I stood staring in Jordan's bathroom mirror at my endless smile and my glowing pink cheeks. I couldn't get over how happy I was. Emma had finally gotten to meet her internet idol, Mark and Ruby were closer than ever before, I had become friends with a kind doctor, and Jordan and I were an official couple. What more could I ask for?
My smile suddenly faded, my mind wandering off into a place where Jordan would tell his fans about us. Even if he didn't tell, paparazzi and crazed fans were all over the place, and someone was bound to notice us. I was surprised we hadn't been spotted together already.
What if they hated me? What if the fans thought I was no good for Jordan? What if they started hating him for loving me? He'd lose thousands of subscribers!
I swallowed, my anxiety getting the best of me. I couldn't let it take over again. When my anxiety hit, I fled from my problems.
I couldn't run away again.
My phone rang to life on the counter next to my bandaged hand, blaring the chorus to the song "How To Save A Life" by The Fray. It was Robin.
"Hello?" I said. "Robin? Why are you calling? You could just knock or text if I was taking too long." I laughed.
"No, I'm not at the house," she said. "Something came up at the hospital and they need me right away so I had to leave."
"Oh!" I said surprisingly. "Well, alright then. Thanks for the heads up."
"Wait!" she said quickly. "Listen, I don't have time to take Emma home and I don't know when I'll be back to get her. I need you and Jordan to watch her for me."
I was taken aback. Me and Jordan? Babysit?
"Well...umm," I said hesitantly, "why can't Patrick pick her up?"
"He's already at the hospital," she replied, "and he can't leave. Please, Carrie! Hopefully it will only be a few hours!"
I tuned her out for a moment and quietly stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway. I crept down the hall to the living room.
Jordan was sitting on the couch, his lower body covered with a Jerry the Slime throw blanket. He was breathing softly with his eyes closed. Curled up next to his arm was the little sleeping form of Emma, her feet slightly poking out from underneath the blanket.
"Aww," I whispered sweetly.
"What?" Robin asked. "What is it? What's going on?"
I quickly pulled up my camera app and snapped a photo of the two sleepy souls. I immediately sent it to Robin's number.
"I think Emma has made herself quite comfortable already," I said with a grin in my voice.
"What makes you say---" She stopped talking suddenly, so I assumed she saw her message inbox. A few seconds went by before she spoke again.
"Aaaaww!" she exclaimed happily. "My God, that is adorable!"
"Isn't it!" I said. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of Emma."
"Thank you, Carrie!" she said gratefully. "I'll see you all, hopefully, later! Tell Emma I love her!" And then she hung up.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and gave Jordan a little poke in the cheek. He slowly opened his eyes, blinked rapidly for a moment, then looked up at me and smiled.
"Hey," he said groggily.
"Shh," I said softly, pointing at the sleeping Emma.
Jordan grinned and brushed a strand of her long brown hair out of her face. Her cheek was slightly smushed against Jordan's arm. Jordan carefully removed his arm and placed a pillow under Emma's head. He pulled the Jerry blanket off his body and wrapped it gently around Emma. Emma smiled dreamily in her sleep, snuggling up more with the pillow.
"Where's Robin?" he asked.
"Emergency hospital call," I explained. "She should be back later." I looked down into his sleepy brown eyes and smiled. "You certainly seem to have a way with kids."
"I spent a lot of time with kids about her age when I did the charity work," he replied as he stood up from the couch, "so I have some experience with little kids like her."
"Well, she certainly has taken a liking to you," I said with a slight grin.
Jordan walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, lightly kissing my cheek. "Eh, she's a little young for me."
I giggled and spun around, wrapping my arms around Jordan's neck and kissing him passionately.
"You still up for that round of Hunger Games?" he whispered playfully against my lips.
I smiled. "Hmm, how about some Prop Hunt instead?" Jordan smiled and nodded.
Then I slightly frowned, glancing over at Emma on the couch.
"Will she be okay in here by herself?" I asked anxiously.
"Of course!" he said reassuringly. "She's asleep and the doors are locked up tight. She'll be fine."
I smiled and nodded as Jordan took my hand and began leading me to his game room.
