the danger and sitting up. There was no way Rosie wouldn't have stood up just as quickly, even if Max was lying on her lap.

"She has too much energy for one in the morning." Finn announced in Rosie's absence, and I agreed, rolling over so I was face down on the carpet. 

"I want to sleep." I mumbled, turning my head to the side when I felt someone tap my arm. Finn held out the bag of crisps to me again, and I pushed myself up onto my elbows, reaching in and taking a handful.

"I found them!" Rosie flounced back into the room, waving her phone around.

"Great." I mumbled, face-planting the carpet again.

"You two start," I heard Max say. "I'm going to get a drink." I felt his footsteps as he stepped over me and Finn, both of us sprawled across the floor, albeit Finn was upright, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Claire, sit up." Rosie instructed, and I reluctantly pushed myself up, making sure to send a pointed glare her way. "Now sit and face Finn."

"I don't want to."

"Come on, Claire. If we play along, we might get a gold star and takeaway!" Finn joked and I pulled a face at him. "Why don't you want to do it so much?"

When in doubt, tell the truth.

"Because I'm madly in love with you and I don't want you to find out." I said it quickly, and Finn hesitated for a moment before chuckling.

"Okay, well, play the game and maybe I'll fall madly in love with you too."

I hadn't thought of that.

"First question!" Rosie announced loudly, making me glad we weren't still teenagers living in our parents houses. We surely would have woken someone up by now if we weren't here alone. "Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?"

"That's a stupid question. How is that meant to make us fall in love?" I asked grumpily, before yawning. I just wanted to sleep. And to kiss Finn. Not necessarily in that order.

"Do they have to be alive?" Finn asked, and Rosie pondered it for a moment.

"It says 'anyone in the world', so I guess if they're buried, they're still in the world."

"What if they were cremated?" I asked, and Rosie narrowed her eyes at me while Finn grinned.

"Just play the game!"

"Fine! Brad Pitt."

"I don't think you're meant to say the first person to come to mind," Finn said, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Who would you have over then?"

"Colonel Sanders." He said and I mocked his 'you're not meant to say the first person who comes to mind' in a weird voice. "I'm not! I would win him over with my home-cooking, give him a bit of wine, and get him to tell me the secret herbs and spices so I can make KFC at home."

"You're weird." Rosie announced, and moved onto the next question. "Would you like to be famous? In what way?"

"Yes, for my wonderful ears." I said quickly, and Finn laughed, reaching over to tuck my hair behind my ear.

"They are wonderfully shaped and proportional ears for your head." He said, and I found myself smiling. He liked my ears! "I would want to be famous as your ear stylist."

"Guys, I don't think you understand this game." Rosie said, looking as if she were about to throw a tantrum.

"I think we do." Finn said, not looking away from me. "What's the next question?"

"Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?" Rosie said, sitting back on the sofa grumpily.

"Yes, in case I accidentally give away my entire evil plot to take over the world." Finn said and I nodded, pursing my lips as I thought.

"No, because I don't make phone calls. I text. It's so much easier."

"Touche." Finn said, and I gave a little bow.

"Is that it? Next question?" Rosie asked, and we both nodded. This game was starting to get fun.

"What would constitute a "perfect" day for you?"

"I think you said 'constitute' wrong." I said, grinning at her when she turned to glare at me.

"I hate you."

"Ditto. Perfect day? Um..." When in doubt. "Making out with Finn in a little cottage in the forest where no one could find us." Just to top it off, I added sarcastically, "oh look, we must be falling in love!"

"You can't tell my perfect day as your perfect day!" Finn announced, and I studied him, trying to figure out if he was messing around or being serious.

"You want to spend a day making out with yourself?" Max asked, walking back into the room.

"No! Claire knows what I mean, don't you?" Finn said, leaning his head back against the sofa.

"Um... sure." I said, looking up at Max. "Did you get me a drink?"

"No." He stepped around me and Finn again and threw himself down onto the sofa.

"Why?"

"You didn't ask for one."

"Fine, I'll get one myself. Pause the game." I pushed myself up and walked, yawning, out of the room and into the kitchen. WHY HAD I SAID THAT AS MY FAVOURITE DAY? And what did Finn mean? And why was Rosie so good at match-making, but also so incredibly embarrassing at the same time?

"Claire?" I turned at the sound of my name, to face Finn.

"Yes?"

"I wasn't joking then, you know that, right?"

"You weren't joking when?" I asked, my breath catching in my throat as he stepped closer, his hand reaching up and cupping the side of my face.

"When I said you explained what would be my favourite day." He was so close I could feel his breath on my face, and I was sure he could hear my heart trying to beat out of my chest.

"I wasn't either. Joking, I mean." I said quietly, still slightly unsure as to whether he was still being messing around or not.

"Good." He said the single word on a sigh of relief, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against mine.

And done!

I didn't know what to write, and I came across a mention of the 36 questions to fall in love yesterday. So here we are! 

I also wasn't sure what to call this story. This will have to do!

That's all for now...

Bye!