I tap my foot against the wall and look at my cell phone. I still haven't opened the text from my mom, and honestly don't know if I want to. I close the window and dial Brax instead. Maybe he'll know what to do.
"Yello?"
"Hey Brax."
"Hi Em, I just actually just about to call you." I chuckle and look out the window. "I was uneasy like all night and thought it might be you. What's going on?"
"So you didn't get a text from mom last night?"
"No, but I'm guessing you did."
"Uh huh."
"I'm also guessing you haven't read it."
"Nuh uh. I don't know if I want to." I hear him sigh deeply, a sign that he's thinking a lot about something.
"You're visiting in what, two weeks? Something like that? Why don't you send it to me, I'll save it on my phone, and we'll read it when you get here."
"How do you always know what to do?"
"Cause I'm awesome." I smile and I can tell he is too. We don't have one of those freaky twin bonds, but if an emotion is strong enough or if we're talking, we can usually tell what the other is doing or how they're feeling.
"So what did you want last night? You called but Lyss was here and I think I cut you short."
"Ah, actually I just wanted to tell you that I've met someone." I stop tapping my foot and sit up on my bed.
"Well this is news. Tell me everything."
"There isn't much to tell yet. We met a few months ago at the grocery store, of all places. We both wanted the last package of chicken. It was on sale and a super good price. Anyway, we argued for like 10 minutes until the manager found another box in the back. We went our separate ways and I didn't think much of it." I lean back against the wall. When you get Brax talking, he never stops.
"Later that week Tannin and I were at the dog park. I didn't even see him, but he came up to me and introduced himself as the guy that almost got his chicken stolen from him." I laugh. "We let our dogs play and talked for almost the entire afternoon. Exchanged numbers and almost inseparable ever since."
"Aww, that's nice Brax. What's his name?"
"Kieran, isn't that cool?"
"Not as cool as Brax." He chuckles. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Be nice to him please. I like him a lot." I pretend to be offended.
"Since when am I ever not nice?"
"I'm serious okay? Especially since he's recently come out and I don't want my dumb little sister scaring him away."
"Hey, I am only 3 minutes younger."
"But still younger."
"Fine fine, I'll be nice."
"Good. Now you can tell me what happened last night with Adrian."
"Lyss dragged us to this new club. I got the text from mom while we were there and you can probably just imagine how I reacted. I didn't feel like staying after that so Adrian and I went to Miss Muppets, that coffee place down the street, and talked until real late."
"That's it?"
"Well he walked me home, but it was super awkward when we said goodnight."
"Did you get his number?"
"No, we live beside eachother. I can literally see inside his bedroom from where I'm sitting."
"Oooh, spying huh?" I can feel my cheeks get hot.
"Not intentionally, but it's kind of hard to avoid every time I look out the window."
"Whatever you say Emmy. What you need to do is.. Oh, hang on I have a beep. It's Kieran."
"You can go. I have stuff to do anyway. Like track down Lyss and figure out where she ended up last night."
"Okay, love you sister."
"Love you brother. Bye."
"Bye now." I hang up and flop back down on my bed, tapping my foot against the wall again. Jackie told me it bugs her so I make a habit of doing it whenever I can. I dial Lyss's cell phone and hang up when it goes straight to voice mail. I may just have to go to her house.
I get up and look around for something to wear. It's super hot already and it's only noon, so I settle for shorts and a tank. I french braid my hair to keep it off my neck and stick on the first pair of flip flops I can find. As I'm locking up my bedroom door the doorbell rings downstairs. I hear Bren answering the door. "Emma! It's Lyssa."
"I'm up here Lyss." I unlock my door, kick off my flip flops and wait for Lyss. When she gets to the top of the stairs I just stare at her. She's in her clothes from last night but they look ripped, her makeup is smeared all over her face, and I can see the beginnings of bruises all over her skin. "What the hell happened to you?!"
No comments:
Post a Comment