One Letter Away

Letter #2

I woke up in the couch with my eyes barely even open. The sun shines through the fabric of the curtains making my eyes squint. I'm still in the red dress I wore last night. I don't remember coming back here. I looked down and found Riley sleeping on the floor. I looked across the living room to find Valentina and Kayla sleeping in the sofa bed both also still in their dresses.

I weakly reached down and tapped Riley on her bare shoulders.

"Riley wake up." She rose up and wipe her eyes with her hands as she groaned.

"What time is it?" she asked, stretching her arms out. I reached into my bag which was right next to me and pulled out my phone to turn it on.

"It's 7:38." I answered. "I don't remember coming back here."

"Austin brought us here," she said. "You guys drunk your asses off and you passed out."

"Then how come you remembered?"

"I didn't drink as much as you guys did." Valentina and Kayla rose their heads up, rubbing their eyes.

"That was the best party I've ever been to." said Kayla.

"It was a club, Kayla." I corrected her.

"How did we get here?" asked Valentina.

"You guys were drunk and Austin brought us here." said Riley. How comes she smokes but she doesn't drink like that?

"Morning Bitches." said Zoey walking out of the hallway in her dress also.

"Hey." I said. "You got some cereal? I'm starving my ass off."

"You already know where the cereal is." she said. She gestured over to the cabinet in the kitchen. I walked over to the cabinet and reached up to grab a box of Coco Puffs. "I pretty sure you guys didn't have fun as much as I did."

"That was literally the best night of my life." said Kayla.

"Totally, we should do that again." said Riley. And what? Find Alex again to go meet him and maybe have sex in the club bathroom?

"We can't do it tonight because my parents are coming back and they'll notice that we're gone."

"Where are your parents anyway?" I asked getting a bowl and spoon.

"They're at this bitchin' hotel room in Pennsylvania. They have a Jacuzzi and two king size beds so it's very expensive."

"How come they didn't take you?" asked Valentina, grabbing a bowl after me.

"They wanted me to stay home and get perfect attendance at school." Oh c'mon, she missed like 5 days last month. "Probably watch after the house so it doesn't get robbed."

"Your parents are like Zach Daily's parents." Zach Daily is basically the "nerd" at our school and his parents want him to have perfect attendance and perfect grades. He sits at the "nerd table" while jocks like Alex Carter make fun of him. I feel so bad for the kid.

"His parents are so extra with his attendance and grades." said Riley. My phone made the tri-tone notification sound from the couch. I stopped pouring my milk and lied it on the counter. I walked over to the couch and picked my phone up and found the numbers "555-575-8969" on the screen. I read the message in my head.

"Hey Emma, it's Alex. Last night was fun even though we haven't spoke for 5 minutes. I'm guessing you used a fake ID to get in and so did I. I was wondering if we could hang out at the lookout area," said the text. My heart drops in shock. I looked up, smiling and my eyes twinkling. Oh my God! Alex Carter wants to hang out with me. The most popular guy in school wants to hang out with a member of the Single Ladies Club. Why can't he take a hint for once? I imagined me and him in the lookout area talking and laughing at whatever.

All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. Who even rings doorbells these days? Matter of fact, who even has them? The doorbell took me out of my fantasy.

"Emma, would you get that?" said Zoey. I walked over to the door and opened it to find my mom standing there.

"Hey Mom, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Hi sweetie, some mail came in for you today." She reached from behind her and handed me an envelope with a heart shaped sticker in front of it. My name, street address, and zip code were all on the envelope. Holy shit! Could this be another letter from Alex? What would it say?

"Um... Thanks, Mom." She walked away to her car and turned around to look at me again.

"Oh and tell your friends I said hi."

"I will. Bye Mom." I waved my hand into the air with my other hand holding onto the letter.

"Bye Sweetie." she said walking into her car. Before I closed the door, I turned around and held the letter behind my back.

"Who was that?" asked Riley.

"My mom." I answered. "She came to see me and tell me hi. Um... I have to go to the bathroom." I ran into the hall and normally held the letter in front of me.

"Wait, I have to use it!" yelled Valentina. 

"I'll make it quick!"

When I finally made it to the bathroom I locked the door behind me so that no one would accidentally walk in like someone always does. I rapidly opened the envelope and found another 3-part folded piece of paper. I took the letter out and dropped the envelope on the floor. Once I unfolded the letter, the heart shaped cut-outs fall to the floor. I read the letter in my head once again.

"You're the missing piece I've been trying to put together in my heart." said the letter. My eyes sparkled as my smile grows from ear to ear. It almost feels like I'm about break my cheeks from grinning so hard.

"Emma, hurry up!" yelled Valentina as she banged on the door. "I have to pee."

I quickly knelt down to the floor and rapidly tried to pick up the paper hearts. I scrapped them into my hand in circles and dumped them into the toilet. It would be completely stupid of me to throw them in the trash which I have thought of. You fucking dumbass.

"Emma, it doesn't take that long to shit." Is she serious. I've only been in here for a minute.

"Just a sec!" I shouted throwing the last handful of paper hearts into the toilet. I pushed down the handle until the toilet flushes. I watched them circle into swirls, leaving nothing but toilet water inside.

"Hurry your ass up!" she shouted.

"Hold on." I picked the envelope up and folded it up along with the letter and stuffed it into my underwear. What? I don't have a bra and I'm still wearing this dress. I opened the door and found Valentina standing there with shrugged shoulders. She looks like my mom when I'm in trouble.

"Sorry." I said.

"Yea, move so I can pee." She pushed me out of the way and closed the door behind her.

What answer should I give Alex? Yes or No? Letter number 2 has arrived and now it's in my god damn underwear.