(a/n: this chapter is mostly a letter. So anything in parenthesis that is italicized is part of the letter, not my own comments. Okey dokey?! Enjoy!)

 

Phillip had picked up Emma shortly after she had called him. The ride home was quiet, Phillip could tell Emma was upset but he didn’t know the origin of her feelings so he decided to keep out of it until she brought him into it.

 

After the car had stopped in the driveway, Emma got out, entered the house, went straight to her room, and fell on her bed crying into her pillows. Phillip didn’t want to bother her so he just let her cry. ‘Teenage girls…’ he thought.

 

Emma had fallen asleep crying and awakened at 7pm. With a tear-streaked face and watery eyes, she looked around her dimly lit room. The lamp on her desk was turned on and she noticed an envelope sitting on top of a few random magazines. She wiped her eyes and reached across to the desk and grabbed the envelope. She glanced at it and noticed the return address. It was from Arizona.

 

Ripping it open, pictures fell out of the envelope. Picking them up and looking at them, Emma realized that these were the pictures of Christmas day when TJ and Sam had dyed her hair for her. There were other random pictures, some of TJ and Sam at Warped Tour and some of them hanging out at school, but there was one that brought more tears to her eyes. TJ and Sam were standing in the picture pouting, and they were both holding up a piece of paper that read ‘We miss you Emma!’  “I miss you too.” She whispered to herself.

 

Setting the pictures aside, Emma began to read the note:

                         

Hey Emma!

We haven’t heard from you since you moved! You aren’t dead are you?! Ahh… we hope not. By the way, this is from both TJ and I. He’s too lazy to write his own letter! But that’s our TJ! Anyways- how are things going in Maryland? Are there any cute boys at your school? Are you gonna be going to Warped Tour? (if you haven’t already gone.) We went to Warped two weeks ago. I wanted to wait until we got our pictures back until I wrote you to tell you about it! Oh my gosh! It was so fun! I KNOW it woulda been a ton funner (is that a word? Haha) if you had been there with us. Dude, I wish you HAD been there! Somehow we got backstage and we got to meet Billie-Joe! It was so rad! We told him that we aren’t his number one fans… but that we know who is. Haha. He seemed pretty amused by that. He gave us his guitar pick for you! TJ was gonna keep it … but I made him give it up.

 

Taped to the page was a green pick, signed by Billie-Joe. Emma saw this and began lightly laughing to herself.

 

Gosh, I have so much to tell you and so much to ask you! I don’t even know where to begin. Well, I’ll just tell you what’s been going on here lately. That one blonde chick that came into the store that one day… Beverly, I think? …. Yeah well she’s been coming in a lot TJ said. He’s about ready to file for a restraining order against her! Well, ok, not really but … yeah it’s a little freaky. I’d like to meet this girl and rip her hair out! Grr. No one stalks MY man! Mwahaha. Ok, enough of that. I’m getting carried away! Haha. Well, I already asked you if you’ve met any guys… but I’m gonna ask again so you don’t forget to answer that question when you write back. Are the guys there cute? At all? Do you have a little crush on anyone? Hehe. I’m so evil. Emma! We really miss you! It just isn’t the same without our ‘little’ friend. There is no eighth grader like you! You are so awesome. Ok, TJ decided to not be lazy and write a little.

 

Hey Em!!

Wazzzzzzzzup?! Haha. I just got done drinking my fourth Mountain Dew of the day! Woowee. I guess you could say I’m hyper. Umm… yeah, it really sucks that you didn’t get to come to Warped Tour with us. Gosh! That was our big plan! But no, you had to go and migrate to the east! Damn you! No, I’m just messin’. I love ya babe! You are my little Em n’ Em. I just know you adore that nickname.. it’s so… chocolaty! Your favorite. No, I know you hate chocolate. That’s why the nickname suited you so well! Geez, I really don’t know what else to write. Oh! Are there any little punks I needa come over there and beat up?! Cuz if there are, I’ll be on the next plane to Maryland. Don’t you fret my dear! Speaking of frets… how’s the bass comin’ along? You’d better still be practicing or I’ll beat you! No, I won’t beat you. That would be wrong. But I will give you the ‘evil-eye’. Threatening.. isn’t it?! Oh yes. I know. So, why haven’t you called or written to us?! Did you forget us? Oh no, I feel a deep depression coming on. No, I don’t. But you need to write to us at least! Common kiddo! You are worrying us. SPEAK TO US!! Rawr. We WOULD call you but…. One slight technicality, we don’t have your phone number. Ya wanna know why we don’t have your phone number? Because my dear… YOU never gave it to us! Are we not good enough for you anymore? No, I’m joking again. Haha. I’m such a comedian! Well, Sam and I have been doin’ really good. We didn’t go to our junior prom because school is stupid. I’m not gonna dress up in an uncomfortable tux just to stand at a school function watching people pretend they know how to dance! It’d drive me up the wall. I am thinking about taking Sam next year though, being as it is the senior prom and all. But I dunno. I’ll have to think about that one! Ok, she’s bugging me for the pen back. Love ya babe!

 

Ok, enough of his jibber-jabber! I remembered a question I wanted to ask you! Have you kissed a guy yet?! Ahhhh… you have to tell me if you did. Ok, well we have to go now sweetie. Write back! We miss you! Call us… 602-555-0576 (my cell)

 

Love Always-

Samantha and TJ

 

She set the letter down and smiled. How could she have put off writing to them this long?! It had almost been 6 months. Feeling bad about not having kept in touch, Emma got up off the bed, sat at her desk, and began writing her own letter.

 

(a/n: ok. If you’d like to see what she wrote to them then I need feedback. If you don’t want me to type out her whole letter back just tell me! Cuz I don’t know if reading the letter type thing is boring or not. Alrighty! There’s one more chapter down and many many more to follow!!!! YAY! By the way.. the title is from the song by Finch.)