"Liz? You okay?"
Joel felt worry fill his body as his eldest slipped by. She was a bit shaky and her body was covered by a large scarf, which was quite ridiculous in the outrageously humid weather.
"I'm fine,"she replied as she left.
Are you sure about that? Joel thought.
He decided not to push it. Maybe he was reading too much into it. After all, teen fashions come and go and get weird. Or maybe Eliza was just wishing it was fall and much cooler?
He was probably just tired and in need of some rest. Desperately.
Without another thought,, Joel got off the couch and got ready for bed.
____________________________________________________________________________
Mila sighed as she stared at the numerous unanswered texts she'd sent Eliza nearly four hours ago. What could her sister possibly be doing to not reply? Liz was usually online.
It wasn't just Eliza that wasn't answering. Her dad hadn't picked up her calls, answered her texts, or replied to the email she'd sent in desperation. Neither had her other siblings. Were they busy having the time of their lives without her, like her mother, who was currently watching early 2000s rom coms with her friends?
Her family members weren't the only ones ignoring her, her friends were, too.