Chapter Twenty-Eight - Pity Party
"Let's talk, Avery."
Was what she blurted out of the blue. With her stance strode up in pride, eyes gazing back with intensity and a resolved firm, how could I not take her seriously?
"What is it?" I answered whilst I shoved three textbooks that were thick like a encyclopedia, onto my small, square sized locker. I made sure to put in an extra squeeze for the textbooks to fit in like squished objects.
"I'm staying at your house tonight."
Slam.
I flickered my sight back to her, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. What was she going to do in my house? She fully knows that my house is crowded and filled with my relatives at the moment, so I don't think that was a good idea; plus, tomorrow would still be a school day.
"I know you've got a lot of things to do," she started, grasping her fingers on the hem of her skirt. "---but if I don't say anything, I'd be too late."
"I always kept mum," Emily trailed off, clenching her fists to the point of wrinkling her ironed skirt. "---to the point when I gather the courage to speak up, it'd be too late."
"So what are you trying to say?"
Her gaze stared at me with ferocity. "I'm saying I want to help you."
"Help me with what?"
She lowered her voice, softly so that no one passing by could hear. Her lips murmured. "Your feelings for Tom."
I frown, my lips pursuing into distaste. "You don't have to do that."
"You miss him don't you, Avery?"
I didn't answer, instead I turned my heel against her. Forgetting my ego on the line, I truly missed him. To me, the walk and trips I take to school are empty and silent whenever he's not around.
He's become a part of my life now and suddenly he's gone like nothing ever happened. I couldn't answer Emily—rather I wouldn't, for admitting it just makes me feel pathetic. Nothing would change, even if I said it out loud or confronted him with these trivial feelings.
"I'll see you later, Avery," Emily murmured, and with that she left.
. . .
"I'm Emily Rosetta! Nice to meet you," she smiled, flashing her friendly smile that people would immediately love. That's one of her charms; the way she instantly makes people comfortable around her presence.
My mother swoons at her gesture, taking Emily's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Nice to meet you, Emily. I've heard a lot of good things about you."
"Thank you for being friends with my daughter," father added, taking Emily's hand in exchange and shook it firmly.
"Oh no worries! Avery's been kind to me. In fact, I'm grateful that I met her."
I thought she was saying that out of flattery and to impress my parents, but I could see the sincerity in her eyes and I couldn't disregard that. To think that I found her at the stall by coincidence...if I didn't take an action, would I still be who I am now? Maybe not.
Maybe I would've never met her. I wonder what my life could've been.
"These are my cousins," I extended my hand, gesturing to my cousins waving their arms at her. RJ was seated comfortably to the couch while he played his consoles, bullet sounds echoed through the room; Laura was upstairs as she was probably talking to her boyfriend, Raizer went together with my aunts and uncles shopping for she loved her accessories and fashion.
She firmly believes that wearing the same clothes for a third time is a curse.
Trixy and Tommy took it to themselves to greet Emily, flashing her a toothy grin with Tommy missing a front tooth just recently. He said he bit onto his chicken sandwich and lost a tooth.
"I'm Trixy!"
"Tommy!"
"Do you like playhouse, Emily?" she eyed Emily intently. Trixy took that question as her standard to judge if Emily would be a good playmate. It's something she asks when she meets new people.
"I do."
"Then I like you!" Trixy beamed and wrapped her arms around Emily's legs like an octopus' tentacles.
Tommy pouts out of jealously and clung to the other side of her leg, making her slightly tumble with the tugging.
"Unfair Trixy! You're hogging her all to yourself."
"Calm down little midgets," Kelly appears, pulling both of their shirts to remove their tight hold against Emily.
Kelly looks up to her and lets out a sheepish smile. "I'm Kelly. Nice to meet you."
Emily nodded. "Nice to meet you as well."
"Well, we're going to prepare dinner for," mother excused herself, eyeing us in amusement and joy. I could tell what she was thinking: "Avery finally has friends."
If she was being over the top, I could imagine a tear trickle down her eyes while she wiped it dramatically.
"I'm surprised you managed to befriend Avery here," Kelly points at me with a surprised look as if I was that cruel and evil for no one to approach and handle me. Rude.
"Me too," Emily nodded in acknowledgement. "—but I wish I befriended her before that. She can get a little moody sometimes, but she's cool to hang with."
"You're sleeping over?" Kelly questioned, darting her gaze to the backpack Emily had slung around her back.
"Yeah. I hope you don't mind for the sudden intrusion," she lightly chuckles.
"Well, tonight's going to be fun, huh?" Kelly murmured to no one in particular, then lets go of both Trixy's and Tommy's shirt, which was now starting to form a wrinkle at the back.
"Oooh! We're going to play house?" Trixy's eyes sparkled.
Emily smiled apologetically at her. "Not this time. There's something important I have to talk to Avery—but I will visit again and we can play princesses and tea parties!"
Trixy didn't look too convinced or happy with what Emily replied, but kept it to herself and nodded in compliance with a tight smile.
"Okay. Pinky Promise?"
She extended her tiny pinky finger to Emily. Then I was reminded of the past; something that I wished I could've just forgotten.
"Pinky Promise me that we will be best friends forever, Avery!"
"I promise."
What lied behind those promises were lies and deception, something that was supposed to be sincere and kept true, was nothing to her. I was too naïve to even realize how she changed in front of me—how she eventually came to break off the promise she started.
"Let me take you to my room," I called out to Emily. She nods and I take the stairs first, making a slight creak whilst we headed upstairs.
Our house had one bathroom and three bedrooms---one spared for the guest.
Since our house was occupied with so many people, Kelly, Raizer and Laura shared beds with me since it was a queen sized—but I guess either all of us or one of us would have to sleeping with a foam on the floor.
I stood in front of my door, twisting in open. We are met with my dark colored room that had shelves and stacks of mannequins, Cds and books of the occult.
I was still an occult enthusiast and although it wasn't real, I still believed it was.
Me and Kelly used to go around the block, trying to capture ghost with a net and some old model camera whilst we roamed around, garlic, salt water and a holy cross in tow. In the end, we couldn't find one but the thrill was enough to keep me remembering that day.
"You sure do love the supernatural," Emily commented under her breath, eyes gawking at the sight. "—I could never be committed to paint my walls this dark. I'd be too terrified to sleep in it."
"Well you have to now," I snarky replied.
She makes a face, then places down her bag on the floor whilst she removes her coat along it. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching her unpack her things with my bed shifting in weight.
"I've never had a sleepover before," Emily started, still unpacking her stuff.
"Me neither."
"Then it's a first for both of us then," she warmly smiles.
"Is it alright for me to enter?" Kelly stood by the front door, the light seeping from outside. She tilted her head curiously at the two of us murmuring in hushed whispers.
"Sure."
She closes the door behind her, then sits beside Emily, crossing her legs like an Indian squat. "You seem to be talking about something important. Should I go or uh---"
"It's fine," Emily smiled.
"Huh.."
"Can I say something?" Emily requested, putting down her folded coat on top of her bag.
We both nod.
"Do you really see me as your friend, Avery?"