I wish.
Dani
Please tell me you’re joking.
Nessa
PLEASE tell me you changed the outfit we picked out for you?!?!
Me
Again, I wish. On the bright side, my boobs look fantastic.
Clarke
Haven’t you heard, Ness? Red plaid + cleavage isthe new black.
June
Omg, slutty mourner core.
Jo
#FestiveMourningChic
I stared at the screen, stifling a laugh that came out more like a panicked exhale. I had no doubt that the six of us would laugh about this at our next Dungeons & Dragons meet-up, but there was a time and a place for awkward laughter, and Grandma Doris’s funeral definitely wasn’t it.
Me
So, what should I do? I can’t just get up and . . .
June
LEAVE.
Dani
Run.
Nessa
Chill.
Me
???
Nessa
Sorry, that was meant to be chili. It’ll be ready inthirty minutes. Come home.
That worked for me.
Nessa had that nurturing, unflappable energy that made even the most unhinged situation feel fixable with a 90s rom-com and a bowl of something warm. She and Jared had been together for over a year now—living in the townhouse next to mine—and to say they were #CoupleGoals would be an understatement.
As far as potential sisters-in-law went, I’d hit the freaking jackpot.
Most importantly, Nessa never treated me like an obligation just because I was her boyfriend’s little sister. She was my friend. And by extension, all her friends had become my friends, too—a chaotic, supportive little coven of people who texted each other memes about cursed dice rolls and emotional damage.
