Empty Space

II.

Ila lays on the couch, her arms and legs outstretched as she waits for her mum to get home so they can make their way next door.

As she stares at the overhead fan, watching as the blades spin round and round, she thinks back to her conversation with Maya. Natalie had her stamp of approval. How fucking cute is that? Even though she was completely ignoring her thousands of texts from Maya, which all consisted of questions about my evening plans, it was still nice to have her in on it.

She was even ignoring a few texts from Natalie herself. Well, not intentionally, more out of nerves. Ila didn't know why she went through that pattern of ignoring her texts, in fear of not saying the right thing, waiting hours (mainly two days at the most) until she responded out of guilt. Then Natalie usually responded within a few minutes, making the cycle start all over again.

Before Ila could reach a conclusion on her behavior, she could hear the garage door open and a car pulling in. Her mum was in the house and yelling at her to get her butt off the couch before Ila could even sit up. Man, did that woman move fast.

She scooted Ila down the driveway, picking lint off of her t-shirt, wanting her daughter to look presentable. Even though she looked just fine in an oversized shirt and ripped jeans. Her Chacos even give off an earthy, granola-girl vibe, which Ila seemed to like at the moment.

"Maybe next time you could wear that sundress that I got you," her mum said, rubbing Ila's shoulder. She tried to say it in a way that wasn't nagging, but how can you tell your daughter she wasn't dressed up enough to go hang out with your neighbors for a few hours without sounding naggy.

"Liz said that it's just a casual dinner, like usual."

"I know, but Luke will be there and-"

"Mum, we've had this conversation a thousand times-"

"I know, I know. But it doesn't change my opinion on the fact that I think you two-"

"La, la, la," Ila sings, plugging her ears with her fingers. "I can't hear you over how hungry I am." She hurries to the front door, opening it up without knocking.

"Hey, we're here!" she yells, announcing their presence to anyone who was there to hear it. Liz, still dressed in her scrubs and an apron, hurries over with an oven mitt over her hand.

"Hey kiddo, dinner's almost ready, just reheating it. Go on over to the kitchen, Luke'll get you guys something to drink, I just want to show Nancy something really quick." She made her way up the staircase, grabbing Ila's mum's hand on her way.

Ila enters the kitchen's archway, shaking her head (internally swooning at how cute the pair were. The fact that they work together, almost every shift, and they still got excited to hang out with one another in their off time), finding him, now with a shirt on and black, ripped skinny jeans, opening a root beer. He looks up and slides over another can without saying a word. It was weird for her to see him in such a different perspective (from the eyes of Maya, not shirtless, she's seen that one too many times) and then to see him now, normal as ever.

She accepts the can opening it as she bends down, eyes now at the level of the chicken and the bubbling dish of mac and cheese, peering in. Another ten and it'll be perfect.

Their usual silent conversation begins as they both pull out their phones, Ila leaning against the oven and Luke sitting at the island. Ila discards Maya's incessant messages, asking about Luke's interior and whether or not his mum would make a good in-law, then clicking to a new string of messages while Luke does who-knows-what.

A new message, somehow missed during all of the commotion in Ila's room (she thinks it was just when the curtain and ball of teenage-girl were crashing and tumbling to the ground), is displayed on her screen.