CHAPTER 008: The Happiness Potion

“Hi,” I say, but then it hits me—it’s the middle of the night, and I shouldn’t be calling anyone this late, especially not someone I barely know. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’ll hang up the phone now.”

Before I can move my thumb to end the call, Luke’s voice comes through the line. “Don’t hang up.”

The way he says it—easy, like we talk all the time—makes me pause. I stare at the ceiling, biting my lip. There's something comforting about his voice, like I’m not alone in this stupid mess I’ve found myself in.

“Talk to me,” Luke says.

“I dialed your number by mistake,” I lie, cringing at how lame it sounds. “Alright. I had a bad dream, so I picked up my phone and dialed the first number I saw.”

Luke laughs. “A bad dream, huh? Were there monsters?”

I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. “Something like that.”

There’s a brief pause, and I hear him moving on the other end, like he’s shifting around. “Well, since I’m awake, let me tell you a story to cheer you up. T