Work in Progress - Strange Parties

"Everything you know…" Emily says.  She gives Big Sister a short list how this is one of many tours, and she didn't want

any of her family to come.  The rest Big Sister knows.  She is still better than Emily and bluer too.  Eyes.  Outfit.  And better

(not bluer) hair.   I read the color blue helps people like you.  Big Sister wore the sky today with a collar.  The color makes

Emily want to spill about what happened, why her feet keep moving in a different direction than the rest of the group. 

The tour guide is a junior at the college.  (All the details about Big Sister apply to her).  Big Sister laughs when Emily tells

her about the word 'plethora' like a dirty secret about the ratio of girls to guys.  It was like she was teaching us.  And Emily

makes fun of the guide and her comments about how it feels like you're in a girls' school.  Big Sister already knows what

the silly junior said, but they have the conversation anyway about Emily’s shortened campus tour ("By the way," Big Sister

says, "My shirt is a better shade of blue than hers (a Caribbean sky while hers is like the plain blue crayon from the box of

colors we used in elementary school").

"Aren't they the same?"

"No.  And does she talk about anything else besides dating life?"

Her answer makes Emily consider what Jillian said, the bad reading about the future and avoiding spiral staircases or

maybe all spirals and all staircases? 

"What does that mean?" Big Sister says.

In this new mini-country Big Sister and Emily run up and down all the stairs they find and Emily is nine years old again.  

“MONSTERS.”

Emily tells Big Sister about the times Jillian is right - the big block party and Ally kicking them out.  And she describes the

way Grizzly bakes for days and says, “It’s like she's offering food in exchange for better readings.” 

"Does it work?" Big Sister asks.

Emily says she doesn’t know.

"Take elevators then.  But what if there isn't one.  And you know elevators sometimes get stuck."