The Case of the Missing Little Sister

Chapter Twelve

"Wake up, Emily!" Ethan yells and nudges me. I open my eyes lazily.

I'm still dazed due to sleeping.

"What?" I ask, trying to get my hair out of my face.

"Hotel," Ethan says, coolly, leaning on the car. I nod and get up.

"I already took the luggage, and everything..." he says and walks off.

I follow him suit, into a big airy room. He quickly orders food, and I just roam around the room aimlessly. Thinking about how I made fool of myself, yesterday.

"Yeah, that's it... Yeah, mocha." he speaks into the phone. He turns towards me, I don't see the excitement, or happiness in his face... Well, I don't blame him. I stare at him for a while, when he breaks the silence.

"Are you alright?"

"I guess..." I mumble and sit on the bed, doubtfully. My phone buzzes, Booky. I answer.

"Hi, Booky," Ethan tenses at her name, oh, I see she got to him.

"Hey, Emily... Ethan isn't troubling you now, right?" she asks.

"Nah," I say, "Why?"

"Uh... There's something important, I know why he lashed out at you, can I email you?"

"Sure, Booky." The line goes dead. How does she know what Ethan said?

I look at Ethan, he avoids me, he instead grabs his phone, and starts texting furiously.

I wait for my email to load, I twirl my hair, with my finger, finally, I see an email, forwarded by... Ethan?

I read it, it looks it was written just after he hurt me and now I know why. I switch off my phone and lie back down on the bed, massaging my forehead.

Why is my life so messed up?

Ethan finally removes his nose out of his phone screen and looks at me waiting for an answer.

"Well...?" he asks.

"Well, I forgive you." I say.

"We cool?" he asks, smirking.

"Yeah, we're cool." I say, somehow managing to smile.

+++

A Week Later

"I hate mathematics, so much! Formulas are the worst!" Mandy groans as she does a practise test.

"Don't presume I like studying for exams," I joke.

"Why? Just because you're buried in books?" she says, questionably. "I don't know," I say and lift my shoulders up and drop them. My eyes, once again fall on my English textbook, which is like six hundred pages long.

Somebody barges through the door, into our dorm. I look up to see a girl with short brown hair.

"May...?" I ask, trying to figure out what she did to her hair and why.

"Finally, Emily!" she says and swings her arms around my neck, getting me in a hug. "I hope you remember about the party tonight?" she says and she pulls back, straightening her t-shirt.

Party...? Today? Oh, I totally forgot!

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready." I lie, and cover up by smiling. "Okay, I'll be here at around, six o' clock?" she asks and I nod. "All the best studying for your exams, and do me a favor, don't die." she jokes as she goes out of our room.

I shuffle back to my bed and collapse on it.

What happens if I really die studying? I grin at that thought and go back to answering the stupid questions.