sunsets with jude

chapter fifteen- making the sky pretty

Jude

"Jesus, Jude. No one cares about your stellar grades."  Abbey looks up from her bowl of soggy Frosted Flakes just to tell me that. 

"Be kind, Abbey." Mum says, squeezing my shoulder as she walks around. "I'm not surprised our boy did well."

I thank my mother and marvel at the list of A-pluses on my phone's screen some more. Abbey gives me a look of judgement, but I'm used to it. Her ego grew to be the size of a bowling ball after clobbering her opponent last weekend, hence the attitude. 

Mum grabs her purse. "I'm heading to work, kids." She didn't have to indicate that with her colorful skirt and white top. She works as a pediatric therapist and is good at what she does. Working with children day in and day out makes her a patient and understanding mom, complementing my hotheaded dad. They're fire and water, but so in love they keep the house from bursting into flames.

"I'll miss you, Mummy!" Abbey jumps on top of our poor Mum. Her head reaches my forty-five year old mother's hairline. 

"Don't be mean to your brother." As she leaves, Abbey heeds the lecture and hugs me. 

"Atta boy." She whispers. "How do you think your girlfriend did?"

My eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What the hell do you mean?"

"You got straight A's on your finals and can't remember the girl you like." Her nails dig into my scalp like a pissed off cat, but her words stick to me longer than the stinging feeling on my head.

"You're right, Abs."

As Abbey shakes her head, my head replays that moment on the beach ten nights ago. Emilia is an unforgettable movie I know like the back of my hand. 

Each scene of our brief friendship turning into something larger and deeper.

Each hug makes me want to come back for more.

Each time I receive a Snapchat of her sun-kissed face.

The way she acts like a giddy little girl during a sugar rush when she's excited.

She's the movie I wish I could watch every day, but can't because she was taken off of Netflix. I'm sure she's at the beach somewhere living her best life whilst I enjoy my lonely summer. 

"So? Shoot your shot." 

"I can't"

"How come?"

"Fine." I take my phone out and open her messages. Princess Emi, followed by a couple kiss emojis fill the screen. 

Abbey wastes no time telling me what to say. "Start off with a simple hello, beautiful." I look at her questioningly and she puts her head in her hands. "Isn't she the most beautiful girl to walk this earth in your opinion?"

"That girl needs to become a bikini model."

"Perv." Abbey laughs. "I can see that. Her Instagram pictures are stunning."

"They never do her justice."

"Stay focused." Abbey smacks me like she didn't cause my distraction to begin with. Still, I comply and type in what she told me to. 

I stare at it. "There." Even though I always start my conversations with her exactly like this, my heart is about to blow up inside of my chest. 

"And? Send it."

Please don't explode, heart.

~

Being a fat, ugly wench in a world full of beauty means I see things differently than most. I'm no Lindberg, but I always have my camera, my fifteenth birthday gift. If you go through it, sunsets and pictures of my happy peers are the main things you'll encounter. Emi might get a restraining order on me if she sees the few shots I have of her doing what she loves with a massive face mask and glove.