You Gotta Love Life... Right?

Chapter 23

When I get home I am fully prepared to change into some laggings and get to work on my essay with a bowl of popcorn, but my plans are slightly interrupted when two people are locked in an embrace –they are clothed, you dirty minded freaks- on Maddi's bed. I tiptoe across the room and snatch my laptop, cat and headphones off my bed and head back out room, closing the door behind me.

"Ew." I whisper to myself, sitting down at the kitchen table and setting Phosphorus down on my lap. I open my notes I made in class and read over the assignment, but nothing sticks in my head. I groan and tip back in my chair, running my hands through my spikes, cracking and crunching the gel between my fingers.

I am suffering from Post-date Syndrome, PDS1, as Maddi and Kira like to call it. They used to understand, but Kira has had Deacon for at least two years now and Maddi has had at about four boyfriends since we started college, so she gets PDS2. Pre-date Syndrome. It's worse, trust me, (refer to chapter 13).

Instead of trying to focus, I plug in my headphones and turn on my music, and just sit there staring at nothing, petting my cat. I guess I fell asleep because what feels like ten minutes later, several pairs of hands are shaking me awake.

"What?" I peel my face off the table and look curiously at Morgan and Kira, "Oh, hi. Is Adam gone?"

Morgan nods and gently takes my headphones off for me, I guess I was talking loudly. "What time is it?" I ask in a normal voice.

"Eleven thirty." Kira says, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I look sadly at my laptop; I guess I'm not doing my essay tonight.

The next morning –Monday, by the way- I wake up before my alarm to find Kira already out of the room. I get changed and walk into the living room.

"Morning!" I say happily, "You look wide awake."

She glares at me, "Shut up, I'm not a morning person."

I laugh, "I know, you want some tea?"

"Meh, donut."

"Donuts give you sugar highs, and then crashes, tea is better for you."

She snorts, "Fine. Tea and donut."

I sigh, then give in, I set up the kettle, then grab two donuts and sit down next to her on the couch, "So why are you up so early?"

"Your cat sat on my face." She eyes the orange ball of fluff walking around on the window sill and sticks her tongue out at him. The kettle finishes after a few minutes and I hop up to dump hot water and teabags into two mugs.

"So how was your date last night?" She asks as I poke teabags down with the back of a random spoon.

"Oh!" I had honestly forgotten all about it, "It was good."

"How was Jackson?"

"Less nervous than usual, and actually kind of sarcastic." Then I realize she teasing and resist the urge to throw the spoon at her, "Yeah, he looked fine, and he has a nice smile, and I kissed him."

"You KISSED him?" Kira almost yells this, and I shoot her a death look.

"Yes, and it was on the cheek and like one second long okay! Don't die of shock."

She scowls, "Fine. Was it because you wanted to or because you knew he wouldn't do it himself?"

I roll my eyes, "That's for me to know." To be honest, I don't know why I did it, I just felt like I should have.

Later that day, after school we get a Skype call from Daniella and Joardan on Maddi's laptop. Morgan answers and soon two familiar faces are peeking out of the screen.

"So-o!" Daniella sings when she sees me in the background, "I heard you had a date Emma, how was it?"

I groan louder than necessary, "Does everyone know about this?" I stare accusingly at Maddi, who returns it with a heart made out of her fingers.

"Better than the last two first dates I've had." I say simply.

Kira holds Phosphorus above her head, and waves him around, he protests by squirming, but not before she can start singing part of that song from the lion king. Yeah, I knew she shouldn't have had a donut this morning.

"Aw!" Joardan says, "Who's is that?"

"Mine." I say, "His name's Phosphorus."

"Heh-heh," Maddi lifts a finger, "But he is officially nicknamed Fuzzy, even though I took academic science all through high school."

"Nice Maddi." Joardan replies as Daniella fake-pets the screen of her tablet on the other side of the city.

Yeah, I think we all need a break from real life... I mean, I know we're all crazy, but usually Kira doesn't swing- nope, never mind, she does it quite often. Maybe I just need a break!