17 
17 Lauren
MY PHONE BEEPED AND I picked it up, my palm sweating a little. It was a text from Becca.
Be home in 5!
It was almost eleven, and because my friends and I had to get ready for our shift at Safe Haven, I’d stayed home with everyone while Mom, Dad, and Becs went to pick up Charlotte from the airport. We’d have only a few minutes to say hi before it was time to head to the stable. Ana had slept at home last night, and so had Brielle. Their parents wanted “bonding time.” So the girls and I would meet them and the boys at the stable.
I sipped the Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer tea I’d made earlier. As if this was my first cup. It was my third. And a half.
I started to click off my phone when I noticed an alert signal on my Chatter app. I opened it and almost spilled tea down the front of my sweater.
“Guys! You guys, c’mere!” I yelled.
Feet pounded on the carpet and down the stairs.
“Lauren?! Are you okay?” Lexa called.
She reached my side, with Khloe right behind her.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said to them. They dropped their shoulders and Khloe raised an eyebrow. “Everything’s okay,” I added when Carina and Clare hurried down the last steps from the second floor and ran over.
“You better have, like, a new photo of a shirtless Hollywood hottie Aaron Hylend or someone equally as cute,” Lexa said.
“It’s better,” I said. “Look!”
I thrust my phone away from my chest so everyone could see. The girls peered at the screen, and Carina’s lips moved as she read the message.
“Uh, that is way better,” Khloe said. “You’re in now, you know that, right? The Sasha Silver Chattered at you.” Khloe bowed her head, pretended to hold up a dress as she curtsied, and grinned at me.
“Please,” I said, shaking my head at her. “I’m not in anything or anywhere. It’s just très exciting that Sasha knows who we are. Imagine if we got to watch her ride at a Youth Equestrian National Team practice or something. We would learn so much.”
“I would do a thousand math problems every night if I got to see that,” Lexa said, her eyes still on my phone.
“Chatter back,” Carina said.
That made me need another gulp of tea. “What would I say?” I asked.
Khloe patted my hand. “She didn’t ask you to marry her, LT. Just be chill and write whatever you want!”
The other girls nodded.
“Charlotte and my family are going to be home any second,” I said. I looked out the window at the driveway.
“Better type fast,” Lexa said, smirking at me.
I took a deep breath. “Okay! Um . . .”
@SassySilver: VERY EXCITED FOR OUR FIRST DAY!!
I erased the message. “I was screaming at her,” I said.
I tried again.
@SassySilver: It’s totally exciting! Mayb we’ll end up doing stuff w u & ur friends!
“That is so lame,” I said, erasing the message.
@SassySilver: I’m sure it’ll b fun. We’ll c u around!
“There,” I said with a satisfied smile. “How’s that?”
“Perf,” Khloe said. “Send it!”
“Do it!” Clare added. She started doing a weird little dance, and everyone cracked up. “What?” Clare asked, laughing. “It’s the Chatter Dance!”
I pushed update just as a car door slammed.
“Good timing,” I said. “And thanks for the dance, Clare. You now have to do that every time I update Chatter.”
“Will do,” she said.
I inhaled through my nose, letting the air out slowly through my mouth. I had no reason to be so insanely nervous. The person on the other side of the door was my sister. Yes, we’d had our not-so-very-nice moments, and we still had a lot of issues to work through, but Char was my family.
“We’re going to head upstairs,” Khloe said, motioning to herself and the rest of the girls. “You need time for a family moment.”
“You don’t have to go,” I said immediately. “Char knows you’re here.”
“We’re not going to disappear,” Lexa said. “We’ll be in the guest room hanging out. You can bring Charlotte up to meet us when she’s settled in and stuff.”
I nodded finally. “Thanks, guys.”
As they headed upstairs, I grabbed my coat and slid on shoes. I opened the door, a blast of cold air rushing inside, and stepped onto the landing. I took one more breath and went down the stairs and hurried along the sidewalk to the driveway.
Immediately, I spotted brilliant blond hair flowing from under a black knit beanie.
“Char!” I called.
My sister turned away from the SUV and let go of her suitcase handle. “Lauren!”
I ran over and wrapped my arms around my sister. Charlotte embraced me back, and for the first time, we squeezed each other like we never wanted to let go. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Becca watching us, smiling.
