Half A Day Away

Chapter 5 ▪ The Consistent One

"Have you seen it!!"

That could only be the voice of Emily's BFF, Joy - buzzing through the school hallway, somehow finding a way to overcome and subdue the thousand other conversations taking place in a milieu of students clamoring along the large and lengthy hallway of the second floor.

"Seen what?"

"This, crazy!" Joy held up the screen of her smartphone, somewhat surreptitiously, since these were supposed to be out of sight during school except to call parents for emergencies, etc.

Emily took a quick look before Joy had to stash the phone quickly in her backpack, as she caught in her peripheral vision the form of Mrs. Gray striding toward her. Can't mistake that hairdo. Especially for any student.

"What the heck was - "

"We'll talk later. Gotta run!"

Emily would definitely need a better look...

...

...

...

Emily worked harder than usual to clear any lingering homework off her plate, and she usually didn't procrastinate. She got up from her desk and headed toward the kitchen in her family's mountain top home. As she opened the fridge door -

[via text - Hey Em, I'm sending you the link to that website...have fun! btw I found lots of guys from the Philippines! -Joy]

Joy's family had immigrated to the States from the Philippines when she was three. Her father, Emilio was an internal medicine physician at a local hospital. The same hospital, as it happens, that Emily's father served as an administrator. Thus, the families had known each other for years. And since Emily had rejected all of Joy's hand-picked love interests for her, she had sworn to find Emily a boy - "even if I have to go to the Philippines!" Emily read the text, sighed softly, shook her head, and then snorted a giggle. At least she's consistent, Emily thought. Consistently persistent!

Emily pulled her notebook/tablet out of its case and powered on...