"Is there any more chocolate-chip?"
Kelly watched as Amy searched through the freezer. She looked unkempt, straight out of bed, her hair sticking out in all directions. "Have you brushed your teeth?"
"No." Amy continued searching for the ice cream.
Okay. She'd have to be cruel to be kind, Kelly decided. "I think you've gained a few this past week. Have you been on the scales lately?"
Amy's hand stilled for a moment, but then started rummaging again, hesitantly. "I don't care really," she muttered. Suddenly, she banged the freezer shut and sank down on a kitchen chair. "Oh my God! I do! I
do
care! How can I not care? I
have
to care!" she wailed, before burying her face in her hands.
Kelly hurried to envelop her in a hug. She didn't know what to do to ease her friend's distress. With Christmas around the corner, all the shit that Amy was going through was making her even more depressed. She didn't like looking at Amy destroying herself like this, which is why she'd hidden the half-finished carton of chocolate chip last night. Amy
was
gaining weight - and it showed. This was good in a way because Kelly had always thought Amy was too skinny, but it could mean cancelled contracts for her as a runway model. Amy didn't need that right now. She had to have all the confidence she could get. Comfort food was good, but so much? Bad.
"What am I going to do Kelly?" Amy's muffled voice found its way out from between her hands.
"How about a nice green salad?" Kelly strove for some humour. "Or... how about pigging out on yoghurt and grapefruit?" She rubbed her hands across Amy's back soothingly.
Amy sniffled. "You're a good friend Kelly." She sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Yes, well, you don't have to think about that really. I'm here and I'm running your life for the next few days until you're better, ok?"
Amy chuckled. "Do I have any say in what happens to me?"
Kelly smiled. "Some."
"I'd like to eat but not put on weight."
Kelly rolled her eyes. "I said I'm running your life, which means you do what I tell you to. It doesn't mean I can turn nature around to keep you skinny even though you stuff your face. Try again. Concentrate on it being something doable this time."
"Hmmm... how about finding a couple of hot men who'd give me mind-blowing orgasms?"
Kelly's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
Amy laughed. "Of course not, silly. This whole mess I'm in, it's because of a guy. If that swine hadn't left me to run off after that skank...." She took a deep breath. "Right now I want all of them dead. Wiped off the face of this earth. Incinerated." Amy cocked her hands in a gun shape and made bzzt bzzt noises while pointing them as if men were nothing but flies who could be eradicated as easily as flies that had found themselves in intimate contact with one of those electrical current fly traps.
"God, this could be so satisfying!" she whooped.
Kelly was relieved. Amy was sounding a little like her old self. "Yeah. Death to all men! Who needs them anyway? But you know..." she continued slowly, "...they're kind of good for orgasms."
Amy made a face. "Nah. I could do that without them too." And with that she tromped off to the bathroom.
All this talk about mind-blowing orgasms had given Kelly the niggling of an idea. She didn't know if she should do it, hell, she didn't know if she could, but she would try.
She remembered the last time she'd had a break-up. It was two years ago this Christmas, and she remembered how broken-hearted she had been. Fabian had come into her life then, and had made her feel loved and wanted. She now wondered if he could help Amy in the same way.
Kelly tiptoed to the door and closed it. She cleared her throat, and then a thought occurred to her. He said he'd come when she called him, but was there a time limit to it? It
had
been two years. Would he still come?
Well, it was worth a try.
Kelly opened her mouth... and closed it again. Maybe she should ask Amy about this? Maybe she should check that Amy was occupied before going ahead? Maybe she should stop making excuses and just do it? Yes? Okay, so she took another deep breath, and called out to him.
"Fabian, please come. I need you."
There, that should do it. She looked around, and yes, there was that familiar little chocolate brown figure coming through in the window.
Kelly stared. The window? Why the window?
"Hi Kelly. You had the door closed," he explained.
"Oh." Kelly was at a loss for words, but she battled on, "That was for Amy. You know Amy, right?"
"Ah, yes. That delightful young woman. Of course I remember her."
Something twitched in the region where Kelly thought her heart was. Delightful? Well, Amy
was
delightful, but... she frowned and caught herself. Was she actually jealous of her own friend?
"Kelly? What's wrong?" Fabian was peering at her with narrowed eyes.
Kelly sat down in a chair and sighed. "Why do you ask?" she asked him. "You can read my mind, can't you? Elves can."
She looked him over. He was exactly how she remembered him - small, chocolate-coloured, with kind eyes. Her very own elf.
Fabian watched her with his head cocked to one side.
"Oh, dammit. Listen, I need your help. Well, you know, like when I had broken up with Alex and was sad, you helped me through it? I want you to... well, I don't know... Amy and I were talking this morning and she just happened to mention, well, ummm... mind-blowing orgasms, and I thought... the best I had ever had were... oh my god, this is really tough!"
Fabian grinned. He actually grinned, and sent Kelly into an incoherent sort of rage. He was enjoying this. How dare he!
"Why are you doing this to me?" she hissed.
"What am I doing?" he asked, amused.
"You can
read
my
mind
!" she grumbled. "You
know
what I'm trying to tell you. Why are you making me do it?"
"Ah, well." Fabian fingered his chin. "Sorry. Was just having some fun. So you want me to help your friend, but you're too possessive about me to let me give her mind-blowing orgasms."
Kelly's eyes widened. He could read her mind all right - every little thought, even those drenched in self-denial and hidden in the depths of her mind. Yes, he could read it. She just didn't want him to be this accurate about it. A girl needed some places of hers left uninvaded.
"Well, that's why I wanted you to tell me what you wanted," Fabian mumbled.
"I just want her happy," Kelly said earnestly. "I