“Girls, let’s get the luggage inside and then you can say hi, okay?” Dad asked.
Char and I pulled apart. We smiled at each other, and her beautiful blue eyes looked extra blue with the thin line of black kohl liner that rimmed them.
“It’s really good to see you,” I said, taking a red travel suitcase from the back of the SUV.
“You too, Laur,” Charlotte said. “Thanks for helping with my stuff.”
I nodded, and the five of us carried and wheeled Charlotte’s suitcases into the house.
“I’ll take the heavy ones upstairs,” Dad said. “Laur and Becca, will you help Char with the rest?”
“Sure,” I said.
Becca nodded in agreement. She took off her coat and sneakers, looking très cozy-chic in a white sweater with a glittery snowflake on the front and black yoga pants.
“I’ll go make you a cup of your favorite tea, honey,” Mom said to Charlotte. Char slid out of her wool coat and sported a Sarah Lawrence hoodie over skinny jeans. She took off her hat, running her fingers through her long blond hair. I wondered when Pantene would find Char and offer her a hair-commercial deal.
“Thank you, Mom,” Char said.
Char, Dad, and I got Charlotte’s stuff up to her room. We lined the suitcases up along the wall, and Dad reached out to hug Charlotte.
“We’ve all missed you,” he said. “I’m the happiest dad on the planet to have all of my girls home for the holidays.” He kissed Char’s forehead and left the room.
Char flopped onto her back in the middle of her bed. Her room’s color scheme was done in Sarah Lawrence College colors—green and white. Char’s bed had a fluffy white comforter, white pillows, and a green iron headboard twisted with leaves and vines. Above her bed hung a gold-framed image of a gryphon—the school’s mascot. I’d had to Google “gryphon” when Char had told me it was her school’s mascot. I stared at it for a second—it had the head, wings, and front feet of an eagle on a lion’s body. She had photos of herself and her friends in thin gold frames cascading up the wall by her closet.
“It is so good to be home,” Charlotte said. “Finals were the worst ever.” Her eyes were closed as she massaged her temples.
“We’re glad you’re here,” Becs said. “I’m going to get your tea from Mom, Char.”
I shot Becca a what are you doing? look. I was a little nervous to be alone with my sister, despite our friendly greeting.
“Thank you, Becca,” Charlotte said.
Becca left the room, and Charlotte sat up and patted a spot in front of her. “Sit for a sec?” she asked.
I gingerly sat down. “I have to, um, leave in a few minutes,” I said. “My friends and I have to be at the horse rescue for our shift.”
Charlotte smiled. “No worries. What I want to say won’t take long.”
C’mon, Becca, I thought. Hurry up!
“I e-mailed you because I’m betting you were probably nervous about me coming home,” Charlotte said.
I played with the edge of my sweater, then nodded.
“I was nervous too,” Charlotte said. “You and I are so much alike that it’s always caused this rift between us. But I’ve been away. You’ve been away. I really, really want to give Mom and Dad the best Christmas present I can think of. . . .”
I looked at her as she trailed off.
“What?” I asked.
“You and I getting along. Mending our relationship and letting go of the past.” Charlotte nudged my knee with her hand.
“What do you think?” she asked.
I’d never heard my sister sound so sincere. Our fighting did put stress on our parents. I wanted the small amount of times that all of us were home to be great. Not full of squabbling.
“I think we’ll be able to give them an empty wrapped box and then explain their present once they’ve opened it,” I said, smiling.
Charlotte hugged me again, and I hugged her back.
“Sorry,” Becca said as she came into the room. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m leaving.” Becs put a Santa mug on Char’s nightstand.
“You’re not interrupting,” I said. “I have to go, but Char has a gift idea for Mom and Dad that she probably wants to tell you about.”
Smiling, Charlotte nodded. “Can we catch up a little, Becs?”
“Um, yeah,” Becca said.
I got up and Becca took my seat.
“Laur, when you get back, I’d love to meet all of your friends,” Charlotte said. “If that’s cool.”
I grinned. “It’s totally cool.”
I waved good-bye and scurried toward the guest room to gather everyone and leave. Who would have thought that giving an empty box might be one of the best gifts of all?