I had been wrong this time. My parents weren’t home when I arrived, but maybe I did that on purpose. Having to say goodbye and close the door behind them wasn’t something I felt strong enough to do today. It’s not that my parents were excited to leave me here all alone. They were always thrilled to travel together, to be together and have loads of adventures. 

My parents were soulmates, I knew that. 

And growing up, I had a weird feeling that I was just part of the traditional ideals of a perfect family. They were in love, owned a home and a baby just made sense… but I always had the suspicion they would’ve been just as happy without me hanging around. 

I discovered my mother’s to-do list by the front door. 

Her list included:  

1. Water the plants

2. Gather more toadstool

3. Pet the singing tree until its leaves shake

4. Feed Nibbler and Daisy twice a day

5. No house parties

That last rule was a joke. 

I didn’t know enough people for a house party. Maybe a closet party. Or a single-bath soiree. My parents really thought they were comedians. 

With a sigh, I sat on the ground and in seconds, my sleek black cat Nibbler sauntered over, running her cheek across my knee. Absentmindedly, I stroked her fur and scrolled through my phone. The little creature underneath my fingers vibrated like she was full of happy bees.

I thought about texting David to apologize for being a crazy person, but Jeremy’s picture appeared on my screen.

The picture was awful.

That was why I loved it.

Jeremy’s usually purposely tussled blonde locks were twisted in bed hair and frizzy. He had just woken up, pre-coffee and in the middle of brushing his teeth. He was making a twisted face at the camera that read he did not want this picture taken. I held onto this picture like it was made of gold.

I checked Jeremy’s text:

JEREMY: [I missed you at practice. Everyone said you left suddenly]

CALVIN: [Oh yeah, I just wanted to get home in time to say goodbye]

My phone buzzed again, but it wasn’t another text from Jeremy. 

It was from David.

DAVID: [Answer the phone]

Barely a second later, my phone rang, and I jumped to my feet, scaring Nibbler enough to make her hair poofy. My stomach flopped and I held my phone out as if there was someone else around to answer it. This sounded bad… but it was David. My heart still wasn’t ready for the inevitable confrontation. Honestly, I was hoping to pretend nothing was wrong until I died. 

I ripped the Band-Aid and answered. “H-hello?”

“Hey, Cal,” David’s velvet voice trickled out of the receiver. Somehow his voice was deeper over the phone and it made my neck hair stand at attention. “Is your house too quiet?”

“Hm?”

“Your house. It’s empty, right? Turn on some music or let the TV run…” Listening to David, I walked into the kitchen and turned on the TV my dad liked to let play. I left the HGTV & Alchemy channel play. Some family was debating settling for their dream house in the trees, but they’d have to live next to a neighborhood of giants. They debated transmuting the house into something that could fly over the giants’ heads, but it wasn’t really in the budget. 

David said, “Keep something going or you’re just gonna end up curled in a depression ball and I’m going to have to peel you off before Nibbler eats you.”

“Nibbler owes me a life debt. She won’t kill me.”

“Cal, you should just stay at my house. I know you’re avoiding me, so I promise to stay in the west wing, and you can take the east.”

I grinned, noticing the cat had retreated to the top of the fridge. Making her presence known with her huffing, Daisy the dog jogged inside, her golden hair swishing back and forth. Her big pink tongue hung out the side of her mouth and I swear she smiled when she saw me. Daisy was the only creature in the world whose eyes sparkled with excitement at the site of me. 

“I’ll be fine,” I said, sounding only half believable. “If I get really lonely, I promise to crawl into my bed and not the floor.”

“Okay. Since you refuse my company, why don’t I buy you another animal.” 

“If that’s what I have to do to get another cat, then I’ll never see you again.”

“Forget it, stay lonely.”

I could close my eyes and imagine David’s signature smirk. That small smile, that flutter of amusement could turn my bones to jelly. 

“Cal, please just stay at my house. Or I can stay at yours—”

He popped into my imagination, towering in front of me with that devastating smile. I would blush and stutter and lose too many IQ points to function anymore. 

“No! I’ll be fine and besides Jeremy is coming over.”

The moment the last word left my lips, my throat dried up. And the silence that followed only tightened the feeling of a hand clutching my heart and squeezing it just before it’d pop. I couldn’t stop myself. “We’re gonna skip the party tonight.”

“Jeremy, huh?”

I closed my eyes and lowered to the kitchen floor. “Jeremy.” I could feel the pressure building so much my face was going to pop. 

“Okay….” 

His tone made it sound so much bigger than it was. 

But it wasn’t a big deal. It was just one party. 

David asked, “Can I at least have my best friend back?”

“I promise to stop acting crazy.”

“Don’t do that because I know you really can’t. Just tone it down.”

I could hear that little smirk on his lips and for a second, things felt right again. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Sure, Cal.”

“Promise?”

“It’s always that promise.”