Click to Subscribe - By L. M. Augustine Page 0,30

I’m sorry it’s come to this. But more than that, I’m sorry for disappointing you. You needed me, and I… I wasn’t there for you. I regret it. I want to come back to your Chocolate Palace, but more than that, I want you, Your Highness. I want to be with you again. I want to be your friend. I don’t want to push you away any further.

I want to fix this.

With lots of chocolate,

West

(Seriously, Cat. I need you. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I need you.)

When I read over the email, I know deep down that I mean every word of it.

It feels like the longest time before Cat responds, but in reality I don’t think it’s much more than thirty minutes. I keep refreshing my inbox, though, my pulse pounding, wondering what Cat will think. Will she ignore me? Will she even respond?

Finally, my email dings, and I swear it’s the most beautiful sound in the world. I rush to click on it, and I take a deep breath. My stomach is tight as I start reading the email, and I swear I’m expecting to be disappointed, to be turned down and pushed away for good.

from: Cat Davenport

to: West Ryder

subject: (no subject)

Dear Servant,

First of all, it was my direct order for you never to email me again. For this offense, you shall be beheaded tomorrow at dawn. Be there, or we’ll just behead you elsewhere. I can wait. I have plenty of chocolate in this palace to last me.

Second, however, I am glad you sent me this email from that West Ryder character. (Though yes, you’re still going to die. You are incredibly needy. You say you “must have food and water every few days or else you’ll die?” Seems very rather greedy of you.) I remember him quite well; we used to be close, and I hope we still are, but we just… disagreed about something, and that was all. I banished him from my Chocolate Palace because I was angry in the moment, but I do hope he can return to the Palace soon. Point being, tell him this before you die:

West,

I need you too.

Without pity,

Your Highness of All Things Chocolate

By the end of the email my heart is in my throat and my whole body feels so light inside. I let out a breath of relief.

I need you too.

They’re just four words, but they’ve already sent my body into an episode of muppetflails, internal screaming, and excited jumping-and-down. The knot in my stomach disappears, and the sinking feeling in my gut is gone. In that moment, all I want to do is run around the house and jump for joy. A huge, lopsided grin spreads across my face.

Cat, we need each other, I tell myself as I start typing a response.

from: West Ryder

to: Cat Davenport

subject: (no subject)

Your Highness,

I am sorry to hear that. I will be at my beheading tomorrow. But before I die, West would like to know: what does this mean for him? Will you two stay friends and let him move back into the Chocolate Palace?

As soon as I send it, my fists clench. I half-expect her to say no, to say that this friendship is over and then never respond to me again

But she doesn’t.

My email dings a minute later, and I click on it, swallowing hard. Cat’s response is two words: We’ll see.

Chapter 9

I don’t talk to Cat after that. Instead, I close my computer, watch a victory episode of Law & Order, flail some more, and eventually make my way back up to my bedroom. I sit on the edge of my bed for a while, just staring out the window at the dried leaves swirling in the air and spiraling down to the ground below, thinking about Cat. I hope this means we can go back to being normal. I hope we can just stay best friends, and I’ll have at least one constant left in my life.

But how do I tell? Am I just supposed to wait? I can’t wait for Cat, I can’t just wait and see.

I get up and walk to my window, pressing a sweaty hand to the cool glass. My eyes wander to the empty street in front of me. Neither cars nor people pass by my house, and it’s not like I can blame them. Every house in my neighborhood is either falling apart or too small to fit a family of more than two, and some