With that, she left.
I sat in my darkened room for a while, watching the ceiling fan spin.
As I lay there, my phone dinged with a text message.
Ash:Sleeping?
Karla:Awake.
Ash:Bored?
Karla:Bored.
Ash:Want to know some random facts?
Karla:OK, but if it’s a bad random fact, I’ll stop replying, so make it interesting.
Ash:Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins.
Karla:That’s it? That’s the random fact?
Ash:Yes. By slowing their heart rate, sloths can hold their breath for up to forty minutes. Dolphins can only do it for ten to fifteen minutes.
Karla:I’m going to stop replying in three seconds...
Ash:Wait. Don’t you get it?
Karla:What’s there to get?
Ash:The fact that just because something moves a little slower than other things, it doesn’t mean they are less gifted. They actually can be the best at many things in this world, no matter their speed.
I smiled at my phone.
Oh, Ash.
My newfound friend.
Karla:Good night, Ash.
Ash:Good night, Karla.
And just like that, sloths became my favorite animal.
12Karla
One night after dinner, Ellie came into my bedroom to say good night before she left for the evening. I was sitting on my bed listening to music as she appeared in my doorway. She had a goofy grin on her face, and her arms were crossed over her chest with a look of victory.
I sat up straight. “No way.”
“Yes way,” she said, beaming with pride.
I shook my head in disbelief. “No way.”
“Yes way. He said Ash can come for study meetings and dinner some nights. Of course, you still have to keep doing great with all your schoolwork and focusing on your other tasks, but...”
“He agreed?” I timidly asked. I was too afraid of getting my hopes up.
“Yes.” She nodded. “He agreed.”
