Last To Know

9

The week passed by at an obnoxiously slow rate and was rather boring without Maddox around.

I'd planned to read books and basically do nothing all summer—but now that held no appeal to me.

Staying in the house day in and day out was getting annoying.

At least it was Sunday, which meant I had Sadie's barbeque to attend this afternoon and Maddox would be home tonight.

I'd heard from him several times every day—and he got antsy if I didn't give him regular updates on Sonic.

It was cute how much he worried about the hedgehog.

As if he was triggered by my thoughts alone, my phone flashed with a text.

Maddox: See you tonight. Give Sonic a kiss for me.

I laughed.

Emma: What time are you getting in? And, no, I'm not kissing him.

Maddox: Pls? 4 me? And we should be in by 10pm but u know how flights can be.

Emma: Actually, I don't.

Maddox: Don't what?

Emma: Know how flights are. I've never been on a plane.

Maddox: I guess it's a good thing we're jumping from one. ;)

Emma: I forgot about that.

Maddox: Don't chicken out on me.

Emma: I won't.

Maddox: Hey, sorry, I have to go.

Emma: K. See you later.

I set my phone aside and looked at Sonic. "He'll be back soon."

His little head perked up, like he knew what I said.

I opened the cage and reached in to take him out. After giving him a brief cuddle—which was hard with the quills—I proceeded to coo and tell him how cute he was per Maddox's instructions. Seriously, he put it in writing.

I set Sonic on my bed while I got ready. I changed into the pretty dress Sadie got me, fixed my hair in a messy bun, and applied some makeup. I didn't normally wear much—only mascara and lip-gloss—but I decided to do a little more today. I rubbed the foundation on my face watching my freckles nearly disappear.

When I finished with my hair and makeup I went in search of my mom. "Are you ready?" I knocked on her door.

"Almost!" She called.

I went back into my room to put my shoes on and gasped. "Sonic?" I looked all over my bed. "Sonic?" I moved some pillows around, thinking he was hiding behind them. "Sonic!"

Oh no! I'd lost Maddox's hedgehog!

I dropped to my knees on the floor, looking under the bed. "Sonic?" I couldn't see him, but then again it was so dark under there that I couldn't see anything...and I was pretty sure I'd hidden some Cheez-It crackers down there. Maybe Sonic found them and was having a little hedgehog feast. Did hedgehogs even like cheese crackers? What if cheese was bad for them?

Oh my God, I was going to end up inadvertently killing Maddox's hedgehog with Cheez-Its!

I grabbed my fancy new phone and turned on the flashlight—and seriously, how cool was it that this thing had a flashlight?

I shined it under the bed, but Sonic wasn't there.

The Cheez-Its were though.

"Mom!" I called. "Mom! Come here!"