Rae's father had called this exactly what Eli's thought process had: acting out. Channeling anger in stupid, frivolous ways. Rae's mother had told her once about how her father was before he'd married her. How serious he was, and how it seemed like he had no idea how to have fun. It was fresh in Rae's mind, that he seemed to be going right back to that. Fortunately for her, Elliot hadn't spoken that aloud, because it might have worried her.
She paused in consideration of a tattoo. "You know, it makes absolutely no sense and is completely contradictory given my hatred of needles? But I'd considered a tattoo even before everything started going to hell. I'm not sure what I'd want. Maybe something simple like a butterfly, which is majorly cliché, I know, but I've always liked butterflies," she mused. And among the things that there wasn't room for in this new world, for that matter. She missed watching butterflies. A butterfly tattoo would be a nice commemoration. She considered a joke about Eli holding her hand while she got it done, but decided against it. It would be… weird.
Rae smiled a somewhat shy smile when Eli mentioned having an awesome best friend. "It helps that you give the aforementioned awesome best friend a lot of awesome to work with," she added, raising a shoulder in a shrug and then glancing at her hands. He remarked about the candy and she shrugged. "A friend and I raided the back storerooms of Macy's. I should've checked the expiration date, maybe, but I think candy has a longer shelf life than people think it does anyway. I kinda wish I'd been able to find Tootsie Pops though. I'd kill for a raspberry one," she added arbitrarily.
She laughed aloud when he went with her bedazzled gold guitar joke and shook her head. "I'll have to remember that for next year," she mused. And maybe, given all that she'd managed to remember for this year, he'd take her seriously. "Just, you know, don't be surprised if it ends up being cardboard, rubber bands and gold spray paint… and bedazzled with marker."
"It was nothing," Rae shrugged off his surprise and gave him a sincere smile. "Like I said, I'm just glad you like it." She didn't feel the need to repeat having missed seeing him smile like that.
If Rae had tried to claim that her thought process hadn't gone to the exact same place that Eli's had, about wondering whether Bret Michaels was still alive, she would have been lying. But she didn't voice it, just as he hadn't. This was not the time, especially with how perfect everything else was right then.
"I was born ready. Maybe I'll even backup dance a bit for you." It hadn't been a part of the initial deal, but Rae was feeling pretty awesome right then.