Away on an Island

“I just can’t go,” Emma cried through the phone, “It’s too much right now with mom being sick and you being away in Italy”.

“Emma c’mon. You’ve been putting your life on hold for a year now. Staying in your house, 300 ft away from mom and dad isn’t going to make mom stop being sick, it’s time to live your life” Josh reminded her. “Look, I’ve got to go but I’ll call you in a few hours. I love you, and I’ll call you later.

The phone made a clicking sound as Josh hung up and Emma laid down on her bed trying to collect her thoughts. She stared up at her ceiling wiping the tears from her dark brown eyes and thought about what the trip to Tahiti should have been like. Emma had wanted to go so badly, but with her brother away in the army, and her mom, Leila, fighting cancer for the 3rd time it just wasn’t realistic. She walked over to her mirror and stared at herself wiping the tears from her eyes one last time.

Emma was shorter, at age 25 she was only 5’2” and her curly dark brown hair overtook her lightly freckled face. She had olive skin and considered her body to be average. With a deep breath she sat down to do her makeup. Emma preferred a simple makeup routine - a little foundation and some beige eyeshadow with glitter, followed by some mascara. She pulled her hair out of the messy bun and tried to tame the curls but frustration set in quickly and she put it back up. Just as she stood up to get dressed for the day, she heard her roommate come through the front door.

Jaz was never quiet when she came home, but Emma didn’t mind, she preferred knowing that she wasn’t alone. The door slammed shut and Jaz’s purse hit the floor so loudly, it sounded like she dropped a bag of bricks.

“EM ARE YOU HOME” Jaz shouted from downstairs. Emma chuckled to herself knowing how unnecessary the shouting was considering the 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home she and Jaz shared was only 875 sqft. Emma walked down the stairs slowly, laughing at Jaz rummaging through the fridge making more noise than Emma could fathom.

Jaz was Emma’s best friend in college, and Jaz had grown to love Emma’s family so much that she moved back to Emma’s hometown after they graduated. Jaz was Emma’s opposite in many ways. Where Emma felt short and of average looks, Jaz was tall with beautiful long legs, a petite waist and lovely tan skin. Jaz had long semi-straight brown hair and crystal blue eyes, a combination that Emma thought was far prettier than the typical blond hair blue eyes that every country single is written about.

Emma walked over to the barstools in front of their tiny kitchen island and sat down.

“EM HI! HOW WAS YOUR DAY!?” Jaz screeched at Emma from only 5 feet away.

“JAZ, I’m right here! You can stop yelling now.” Emma laughed, “As a matter of fact, I don’t know how many times I tell you this, but we live in a tiny house. You don’t have to yell at me. Ever.”

“Oh please,” Jazz rolled her eyes, “And I know, I know, I’m sorry. I’m just loud. But you chose to keep living with me” Jaz remarked playfully. She looked pleased with herself as she pulled her leftover chicken parm from the fridge and plopped it in the bright red microwave the two had kept since freshman year of college.

Emma thought back to freshman year of college… She was so excited to get out of Jonesborough, Tennessee and into her new life at Florida State University in Tallahassee. She was excited to meet her new roommate Jazaiel Lankin - the two had facetimed every night since they got matched to be roommates and were sure to be fast friends. Her family, helping to move her into her tiny dorm room which,even though she knew she would be sharing it with Jazaiel, somehow felt huge. Her mom had just gotten a clean 2 year scan after beating cancer the second time around. Life was so much simpler then.

“HELLO EARTH TO EM” Jaz yelled, again.

“I’m sorry, I was just thinking”

“And this is why I yell. You needed it that time. Lately you’ve been a lot more EM-elia Earhart than Emma Frances.” Jaz laughed, pleased at her joke.

“Oh… Jaz… no. Not that joke again. It’s so bad”

“Well It got your attention didn't it? What are you soooooo off in space about this time?” Jaz left off with a mysterious and concerning tone.

“No. Stop. Why are you looking at me like that & WHYYYY did you say it that way” Emma could tell Jaz was planning something and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was.

“You tell me and I’ll tell you” Jaz winked and Emma admired the winged eyeliner she wore everyday and the way she made yellow and blue eyeshadow look like it belonged on a model.

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes as the microwave made its obnoxiously loud and distorted beeping noise. Jaz turned around to pull her food out of the microwave, “Seriously Em, I know we have been talking about a new microwave, but I think it’s time” Jaz started laughing, “We have had this thing since freshman year and I think something is seriously wrong with it. I mean, WHAT kind of microwave sounds like that!?”.

“You know, that is exactly what I was thinking about”, Emma started “Freshman year and our lives back then. The first day in the dorms and meeting you - just how simple all of it really was.”

