Do you remember the time we walked to the movies, and ended up standing under an awning because it was raining so hard? Your hair you had spent ages on was soaked, and my leather jacket was ruined. You had been looking so forward to watching it too, screaming and jumping up and down like a kid on a sugar rush when I surprised you with the tickets. I remember feeling so guilty that I forgot to look at the weather forecast on what I thought would the best day of my life. But we shared our first kiss under that awning, on that rainy, gloomy day. So I guess it made the day pretty good, after all.

Do you remember the time you had invited me and all of your other friends over for a slumber party, and you and I were the only two awake after 10:00? You were so pissed, calling them even worse party people than your great aunt Gloria. We watched Disney movies until 3 in the morning, and you fell asleep on my shoulder. It was the first time I told you I loved you, though I know you didn’t hear me.

Do you remember the time that Miranda called us freaks and put roaches in her purse? She hated us. But we always stayed together.

Do you remember the time when we hid in a tree to hide from your mom, who was about to hit us with a broom? You had finally told her about us, and it didn’t go as we expected. Every time I think about it, I still laugh. How we played rock paper scissors to choose who would be the lookout. How you almost fell from the tree and your mom started hitting you like you were a piñata. How we carved our names into that tree, saying that we would last forever.

I…I know you’re there. I know that you’re listening. I know that we weren’t like everyone else, Emily. I know that we were different, from different puzzles all together. But we fit, E. We fit perfectly. Please, please answer the phone. Please-
‘Your time limit for this voicemail is up. Have a good day.’

She gripped the phone tightly as she was comforted only by the silent buzz of her phone, the names carved on that tree resurfacing from a memory buried.

Amy + Emily, together forever.