\\Chapter 11 //

I was sitting in my kitchen, the pungent smell of new construction woke me from my day dream, I trying to fathom everything that had just happened in the past six hours or so. First, Ryland and I sort of connected, which I was ecstatic about. I really did like him, and I hoped for more one day, but for now I think we could just get to know each other. Friends, a first step. Then about three hours later, my mom and I made up, I guess. From the past few years of hating, and not liking each other, to her giving me a necklace. I was happy about it, but she still needed to change herself before she would be truly happy, and if it meant leaving my father and his million dollar estate, so be it. That was how I felt about her situation at the moment, at least.

I looked up at the clock, eight. I had been sitting there for ever. Almost an hour. The Cheerios in my dish were now amorphous blobs of mush. Not the breakfast I had intended to eat. I got up and poured the soggy cereal down the drain of our industrial sized sink. I just stood there for a moment, and looked as the water I had turned on washed the cereal down. Thinking of all the feelings I has just washed away in the past night. I washed my anger at Ryland and a former like into a rekindling of what I thought could be more. And I scrubbed hard at the past feelings of absolute hatred for my mom. And I started to almost like her again, big step.

"Hi, when did you wake up?" I turned to see Em coming down the back staircase and walking towards me. She was goggly speaking after waking up probably a few minutes ago, and was rubbing her eyes. ""Hey um a few minutes ago," I didn't want to start any conversations with her I wasn't willing to finish, so I lied to her. Hoping she would never find out, which she wouldn't. "what time to we have to leave here for your class?" I asked her. Em looked over at the clock 8:14 a.m. ""Probably like ten minutes, so do you wanna like change?" She said looking down at my lime green frog pajama shorts, tank top, and fuzzy slipper combo. ""Yeah, that would probably be good." I smiled as I told her. We climbed the back stairs up to the second floor, where my room was located. I looked at her own outfit. A cute pair of yoga capris she probably bought special, and a fitted pink tank top. Her blonde hair was slicked back into a pony tail, and she had her day make up on. Yes, her day make up with Em everything is arranged specifically acording to time of day, location, and what she was doing. ""Ah, El, I forgot to tell you I had the weirdest dream, ever." ""What was it?" I asked not too enthused, but I knew she wanted to tell me. ""So, we were having a sleep over, and you snuck out in the middle of the night and didn't come back for an hour or so, and then didn't tell me where you were going or ask me to come or when you would come back." She said crossly. I knew by her comment, that she had found out. ""Em, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you. But you were asleep. And, this morning, I wanted to wait till we left the house." I told her, trying to apologize as I put on the only yoga pants I had, most likely a pair of Emilee's, with a Franklin athletics shirt. Emilee didn't look too enthused. She wasn't so thrilled, and I didn't think she was going to accept my apology, right away. "Em, I'm sorry, I really am. Please, believe me. I don't know if you noticed, but my mom's actually home. And, I didn't want her to hear through the security camera's or the vents or anything. That I snuck out. Please, believe me?" She looked up from her seat on my bed, fiddling with the ipod I had put there last night. ""Yeah, El, it's fine. I just thought you'd wanna tell me. But, you can make it up..." She left the statement hanging in the air. ""How, Em?" I didn't want to hurt her, and she wasn't that dumb. She was just trying to be a good friend. ""Tell me where you went! I gotta know." She stood up and did her excited dance. ""Alright, in the car." We took my balcony steps down to her car. I saw the landscaper truck pull up as we were getting in. Great, Ryland's toned body stepped from the car. He nodded at me. I wasn't sure what that meant, but as Emilee backed out of our up hill drive way and pulled away, I was sad to see him disappear from sight. ""So, what happened?" Em asked in an upbeat tone. Her usual. I wasn't sure if I was ready to tell her. She had been the one to tell me a few weeks ago that a senior at our school, Grayer Thomas, had asked her about me. I was going to use it to my advantage. I wasn't ready to tell her about Ryland, and she didn't like him anyway. ""Uh, you remember Grayer Thomas?" I asked her. ""OMG. No way El! He's like super gorgeous and he's a senior, and he likes you! What happened? Spill it out, now!" She was so happy, I felt bad about how excited she was. ""Yeah, he is cute, but he was texting me for the past few days, and uh, he wanted to meet me outside. Go for a midnight swim in my pool, so we were swimming, and," ""Wait, you were swimming? When I was looking outside for you, there was no one in the pool. Unless I was so out of it, I didn't notice." She was throwing out a curve ball. I hoped she was believing it all. I was feeling like a really lame friend, but I couldn't tell her. "That's because we left the pool after just going in for a second, and made out on the hammocks by the plum trees...." ""Oh wow, El, that's so cute. I wish you would of told me. I would of done your hair or something. You should of said something!" ""I'm sorry Em. It was no big deal. That's all. I came inside after." With that, we were pulling into the Franklin Chateau Spa, where the yoga class was being held. We were getting out of the car, "El thats cute though. You should go on a date with him!" I was wishing that was me and Ryland. A date would be so cute. I would love it. But, here we were at the yoga class.

