Virtual

Chapter Three

"Emma, are you ready?" Emma's mom knocked on the door. "We're leaving in ten."

"Oh, shit." Emma muttered.

Scoutgem97: sorry I have to go somewhere, let's continue tonight?

PoptartSlayer: sure, where do u have to go?

Scoutgem97: to my brother's film screening thing, see ya later

PoptartSlayer: bye?

Emma hurried to her closet and picked out a dress she never wore before. It was white and had a watermelon pattern all over it. She guessed it was cute, but she had no time to worry about it. She put on concealer, brow powder and mascara to make her face seem presentable. She undid her top bun to reveal her wavy hair -it was a trick she learned when she started being lazy to wake up for school.

She stared at the mirror, her grayish blue eyes staring right back at her.

"Emma!" Her mom's voice shouted from below.

"Coming!" Emma shouted back, brushing her brown hair. "Give me a minute!"

She slipped in a pair of brown sandals and braided her hair. Two minutes later, she was in the family car driving to the restaurant.

"Wait till you watch the part when Ben drowns in the pool," Luke told her for the tenth time. "It's amazing."

"You know you're basically complimenting yourself, right?" Emma asked, looking at her brother with a dull face.

Luke looked at her as well. "Yes. Also stop breathing so loudly, it's messing up my breathing pattern."

Emma huffed, folding her arms and looking out the window. The freeway made Los Angeles look really ugly, in her opinion. The small towns in the area were really pretty but didn't get that much rep because of the downtown hype.

When they arrived at the restaurant and Luke had to make sure everyone sat at the "right" chair, the guests arrived. They were basically some of their relatives, Luke's high school friends and his colleagues.

"Like my latest Instagram picture." Avery nudged Emma on the side.

"Ow," Emma whispered. "And I deleted my Instagram, remember?"

"Oh, right." Avery looked up at Emma's face. "I forgot how lame you were."

"You take that back."

By the time the lunch and movie screening had ended, it was late afternoon. The sun was setting and Emma couldn't wait to get back home to play Arc of Aramag.

"We have to stop by the comic book store." Luke announced as Emma drove.

Her parents had gone for an impromptu night out with their friends, leaving the car with the their kids. "No, Luke. We have to go home. Remember what Mom said?" Emma reasoned, hoping it would convince Luke.

Their mom was his weakness.

"But, but it's comic night. My friends in Speeding Speed want my first impressions on a new Flash issue." Luke whined.

"No," Emma said in a stern voice. "We're going home. It's almost seven and we haven't eaten dinner."

"I'll make you guys dinner if we stop by the comic book store." Luke suggested.

Hm, Emma thought. She was supposed to be making dinner tonight.

"Okay," Emma cheered. "Off to the comic book store. We make a left at Cross Avenue, right?"