Every day, Jordan would scatter the Rubik’s cube and solve the white side over and over again.
He was proud of his achievement, and didn’t want to try the other sides yet.
He wanted to savor the flavor of his success until it lost all its excitement.
Emily was happy for him, of course, she just didn’t see what all the fuss was about.
Why would he scatter it over and over again, just to do the same boring thing?
That was the only purpose of the toy, and it felt stupid.
At least, she had her tablet to keep her company, as well as the space rangers from her favorite show.
Emily wasn’t the slightest interested in her grandmother’s treasure, but she wondered how her grandmother, the most spectacular storyteller she’d ever known, could own such a boring item.
And Jordan…
he liked weird stuff, so she had no questions concerning him.
“It’s time for me to go” said Jordan, finally leaving the cube in her room and packing his things.
“Go?
But—” Emily stuttered, she didn’t know how fast the time had flown by, had they done nothing the whole day?
Would they spend the rest of the summer like this?
Jordan with the cube and Emily on her tablet?
She missed the times she got to tell him stories.
“Bye, Mrs.
Pillers.
Tell Mr.
Pillers I said Bye, please” Jordan said as he walked out of her room, forgetting to say a goodbye.
“Wait!
Jordie, do you…
want to hear the tale of the ruby heart!
It’s locked away in the heart of a kingdom where—” “Maybe tomorrow, Emily.
Bye” Jordan’s haste reply, caused Emily to be speechless.
She looked at the bare ground under her feet and after twenty seconds of stillness and quiet, she stomped her foot in frustration and grunted loudly.
Emily stormed her way back into her room and slammed the door shut, loud enough to attract her mother’s attention.
“Emily?
What’s wrong, darling?” Asked Mrs.
Pillers, concerned of her daughter’s mood.
“Jordie doesn’t want to hear my stories anymore.
He doesn’t play with me anymore!
And it’s all because of this stupid—”.
Emily grabbed the cube from the floor and was about to throw it on the ground and smash it, but Mrs.
Pillers shouted, “Emily!” Emily hesitated, and shrieked loudly, more frustrated than before now that she couldn’t destroy what was keeping her best friend from playing with her.
“Emily…” her mother sighed and quietly entered her room and sat on the edge of Emily’s bed.
Emily stood before her, crossing her arms and clutching the cube in her fist.
She carefully took the cube out of Emily’s hands and placed it beside her on the bed.
She held her daughter’s hand and looked into her eyes, showing how serious she was at the moment, “Jordan has found something that he loves.
You should be happy for him” Emily pouted, and turned her head to the side to look away from her mother, “I am happy.
He’s just forgotten me!” “Well, people tend to be really into the things they love and sometimes, they get carried away, but that doesn’t mean they love us any less” Mrs.
Pillers’ soft voice was reaching her daughter, as she watched Emily’s eyes soften.
“Look at your father, for example.
He loves his job so much, he gets carried away and sometimes, works overtime, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love us anymore.
We’ll always be his number one, just like you’ll always be Jordan’s best friend” Emily pursed her lips and Mrs.
Pillers smiled, “A Rubik’s cube can never be his best friend, it’s not a person” Emily whined, “But I want him to spend more time with me.
I feel lonely…” Mrs.
Pillers tugged her daughter gently and led her to sit beside her on the bed, “Then, you should tell him that.
You should tell him how you feel” “Won’t he think I’m…
Clin-clinigly?” “What was that?” “Clinigly” Emily repeated, her failed mispronounced words creating a new problem.
“Wanting attention all the time” Emily tried to explain further.
Mrs.
Pillers gasped “Oh, honey, it’s CLINGY.
Not, ‘clinigly’.
And why would you ever think such a thing?
No, Jordan won’t see you as clingy.
I think he’ll understand how he makes you feel” Emily frowned, but her anger and frustration soon subsided and she calmed down, “Okay…” Mrs.
Pillers smiled and kissed her daughter’s forehead, “That’s my girl, come on, help me make dinner” Emily hopped off her bead after her mother’s and turned around to take a glance at the cube.
She walked back to the cube and whispered “You won’t take Jordie from me.
He’s MY best friend!
I found him first” She stuck her tongue out at it and blew a raspberry, then she ran away.