“What did I tell you about that?” I shake my head. “Outside of school, it’s just Rhea.”
“Right.” She offers a tight smile that mirrors her dad’s annoyed face and grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge.
“Hey Daisy, what’s that room?” I ask her and point to the one that’s off the living room.
“Dad’s office,” she shrugs. “But he never uses it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him even go in there.”
“Doesn’t he have an office downstairs?” Sunday scowls.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I think he’s just being a weirdo,” Daisy says, like that’s a normal response.
“I didn’t know the apartment had three bedrooms,” Sunday says. “I always thought that was a closet.”
“It’s not very big in there. He keeps it locked, though.”
“It’s locked?” Sunday whips her head back to Daisy.
“Dad’sweird,” she says with a small laugh. I’m about to bring up the question of renting the mystery room again when Daisy’s phone vibrates on the island.
“Are you still talking to that boy?” Sunday asks, derailing the conversation, snatching up Daisy’s phone, who instantly flips out and reaches for it back.
“Auntie Day, don’t,” she snips, and Sunday laughs. “Please.”
“Awfully defensive for a little girl who claims to be innocent. What are you, hiding on here?” She asks. “Is that little shithead sending you inappropriate texts because I promise not to tell Bri?”
“Oh my god,” Daisy gags.
“What’s your password again? What could be so important that you have to lock it down?” Sunday grumbles playfully.
“World domination. And pictures of paper road trip maps.” Daisy was quick, and it made me giggle as Sunday admitted defeat and handed the phone over.
“My brother’s obsession with maps is getting out of hand, and you enable it!” Sunday rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers at Daisy. “That glove compartment is a safety hazard.”
“He unfolds them in his lap on drives and stares at them with this face on,” Daisy makes a funny expression that’s not angry but perplexed, as the front door clicks open and Brighton wanders inside with three plates balanced in his long arms. “It’s funny watching him use them.”
“What’s funny?” He says in a gruff voice, sliding the plates to the counter.
“Your face,” Sunday quips and reaches out for her burger. “Thank you,” she says quickly and slides Daisy her plate. Brighton looks down at mine and pushes it toward me with a tiny nudge, and I give him a nod. Boone piles the plate high with spicy sweet potato fries, and the black bean burger looks delicious to my empty stomach.
Before I can even be grossed out about the tomato, Sunday reaches over and takes it off my burger to put on hers. Tomatoes are the one food group I cannot wrap my head around, wet little things that taste like nothing and make everything soggy. But for all my quiet complaints about them, I can’t even bring myself to ask for the burger without them. Some deep-rooted fear of being a bother to someone has seeped into something as stupid as asking for no tomato. I sigh and try to ignore it and Brighton’s intense stare as I start to eat.
After we finish, he washes the dishes while Sunday says goodnight to Daisy. Then we head back to Sunday’s. My little pile of belongings beside her bright orange couch is depressing. I curl up on the tiny sofa, to the sound of my phone vibrating with messages from my family, and the tears flow, making my pillow wet as I fall asleep.
“You can’t move that far,” Cosy says and points to the board on the table. “You’ve got thirty feet,” she says to me, and I slide the miniature back away from the monster we’re fighting in Dungeons and Dragons. I chew on my lip and try to figure out another way to get Kaia’s character out of the trouble we’re in, but come up short.
“I cast suggestion,” Sunday says, rolling her dice. “The hag hears the most beautiful trap music playing in the distance and starts to dance. She loves the music so much she may never stop dancing,” she reads to them with a smile on her face. A natural twenty stares up at us all, and Cosy looks over her books.
“It hits.” She shakes her head. “I hate that spell.” She always says that, but she also never gets mad at Sunday for equipping it because it makes her happy.
“Can she do that?” Addy’s boyfriend, Jensen, says over the iPad.
“Go away fuckboy,” Kaia snips. “You were not invited to this session.”
“Don’t be like that.” He smirks at her, and she flips him off. “I miss you too, Kaia,” Jensen hums and kisses Addy’s temple before disappearing off-screen.
“It was a good move, Sunny,” Addy says, leaning over on her books to get closer to the camera.
“Thank you.” Sunday sits a little taller as Cosy tries to figure out her next move as dungeon master. “Does anyone want another margarita?” she asks, tapping the table with her fingers. “Since our hag is dancing,” she giggles as Cosy begrudgingly nods yes.