"Wait a sec," I said as I pulled up a chair and sat next to Jordan. "Where are Mark and Ruby? Did they leave too?"
Jordan scrunched up his face and groaned uncomfortably. "You're just lucky you didn't have to watch them be all tongue-y with each other."
"Oh, gross!" I said with a gag. "I don't even wanna know anymore!"
Jordan laughed and kissed my cheek as he pulled up his Skype account. I glanced at his computer monitor to see that Adam and Ryan were online in a call. Jordan clicked the join button.
"Sparklez!" Ryan exclaimed as his face filled half the computer screen. "Long time, no see!"
"Dude, Jordan!" said Adam with a grin. "It's been forever! How are you? We've all been worried!"
"Sorry guys!" I laughed, poking my head into the webcam frame. "He's been a bit preoccupied!"
"Hey, Carrie!" said Adam with a smile. "Good to hear from you again! Nice to know you're doing well."
I saw Ryan's face become a big smile. "Well, look at that! It's finally official with LieutenantDiamond!"
I looked at Jordan questioningly. "You told them my Minecraft name?"
"Hey, it's only fitting!" he said sweetly. "I mean, you are one level below Captain."
"Hey just because you're Captain doesn't mean you're top dog!" I said playfully, nudging him in the ribs with my elbow.
"Oh, it be gettin' all serious up in here!" said Adam with his usual dolphin laugh. I snickered.
"So you guys up for a game of Prop Hunt?" Jordan asked. "Lieutenant here thinks she's the master."
"Ooh, she thinks she can beat us?" Ryan asked with a smirk. "I challenge the Lieutenant!"
"Challenge accepted!" I said, logging in to Jordan's second computer and starting up Garry's Mod.
"I love you," said Jordan sweetly, kissing me softly in front of the webcam.
"Aww!" said Adam and Ryan with puppy dog eyes.
"Shut up!" I said with a laugh as we joined the first available lobby. "You're going down!"
We started up our Prop Hunt in the Trouble in Terrorist Town map. I was a prop with Adam while Jordan and Ryan were hunters.
"Now," I said, "knowing Adam, he's probably gonna pull a cheatsy-doodle."
"Hey that is offensive!" said Adam as he made himself become an orange and hid in a tiny bin in the market.
I made my way down to the wine cellar and became a whiskey bottle.
"Hey!" I said, shoving Jordan's head away from my computer screen. "No cheatsy-doodles applies to you too, CaptainCheater!"
"Oh my God Adam I bet you're something like super small!" said Ryan with a sigh.
"Whaaaaat?" said Adam, trying to keep a straight face. "Come on, would I honestly sink that low to be something you had no chance of finding?"
"Umm, yes," said Jordan smugly. "That's exactly what you would do."
Adam just laughed his squeaky dolphin laugh and I giggled under my breath. I could still tell that Jordan was trying to look at my computer screen.
"Cut it out!" I said, poking him in the ribs. He let out a tiny man-squeak.
"What the hell was that?" Ryan cried, bursting with fits of bellowing laughter.
"Nothing!" Jordan said quickly, looking at me with a playful scowl. I just smirked and went back to hiding.
Two and a half minutes passed by with me hiding in the wine cellar. There was still a minute left on the clock.
"ORANGE!" Ryan shouted. There was a loud boom of a grenade. Adam had been found.
"Oh God dammit!" Adam cried. "No fair! You only found me because of that grenade! I call cheatsy-grenade-doodles!"
"Sparklez, you've got forty-five seconds to find your Lieutenant or she wins!" yelled Ryan.
"Pressure is on, my Captain!" I said with a giggle. "And no cheating!"
"Oh geez!" Jordan cried. I could see his hunter on his computer running around like a madman. "Oh geez oh geez oh geez!"
"Thirty seconds!" Ryan yelled.
"Oh dude you're so close!" Adam said.
"No hints!" I laughed, hiding my screen from Jordan.
I looked at my screen to see Jordan's hunter staring down at me, a crowbar in his hand.
"Fifteen seconds!" Ryan yelled.
