CHOICES (Completed)

WHAT, COULD POSSIBLY GO THAT WRONG

February 24, 2020. Liverpool.

“Please tell me that you landed already…”

“I landed already.”

“… And you forgot to text me…”

“I forgot to text you.”

“… And Lilliana has picked you up… “

“Lilliana has picked me up.”

“… And you’re okay.”

“I am.”

“Uh, alright then, I guess.”

“Anything else Your Majesty would like to hear?“

“Text me on reaching, which of course I know you’ll forget anyway. Stay safe, have a great term, don’t get into trouble, I should not hear complaints.”

“Okay m-awh-m.”

“Fine, I won’t act mom anymore. Have fun.”

“Will do.” I let out a small smile.

“Now don’t you hang up on me.”

“I’m hanging up on you. Bye. Love you.”

Celia will never stop worrying. I let out a deep sigh and turn to my side to meet the amused face of Lily.

“What do you get out of it?” She asks, her eyes fixed on the road ahead of us.

“Out of what?”

“Your age old habit of hanging up on people. Did it ever cross your mind that it might be rude?” She says with her lips still curved up in a curious smile.

“Did it ever cross your mind that it might be fun?”

She gives me a look of somewhat annoyance and I roll my eyes amusedly.

“It’s fun, Lily. It’s just a different genre of sadistic gratification.” I reply with a laugh.

“I don’t understand how your sister bears with you.”

“She is used to me.”

Celia Young, was indeed used to me. She is five years older than me. Born with black eyes like my own, the biggest heart, and an incurable habit of worrying. To the point where it got annoying sometimes.

But then I never complained. I guess I was used to her too.

“Oi, where are you?”

Lily’s voice brings me out of my reverie.

“Nothing. Just tired.”

The flight has undoubtedly been exhausting, not to forget the dream that extracted too much of my energy. A place I don’t want to go to right now.

Or ever, for that matter.

“Fine. Just for today I think I can let you rest. But tomorrow is going to be mighty fine, okay. It’s going to be so – much – fun.”

I chuckle in amusement. Liliana Preston had the talent of extracting second hand fun from dreaming of having that fun, in the near or not-so-near future, which made her a ball of sunshine. Well, most of the times, at least. I can’t imagine how fun staying with her is going to be.

She has been my closest friend since middle school, back in Cambridge. It was only after sophomore year at high school that she had to shift to Liverpool. And I had missed her terribly for the past two years.