Chapter 7
1951 Words
The next day, Taylor woke up feeling lonely. The apartment seemed so empty with Emma gone. And adding to her misery, she needed a cup of coffee and Emma is not here to help her vanquish the coffee machine.
She checked her messages while heading to the kitchen and saw a notification from Emma. It was a message with step-by-step instructions and even pictograms on how to activate the coffee machine and how to make coffee.
“You didn’t forget about your technology-challenged friend” said Taylor to herself smiling and happy that Emma thought about her. She did her coffee without damaging the machine, took a selfie with her coffee mug and sent it to Emma.
Taylor to Emma:
Thank you BFF. Cheers to you!
She got another notification; a message from Peter asking her to come and visit them. Every Sunday, Taylor and Emma would have brunch with the family. But today, Taylor was not in the mood to see the Jackson family nor anyone from the Mystic Moon community. She politely declined Peter’s offer and instead decided to accept an invitation by guy #21 for a coffee in the afternoon.
Foolish mistake! The guy was boring as hell; he was going on and on about his achievements, about his work, his car, his workout! She tried to put her fake smile on, nodded here and there but she was miles away. Her mind was in Idaho. Thinking about Emma. Wondering whether everything is alright.
She checked her phone every two minutes hoping for a message from Emma who had not replied yet to her selfie nor to the other messages she sent her throughout the day.
When she finally saw a notification from Emma, she immediately checked the text message out, zoning out boy #21 and his stories.
Emma’s message was short:
Hi Tay, great to see the coffee machine survived your lethal hands
Everything is ok here. We had an extended training session with the community members today and resting in my room for now.
Taylor could not take it anymore. She told guy #21 that she got an emergency at work and needed to head out. After thanking him for the coffee, she left the coffee shop and video-called Emma.
“Hi Emm! Missed you girl! How have you been? When are you coming back to visit?” grilled Taylor
“Come on Tay, it has not even been 24 hours” replied Emma laughing softly. “But yes, I missed you too already!”
“So, show me around. I want a virtual tour of the community”
Emma raised her smartphone and gave Taylor a quick overview of Liam’s community which looked amazing.
“It is huge. How many people live there? It seems to me that it is much bigger than Mystic Moon!”
“Yes indeed, it is much bigger, we have around 600 people in Liam’s community. And his brother’s community is just next to ours and he has around 450 residents.”
“Oh! so there are two of them! Is the brother as charming and sweet as Liam?” said Taylor sarcastically.
“Tay, don’t talk like that about my man!”
“Speaking of your man, how is he treating you?”
“It is ok. Don’t worry about me Tay”
“Well someone has to!”
“Tay don’t be mean; you know that my family loves me.”
“Yes yes of course everyone at the Mystic Moon community loves you Emma. But still I am worried about you. Keep me updated and I expect to receive your messages regularly. Deal?”
“Deal” chuckled Emma.
“Oh! By the way, I will try to finish my latest design tonight and will send it to you for your insightful feedback – as usual”
The next week went by slowly and excruciatingly for Taylor. Emma’s messages were sparce and short. Never laughing or commenting back on jokes shared by Taylor or shared in the Family group chat. She did not comment on Taylor new baby… did not comment when Taylor wrote that she went with guy #22 and it was a disaster. She did not even comment when Taylor wrote that she burned the coffee machine. Well that was not true, but Taylor was desperate for a reaction from her friend.
The reaction came at the end of the week when Emma finally replied.
Emma to Taylor:
Oh Tay sorry just saw your messages. It was a busy week. What happened? Do you need any help? should I tell you the model so that you order it online? Do you want Peter to pass by to help?
Taylor to Emma:
Well well my bestie finally remembered me. Should I wait 5 days before replying?
Emma knew better than to just reply by text message so she called Taylor
“Hi Tay, don’t be a pain in the peach please”
“Hello to you too. And can you blame me? You simply ignored me the whole week. I needed your support. I had a big order… Lot of pressure and I needed your opinion on my latest creations.”
“I am sorry Tay, as I said it was a busy week, hopefully next time I will be more reactive to your messages.”
“So how was your week?” asked Taylor changing the subject as she felt annoyance in your friend’s tone.
“Well nothing much. training … walking around … meeting new people… discovering the community”
“Are you searching for a job?”
“No not really. Not sure I will be able to work, I have to support Liam & his community”
“And how is Lover Boy?”
“All is good.”
“Meaning?”
Emma sighed
“Meaning, he is nice to me and everything is alright between us”
“Yeah but is he treating you as you want to be treated?”
“Tay, your questions are tiring. Everything is ok. Please trust me.”
“OK, I do trust you. I am just worried about you.”
“I know Tay, but really there is no reasons for you to worry”
Unfortunately, Emma’s lack of communication did not improve over the next three weeks. Taylor would send messages and Emma would reply days later, with short and quick texts. Even Emma’s replies to her parents’ posts in the family group chat were sparse.
