Chapter 168: The Windy City
Friday, January 13th, Late Morning
The door swung open, and she walked into her apartment. She closed the door behind her and dropped her gym bag by her feet. Her keys went into the small bowl on a nearby side table. Walking further in the apartment, she slid off her coat.
Her battered sweatshirt had the logo of an international basketball team. She removed the towel from around her neck, put it down, and then removed her reading glasses and rubbed her eyes.
Kay walked into her small kitchen and dug out a water bottle from her refrigerator. Shaking her head, she walked into the living room and took a seat in her chair. Kicking off her sneakers, she reached down and pulled off her socks. Kay rubbed her tired feet and sighed with relief. Leaning back, she let her right arm fall limp, allowing the armrest and some of the pain leeched away.
That was when her smartphone started to ring. Kay reached over with her left hand for it.
"It's too early Ivy to call," Kay mused as she pulled the smartphone over. Looking at the screen, she canted her eyebrow, and she went to answer the phone.
"Ellie, how are you doing?" Kay asked.
There was a sigh on the other end. "I'm…well…I'm here," Ellie said on the other end.
"That bad?" Kay asked.
"Depends on how you define bad," Ellie said.
"I have a shallow bar, a good day for me is when my shoulder doesn't hurt," Kay said.
"So, what type of day is it?" Ellie asked.
"Like most days in Winter, bad," Kay said.
"That sucks, Kay," Ellie said.
"It's been four years, I'm sort of use to the pain," Kay said.
"Sorry," Ellie said.
"It's not your fault, Els," Kay said.
"I know," Elie said.
"So, why do you say you're sorry?" Kay asked.
"I don't know, just felt like the right thing to do," Ellie said.
"Els, we've known each other how long?" Kay asked.
"My whole life," Ellie said.
"Yeah, we don't need those false pleasantries," Kay said.
"I know," Ellie said.
"So, why did you call?" Kay asked.
"I just needed to hear a … umm…a family voice," Ellie said.
"Yeah, so what happened?" Kay asked.
"Just had some had nights and reactions this week," Ellie said.
"Did well anything, illegal happen?" Kay asked.
"No, nothing that would involve the NYPD," Ellie said, "Just too much drama."
"Els, you just seem to find drama," Kay said.
"Just my luck, I guess," Ellie said.
"Well, if you didn't have bad luck, you won't have any luck," Kay said.
"Yeah, well, I guess I'm the one in the family that needs that luck," Ellie said.
"That's only in your romantic life," Kay said, "I'm the one with the bad luck with the physical part."
"Yeah, well, our older siblings opted out, but our baby sister had a run of bad luck," Ellie said.
"But you didn't call to talk about Candi, Keith or Sawyer," Kay said.
"No, I didn't," Ellie said.
"So, why did you call me of all the siblings?" Kay asked.
"' Cause you're my twin," Ellie said.
"Which we're the worst set imagined," Kay said, "You were closer to Candi."
"I just wanted to hear your voice," Ellie said.
"But why me?" Kay asked.
"' Cause you've always told me like how you saw or see it," Ellie said.
"What happened?" Kay said.
"My casual approach to things caught up with me," Ellie said.
"Why are you, evasive?" Kay asked.
"Maybe, I don't want to talk about it," Ellie said.
"But you want to talk about it," Kay said.
"Yeah, exactly," Ellie said.
"Well, get in those comfortable couches in the parlor, and let's talk," Kay said.
"I'm not at Dad's townhouse," Ellie said.
"What? Where are you? You're not in jail, are you?" Kay asked.
"No, the person I'm avoiding knows where I live," Ellie said.
"So where are you?" Kay asked.
"I'm at Trin's," Ellie said.
"Trin's?" Kay asked.
"Different end of the island, and it's cool to hang with Wyatt," Ellie said.
"What did you do, Ellie?" Kay asked.
"Not so much, I did," Ellie said.
"Ellie," Kay said.
"Did I ever tell you about Ainsley?" Ellie asked.
"That bat shit crazy woman?" Kay asked.
"I wouldn't call her bat shit crazy, but yeah that woman," Ellie said.
"What did she do?" Kay asked.
"When we came back from partying, she tried hooking up with me," Ellie said.
"Els, why are you surprised? You've been out about being pansexual," Kay said.
"Demisexual," Ellie said.
"Right, I believe you," Kay said.
"We're not going down your radical stance about this, I don't believe in it," Ellie said.
"So, you turned her down, right?" Kay asked.
"Yes, and I told her I needed space," Ellie said.
"She didn't give it to you, did she?" Kay asked.
"No, she didn't," Ellie said, "So, I had to ghost her."
"Els," Kay said.
"I had to, but last night she made a scene when we ran into each other in a club," Ellie said.
Kay sighed, "Ellie, I'm surprised you haven't written another book, A Purple Girl in New York," she said.
"Who says I haven't?" Ellie asked.
"Well, Els, maybe you need to get out of the city for a while," Kay said.
"Go to Chicago?" Ellie said.
"Yeah, it would be great, but at the end of the month, I won't be here," Kay said.
"Where are you going?" Ellie asked.
"Home, they're honoring the team from our freshman year," Kay said.
"Yeah?" Ellie asked.
"Yes," Kay said.
"Well, good to know," Ellie said.
"Okay," Kay said.
"Talk to you soon, Kay," Ellie said.
"Later," Kay said, and they hung up. Nothing accomplished, but that was how they communicated. Kay knew she'd see her fraternal twin soon; it was in the subtext as always.
Kay looked at her right arm and checked the time on her smartphone. It wasn't time for her pill yet. That meant the heating pad, but she wanted a pill.
