Page 18 of The Heir

I really need more friends.

It was quiet except for sudden breezes making leaves shake on the trees. When my home came into view, I smiled. I hadn’t even realized that I had been running until I was in the house. The door closed behind me, and my shoulders and back leaned flush against its cold surface. I was still panting as I walked to the kitchen, and my stomach began to yell at me. I grabbed a snack and sat down at the table.

There was a note there for me:

Hey, Emma,

I will be late coming home today, waiting on a wedding shipment. Don’t wait up for me. I can’t wait to hear about your first day! Call me!

I folded the paper as my phone started buzzing in my pocket, still on vibrate from school.

“Emma! How did it go?” I heard Mary’s excited voice over the phone.

“Really great, actually,” I said with a smile, thinking of Shad.

“Really?”

“Well, I like the new neighbor across the street, and I met another girl named Ashlyn, I mean Ash.”

“Look at you, you rock.”

“I assure you, Isodo not.”

“It is true; I am not a liar, you know.”

“Hey, I have a question to ask you.”

“Shoot,” she said, a little muffled into the phone. No doubt, she was holding it up with her shoulder as she tied a ribbon on a display or worked on an arrangement. Why she did not put me on speaker or put in her headphones, I had no idea.

“So I asked Ash to come swim tomorrow, and then it kind of turned into half my school.”

“A pool party?” she screamed into the receiver. I couldn’t understand the rest of what she said, as she started spouting things out so loud and quick that I thought that I might have officially lost my hearing in that ear.

“Yeah, I take it you’re not mad?”

“Um, no! I’ll go shopping tomorrow while you are at school! This is perfect, Emma, just what you need.”

“I am not entirely sure about that, but—”

“It is good; have some fun, let go and relax. I will take care of all the details. I cannot wait to meet all of your friends!” I pulledthe phone away from my ear, not wanting to be assaulted by another scream.

“Well, I have homework, so I better go.”

“Yes, of course. You have a fun night. I will see you tomorrow.”

I ended the call and shoved my phone into my back pocket. I then grabbed my backpack and rushed up the stairs to my room, shutting the door behind me. I lay down, sprawled out on my bed, hands behind my head. I thought about my day, about Shad.

Oh, man, he is seriously the most beautiful guy I have ever seen.

I turned to my window and then moved off my bed, walking toward the window. I stared out at his house. I felt my pulse quicken, just looking at it. I sighed; I was more confused than ever and finally shut the curtains.

Realizing I should start my homework, I grabbed my notebook from my backpack, the one that had been returned to me by Shad. I flipped to the first page, and there, underneath all my fancy cursive at the bottom of the page, scratched quickly, was a note:

Emma,

I was wondering if you could call me tonight. I need to ask you a question about a problem. Thank you.

Always,