"Now move into battle pose" The overly skinny, flexible, perky host said and addressed the class. I was tired. More like exhausted from the previous night. And I needed to just go home. Why was I even here? Emilee, was the only reason,and if she knew I was lying to her she wouldn't really like that nor want me here. I was working myself into a frenzy and I wanted to stop everything and just catch up on my thoughts, or my songs, or Ryland. Anything but working on my fighting battle pose. ""I hate you for making me come to this." I said to Emilee with my head between my knees, bending myself into some sort of yoga pretzel. Hoping she'd feel some sort of deep remorse. Maybe I would make her miserable and she would just let me leave and go to the lounge and wait for her, then I would leave, and make up some sort of story of why I left. Again with the lies. It was like a tangled web. But, I didn't want to stop. ""Just breathe, you'll relax. Just like the instructor said. About fifty times El, breathe." Em snarled back at me. Doing her bends and twists perfectly. Some sort of yoga pro. After about another half hour of the bending over back wards in an attempt to relax, we found ourselves picking nail polish colors, that had seen their day, for our manicures and pedicures we had made appointments for. I find myself thinking which Ryland would like. Evan's colors are red and white, and he does play sports. But, he does wear a lot of dark blue. And his eyes are green. What about a pretty kelly green. Or would it look like fungus? Well how about a black. He's sort of a dark person. I'm caring what he thinks. He probably won't even notice. Why. Is. This. So. Hard? I couldn't keep Ryland out of my head. From the moment he got up and left, I felt horrible. I just wanted to see him. I don't want to be here getting my nails done, Ryland would hate it by the way. I just wish I could see him or he would text me. ""So, did Grayer text you or call?" Emilee asked. I could see the glimmer of hope in her ice blue eyes. Hoping that she was finally clued in on everything. Hoping I was excited to just hang out with her. Drama-free. Hoping that I was happier. Even though I was for sure not feeling any of the above. ""Yeah he did, I think we might go out, thanks for bringing me, by the way. It's really great to have some time with you. The yoga was... interesting. And, I'm having a lot of fun." I lied to her. I felt guilty for lying, again, but she couldn't know the truth. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. We were whisked away to our own areas of the spa, so it was impossible to talk while getting our nails done. Em texted me a few times and even a picture text of her nail tech. She was slapping her foot in the picture. Poor, Em she always winds up with these people. We've all been there once or twice. But, for Em it's every time she's in a spa. You know? The techs who are depressed, cynical, and upset in their own life, so they take it out on paying customers.

I was sitting in the pedicure chair for what felt like hours. The dark blue I had decided on looked pretty good with the contrasting white tip. I was still thinking about Ryland desperately. Wishing he was here. With me. Right now. I was beginning to worry about all the lies I had told Em. And all I wanted to think about was Ryland. I was becoming such a horrible friend, and I didn't' want to lose Em. I just didn't think I could tell her. "Done." My own nail tech had said to me. In a fancy thick accent. I went to the front of the spa, where the drying chairs were. I had my feet and hands under the light, and I was thinking about leaving. I stood up, grabbed my shoes and bag, and I opened the door. Realizing Em had the keys, I ran home. Actually ran. I was excited to see Ryland. I could not wait any more, Em would understand I would put it all on Grayer, he won't mind, he doesn't even know me. So, I continued my run. Brisk, hard, fast. I got to my drive way, and saw him. Raking leaves was never so fascinating. He looked up at me and waved, my heart practically stopped. He started walking towards me, and I was still catching my breath, for some reason I felt like I wouldn't be catching my breath for a while now.

Hope you all like it, I've been working hard. Trying to get in some good posts before school starts up. Let me know what you think, I love reading the comments. Thanks for reading!