*NOT EDITED*

Chapter 23

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   The next morning I woke up early so I can get to our house before lunch like Elyse requested. Emma was really reluctant to let me go, but I had promised Elyse and she understood that.

   "So, how are you and Drake?" I asked Emma, watching her stop the traffic light turn from yellow to red.

   "We're great." She had a weird look on her face like she wasn't sure.

   "Come on, ou can tell me anything."

   "I don't know. Everyone has these high expectations of us being the golden couple. It can get really pressuring at times. There are times when I avoid a fight because we're the fricking golden couple, but we need to talk about it." She sighed.

   "I get your point. Fight. You should fight if you want to because this is really not a healthy relationship. The fights are going to make the relationship better. Are you . . . Do you love him?" I watched out for her reaction.

   It took her a while to answer, her face thoughtful. "No . . . I mean, yes. Gosh, I don't know! I just imagine us being married and having kids with a house that has a picket fence."

   "If you guys broke up, do you think you'll be able to love again?"

   "God, no! Never," she said without hesitation.

   "Would you take a bullet for him?"

   "Yes, yes, I would," she said after a minute of thinking.

   I smiled. "You're in love, Emma."

   She smiled slightly, but then it dropped. "What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

   "He does." My voice was full of confirmation. I looked to the right to see that we'd reached my house. "I have to go now. Thanks for the ride."

   She nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. I left her to her own thoughts and got out of the car.

   Remembering that I didn't get my keys with me, I rang the doorbell with a groan. For some reason, in our house, we'd never hear the doorbell. Never. It was probably because we were always shouting.

   I rang the doorbell three more times, and Sarah answered on the third.

   "Oh, I forgot you even existed," Sarah joked, letting me in.

   I chuckled and walked up the stairs to change. Emma had let me borrow her pajamas since I didn't have a change of clothes. They smelled like lavender.

   After changing, I walked down the stairs to see everyone doing their own thing. Damon was watching a football game, Sarah and Elyse were engrossed in their conversation, and Dad was surprisingly cooking. Dad never cooks because every time he does, it ends in a disaster.

   "I'm here!" I announced with a smile.

   No one answered.

   "Dad you're cooking," I said, walking over to him and giving up on raising a reaction from the rest.

   "I am cooking." He nodded.

   "Why are you cooking?"

   "Because I have to be a man who can do both," he said with a wink. "Don't worry, this time, you'll love the food," he said enthusiastically.

   I just nodded slowly before sitting down with Sarah and Elyse.

   "Oh, honey. You're back," Elyse said surprised. I rolled my eyes with a small smile.

   "So, back to my point. The gallery will be hosted tomorrow or after tomorrow and I have to be there."

   "Wait, you're going? How long are you staying?" I asked surprised.

   "Just a few days," Sarah replied for Elyse.

   I nodded. Listening to Sarah and Elyse talk made me feel envious. Of course, I was happy that they were as close as glue even after all these years, but I still yearned for a sister. A sister who could talk girl with me or one who would hide my book because I took her lipstick.

   Reece was almost like a sister back then. And yes, Damon and I were close, but we can never talk about these things without feeling weird. But I have to let it go. Start again. I scoffed. Easier said than done.

   ". . . Speaking of which," Elyse said, interrupting my thoughts. I haven't really been being attention to what they were saying. "There was news that your father and I wanted to tell you and Damon, but other things got in-"

   "I smell . . . I smell something burning up." I focused on the scent and looked to find Dad watching the game and shouting with Damon. Looking around, I saw that the smell was coming from the pasta that was somehow producing fire.

   I didn't have time to ask how that was even possible when I rushed to distinguish the fire.

   "Dad! You left the pot unattended!" I exclaimed, making him look away from the TV reluctantly.

   "What? No, I didn't. I- the house is going to burn down!" He jumped from the couch (yes, literally jumped) and grabbed the fire extinguisher.

   "How do I make this work?"

   "Oh, give me this." Sarah grabbed the extinguisher from dad and did the job herself.

   The fire was mild, but it could have easily spread out if it weren't for me noticing it.

   "I can never do anything right in my life." Dad sighed but in a joking way.

   "Don't say that, Dad. You can perfectly do failing." I gave him a pat on the back and he rolled his eyes with a small smile.

   Since cooking was ruled out as an option, we opted for ordering Thai⎯my favorite. As usual, I had the spicy sushi rolls with stir fried noodle and shrimps. I always hated the people who thought sushi was disgusting without even trying it. It was one of my biggest pet peeves.

   After finishing up my food, I decided to take a shower because I seriously stank. I took my time in the shower, scrubbing my body thoroughly with my favorite magnolia shower gel and washing my hair with my strawberry shampoo and conditioner before wrapping a towel around me and getting out.

   I changed into a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt when I decided to spend the rest of my day watching Shane Dawson on YouTube.

   Yes, I know that's very unproductive.

   No, I have nothing else to do better with my life.

   Halfway through watching a video about a girl who's allergic to everything⎯I really don't know how I got there⎯my phone rang, signaling that I got a text.

   Oh, look at that! I have a life!

   Looking at my phone, I saw that it was Ryder.

   R: Are you free on Monday?

  A: Well, hello to you too. I'm wonderful, thanks for asking.

  R: Since you can't really see me, I just rolled my eyes. So, are you?

   A: Yes.

   R: Great, I want to take you out on a date on Monday :)

   A: Kk. Do me a favor and tell me what I should wear.

    I was not going to make the same mistake again.

   R: wear something really really comfortable. Don't wear a dress or a skirt even though I won't mind . . . ;)

   I rolled my eyes.

   A: Okay. Y do I have a feeling you're taking me biking?

   R: don't worry, I'm not lmao. Hey, I'm writing an essay, is there a word that's a mix between angry and sad?

   A: Discontented, disgruntled, miserable. . .

   R: Nevermind, I found one. Smad.

   A: There are two types of people in this world.

   R: And you and I make one ;)

   A: Stop the cheesiness.

   R: Why? because I melt your heart like cheese?

   A: No, because you melt my brain cells like cheese. 

R: Oh, come on. I know you love me, Foxy.

A: Whatever makes you sleep at night, lover boy.

R: you make me sleep at night . . . In my bed ;)

A: Stop!

R: Stop what?

Stop making my heart jump from the simplest and dumbest things you say. Stop making my plan harder by the second when I'm with you.

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Author's Note:

Hey, guys! So, I just reached #99 in Humor and reached 2.8k reads! Can you believe it? Because I can't. It feels like I was #774 yesterday.

Thank you so much! None of this could've happened without you. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much Ahh!

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