Catchfly: Seeing Stars

Chapter 16: Double Date

September 15 – 5:34 PM

I click on print again. Another exclamation mark pops up on my laptop screen. I groan. For once, I try to finish an assignment on time, and my laptop won't connect to the printer.

In all honesty, if this History project on the European colonial period wasn't a group-thing, I probably wouldn't have started until the night before it's due. But I'm teamed up with Ester Kavinsky, and she's crazy punctual. So much so that she wants the whole thing printed and finished by tomorrow morning, and I don't trust myself enough to remember printing it when I come back from the double date tonight.

I grab my laptop and walk out of my room. I knock on the bathroom door.

"Hey mom?" I raise my voice so she can hear me over the bath running. "Is it okay if I use your computer to print something?"

"Sure, honey!"

I hop down the stairs, simultaneously airdropping the document to my parents' computer. I almost run into the doorpost. When I sit down at dad's desk, a call pops up on my laptop. Avery's Facetiming me.

I get a view of Avery's bedroom, but she isn't in the frame herself. Will's head pops up in a different box. He's horizontal, lying in his bed.

"Hey." I say vacantly. I turn to my parents' computer screen. It's mostly my dad who uses it. My mom uses her laptop when she's working from home, but it's turned off. It's easier just to use the computer.

"Hey, Pais! You almost ready?" I hear Avery's voice.

"Uh-huh." I answer. I hear Will snicker in amusement, as he's the only one who can tell I'm sitting here in sweats and a bun the shape of a bird's nest on top of my head. I'm going out with two of my best friends and a guy I by no means have to impress: I may as well show up in my pajamas. Getting ready will take me under ten minutes.

"What movie are you going to see with your sister, Will?" I ask.

"They're playing the first Pirates of the Caribbean at the theater," He says. "Lydia's obsessed with those movies."

"Aw, that's so cute." Avery pops into frame. She's in the middle of doing her hair. Her make-up is done to perfection: she's wearing purple eyeshadow that's winged at the edges. I'm so busy admiring it, I jump at the sound of her voice:

"Pais!" She squeals. "Why aren't you ready yet?"

"Relax, there's still time." I wave my hand to calm her down. "I'm just trying to finish my History assignment."

She scoffs. "That doesn't sound like you."

I give her a glare. "No, it sounds like Ester Kavinsky. I may be a procrastinator, but I refuse to take her down with me."

"You're unbearable sometimes. Just tell me which top is cuter." She holds up two different purple tops.

"You're asking us what to wear?" Will frowns. "That's like an architect asking a kid who plays the Sims to design his house."

I chuckle as I open my assignment on dad's computer. Nothing's better than the sweet sound of the printer whirring after about fourteen tries from my laptop.

"Just tell me which one I'll look hot in!" Avery exclaims.

"You always look hot, Ave." Will says in a yawn.

"I can't even tell if you're just saying that to get out of the question, but I'll take it. I'll choose on my own." She rushes out of the frame again.

"Where's Austin?" I ask.

"He's probably getting ready, which is what you should be doing!" I hear Avery. I roll to the printer to grab my papers. They're still warm.

I roll back to log out of the computer, but my finger hesitates on the mouse, as if it won't let me. I give a subtle look to my laptop, checking to see if Avery's watching me. Even if she was, she'd have no idea what I'm doing. But she's the one who told me– no, urged me– to let go of any suspicions I had about my parents being tied to Ricardo Rayas.