"Ha, I had a crush on Lily," she mused.

Sam inserted her headphones into hear ears, hit play and counted the
shadows on the walls until sleep came to claim her. She was vaguely
aware that she had left the piece of paper with her confession to
herself scrawled across it out on the bed, but sleep was creeping up
on her brain and she was helpless to stop it from taking her down
into the night.

Brooke, on the other hand, was on top of the world. The day spent
with Sam had been exhilarating and ever since they had gotten back
she felt like she had an IV of caffeine in her vein. When this
feeling came around it was time for physical activity. A glow
descended around Brooke like someone had buffed up her aura to a
bright sheen. She had changed into work out clothes and gone down to
the home gym. She usually worked out with the TV on but this night
was different. She had enough to occupy her thoughts, without HSN
trying to convince her to by the incredible item of the week. Most
of the ***** they sold on that channel was just that, *****.

She had her own TV show flashing though her brain complete with
surround sound and high definition. All she saw were images of Sam.
Sam in the car, Sam grimacing when the pedicurist had hit a
sensitive spot, and finally Sam smiling at her when they had been
eating. She situated herself on the rowing machine, while setting
her towel and bottle of water aside. She took up the handles and
turned the resistance up to the highest level she could manage
without hurting herself. Soon she was sweating and could feel all
the things in her head start to pull themselves apart. They then
wove themselves around one another until they started to make a
discernable pattern. It was like watching a rubrics cube solve
itself in her head.

She could feel her muscles getting tired and going right along with
them was her mind. A question started to knock on her realization
door and this question was not polite. It burst through the door
uninvited. Why was she happy? An internal dialogue started to take
shape.

`Why are you happy?’
`I don’t know.’
`What do you mean you don’t know.’
`What do you mean what do I mean? I mean, I-do-not-know.’
`Well, when did you notice this miraculous happiness?’
`After my trip to the mall with Sam.’
`Clue much?’
`What?’
`Key words mall and Sam.’
`Oh…’
`Yes, now we know why the mall is included in the happy realm but
why Sam.’
`Cause she makes me happy, duh.’
`Care to explain that one to me a.k.a. yourself?’
`Not really.’
`Mkay.’
`So what if Sam makes me happy. She’s my friend.’
`Yeah, but you never got this way with Nic or any other friends for
that matter.’
`What are you… I mean me, err. What am I trying to say?’
`I-do-not-know.’
`How did I know that was going to get thrown back at me?’
`I would imagine it’s because you’re talking to yourself.’
`I like Sam but not that kind of like. I think I need a brain
transplant.’
`Yeah, me too.’