Later that day, around dinner time, Eden receives her long awaited phone call from the queen bee. She sits on her bed, looking at the phone, when it starts to ring. She puts it on speaker and says, "hello?"
"Hey. It's McKayla." She hears McKayla's voice, which seems a bit muffled. She hears another voice of someone yelling, before a door slamming shut. "Sorry about that."
"Everything okay over there?" Eden asks, hoping it was a good move, which it probably wasn't.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just my Abuela and Mom. They like to argue. But anyways, I need to talk to you about something."
"Okay..."
"Look, Eden. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a total bitch to you over and over again. Especially that night at the restaurant. Lets just say that wasn't my brightest moment." McKayla says.
"Haha, yeah. I forgive you. I can see where you were coming from though. I think that both of us were feeling very insecure that night and both of us reacted to each other differently." Eden admits. "I need to say sorry too, for that afternoon in town, you were just trying to enjoy yourself and I let myself get way out of control and, so, so immature it was ridiculous. I'm really, really sorry." Eden comes to terms with herself.
"Blame it on Jericho. I literally would have never done what I did if it was anyone else. I have no clue what got over me." McKayla laughs to herself.
"Psh, me neither. Jericho is something, that's for sure." Eden laughs too.
"Well I'm glad to say I don't have a thing for him anymore. That's a lot of work." McKayla says.
"I don't anymore as well. It's tiring to have a crush on like, your closest friend."
"Oof." McKayla says, and she yawns . "Well, now that that's out of the way, I need to go. I just painted my nails and need to get out my blow dryer. Which isn't the most pleasant noise." She says.
Eden laughs, "Goodnight McKayla, Merry Christmas." Eden waits for
McKayla to hang up first.
"Happy Christian day." She says monotonously and hangs up.
Eden immediately collapses onto her bed and sighs a breath of relief. A weight has finally been lifted, and Eden is beginning to feel much better about that up-coming year.
—————
Ethan ran home, catching his breath in the entrance of his house. He throws his giant jacket off and runs upstairs before his little brother, Jared, can say anything.
When Ethan opens the door, he puts his bags down and approaches his masterpiece carefully. The glue should have set in by now. It's a canvas with macaroni pasta glued to it, placed in a way that makes it look like Jericho's face. He's not completely finished, but takes a picture of it anyway and sends it to Eden.
She responds with, "what"
"My masterpiece" Ethan texts back before putting his phone down. He admires his work before realizing he's going to eat it on Christmas.
