Lucie and I were having our annual Saturday night sleepover, or Saturday night fever, as I should say. I felt so special to have a friend like her, looking out for me, helping me when I’m depressed. We’ve been having our annual Saturday night fevers for two years now, and we’ve never talked about the same subject once. We talk about crushes, school, fashion, who we like and who we don’t. I felt so special to have a friend like Lucie. She always took care of me, and always looked out for me. That night I was feeling tired, and didn’t want to talk much. I mentioned a topic that was special to me; that I wouldn’t share to any but her. I knew she wouldn’t tell a soul.
“You know what I love doing, Lucie?”
“No, I don’t, Chlo. What?”
“I love putting Dale to my chest and holding him there for a long time. The beating from my heart will go through him, and it would make him seem like he’s alive.

I wonder what it’d be like if every one of my stuffed animals were alive. It’d be my dream.

“That’s really funny. I never tried that. Pass me Pinky.”

Pinky is Lucie’s favorite stuffed animal and she could never fall asleep without her. No one has made fun of her about it yet, but I’m afraid it will happen.

“Pinky’s too thick. I guess I can’t feel Pinky turn alive,” Lucie said sadly.

“Here. I’ll pass you Dale instead.” I passed her Dale.
“Whoa! That’s so cool! It actually does feel as if Dale is alive. I wish Pinky was thinner so it could work on her.” Pinky was an elephant, so of course the stuffed animal was fat. Lucie made a hysterical frowny face because of this. I laughed.

“Chloe, what about Chip? Why do you only have Dale?”

“My aunt gave me Dale as a present, like, eight years ago, and I never got chip after that. But it’s okay. I don’t like Chip’s personality. I like little red-nosed, silly chipmunks better, like Dale.”
“Yeah! But don’t you think that Dale must be so lonely?”
I raised one eyebrow and pointed to a huge heap of my stuffed animals lying motionless on my pink carpet. She knew I put Dale with them every morning before I left for school. She and I started cracking up uncontrollably.
“It’s two ‘o clock in the morning, Lucie. We need to get to sleep. You’ll be sooooo cranky in the morning if we don’t.” I playfully smacked my pillow over her head. She hit me back then hopped under the sheets and pretended to sleep.
“Me? What about you?!”

“Ha-ha. Just kidding. Good night. See you in the morning.”

“’Night, ‘night. Don’t let the bed bugs bite…”

I whispered to Dale how thankful I was to have such an amazing friend like Lucie. I put him on my chest and listened to his heartbeat, like I always do.