✓ | 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐒, 𝘦. 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 [ REWRITING ]

𝓲𝓲. explanations

written – 12.9.23 |   re-written – 9.5.24
WARNINGS: aludes of suicide

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH

RONI GROANED AS EMILY GENTLY SHOOK her awake, the morning light filtering through the curtains. "Emily, I love you dearly, but please, let me savor these precious moments of slumber," Roni grumbled, her voice muffled as she pulled the soft, warm blanket over her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the day. However, her efforts were swiftly thwarted as Emily, with a mischievous glint in her eye, deftly yanked the comforting shield away from Roni's grasp. "Emily!" The young girl whined, her tone a mixture of exasperation and fondness, eliciting a warm chuckle from her companion.

"You have a visitor, sleepyhead," Emily announced, her voice tinged with amusement. Reluctantly, Roni sat up on the couch, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and peered into the kitchen. There, she spotted Embry, casually seated at the table, savoring what appeared to be a freshly baked muffin. The enticing aroma of baked goods wafted through the air as Emily added, "The muffins are fresh from the oven. I just pulled them out a few minutes ago."

With a resigned sigh, Roni slowly rose from her makeshift bed, paying little heed to her disheveled appearance. Her hair was a wild mess, and her shorts and shirt were hopelessly wrinkled, clinging to her body in odd angles. "Good morning, Embry," Roni managed to articulate through a massive yawn, stretching her arms high above her head in an attempt to shake off the lingering tendrils of sleep. Emily couldn't help but grimace as a resounding pop echoed through the room, a testament to Roni's stiff joints.

"Hey there, Cameron," Embry greeted with a good-natured chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement as Roni shuffled towards the enticing array of muffins.

"It's Roni, always Roni. Never Cameron," Roni insisted, her words slightly muffled as she spoke around a mouthful of the delectable pastry. Her lack of etiquette earned her a swift, reproachful smack on the arm from Emily. "Ow!" Roni exclaimed, setting down her half-eaten muffin to rub her smarting arm. "First, you rudely awaken me from my peaceful slumber, and now you resort to physical violence! What's next on the agenda? Are you planning to kick me out?" Emily and Embry exchanged a brief, meaningful glance before turning their attention back to the indignant girl. Roni's eyes widened in mock horror as she dramatically exclaimed, "Oh, fantastic! You're actually considering kicking me out, aren't you?"

Emily was quick to reassure her, "No one's kicking you out, dear. It's just that Embry wants speak with you, and I have some pressing culinary matters to attend to." She offered a nonchalant shrug, which only served to fuel Roni's playful indignation.

"So, this is all your doing," Roni declared, swiveling to fix Embry with an exaggerated glare. The young man held up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, his lips twitching as he fought to suppress a smile.

"In my defense," Embry began, his tone light and teasing, "I didn't think you'd be sleeping at one in the afternoon." Roni responded with an exaggerated eye roll, while Embry struggled to keep his growing smirk in check. "But I do have something important to talk about with you," he continued, his tone shifting to a more serious note. "It's about the... incident from last night."

Roni's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she took another bite of her muffin. "You want to talk about Paul getting pissed off at you?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Embry's expression grew thoughtful as he replied, "Yes and no. I want to talk about the cause of Paul's reaction. I have a feeling you felt it too." Roni paused mid-chew, her gaze locked on Embry, who had now risen to his feet. "So, you did feel it," Embry murmured, his suspicions confirmed by Roni's reaction.