Page 32 of Elevator Pitch

I do want another bite, but I’m a bit nervous about getting too high. Then again, we’ll be together. I remind myself that this is for my list and its purpose is to encourage me to live a life for all the years I spent wishing I could.

“Fuck it,” I say, taking a bigger bite than last time.

She chuckles and takes another bite.

She mentions when she walks away, “If one of us is fucked over, we all are. Food will be here by the time these hit. I’m texting Rome. We should be supervised and he’ll be home soon.”

A while later, we’re all cozy in the pillow fort with Ghost, watching a movie. The blankets are warm and I still feel normal. I look over at the girls and they look the same. I’m not sure what to expect from an edible high, but from what I’ve heard, I’m nervous.

“Do y’all feel anything?” I ask.

“Nope,” Chess and Daya say in unison.

“You will,” Audrey warns with a chuckle. “We arenoteating more.”

“Okay,” I resign.

This movie is getting wild and I just can’t look away. Chess is snuggled up to me while we lay on the fort, enraptured in the movie. I’ve seen it before, but maybe this is a director’s cut because they’ve got my undivided attention. I’m startled by a strange jingling sound and start holding my breath while I listen harder for it. I try not to alarm Chess as I carefully listen for the sound again. I hear it once more, with footsteps approaching.

Someone is in the house with us.

What do we do?

I look around for something to protect us with, but we’re in the dark with only the projector to light up the room. I lock eyes with the remote and clutch it. I’ve never heard of anyone being bludgeoned with a remote, but I’ll do my best to protect my friends. My heartbeat quickens as the footsteps come closer to the couch. I hear a man’s voice grumbling and the jingle again. The light flicks on and I hear Rome’s voice, so I drop the remote with a thud. I can’t make out what he’s saying, but the sound brings him straight to me.

I’m surprised to see him upside down. I wonder how he got that way.

He’s carrying a pizza box and a bunch of bags. I’m curious as to how they’re not floating with him.

Weird.

He continues walking upside down as he enters the room and I watch in awe.

He stops for a moment and asks, “Why are you watching a movie in Portuguese?”

I stare in confusion. “It’s in French, Rome,” I say matter-of-factly.

“No, it’s not. You and Chess don’t even speak French, Audrey does.” He pauses and looks around the room. “And I don’t see her anywhere. So, you going to tell me what’s going on?”

I look at Chess and whisper, “Do you know how to speak French?”

“Yeah. I just learned today,” she says loudly.

He lets out a deep sigh and walks off to the kitchen, setting down everything before he returns to the living room.

“Why are you on the floor? We have couches.”

“Why areyouupside down?”

“What? I am not—you’re all high right now, aren’t you?”

I wrinkle my brow and think about his question.

Wait. What did he ask? Oh well.

He continues, “That’s why you asked for all this damn food. You’re high. Well, did you know you also ordered a bunch of food? It was waiting outside the door for you!”

Chess and I burst into laughter and she sits up slowly.I wonder if she has tingly fingers too. I think that means I should be doing jazz hands right now.

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