Royals

Chapter 47

I stayed on the roof of the city hall building until Monday night, nearly growing icicles beneath my skin. Joey stayed with me until Monday morning, insisting that I attend school. Unfortunately, I had to refuse because there was no way I could go.

So on Monday, I walked to a restaurant and ate lunch by myself. After school, Joey hung out with me on the roof until dinner, where we walked down to Coney Island.

Ultimately, Joey was the one who convinced me to go home. After three whole days of being in twenty degree weather, my toes were practically frozen together. Besides, I needed a warm shower and missed my real bed with my comfy, Tempur-Pedic mattress.

When I trudged through the door, my dad and Anastasia are nowhere to be seen. Rather, my mother met me at the door.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Mother sighed, shuffling through a stack of papers.

Not even offering her so much as a glance, I bolted up the stairs. I dropped my bag on the floor by my closet and headed straight for the shower. The only thing I needed right then was the therapeutic calmness of the scolding hot water on my weak, tired body.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The rest of the week passed by quickly and easily. I went to school, talked with Ashlynn in code, came home and did my homework, ate dinner alone in my room, watched television while talking to Joey on the phone (who was the only person to know about my moving), took a shower, and went to bed.

On Friday, we went to a celebratory dinner for Lillia's sixteenth birthday, reminding me that I was the youngest of all my friends. At the dinner, I managed to avoid all contact with my mother without even making it obvious that I was, in fact, ignoring her.

Immediately after school, Lillia took her road test and passed, which was a good thing because she had been driving me around illegally for over a year. After her test, she went straight to the Secretary of State and got her official license.

That night, after dinner, the seven of us--Lillia, Jake, Joey, Ashlynn, Brandon, Marietta and I--flew to Tampa, Florida. Ashlynn lied to her mom, which she was becoming quite the expert at, saying that she was going to be staying at my family's cottage for the weekend.

I managed to escape the whole night without questions, until right before I fell asleep.

"Emily?" whispered Lillia from beside me. Lillia, Ashlynn, and I were sleeping in a king-sized bed together, while Marietta and Aubrey, who arrived later in the evening, were sharing the one next door. Joey and Jake called the one on the opposite side of us, and Brandon slept in a twin bed down the hall.

"Shh, I'm asleep," I murmured, which was almost true.

"Why are you and your mom fighting?"

I felt Ashlynn shift beside me, and I immediately knew she was listening too.

"Ashlynn, this is another thing you can't tell Annabel and Claire," I whispered for assurance.

"I promise," she muttered groggily, and I trusted her.

"I'm moving to England on June first with Anastasia; my mom leaves on the first of March. It's for some business expansion crap, but we won't be back until January first of next year," I sighed, blinking away the tears. Spilling the news the second time wasn't any easier.

"W-what?" Lillia stammered, wrapping her arms around me. "What am I supposed to do for seven months without my best friend?"

"I tried to convince her to let me stay here with you or Joey, but she wouldn't budge," I muttered. "Only you two and Joey know, but I'll talk to Jake tomorrow."