Eight

"Still, I rise."

- Maya Angelou

Well, it was 2:26 P.M. when I asked Cameron and Tessa to come over. That meant I had five hours and thirty-four minutes until they arrived. Probably longer, since Tessa was always fashionably late.

All I can say is that it was the longest five hours. Of. My. Life. Tessa kept texting me about it. It got sorta annoying, but what's different?

4:49

tess.the.mess: r u sure this is safe? im not 😕

earlybird.eleanor: Yes, Tessa. 😏

5:06

tess.the.mess: but wut if we get cot? 😵

earlybird.eleanor: You won't. The cops don't garden Tess, especially at EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, TESSA. You'll be fine. 😒

tess.the.mess: COPS?!?! 😭😭😭 i dont wanna die!!!!

5:24

tess.the.mess: but wut if they see us thru the window 👀

earlybird.eleanor: THEY WON'T YOU'LL BE FINE 😡

Like I said, it was the longest five hours of my life.

At eight o'clock, I text Tessa to assure her that everything is going to be fine.

earlybird.eleanor: Tessa?

tess.the.mess has logged on

tess.the.mess: ya? 😬

earlybird.eleanor: Everything's gonna be fine. Promise. Did you tell your mom?

tess.the.mess: ya, im coming to ur hous for a sleep ovr. rite? 😟

earlybird.eleanor: Right. And Cameron knows, too?

dothecamcam.123 has logged on

dothecamcam.123: Yep! Do the cam cam, here and standing by!

earlybird.eleanor: Good. Same story, Cam?

dothecamcam.123: Yes. I'm going to your house for a sleepover. 😴

tess.the.mess: ok, see u there. bye 👋

tess.the.mess has logged off

dothecamcam.123 has logged off

earlybird.eleanor has logged off

I stomp upstairs, and walk into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" the woman asks from the couch. I turn to her. Then I shrug.

"No one's making me dinner, so, sometimes, you have to do things by yourself."

Grinning, I walk faster into the kitchen. I open the fridge and grab a cup of yogurt and a spoon from the drawer. Then I walk back to the stairs. There is a wall between the living room and the stairs, thankfully. I put the yogurt and spoon down by the first step, and walk past the stairs towards a door to the backyard. I will wait for Tessa and Cameron there.

I walk through the door into the wet and cold night. I hide against the wall, waiting for slick Cameron and clumsy Tessa. Then I would know when they'd arrived.

After a few minutes, I hear rustling. I slowly inch over. "Tessa! Cameron!" I hiss. "Oh my gosh!" I hear Cameron say angrily. Tessa pokes her head around the corner of the house. "What are you doing?" I whisper loudly. I motion for her to follow me. She nods, and we crawl to the edge of the window well that leads to my room. Tessa gasps.

"This is your plan?" she hisses.

"Yes," I reply. "Do you have a problem with that, Tess?" Tessa gulps and looks down.

"Let's go." she says bitterly.

We climb down into the window well, and Cameron looks at me expectantly. "What?" I whisper.

"Well?" he says. "How do we get in?" I nod, and pull out a key from my pocket.

"I found it under some wood in the fireplace." I say, smiling largely.

Cameron and Tessa exchange looks, their eyes widening.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing," Tessa says, laughing, and tossing her mousy brown hair behind her. "Let's just get through and get this over with."

I roll my eyes and laugh as I turn the key. I push the window open and motion to Tessa and Cameron. "Come on!" I call as I crawl through.

I hear them follow a few seconds later. I stumble blindly towards the door.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" I hear Tessa hiss. "Shh!" Cameron hisses back. "Turning on the light!" I call back. I flip the switch. My room lights up. Blue walls and papers for school on my bulletin board, along with my bed, of course, and nightstands, and my dresser, and my laptop.

"Hang on," I say once we've all made it in, and I've shut and locked the window. "I need to get something."

"What?" Tessa screeches. "Shut up!" Cameron says.

"Sorry." Tessa says. "But you can't leave!"

"Relax, Tess," I say. "I'm just getting something I left upstairs. And, quiet down, I can't let the cops find you guys."

"Cops!" Tessa says loudly.

"Shh!"

"Right."

I walk upstairs and grab my yogurt and spoon that I left by the top step.

I hurry back down and into my room. I take a deep breath before turning the handle.

"I'm back!" I say happily.

"So…" Cameron says, eyeing me. "What's the deal?" I pause, and my eyes widen. I can feel the sweat forming on my forehead.

"What do you mean?" I ask stupidly.

"Why did you want us to come over, silly?" Cameron urges on.

"Uh…" I need a backup. I wasn't ready to tell them this! "I-- I haven't seen you for-- A while, so I decided to invite you."

"That's why you were freaking out on our group chat?" Tessa asks.

"What? What group chat?" Ugh! Nice going, Eleanor! 'What group chat?' Seriously?!

Tessa grabs my beloved laptop from my bed and opens it. Yes! I think. She doesn't-- Oh. Wait. Yes, she does know my password.

Tessa logs in and goes straight to our group chat, which, yes, I do know exists. She shows me everything I'd asked her about where they were, and how I was freaking out.

"This group chat!" Tessa cries. "What is going on?" Tessa has the serious look on her face. I hated when she had the serious look. It meant she was serious, in case you haven't figured that out by now.

I pause. "Fine." I snatch my laptop from her and add, "But I am not going to like a second of it."