Читать книгу Fluidity - Abeo Robinson - Страница 3

I stared down at my phone, refreshing the page for the umpteenth time that evening.

"'I'll DM you the addy,' she said. 'In case you change your mind,' she said ."

I threw my phone across the room in a flurry of frustration, and then the notification bell rang and I scurried back over to it, stumbling over my covers and clothes along the way.

My face lit up when I clicked on it and saw Monet's message at the top, "The abandoned warehouse on Seven Dunes street at 11:30 <3 Wear something cute and bring your fake ID" .

I cheered exuberantly and jumped up to sift through my closet. I was invited to a college party by Monet Woods. The Monet Woods: youth dance group member, co-captain of the volleyball team, AND member of an ivy league cheerleading squad...

At least according to her bio.

I caught myself smiling as I brushed my hair in the mirror. I lowered the brush, because, wait, why was I even so excited? I'd never been to a party before, let alone a college party. I'd look so desperate following Monet around like a lost puppy the whole night - assuming I could even keep track of her - and not to mention my parents would have a thing or two to say about me leaving the house on a Thursday night. Also, who has a random fake ID on hand?

I sighed and sat back on my bed. What was I thinking? I couldn't go to this party.

Then my phone lit up with a video chat request.

From Monet !

I froze. It was probably the wrong person, right? I'd wait a few moments for her to realize who she was actually calling and then sink back into my despair.

Eventually, because I failed to answer, the video call ended. I let out a lengthy sigh that was cut short by another video chat request.

I started to freak out. How could she make the same mistake twice? What if it wasn't a mistake? Did I look okay?

My impulsivity caused me to swipe up and answer the call before I could logically think about the consequences. I gasped as Monet's smiling face lit up on the screen atop myself, me with half brushed hair.

"Hey," Monet greeted me nonchalantly, seemingly moving around as she spoke.

For several moments I was silent, causing her to look back at the screen with a smirk.

She for sure had to know she was video chatting me by now!

"You do know you're breaking every single social rule in the book by video chatting me purposefully, right?" I said aloud with shock, and she only laughed.

"Am I? I didn't know," Monet replied, feigning an incredulous expression.

I turned off my video camera and frantically drove the brush through my hair, "What made you decide to acknowledge my existence over a call this evening?"

Monet shamelessly propped her phone against something and used a curling iron in her hair with the webcam on, "Are you coming to the party?"

I paused for a moment before answering, "I don't really know."

She put a stick of gum in her mouth before continuing on her hair, "Think fast then. If you need a ride, everyone's carpooling."

I hadn't even considered that part!

"Hypothetically, if I were to need a ride, what would happen?" I asked anxiously, sorting through a drawer of perfume bottles.

"Well, hypothetically ," she mocked me, "Kristen would drive over to your house and me, my brother, and Dee would wait for you to come out. Why'd you turn off your cam?"

I had been so busy picturing the scenario in my head as she told it that her question only occurred to me several moments after it was asked. I flicked off the light switch in my room and turned the camera back on.

"Happier?" I asked, becoming tired of this emotionally draining social interaction.

She rolled her eyes, as she seemed to love to do, "Girl, I can't even see your face."

"Why would you need to?" I asked her, and she set down the curling iron.

"To see if you look better than me, because I can't let that happen," Monet answered, and again, whether or not she was joking was a mystery.

I flicked the lights on and turned the camera to what I thought to be my most unflattering angle, "Well look, there's nothing for you to worry about here."

Monet seemed unhappy, "Aww, crap, you do look better than me. Guess I need to step up my game."

She'd managed to make me flustered yet again, and I could see the curve of a smile form on Monet's lips as her eyes flashed over to the camera through her peach lip gloss application.

"I don't know what you mean," I told her honestly, and she scoffed.

"Oh, whatever. Are you going or nah?"

It took me only a moment to decide, "I guess I am. I'll text you my address?"

Monet nodded with a newfound elation in her eyes and chuckled, "You're so formal. Anyways, text me the addy and we'll be there at 11."

Once I nodded, she smiled and winked at me, then ended the call.

Cliche as it may sound, I let out a shaky breath I didn't even know I'd been holding in.

•

"Eden, what's the matter? You haven't taken a bite of your food. You love pizza night, right?" my mom asked me at the dinner table around 9:30 PM.

My eyes flashed over to her and Dad staring, "Huh? Oh yeah! I do love pizza night but they gave me jello and crackers at the doctor's office, remember? It was more filling than I thought it'd be."

Dad nodded in understanding, "Why don't you head to bed, kiddo?"

Mom shook her head and held Dad's hand, "Wait a moment, babe, shouldn't we tell her?"

I looked at them questioningly, "Tell me what?"

Their eyes met and they nodded simultaneously.

"We didn't want to mention it until we knew we were sure, but..." Dad started, giving leeway for Mom to continue.

"...you're getting a little brother soon! We've been in contact with a young mother willing to allow us to take on her child once it's born. The baby boy is expected to be in good health and the mother thinks we'd be the perfect family!"

I was utterly dejected. They didn't think to clue me in before welcoming a new baby to our home? That meant they'd pay even less attention to me, Dad being a business man and Mom investing in launching her bakery. Luckily, my disappointment didn't show. I smiled mirthlessly at them and squealed.

"Oh my gosh, are you guys for real?" I clapped in false excitement, and they beamed at me, nodding.

I sprung from my seat to put myself between them and hug them at the same time.

"See, babe," my mom said to my dad, "I told you she'd be excited!"

After a bit of chatter about the who's, when's, and why's, I excused myself from the table and scampered off to my room.

The moment the door shut, my resolve crumbled and the light disappeared from my eyes. The party was the furthest thing from my mind when I locked the door and heaved silent sobs into my Strawberry Shortcake pillowcase. The only thing keeping me from drifting off to sleep was my fear of what was to come in the dreaming world, if anything at all.