*Emmy POV*
I scrolled through Twitter on my phone in the darkness, the light piercing through the blackness of my room, and causing me to squint. I leaned back onto the backboard of my bed and read through Twitter replies:
Hi
Omg great video! Please do more!
Loved it
I did this as a kid too
When I was a kid I mistook my hand for an animal and started screaming
Hey Emmy you're my favourite!
Nice video! Watch some of my videos? I do vlogs.
I smiled, and shut my phone screen off. I slid down under my duvet and snuggled my face into the pillow, sinking down into a land of comfort.
...
"EmMY!" Young Phil called. I giggled quietly as his orange hair bounced as he ran. I tucked my knees against my chest as I curled up behind the bush. "It's not funny anymore! I can't find you! I don't wanna play if you always win!"
I wondered what would happen if I stayed, but I decided to pop up from the bush, springing up while only collecting leaves in my hair and having branches of the bush scratch up my legs a bit. I smiled, "I'm just here, Phil!"
He pouted, "But I already checked that bush!"
"Yeah, I thought you saw me!"
"Well I didn't," he frowned deeper.
"Phil! Don't be mad at me," I started to frown, climbing out from behind the bush to stand by him.
"I don't like this game much."
"Okay, then let's do something else!" I grinned.
He looked at me, and then laughed.
"What?" I asked, feeling my face grow very hot. I started to panic, "what's wrong?"
He was laughing uncontrollably by then, "There's leaves... Leaves in your hair! You're a tree!"
"What?" I put my fingers through my hair, raking the leaves out. "No I'm not! I'm not a tree!"
"You're a tree!" He rolled onto the ground laughing, "Puppies go wee on you!"
"No, no they don't!" I raised my voice in embarrassment.
He continued laughing.
I started crying loudly as I ran back into the house, forgetting to shut the glass door behind me as I whined a loud cry.
"What's wrong, Emmy?" My mother asked me, coming from the group of parents who were standing in the kitchen.
I didn't answer, my continued loudly crying.
"What's wrong?" She repeated.
"Phil called me a tree!"
"A tree?"
"Yeah, a tree!"
My mother went to the back door, and looked out to where Phil was standing. "Phillip Michael Lester! Please apologise to Emmy!"
Phil shuffled in, appearing at the door looking at the ground.
"I-I'm sorry, Emmy," Phil muttered almost too loudly for me to hear, "I didn't mean it. You're not a tree."
"It's okay," I said, still feeling a bit hurt still.
Phil hugged me, and an echo of aww's came from our parents.
I woke up.
I looked at the constellations of pictures above me, sighed, and rolled over, dragging the duvet with me, creating some sort of human burrito. I was never really a morning person.
My alarm rang from my phone and I eventually angrily turned it off and got my feet on the cold wooden floorboards of my bedroom. I tiptoed to my closet where I found a colourful jumper and a pair of black skinny jeans. I danced to get the jeans on and almost died suffocating getting the jumper over my head. I formed my brown hair into a messy bun of sorts. I dug through my drawers and tried to find two of the same sock, but failed miserably as I did everyday, putting on two differently coloured and patterned socks. I tugged on some comfy boots.
I ran downstairs, marching with every step. I turned to see my mom sleepily pouring steaming water out of the kettle into a mug, wearing a robe and some slippers.
I got next to her and opened the cupboard above her, getting a box of cereal.
She looked over at me and scanned me up and down with her eyes. "Where are you going?"
I grabbed a bowl and began shaking the cereal box, pieces of cereal making sounds on the porcelain bowl. "Out. Just to get some shopping done."
"You shouldn't have procrastinated Christmas shopping this late," she commented.
"Of course," I said, pouring the milk out of the carton, drowning the cereal!, "and I know. I just did. There's nothing I can do now but try my best." I tried to excuse myself.
"And you're going to go all the way to London?" She questioned me.
"I must, I mean, my friend wants a very particular thing and I know her family isn't getting it for her. I don't want her to be disappointed. Anyway, it's in a store in London."
"It's not in any closer shipping centre?"
"Nope," I finished my cereal quickly. I grabbed the bowl and put it into the sink.
"Aren't you going to wash that?"
"Later!" I shouted, grabbing my train card and heading outside.
...
I arrived in London hours later. Train after train, I managed to avoid talking to anyone by plugging in my headphones and drowning out the long train rides with my favourite bands.
I didn't beat the Christmas shopping traffic like I had hoped to. The moment I arrived in London, I knew the stores would be packed.
I was right.
The tube was the worst part. I had to stand shoulder to shoulder with people. (Well not really shoulder to shoulder... I was shorter than most of them.) They all looked very irritated and I felt nervous as I stood waiting for my stop.
I managed to politely make it out of the crowd without any irritated people getting to upset at me.
There were just so many people. Everywhere. I wasn't used to it at all.
I opened my phone and looked at the map I had open. I shakily held it as I traced with my finger the fastest walking route to the store.
I followed the signs, but I was mostly preoccupied with the amount of people and what they were doing. Was I doing what was right? Was I in in the way? Was I acting stupid?
Sooner or later, to no surprise of my own, I was completely lost.
I opened my phone and looked at the map once more. I turned around and
Bang! I felt my face run into something. I backed up shakily and noticed I ran into someone. Someone's chest. The person was wearing a colourful Christmas jumper and black jeans. The person had black hair and crystal blue eyes.
The person was Phil.
I physically pinched myself.
"Sorry!" Phil said, giving me a smile. He looked at me, and scanned me with his eyes, looking confused. Soon his mouth formed an o and I could tell it dawned on him who I was.
"Emmy!" Phil said, "Is that you? What brings you to London."
"It is me, Phil. It's certainly been a while. I've just been Christmas shopping. Well, I was about to."
"Well this is no place to shop," Phil commented with a smile.
"Of course. I just got lost," I admitted embarrassingly. Looking up at him, feeling my cheeks grow warm.
"Well I can maybe find you the store you're looking for. But with me you might just end up getting more lost," he equalled his embarrassment with mine to make me feel better, and it worked. I felt grateful. "And we can catch up and get lunch if you want."
"I'd love to," I smiled.