The Goodbye Note

Chapter 2

Song for this chapter Walking On Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves

***

By the time the tryouts start I am exhausted from school, but I know I can't back down, this is what Emma would do, so this is what I need to do.

I haven't done any kinds of flips in about four months. I don't think you can lose it that quickly but just to be safe, I do some extra stretching.

"Are you ready for this, Em?" Mack asks me as she puts her long auburn hair in a high ponytail.

I shrug, "There's nothing I can do except try my best, and I promise, I will try my best."

She nods, "True. And I know what your best looks like so if I see you slacking I won't take you to Stars Coffee Shop."

I roll my eyes, "That's not a very fair deal. I'll just take myself"

"You won't have to take yourself, as long as you try. And plus, if you take yourself then you'll have to pay, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to pay." She tells me. She's not wrong. I eat a lot, and if it's free, then it tastes even better. Right?

A short girl with brown hair, in a high ponytail, blows a whistle and says, "All right ladies and gentlemen making my team will be anything but easy, so be prepared to sweat all your makeup and hair gel off." Everyone makes a groaning noise. "Okay first up is Hannah O'Connor." A girl with straight black hair walks in front of the judging table, she does some flips but her technique is all over the place.

By the time the cheer captain finally calls my name there is three of us left, "Emily Hernandez," she gasps, "oh my gosh, no you can't be on the team. You remind me too much of her." She starts crying, I roll my eyes. Emma told me the cheer captain always hated her, so what, she's dead and now she likes her.

"I'm trying out. You can't, just, not let me try," I pause, "it's what she would want." I say the last part under my breath so I'm sure that a I'm the only who could hear what I add.

She dries her fake tears, "Fine whatever, but if you're not good than good luck, because she was a legend. If people heard that her twin tried to make the team and failed they might laugh."

"Then it's a good thing I won't fail." She scoffs, but I ignore her.

***

Once tryouts are over Mackenzie and I head over to the local coffee shop so I can get my well deserved iced coffee. Fortunately Mack and I both made the team, unfortunately we both made the team which meant we both have to stay. Once we get out of the car we walk to the door, which is already open, and we head inside. It was like any other coffee shop, nothing special except that the iced coffee was better than any other iced coffee I've ever had in my whole seventeen years of life. We walk to the cashier and look at the menu, well Mack looks, I don't, I know the menu by heart. The barista walks up to the counter, he has light brown, super curly hair, and these big blue eyes, and the biggest smile in the world.

"Hey what can I get you both?" He ask as he wipes down the counter surface, then adds, "Today's special is the hot chocolate with jumbo marshmallows."

"Sounds good, but actually I'll take an iced coffee, extra large, please, oh and a cookie, and you know what add in a turkey sandwich," I tell him as he types it on the computer.

"Is that going to be two separate tabs or are y'all paying together."

I look at Mack, she did promise me coffee, so I guess she could pay for my whole meal while she's at it, "One tab please, I'm paying," she says as she gives me the evil eye. I laugh, if looks could kill, I would be dead on the floor and the barista would probably be just a tad bit scared.

"Okay no problem, so what can I get you ma'am," he says to Mackenzie. She looks at the menu then at him.

"Green tea and a breakfast burrito please," she pauses, "oh do you sell breakfast burritos in the afternoon?" He nods in response.

"The total is $17.37," she hands him her card and he continues, "we'll call your order number when it's ready," he says as he hands her the receipt.

She nods and smiles as we take a seat at a two-seater sofa in the back of the coffee shop. This coffee shop has always been where Mack and I hang out, just the two of us. Emma hated coffee so she never came, which meant I had no memories with her here, so it wasn't as hard to be here as it was to be at my house, or even school.

"Are we still meeting the boys at the beach after this?" She asks me.

"Yeah, I have my board in my car and after tryouts I changed so I have a bathing suit under this." I tell her. "Oh do you have your board and bathing suit?" She nods. "Okay good." No matter how horrible I was feeling, I always loved to spend time with my friends at the beach, especially surfing. That was another thing Emma didn't like. Whenever I was sad after the accident, or whenever I needed to get my mind off that night, I would go surfing. I threw myself at surfing, I felt that it was a good way to release some stress and, you know, just taking a break from life and everything else on my mind.

"Order number four." The barista calls out. I look down at the receipt and see that four was our number, I stand up and so does Mack as we walk to grab our food and drinks. Once we grab them we then head back to the couch. I take a sip of my iced coffee and enjoy that sip very much. This guy might just be the next best iced coffee maker.

***

"You cheated!" I yell from the knee deep water. I run out to set my board in the sand.

Xander laughs, "I still won! Come on Em, don't be a sore loser!" He yells, while pushing his brown hair off his face.

"You pushed me off my board." I say as I put a finger to the middle of his chest. "How is that fair? Mack, you're the one judging, shouldn't I get that nine, not him."

"Nope, whether he pushed you off or not your technique was a seven. Not a nine." Mackenzie tells us as I roll my eyes and groan while everyone starts laughing. "That's Emily Hernandez ladies and gentlemen," Mack jokes, my friends start clapping and cheering.

"You guys are like little kids, grow up losers." I say as I laugh. "Plus if this was a real tournament, then Xander would get points deducted." Mack nods as I say this. "I'm never letting Mack judge again."

We all grab our boards and start to head back into the ocean. These are the moments when I almost forget about my sister. These are the moments when I feel like I'm almost living again. These are the moments where I love my life for a quick second. But then that night finds a way to travel back into my thoughts and disturb my happiness.

***

Hiiiii:)

So one of my readers actually started to make the covers and I'm very grateful for this one reader thatcutebutt 

And hey if u want to make covers then send them to me and I'll decide which one I want to put up;)

Thank you, lots of love, emma<3