when i woke up, joanna was humming and cleaning her room. she had her little radio on and was throwing out all her cheesy love posters she kept on her walls. i asked her what she was doing and she told me her heart changed and she's no longer blood drizzling over a beating heart. i didn't quite understand what she meant, but it made sense.
once joanna was done i threw on my outfit from the day before and she wore a crop top with her daisy overalls. we headed to vienna's and had pancakes with strawberries and syrup and whipped cream. my head still felt like it was going to float away from my shoulders and Joanna couldn't help but notice.
"geez everly," she mused between bites of pancake and sips of milk. "you're more dazed than when you met that boy in the library."
i almost forgot about warren. i hadn't seen him around and he didn't give me his number, so it's okay.
"that boy's a nobody," i sighed and fingered my back pocket to make sure the skip of paper with ben's number on it was still there. a relieved feeling came through me. "why did your heart change, jo?"
joanna sighed in her girlish way and wiped her hands on a napkin. "i woke up at six in the morning and called pierre," she said. "i was expecting to hear his voice, but a vixen picked up and called me a stupid girl and said pierre didn't have time for little nymphs like me."
i stared at joanna in disbelief. maybe she was right, maybe pierre beds pretty girls too often. maybe these girls have a higher libido than joanna. of course, pierre is in a total different time zone.
joanna and i finished and i paid for our meals. i checked the the time on my watch and found it was already two in the afternoon. my parents are probably waiting for me.
"i gotta go jo." i kissed her petunia petal cheek and told her to call me later. she said she would and i watched her skip away.
back at home, aunt vivienne's car was sitting in the driveway. i sighed in annoyance as i realized she'd have aaliyah, jerome, and ryan would be here- not that i don't love them. aaliyah just has a knack for pulling on artemis' tail and ryan likes to wipe his boogers on the windows and jerome is always asking where the gangs hang out.
i walked inside and was immediately bombarded by aaliyah climbing on my back and ryan shoving his new toy cars in my face. nadia was on the couch showing jerome some of her pictures.
"everly!" aaliyah exclaimed. "gimme a piggyback ride!"
"not now," i groaned as i took her off my back.
"eveeerly," ryan whined. "look at my new cars! i bought them myself!"
"that's nice ryan," i smiled. jerome waved at me from the couch and nadia didn't pay me any mind. artemis came and rubbed herself against my leg. i picked her up and walked into the kitchen.
dad and aunt vivienne were at the table drinking black tea from his fancy china. dad only used his china when guests were over. we weren't usually allowed to touch it.
"hey there," my dad greeted. "did you have fun with joanna?"
"yeah," i said. "we stayed up and listened to music and cut stuff out of magazines." i was lying through my teeth, i usually don't lie to my parents, but if needed, i will.
"hi aunt vi," i smiled. she smiled back at me and stood up to give me a hug.
"where's mom?" i asked.
"she's getting takeout for everyone. I told her to get your usual."
"thanks dad," i yawned. i headed upstairs to my room with the sounds of ryan making car noises and aaliyah telling nadia a story and jerome playing music from his walkman.
once in my room, i changed into my silk shorts and night shirt and laid in bed with artemis on my tummy. i kept letting last night play in my head like a worn out mixtape. i couldn't keep ben out of my thoughts. i wanted to call him, but i was too sleepy. i fell asleep with artemis nestled against me and a halo around my head.
