#whoispoly

Overlap

A muffled buzz from across the room wakes me from a nap I did not intend to take.

The thought that it could be Micah gives me an unnatural boost of energy, I leap over the back of the sofa and reach for the phone I mindlessly left on the counter.

"Palila!" Caleb's excited voice is louder than expected, "You are NEVER going to believe this!"

Tonight was Caleb's big date with the now infamous Alyssa and I love that he has called me as soon as it is over to give me all the details!

"Oh my gosh, Caleb, how did it go?!"

"P, you and Alyssa know one another!"

"Huh?"

"It's true! Can we stop by?"

"Uh, yeah, of course... come on over."

"Guests?" Ana calls from her bedroom.

"Yeah, Caleb and his new girl are gonna swing by. She says she knows me"

Anabeth appears in the doorway of her bedroom wearing a black silk robe with red roses embroidered on it. Her hair is tied neatly into a towel turban and her face is the color of baby vomit.

"I'm sorry... I'm wearing a mask... is it rude if this is how I look meeting your friends for the first time?"

"Do you really care?" I ask already knowing the answer.

Ana lives by her own rules and if the first time she meets you she is covered in mud with her wet hair in a towel wearing nothing but silk... well then, that's your problem.

She is gone again but I still hear her voice carrying across the concrete floor.

"I really don't... but I want to meet this Caleb character you are always talking about."

She reappears in jean shorts and a baby tee, her face de-mudded and glowing with minimal makeup, and her wet hair slicked back as if it was planned.

"How did you...," my question is interrupted by a knock at the door.

I run to the door... the curiosity is killing me. I swing the door open and someone leaps at me from the other side.

"Kayla?"

"Oh my God, girl!!!!"
     
What the fuck? Nooooo!

"P... THIS is Alyssa!"

"No, Caleb. THIS is Kayla," I correct him.

Kayla and Caleb... ugh, one of those nearly matching couple names like Jack and Jackie or Stephen and Stephanie. Barf.

"I'm both. Kayla Alyssa. I went by Kayla in High School but once I went off to college I had a fresh new start and thought I'd try going by my middle name."

"Cute," Ana's voice drips with sarcasm as she grabs my shoulders from behind, silently instructing me to move out of her way.

"Let them in Lila, so rude," she says, but the side eye she gives me says so much more. I can see she remembers me telling her all about Kayla.

"Please come in, but do forgive me. I just got out of the bath, I'm taking some me time tonight," her nose scrunches, "Self-care, ya know."

"I hope we didn't intrude on that," Caleb's concern is genuine. "I'm Caleb, I don't believe we've met."

"I feel I already know you so well," she is overly nice... and eyeing him like a Birkin bag.

We move outside to the deck and Ana emerges with four wine glasses, "Hope everyone likes Pinot Noir."