"So, anything fun happen recently?"
"Not really"
"Oof"

"Hey honey, can you pass me the milk?" My father looks over at my mother as she rumages through the fridge.
"Let me grab the yogurt first," she reaches to the back of the fridge and pulls out two yogurts, "Who wants Key Lime pie and who wants Boston cream Pie?"
"I'll take the Boston cream," Becca raises her hand, glancing at Kelly, "please."
"Sounds good," my mother sets them on the counter and grabs the milk.
She turns around and slides the jug down the table towards my father.
"Thank you," he pours it into his cereal.
I grab it as he gets ready to slide it back, "to go with my cereal." I pour it into my recently emptied cup.
"Freak," my mother laughs.
"Whatever," I brush it off and take a sip before pushing the milk jug back towards my mother.
Still don't like milk I think, straight faced, and go back to eating my cereal.
"We have to leave in half an hour for the twin's first dance practice," mother says.
"And I'm headed to work, so, Lana, don't burn the house down," My father pats me on the back as he walks to the sink.
I laugh and take a bite of my cereal, "I'll try not to."
My mother leans away from the cabinet she's rummaging through and kisses my fathers cheek before he leaves, "have a nice day honey."
"I try," my father waves to us kids before walking out of the room and into the entrance hall.
"Ok girls, go get your bags," my mother instructs.
The twins, who had just thrown their spoons into the sink, scramble too their room to gather their things.
"Do the dishes while we're gone," my mother says, eyeing the sink.
"Ok," I roll my eyes, placing my empty bowl and spoon into the sink.

Once my family is all out of the house, I turn on YouTube and start playing music, singing along as I walk to my room.
In my room I reach into my backpack and grab my journal and start to write a little.

11-20-2020
Home alone

I take a moment and attempt drawing a sparkle emoji. It could definitely be better, but it ends up looking ok.

It's only for a few hours, but still. Already listening to music, having fun. Anyways, I am bored still so I'll probably call you, guess we'll see.

I close the notebook and put it back into my backpack.

Me: Hey Ash

I wait a moment but get no response.

Me: Hey
Aubrey: Hey
Me: how are you?
Aubrey: not too bad, I'm on break at work rn
Me: where do you work again?
Aubrey: I work at the mall
Me: nice!

Ash: hey!!
Me: You available to call? I'm home alone
Ash: yeah!

I click the call button at the top of the chat and wait for the screen to load.
"Hey!" Ash waves once the call has started.
My cheeks hurt from the wide grin on my face, "Hey!"
"I need a house tour!" Ash exclaims, sitting up on her bed.
"I already gave you one the day we moved in!" I think back to me walking around the house, arm extended as I showed Ash the whole house.
"Yeah, but your family kept making you pause and move stuff and also you've got it fully furnished now," Ash shrugs.
"Ok, but then I have to do the dishes," I laugh.
"I can accompany you while you do them," Ash laughs.
"Ok, so," I uncross my legs and stand up off my bed, "this is my room," I slowly rotate around so that she can see the whole room.
Ash nods on my screen, "mhm."
I begin walking out of the room and down the hall, "this is one of the guest bedrooms," I open the door and step into the room a couple feet.
My mother had gone out and bought matching bed sets for both of the guest bedrooms.
"Dude, that's a lot of blue-" Ash breaks off, "I thought your mom's favorite color was purple?"
"It is, but she wanted something 'brighter, calmer, and more California'," I laugh, rolling my eyes.
"Sounds like her," Ash laughs.

"And finally, we have the kitchen, where I will be enslaved for the next twenty minutes as I empty and refill the dishwasher," I put my arm to my head in exaggerated distress, causing Ash to giggle.
I begin unloading the dishwasher and chatting with Ash as I go.
"Wait, so you two are going out today?" I pause my work.
Ash nods, "we-"
"You didn't tell me sooner?" If we were back home, she would've told me the second any plan was even suggested, at least that's how it used to be.
"I didn't think I needed to mention it- Ash breaks off.
"Its your first date with him!" I exclaim.
My heart breaks a little when I realize how much has changed with the amount of distance between us. We hadn't had a sleepover since a couple weeks before I found out we were moving. After that, we were all so busy packing and getting ready to go that she wasn't able to come hang out again after that. That sleepover had been the last time I got to see her before the move.
"I told you when I had a crush on him-" Ashs eyes dart around wildly and I can see the guilt on her face.
"Its fine," I sigh, "just make sure to tell me how the date goes!" I add, my tone laced with a falce happiness.
"Ash!" I hear Ashes father over the phone.
"I gotta go-" Ash picks up the phone from her bed, "I love you."
I nod, "I love you t-"
The call ends and I'm alone in the quiet house.
I try not to think too much as I finish the dishes but once the machine is loaded and started I crumble. I begin to whimper, lips quivering and my vision going blurry as tears swell. I slide down to the floor as the whimper turns into a full blown sob.
"I want to go home!" I cry.

Eventually I got myself up off the floor. Having snotted a wad of napkins and let loose enough tears to power the grand coulee dam, I sulked my way to the bathroom to wash up.
After washing, I went and laid in my bed, burying my face in my pillow. If my mother found me this way she'd throw a fit.

"Lana!" My mother calls.
She and the twins had just arrived home and the two had already retired to their rooms to rest until lunch.
"Yes?" I call back.
"Did you do the dishes?" I picture her staring at the dishwasher, about to inspect my work.
"Unloaded, reloaded, and started!" I sit up in my bed, waiting for further instruction but none come.
Since I'm already sitting up, I pick up my phone from my bedside table and check my messages.

Katy: so I now have a boyfriend
Ella: you and Ben are official?
Katy: as of today, yes!
Ella: Cool
Me: Awesome! Congrats dude!
Katy: thank you!!!! He's going to take me to the winter dance!
Me: I always forget middle school had Dances too
Zack: probably because you went to a grand total of none of them
Me: that'd be the reason, yeah

My phone buzzes and I exit the group chat to check my other messages.

Ash: ok, so the date went good
Me: Oooooo
Ash: Danny is so sweet and funny and like ahhhhh
Me: that's good!!
Ash: ye!! We went to the coffee stand and then to the park to walk around!
Me: nice!

There was only one good quality coffee stand back home; Beans Coffee Beans. The owner is a young guy named Bean, which seems like a curse, but he obviously made out pretty good. I would still never name a human child Bean- something like that won't happen twice.

Ash: and we stopped by the pond and looked at the water and he leaned over and he kissed meeeeee
Me: OMG
Ash: mhm!!
Me: are you two going to go out again?
Ash: yeah! We're going out next weekend, library HE LIKES HORROR STUFF SO WE'RE GONNA FIND A BOOK AND READ KT TOGETHER
Me: Awww thats awesome!!
Ash: mhm!
Me: Hey Ash?
Ash: yeah?
Me: promise we'll keep each other updated and stay close
Ash: of course
Me: good