I’m not ready for this. I gotta turn back — back to Alexa’s room and barricade the door. I’ll eat the houseplants if I have to!

“Did ya sleep okay?” her voice echos, “Lex —Hey, where’d ya run off too?”

“R-Riley, umm — ahem,” I say, croaking each word from behind the corner, “W-why, erm…why are you still here…in this house?”

“Oh, sorry, yeah,” she shouts over a skillet’s sizzle, “I forgot to tell ya they’re uhh…shampooing the restaurant’s carpet — That’s it!”