The Best Friend Facade | JHOCEY

NUEVE

"You're going to get a cramp in your hand."

Jhoanna's heart jumped out of her chest and her shoulders tensed up to her ears, her arms flailing madly, knocking off her headphones as she did so. They toppled onto the floor, dragging the keyboard and tablet down with them, landing in a tangled heap on the carpet. "How did you get in?!"

She'd been working solidly for most of the day, her hand cramping over her graphics tablet and her headphones thumping loud music. After she'd asked her boss for the time off, she'd received the stink-eye and was sharply told that she better get all of her work for the month done before she left, so all of Jhoanna's free time was consumed by sitting in front of the computer and trying to finish off as much as she possibly could. She had to rush through as many as possible to justify the two off.

"Door was unlocked." Stacey said cheerfully, bending down to help Jhoanna gather everything that had fallen and put it back on the desk.

Jhoanna leaned back in her chair and groaned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"About ten. Have you moved at all today?"

"Ten?" Jhoanna muttered, twisting around to look at the clock. "Are you sure?"

Stacey was right. She'd been hunched over her computer for about five hours, and all at once she realized how much her body was crying out for a break. She extracted herself from the chair that had become her prison, and joined Stacey on the sofa, where she'd made herself comfortable.

"Seeing as you haven't eaten," Stacey said with a stern glare, opening up a bag she'd brought with her, pulling out various snacks. "I brought you some stuff."

Jhoanna dived into the bag, pulled out a container of gummy bears, twisting off the lid, taking a handful and bringing them to her mouth, before closing her eyes and letting out a long, satisfied groan. "You're the best person in the world."

"So I've heard."

She finished ¼ of the gummies, licking each of the sugar stuck in her fingers in turn, and then raised her eyebrows. "How did you know I hadn't eaten?"

Stacey tipped her head to the side. "So, funny story," she said, her voice taking a sharper tone.

"Oh no." Jhoanna muttered.

"Your mother sent me a text. Well, five texts, actually."

She froze, her fingers still hovering in front of her face. "What?"

"Oh yeah," Stacey said, with a faux cheery voice and a dangerous smile. She held up her phone, revealing a stream of texts from her mother's mobile number. "Jhoanna isn't answering her phone, is she with you? You couldn't just go and check if she's alright, could you?"

Jhoanna groaned, and wiped a hand down her face.

She kept scrolling through her phone. "I worry about her. Can you make sure she eats?" she pulled her hand away from her face, making her look her in the eye. "How did she even get my number, Jho?!"

"I don't know!" Jhoanna said, frantically pulling her hand away from her and shifting as far back on the sofa as she could. "I didn't give it to her! My parents have a way finding these things out! They're scary like that?"

"Jho."

"What?"

She whacked her with a cushion. "Call your mother back!"