Butterfly Keeper // h.s. au

Chapter Sixteen

The blare of a car horn going off jolts me out of my deep slumber. I sit up and when I look around the room my eyes feel blurry from sleep. Pushing the mess of tangled hair from my forehead half heartedly, I groan when I hear another annoying beep sound from the car outside.

I force myself from my bed and over to the window to see what all the commotion is coming from and I'm startled to see Jessica and my parents outside in the parking lot. Jessica sits inside a very shiny, orange, Honda civic, a vehicle I've never seen before, and proceeds to pound her palm against the horn once more.

I throw a jacket over my old pajama shirt and begin to rush down the hall, my bare feet padding against the lush, crimson, carpet. As I exit the building out into the chilly weather Jessica is just about to tap the horn again until she see's me and a bright smile crosses her face. I practically run across the cold stone of the courtyard to get to my family's place in the parking lot.

My mom and dad who stand bundled up to the right side of the car instantly embrace me as I throw my arms around them. My dad's familiar scent of aloe and the same aftershave he's been using since I was a little girl fill my nose. It overpowers my mom's lighter scent of sweet pea perfume, which I'm sure she chose very carefully before deciding on that smell.

Jessica clears her throat, causing my parents to step aside and the two of us to crash together in a joyous and reliving hug. She hoists me up and I wrap my legs around her waist as we hug, being a weird sister thing we do to píss our parents off.

"Girls, stop that. You are related, that's inappropriate." My mom says right on cue in her french accent that's been watered down over the years.

"They're just being kids." My dad murmurs lowly to her. She glares at him.

Jessica rolls her eyes before dropping me and slinging an arm over my shoulder.

"How do you like your birthday gift you nineteen year old grandmother?" She grins and gestures to the orange civic she was previously honking at me in.

The windows have been written on with those car marker things saying: 'Birthday Girl' and '19 going on 85'. The car is a very orange-y orange, and I cringe as I look it over. It looks new but the color makes me want to cover the vehicle before anyone sees it.

"Thank you so much guys... But why orange?" I try to say as politely as possible, not wanting to come off as ungrateful. Both my father and mother give me blank stares.

"Jessica told us that orange was your favorite color." My dad replies slowly.

I snap my head in Jessica's direction, that devious smirk plastered on her face.

"Oh shìt!" She laughs as I begin chasing her across the parking lot.

She runs in front of a car, causing an angry student to honk at her, but she only laughs as I struggle to catch up.

"I can't believe you!" I yell at her under short, breathy, laughter as my footsteps begin to gain on her.

"Girls, stop that right now! You are making a scene!" My mom calls after us with embarrassment and anger mixing in her sharp tone.

Jessica stops behind a black Prius and puts her hands up in surrender as she struggles to catch her breath. I come to a stop a few steps away from her, and we both rest our hands on our knees as our breath rises in white puffs into the air.

"I can't believe... You did that..." I breathe out at her heavily. She only lightly chuckles in response, looking up at me with a sly smile and causing me to laugh a little as well.