Crash Into Me | ✓

six

Nikki burst into my bedroom, nearly tripping over my too-clean running sneakers - a reminder that I hadn't gotten up early enough to run all week. I rolled my eyes as she knocked over a stack of books on my dresser in an attempt to keep herself from falling over.

"What are you doing?" I asked while my sister collected herself.

She scoffed in response. "What am I doing? What are you doing?" She gestured wildly to the book in my hands.

"Reading," I replied pointedly, shaking my copy of The Science of Selling Yourself Short at her. "Look, I'm almost at the part where Kaylee and Dakota have their first drunk kiss, can this wait?"

Nikki let out an aggravated groan as she marched over to me and yanked the book out of my hands. "No, but your stupid book can wait! You're getting picked up in a half hour by a guy - a very cute guy I might add - and you're sitting here in sweatpants reading about fictional people kissing! Don't you wanna kiss someone instead of just reading about it?"

I scrunched my face up in disgust. "Not really, no. People in books don't disappoint me like real people do."

I expected Nikki to come back at me with another fiery jab, but instead she closed the book and placed it delicately next to me on my bed. She looked at her fuzzy pink socks, and she ran her tongue along her bottom lip as she contemplated her next words. Pink tinged her cheeks, and I couldn't help hear the wheezing in her breathing, even though I knew she was trying to hide it.

"Don't let me hold you back, okay?" She finally looked up at me and gave me a faint smile.

"You're not-" I shook my head at her, but she held her hand up to stop me.

"I don't want you to feel like you can't do anything," she continued. "Contrary to what any of you might think, I can take care of myself. I know how to make mac and cheese, I haven't maxed out my credit card, and I have a valid drivers license. I think that'll get me by for a few hours."

I opened my mouth to say something else, but she stopped me again.

"Look, you need to get out of this house, Natalie," she said softly, putting her hand on top of mine. "You need to breathe fresh air and hold a civilized conversation, especially because you know you're not getting that from me."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, you're right about that."

I smiled a little, but Nikki's words struck my nerves, and hard. It wasn't that I liked laying in bed until noon every day. But without a job, without a schedule, without any real reason to get up, untangle my hair, and put real pants on, staying in bed seemed like the only viable option. I let out a heavy sigh. I'd only graduated college a year ago, but it felt like a lifetime of nothing since then.

"And you really need to do something with your hair." She cringed at me, pulling at some loose brown strands that had fallen out of my limp ponytail. Without warning she yanked my hair tie out, causing me to howl in pain.

"What the hell!" I moaned, rubbing the back of my head as it throbbed in pain.

"There, much better," she gave me a toothy smile. "Now let's go, we need to get you dressed."

Nikki pulled me up and rushed me to her room with such resounding urgency, as if she was a doctor in the ER. This patient needs a fashion transplant, STAT.

"I don't want your clothes, I want my clothes," I protested as Nikki pushed me onto her bed, sending fuzzy purple pillows tumbling to the ground.

"Not good enough today," Nikki retorted. We have five minutes. This patient needs emergency surgery, or she may die of complete embarrassment.