Eye of The Tiger

Chapter Five

“What are you up to right now?” Emma asked me when I answered my phone.
“Just preparing to get everything ready for when my mom comes to visit me. I was gonna go grocery shopping and then buy some new towels,” I tell her, pulling my jeans and a shirt on.
“Okay. I’m going too. I’ll be right over,” she said and hung up.
     I think it’s safe to say that Emma has become my best friend over the last two months that I’ve moved here. We just vibe really well together. We’re like Taylor And Selena, Shaq and Kobe, Kenan and Kel, Lucy and Ethel. If she’s not at my place, I’m at hers. And it’s even better because we literally live next door to each other.
     She knows how stressed out I’ve been about my mom coming over. I finally broke down and told her about what happened last year and how I’ve been avoiding being around my parents, especially my mom because I knew she would want to bring it up. She listened to me and didn’t interrupt me one time. After I got done talking, I actually did feel so much better. I felt lighter. Emma said that I don’t talk about my feelings like I should. She said it’s not healthy to hold everything in and I agree with her... It isn’t.
     Maybe I would actually enjoy my mom’s visit after all. Maybe I’ve been over-thinking everything and making it into something it isn’t.
“Maybe you should tell your mom what you told me. She sounds like a really cool and understanding person. I can’t wait to meet her!” She says excitedly and I smile at her. Emma is so animated when she talks, it’s adorable, like a puppy with a new toy.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I tell her.
“Aren’t I always right,” she replies and we laugh.
     I told my mom about Emma when we talked on the phone the other day. She sounded happy that I had a new friend.
“I can’t wait to meet her, sweetie. She sounds like a true and fun friend. Maybe we can plan to have a girl’s day and go out,” she suggests and I quickly agree to that.
“Definitely. That would be fun. How’s dad doing?” I ask her and she sighs.
“Getting on my last nerve which, for your father, means he’s doing great,” she says and we crack up laughing.
“Sounds about right,” I tell her and we talk on the phone for a few more minutes and then say goodbye.
“Is your dad gonna come out here too?” Emma asks me, snapping me out of my daydream.
“No, he has to work so he’s staying home,” I tell her as we browse a clearance section in Target.
“Oh, okay. Hopefully I’ll meet him next time. These pillows are so cute. They would match my living room,” she says, tossing two of them in the cart.
     Another thing I noticed was that Emma loved to shop like my mom and me. She always saw something that she ‘needed’ or ‘thought would look cute.’
“You said that about the new rug you just put in the cart as well,” I said and we start laughing because she knows I’m right. But I can’t talk because half of the items in the cart are mine.
“How did you sleep last night?” She asked me as we browsed the women’s section. She knows about my insomnia and bipolar and she seems to genuinely care when she asks about it.
“I actually got 6 hours of sleep last night! I feel refreshed,” I tell her and she smiles.
“Sheesh... You make it sound like you got 8 hours or something. I have to get 8 hours every night or I wake up looking like Shrek,” she said and the lady next to us glances over at her horrified. It takes all my strength to not bust out laughing at her face. Emma didn’t even notice her.
“I guess that’s why they call it beauty sleep, huh,” I tease her and she smacks me.
     It seems like Emma and I have known each other for years. We just get along so well. It helps to feel less lonely in a new city when you have a friend alongside you. Neither one of us has a boyfriend and we both live alone. But at least we are next door to each other. Almost like a roommate. Emma is at my place half the time anyways.
“Self checkout or that long line?” She asks me when we finish shopping. We look at the long line.
“Self checkout,” we say at the same time and stand in the short line.
“I’ll go first since you have a millions things more than me,” I joke.
“Okay... Lunch is on you then,” she says as I scan all my items. I give her the evil eye, knowing that I don’t mind treating her.
     After we both checkout and leave, we go to Olive Garden for lunch and pig out. It’s something about shopping that makes you hungry for some reason. We both order shrimp fettuccine alfredo and then stuff our mouths full of bread sticks.
I definitely needed this girl’s day.