I lounged back again, kicking my feet against the wall, waiting for the summer to end. It was hot. Blisteringly hot. My clothing was stuck to my skin from perspiration, my fingers and toes were swollen like sausages from the humidity, and I was really thirsty.
A heavy sigh worked its way up my chest. Halfway to my mouth for release, it stopped. A smile crossed my face. I let out the breath in a short whoosh, and then stretched my arm out, fingers reaching, towards my side table. After a few seconds, my fingers found their destination. It was a piece of wood, Cypress, like the trees in my backyard, barely eleven and half inches long, and though it wasn't visible, the branch possessed a short, golden filament running through its core: unicorn hair.
With a short flick at my closed door, it swung open.
"Mom!" I called, hoping my voice carried down the staircase.
When she didn't respond, I called again. She still didn't answer. This time I did sigh and reluctantly got to my feet. I was sorely tempted to try summoning a glass of lemonade, but the last time I had tried it with water, I ended up drenched. So I clumped down the carpeted stairs, realizing that for the first time in a long time, nobody was home. Weird.
As I poured a glass of lemonade, by hand, I flicked my wand at a screen sitting like a television on the counter. It flickered to life and with another flick of my wand, it was dialing.
"Pick up," I muttered, turning my back to put the lemonade away.
"Nice butt," a female voice laughed.
I grabbed a bowl of cantaloupe from the second shelf and then turned to find my best friend's face staring back at me from the screen.
"I've been working out," I answered. "Does it show?"
"Greatly," she answered, matching the sarcasm in my own voice. "What have you really been doing the past two weeks?"
I fixed her with a look. "What do you think I've been doing?"
She shrugged.
"I'm waiting, somewhat patiently, for another week to pass so that you'll be eighteen and we can go out and have some real fun."
She rolled her eyes, brown like mine, though mine were darker, as I took a long drink from my glass.
"I got my letter today."
I choked a bit. "Really?"
"Yeah. Have you gotten yours?"
"I haven't seen a single feather. I haven't gotten an owl since..." I trailed off trying to figure out the last owl that I received.
"It didn't come by owl. It came through the US mail system like every other letter."
"Why?" I wondered, abandoning the glass on the counter and yanking open a drawer to my left to find the mailbox key.
"Who knows? Maybe they've got too many letters to send out and not enough owls."
"Not likely."
I dug through the drawer but didn't find anything. I pulled open the next one and struck gold.
"Ah-ha!"
"Going to check the mailbox?"
"Damn straight."
"Well hurry up! I'll wait!"
I grabbed the key and dashed to the front door.
"Where are you going?"
I jumped. Someone was home. I looked up the stairs and saw my sister standing at the top.
"Checking the mail," I told her, holding up my key. "Be back in a minute."
I didn't wait to hear her response before I threw open the door and sprinted towards the cluster mailboxes at the end of the street. The air was hot and heavy, and the soft breeze that was blowing didn't do much good. I shoved the key into the lock, turned it over, and pulled the door open, stretching my other hand into the box. It was jammed with mail. My family wasn't exactly the greatest at remembering the retrieve the mail daily. I wiggled all of it out, shut the door, and turned the lock again. I wanted to stand right there and see if my letter had come, but the pavement was burning the soles of my feet and the sun was beating down unmercifully. So I tucked it all against my chest, closed the key into my hand, and jogged back to my house.
The cool air inside my house was a welcome relief as I proceeded back into the kitchen. My best friend was still in view on the screen, but farther away, doing something else. I dropped the stack of paper on the counter and sorted through it quickly.
"Bill, bill, bill, crap, bill, crap, more crap..." I muttered, tossing them into different piles. "I'll look at this later, crap, another bill, expired coupon..." I gasped. "It's here!"
My best friend hurried back over and leaned close to the screen. "Well?" she demanded. "Open it!"
My heart pounded away in my chest as I slid my finger under the edge of the envelope.