No reply from Emma when Taylor asked for her opinion on her sketches… No comments when Taylor shared about her misadventures with guy #22... even when Taylor wrote to Emma about Guy #22 inviting her to a chick flick marathon! In normal times, Emma would have funny banters and would have joked about it for days.
And every time Taylor tried to facetime Emma, she would not answer and even sometimes she would simply hang up on her.
The fourth week, Taylor was fed up. She sent her friend an upfront message
Tay to Emm:
Hello Emma, how are you? I noticed that you are not answering my calls, so I am coming. I am just going to buy my ticket and will come and meet you.
Not even 30 seconds passed by, before Emma directly video-called her friend
“Taylor what is up? Why do you want to come?”
“What do you think? You have not been answering my messages, you have not been answering the messages in the Family group or the friends group chats. It is like we are talking with a stranger. What is happening?”
“Do not worry I am just too busy”
“Busy with what? You don’t work and I am sure that you are not busy all day”
“Yeh but I have a lot of responsibilities, I have to manage different things in the community”
“Emma you had a full-time job that was so demanding and yet you always found the time to answer and chat with us. I am coming!”
“Taylor please do not come, everything is ok”
Emma’s insistence for Taylor not to visit only contributed to convince Taylor that something was wrong. Why would her friend beg her not to come and visit if everything were ok?
“Ok. OK Emm. You are right, I am sometimes overprotective when it comes to you” admitted Taylor. “I have to go for now. I have to finish my woodwork, but I will talk to you later and you better answer me when I call.” continued Taylor
As soon as Taylor hang up, she decided to pay the Jacksons a visit. Her instincts told her that something is not right with her Friend and she must do something about it. But if she wanted her plan to succeed, she must have them on her side.
She picked her phone and texted Peter:
Hi Bro, up for a pizza night with you & your parents?
Peter was surprised... For the past month, Taylor has not set a foot in their house. She always messaged them and reached out, but she seemed to be boycotting the gated community ever since Emma’s departure.
Great idea. Will be waiting for you. Peter wrote back frowning and trying to guess the reason behind Taylor’s visit. It must be related to Emma…
“Hi honey, how are you? how have you been?” asked Mr. Jackson while hugging Taylor
“You forgot about us Taylor. How could you leave us alone? It was as if you left with Emma!” Mrs. Jackson scolded her
“So man number what?” asked Peter mocking her
“22 and counting Peter, all as horrible as the previous ones.”
Everyone laughed and Mrs. Jackson asked Taylor whether she wanted a drink.
“Yes please I will take a lemonade.”
As they sat down for diner, Mr. Jackson asked Taylor
“What is wrong Taylor? Are you worried about Emma?”
“Aren't you? She replied
Everyone went silent
“So, you have noticed too? You noticed that she has changed? Something is wrong right?”
Her parents looked at each other not sure how to answer. Peter looked at Taylor and asked
“You are going there, aren’t you?
“I just need an address Peter… And then I am on the flight first thing tomorrow morning”
“you know that we would like to go with you. But we can’t”
“Because of your community?”
“Yes” answered Emma’s mom embarrassed
“If you want my opinion your community rules suck if you cannot go and visit your daughter, and save her if she needs saving... But luckily this is why you have me! I will be the bad cop. I will go there and clear things up.”
The three of them were looking at each other, gazing in each other’s eyes as if engaged in a silent discussion thought Taylor.
After a minute or so, Peter broke the silence and said
"We will give you her address but promise us first that you will use diplomacy”, said Peter after a moment of silence
“You know that you are talking to me, right? Diplomacy does not exist in my dictionary!” Smirked Taylor
“But you have to Tay. This is an extremely sensitive situation. If you go there, and you make a scene this will have huge repercussions on our entire community here. It is going to be war between our communities Taylor.”
“So what! you don’t do yoga retreats together anymore! They do not attend the Ball anymore! What a loss!” mocked him Taylor
“This is extremely serious Taylor” replied Mr. Jackson. “We cannot explain it in detail.”
“Come on It’s a gated community not a gang”
“Taylor if you want to go, you need our help. And for that you must promise us that you will behave. you will not insult him, and you will not mock him.”
“And if your gut feeling is right and you see that Emma is not happy and needs to come back to us, then you must use all the diplomacy that you don’t have but that you will need to learn quickly. “
“And under no circumstances do you tell him that you are bringing her back here forever. You can pretend that her mother is sick, and I can convince Derek to confirm this.” Added Emma’s father.
“Why bring Derek into this?”
“Because Liam will definitely call Derek to confirm your story and make sure you are not lying”
“Ok you’ve got yourselves a deal. Now give me the address and I will travel first thing tomorrow morning. I already set things up with Simon in the woodshop.”
- Writer
