let's light up the sky ☆

Chapter 30

Emily, 1:53 PM: SHADY'S BACK

My phone's aggressive buzz interrupted my kitchen cleaning. Emily sent me a vague photo of her suitcase handle with the LAX baggage claim tag attached to it. Checking my phone to see this message was worth me breaking my focus on scrubbing the splatter of oil spots from the stew that Mom and I made together last night.

I had been counting down the days until Emily's return from Colorado. Our Facetime calls were fun, but I missed having her around. They just couldn't capture all the tea we needed to tell each other. I'm a physical storyteller and Emily needs my energy to tell her stories the way she wants.

I did a happy shimmy and continued to aggressively scrub the stove top. Mom returned from her walk with Maggie and shot me an awkward look. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"Emily's back in LA," I cheered. "And you know what I'm gonna ask next."

Mom sighed with a smile. "Yes, she can come over." It was a sleepover of convenience because we had to be at school tomorrow for the pre-year extracurricular meetings. Emily had cheerleading, and I had color guard. It was our excuse to spend the night together binging on junk food and YouTube, and Mom would get to sleep in. It was a win for everyone.

I replied back to her with Mom's answer. She checked back in a few minutes later, saying that she had a couple things to do at her mom's house but that they wouldn't take too long. "She'll be free around 5. Would you mind if we did our own thing for dinner tonight?"

"Fine by me. Just don't stay out too late."

I finished my cleaning in the kitchen and then took care of my room and bathroom upstairs. The mini-playlist of our halftime show songs on repeat helped me push through the worst of it. By the time I finished, I felt like I could nap for hours. I set my alarm for 4:30, thinking it would be enough time to sleep before Emily came over. I hung a throw blanket over the window to block out some of the more obnoxious light.

My bedroom door cracked open less than 10 minutes later. I heard the distinctive jingle of metal tags clinging together. "Coming in to sneak some last-minute cuddles?" I mumbled.

Maggie weaseled her way under the comforter. She sighed loudly in my ear and settled down under my arm. 11 years old, and she still thinks she's a puppy. I enjoyed as much time with her as I could until she crawled off and finished her nap on the floor. For a second, I wondered if she would miss me someday when I went to college. If only I could drag her along with me.

I woke up just in time to hear a car pull up in the driveway, right outside my window. Maggie beat me to it and was already loading up her warning bark. I jumped out of bed, catching my balance on my wobbly knees, and brushed the sleep from my eyes. The nap was good, but the hug from my bestie would be better.

"Hi, Sofia," Emily greeted. She's been on a first-name basis with Mom since elementary school, even though she said that doing so makes her feel "icky."

"Emily!" Mom cheered. She reserves that particular tone of voice for Dad after long tours, Armen after long seasons, and Emily after school breaks with her dad. "Anoush is upstairs, I'll grab her for you."

"Beat ya to it!" I replied back before she could even turn towards the stairs. I nearly slipped off the bottom stair, with Mom jumping to my defense before I even had the chance to register what happened.

"Don't break your neck over me," Emily laughed.

I ran into her arms, just like that one time Power finished a concert and Dad bounded into Uncle Anthony's arms. Emily used the momentum to rock us side to side. "Don't worry, you're worth breaking my neck over."