“Em, I don’t know why you keep dreaming about back then, our lives are better now… I mean how could you...” she stopped herself immediately and looked at Emma. “Im so sorry Em, I forgot about mama for a second”.

That’s how close the two had become since college. Jazaiel was basically part of the family, and Leila was like a mom to her. Jaz didn’t have much of a family back home. In college, she spent all the holidays and summer breaks with Emma, Josh, and the Frances family. Emma started to tear up and tried to wipe her eyes, but, before she could calm herself she was outright sobbing. Jaz sat her plate down on the table gently and hugged Emma tight. “Em, listen, she has beaten this twice before, they caught it super early this time, and mama Leila is a fighter. The doctors even said that they are hopeful! They NEVER say that!” Jaz realized that Emma’s tears had subsided into slight laughter and she sat back quickly, flashing a concerned and confused look at Emma. “Okay I know you're stressed, but laughing at cancer is crazy… and if you keep this weird shit up, we won’t be able to go out tonight” Jaz winked and that devious smile peeked out again. Emma busted out laughing and choked out her words between fits of laughter, “I… just… cannot with you,” She choked “You set that plate down so quietly I just couldn’t control myself. If I had known that all I had to do was have an emotional breakdown for you to stop throwing our shit around like a woman who just found out her husband was cheating, I would cry all the time”. Jaz tried to look offended but she couldn’t make the face before she too, was laughing hysterically. The two girls took a minute to just live in the moment, and for a few seconds, Emma felt like she did that first day of freshman year.

The peaceful laughter was broken by Emma’s realization of what Jaz had said. “Wait. Did you say go out tonight? Jaz no. We can’t risk bringing anything around my mom. Especially not COVID. You promised”

“Em, you know I love your mom and I would never do anything to put her in danger. We are both vaccinated. So is your mom. And, she even told you to start living your life again. Your mom thinks going to the club is a good idea”

“You asked my mom if we should go out tonight!?” Emma wasn’t even surprised. She loved the relationship Jaz had with the Frances family. It was like having the sister she always wanted. Emma loved her brother Josh, but he was a stupid and messy boy. Jaz was like a best friend and a sister all in one.

“Of course I asked mama and she said to drag you out of the house if I have to. In her words - she’s the one with cancer, not you”. Emma rolled her eyes and chuckled, leave it to her mom to make light of cancer round three. “Plus, your mom says you are way too pretty to still be mourning the loss of a shitty college boyfriend a year later”... and there it was. The words hit Emma like a punch to the stomach. She was doing so good lately. She hadn’t thought about Michael or the failed trip they had all planned to take to Tahiti in at least a few days. It was supposed to be the 4 of them; Emma, Michael, Jaz, and Josh, but then Michael ruined a 3 year relationship for a one night stand and Josh got sent to Italy.

“I don’t know Jaz, let me think about it, okay?” Emma replied somberly. The laughter from moments earlier was gone now.

“Uh no. We are going and that’s final. You can even wear that cute new outfit you bought!” Jaz was specifically determined for this.

“What? No I can’t. I ordered that from Larone, It won’t be here for at least two weeks!”

“Dude, it’s literally sitting over there, I brought it in when I got home.” Jaz motioned towards the brown paper box sitting on the counter.

“What the actual…” Emma trailed off as she looked at the package. It definitely wasn’t from Larone, and she had no idea what it was. She got up and walked slowly over to the counter. The box had Emma’s name and address, but no return address or shipping information.

“This isn’t mine” she looked at Jaz confused.

“Em, what the hell? It literally has your name on it.”

“Okay duh. I see that, but I didn’t order this!” She lifted the brown paper box off the counter and almost threw it over her shoulder. “What the fuck!?”

“Oh yea, I did the same thing. It’s as light as a feather, but it’s a big box so I wasn’t expecting that either. Larone is always sending stuff in weird packaging so I just assumed”.

Emma grabbed a pair of scissors and sliced the tape on either side and ripped the package open. She didn’t quite know why, but she was excited.

Inside the box she found a small white envelope and a letter taped to the side. “Okay what even” she muttered and Jaz ran over to see what was going on. Emma opened the envelope and what fell out stopped her in her tracks, 4 plane tickets to Tahiti dated for 2 days from now. “Okay this can’t be real” she looked on at the tickets in her hand, astonished. “NO WAY!” Jazaiel was yelling again. One of the tickets was for Emma, one was for Jaz, and one was for Josh, but the 4th was the most confusing. It was addressed to a Lucas Dynes, someone Emma had neither heard of nor met. “What is going on?” Emma’s confusion only grew as she reached for the letter taped to the side.

Ms. Emmalia Frances,

CONGRATULATIONS! You and your friends have been selected to join us for our first season of “Away on Island”....