"No!" I screamed. "Nope nope nope nope!" I did a figure eight around Jordan's feet and slipped out the door.
"What?" Jordan yelled, running around the wine cellar knocking over cabinets and barrels. "What...what the hell! Carrie, how'd you get away?!"
"Skills!" I yelled triumphantly. "Three, two, one!"
"Yay!" Adam cried. "Props win!"
Jordan continued to stare in shock at the computer screen. Ryan was laughing at his expression. Adam was back to his dolphin laughs again. Jordan looked over at me, still keeping a shocked face.
"I don't believe it," he said. "You actually beat us."
I giggled. "Ha! You jealous of my master hiding skills?"
"No," he said slowly. "Actually, I'm kinda...turned on by your skills."
There was a stunned awkward silence in the room. I felt my cheeks ignite a fiery red and my heart increase its speed. Ryan and Adam were at a loss for words, unsure what exactly to say.
"Uh, I think we've played long enough for today," said Adam as he tried to keep his giggles under control.
"Agreed," said Ryan quickly. "See ya Sparklez! Later, Lieutenant!"
The Skype call ended.
Jordan and I continued to stare at each other. I had never heard anyone say something like that to me before. My video game skills were a turn-on! Is that something someone hears often?
We stared at each other for what felt like hours, days, months, maybe even years until a soft sound of someone knocking at the door made us look up. Emma was standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes sleepily and dragging the Jerry blanket behind her. Her brown hair was messily matted and tangled, hanging in twisted strands over her ears.
"Mr. Jordan?" she said hollowly. "Ms. Carrie?"
"Hello there, Emma," I said sweetly, going over to her and kneeling down on one knee so that I was eye-level with her. "Did you have a nice nap?"
She nodded. "Mhmm. I fell asleep on Mr. Jordan's arm." She turned towards Jordan and bowed her head. "Sorry if I chased you away, Mr. Jordan."
"You didn't chase me away," he said with a friendly smile. "I actually fell asleep too."
Emma's tiny frown became a big smile. "Oh, okay! Ms. Carrie, where's my mommy?"
"Don't worry," I said, brushing a strand of her matted hair behind her ear. "Your mommy had to go save some lives before bed. She'll be back soon."
Jordan stood up from his chair. "How about you go wait in the kitchen, Em? I'll make you some orange juice and a little snack if you're hungry."
Emma jumped up and down excitedly and took off down the hall yelling, "Oh boy oh boy CaptainSparklez is making me food!"
Jordan stifled a laugh as she ran, dragging the Jerry blanket behind her. We watched as she climbed up in the kitchen chair and wrapped herself in the blanket like a caterpillar in a chrysalis.
"So my skills are a turn-on?" I asked shyly, feeling the blush in my cheeks burn like a blazing fire.
Jordan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, his face growing red as he tried to speak. "Is that...is that weird?"
"No," I said, taking his hands and wrapping them around my waist. "I think it's...cute."
Jordan smiled and kissed the top of my forehead. I sighed happily, feeling my entire body go numb at his touch.
"COOTIES!" Emma screamed from the kitchen, pointing at us. "COOTIES!"
I had no idea she could still see us. Jordan and I laughed and walked down the hallway, his hands still around my waist.
There was a loud thundering sound coming from outside the balcony window. For a moment, the ground seemed to shake as if an earthquake had struck. Then again, we were in California.
But something wasn't right.
Emma jumped down from the chair and ran to me, wrapping her arms around my legs and trembling. I picked her up and held her close to me.
"Jordan, what's happening?" I asked as he slowly opened the balcony door.
The instant he did a huge wave of heat seeped inside the apartment. The room lit up a fiery orange and suddenly smelled of gag-insinuating smoke. Screams and sirens could be heard within the distant city. Jordan stood on the balcony, silhouetted against the orange light.
"Oh my God," he whispered.
Shielding Emma from the sight, I stepped out onto the balcony. There was a billowing orange fireball in the sky, thick smoke blackening the shimmering silver moon and sparkling white stars.
"Oh no," I whispered. "No!"
The orange flames and black smoke were engulfing the structures of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.