can't get over you (wlw)

chapter 11

Even though we were free by 2 PM, we lingered until 5 PM, completely absorbed in playing games and sharing jokes. Time seemed to slip through our fingers, as it always does during the best moments. It's frustrating how quickly those hours disappear.

Val and I were standing by the tree, chatting as usual. I desperately needed to use the bathroom, but I was reluctant to leave. I crossed my legs in a futile attempt to hold it in, but Val's jokes only made me laugh harder, pushing me to the brink. Despite my best efforts, I felt a few drops escape.

Realizing I couldn't hold it any longer, I finally told Valerie that I had to go. We quickly said our goodbyes, and I sprinted home. Ignoring my family's greetings, I rushed straight to the bathroom.

"Hey, what's up?" my mom asked, bewildered by my frantic dash.

"Toilet!" I yelled over my shoulder, barely making it in time.

I finally sat on the toilet, feeling an immense relief as I relaxed my muscles. "That was close," I whispered to myself, shaking my head with a smile.

After finishing, I walked into my room and stood by the door, staring blankly ahead. A sudden wave of loneliness washed over me, and I furrowed my brows, confused. We had spent the entire day together, but as soon as I stepped into the house and parted from Val, I felt a hollow emptiness. I glanced at the clock—almost 7 PM. Had we really been talking for that long? We always manage to chat for nearly two hours, exchanging nothing but a bunch of random thoughts. Like how we joked about Toufiq and Jersey making a good couple, laughing for minutes over it.

I sighed deeply, moving further into my room and closing the door behind me. After changing into comfy clothes, I sat on my bed. My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen. My smile widened as I saw the caller ID. I quickly answered the FaceTime call, my loneliness melting away.

“Hey, amiga!” Val’s cheerful voice greeted me as the video call connected. Her face appeared on the screen, though the poor Wi-Fi made the image slightly pixelated.

“Hello!” I responded, watching as she meticulously removed her makeup. The spotty connection made it hard to see the details of her bare face, which I knew looked different without the usual layers of foundation and mascara.

Val's voice dropped to a near whisper. “Do you want to hang out tomorrow? I really don’t want to stay at home.” Her words were barely audible, mingling with the static from the weak signal.

“What? Why are you whispering? I can’t hear you clearly,” I said, straining to catch her words.

“I can’t raise my voice. My parents get annoyed when I’m on calls,” she explained, leaning closer to her phone. “I said, do you want to hang out tomorrow?”

“Oh, yeah! Sure. What do you want to do or where should we go?” I asked, eager to solidify our plans for the next day.

“It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m out of the house,” Valerie replied. Just then, there was a knock on her bathroom door, followed by someone speaking to her in rapid Spanish.

Val turned away from the camera and responded in a playful, baby-like voice, ending with a soft “meow.” The exchange was so unexpected and endearing that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Catching my reaction, Val turned back to the camera, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and amusement. She joined in my laughter, realizing how funny she must have looked.

“Sorry about that,” she said between giggles. “That was my sister. We always talk to each other like that.”

I wiped tears of laughter from my eyes. “It’s okay, really. It’s funny! I don’t find it weird at all.”