“She has pink hair and bangs that cover her eyes. Before I leave, I should at least say bye to her—um, should I go slower?” Jioni said as she looked down at him from the ladder.
“Nope, I can keep up. But oh, ok. I know Kathy. And I know that she hates me,” Emmitt said. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Well, I think most people do.” Jioni paused. “Sorry if that’s rude. But you get what I mean.”
“I get it, but she hates me more than most people do.”
“Oh,” Jioni replied. She stopped climbing and peered down at Emmitt. He had finally caught up.
“She hates Hippie Girl, and since I’m her best friend, she hates me,” Emmitt said.
Jioni continued to climb up without saying anything: that was a blatant lie, but she didn’t poke any further. She looked down at him, and he gave a thumbs up; Jioni gave a thumbs up back. The ladder bars felt slippery, but she trudged on. The wind sent a chill from up this high. Her hands finally felt the top edge of the building. She lifted herself. Then stuck her hand out, and Emmitt grasped it. She pulled him up.
