By: Abigail Handojo
Promise Me You'll Live
Chapter 4: "Speed Limit"
Lily’s POV
“Amy, can we play trivia?”
“Lily, no matter how many times you ask, my answer won’t change until I finish this last problem.”
“Why can’t it solve its own problems?”
“Ah. Are you a function? Because I can see your point.”
I lift my eyebrow in disapproval and she looks up from her work with a laugh between her lips. It bubbles out of her and I sigh.
“It’s okay if I do it, but once you start-”
“-I never stop. I guess you could say I have an infinite amount of-”
“Ughhh, put me out of my misery!” I only realize what I said after I say it. Luckily, Amy doesn’t seem to notice.
“Hey, you don’t even need to solve it!”
“Yeah but I have to wait for you to! Hurry up already!”
“Okay okay.”
She rolls her eyes and turns back to her work, jotting down numbers and wrestling with her calculator. After some time, she circles the answer and shoves the paper back into her binder.
“Done.”
“Trivia time.”
“Okay, but we gotta make this quick, I still need to start my DMV lessons.”
I visibly tense up. Did I hear her right?
“W-what?”
“Yeah, I need to get my license before I finish high school. Ughhh and then I have to start adulting-”
“Wait, hold on, you’re already learning how to drive?”
The thoughts pour in before I can stop them.
“Well yeah, but I’m not on the road yet. I have to hit the books first, but it’s fine. I heard the first few lessons are just about safety, no drunk driving, and car crash prevention, nothing too new.”
She’s taking this too lightly. It may be nothing new, but it matters too much for her to be skimming over them.
“Sooo are you ready for that trivia?”
What if it happens again?
“I’ll let you pick the theme! Even though we both know you’re gonna pick Disney”
If I don’t tell her now, it’ll be all my fault.
“Lily?”
“Y-yes, sorry, what?”
“Disney trivia?”
“Of course.”
“Rapid fire?”
“Try me.”
“First question: How many times does the word ‘star’ appear in ‘When You Wish Upon a Star?’”
“Three”
“Correct. Second question: Who is the original voice of Woody in Toy Story?”
“Tom Hanks”
“Correct. Third question: Name the youngest Disney princess according to age”
“Snow White”
“Correct. Geez, you’re on a roll! Fourth quest-“
Her mother shouts her name from the first floor. Amy flinches at the sound before turning back to me.
“I’m so sorry Lily, I know we just started…”
“It’s fine,” I respond almost immediately, my mind still racing over its speed limit.
“We’ll have to continue when I get back.”
The door closes behind her and I stare ahead blankly. Everything’s quiet except for my thoughts.
All my fault. All my fault. All my fault.
But then I hear it. The sound of arguing echoes from the first floor, muffled by the distance.
Amy comes back silent. I don’t ask. We never finish the game.
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