Page 24 of Electric Touch

“Ask Ari if crab walking is acceptable,” he says. “What time is the art class?”

I shudder. “Eight o’clock. And before you ask, you are not coming in. I may have kissed you when we were children. You’re not seeing me naked at this stage of my life.”

“It would be like seeing my sister naked,” he pulls a horrified face. “I gotta go. I have a meeting. Hope your ass is okay. I’ll call you later.”

I resist the urge to rub my ass. Or hit him in his smug face, and bid him farewell. I take one subway and he heads to another. On the train ride, I pull up a text thread with Ariella. Instead of texting, I decide to call. My little sister lives in upstate New York. She’s been there for two years but comes home for holidays and we visit regularly. Even when we can’t see each other, we talk all the time.

“Hey sissy,” she answers. “How’d it go? Are you the new Simone Biles?”

I burst out laughing, drawing attention from a couple across from me. They’re tourists. No native New Yorker would even bother to raise their head. “Absolutely not. I’ve dislocated several vertebrae.”

“Seriously?” she gasps.

“No, but it felt like I did. Apollo agrees, though, Ari. I’m going to do myself some serious damage if I keep on with that one. Can we amend it?”

“To what? It has to be something difficult.”

“Why?” I grumble. “Can’t I learn to do the crab walk?”

“The crab walk?” She laughs. “How is that anything like a backflip?”

“That’s what Apollo said. Do you want me to send you the video of me almost snapping both wrists?”

“Yes, that would be kinda funny.”

Ariella is six years younger than me. Smart, beautiful and clearly thinks she’s hilarious.

“I’m not sending you a video.”

“I’ll ask Apollo.”

“I made him delete it.”

“He didn’t delete everything,” she laughs. “I bet he is already planning on sending one to me. Besides, he knows I need evidence you’re doing your list.”

“You’re both asshats. Enough about my failed attempts to be a professional gymnast.”

“Keep trying,” she tells me. “The whole point of this is to master everything on the list, Tia. Like you said, one lesson isn’t enough. Please try.”

“Thank you for the guilt trip.”

“Oh, come on, in the end it will be worth it. To say you did everything all before-”

“Fine,” I cut her off. “I’ll have a few more lessons, but if I break something, I’m blaming you.”

“Moving on.” She changes the subject, knowing we’re going into dangerous territory over the reason behind the list. I asked everyone not to talk about it. My family and friends all agreed.

“Tell me what you’ve been up to this week.”

All the way home, I listen to the inappropriate and downright funny stories my beautiful sister tells me. She yawns after a while, sounding tired.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“I’m fine. I had a bad cold last week. It’s clearing, but my body isn’t getting the memo. When are you coming up? I need to see that tattoo in person.”

I promise to visit next weekend, then tell her I love her, and she repeats it.

There are tears in my eyes as I step into my apartment. Everyone is pushing me to get the list complete, because no one knows how much time is left. I know it is all out of love, but it hurts when I think about it. I push aside the worry and sadness threatening to consume me for what feels like the millionth time. I promised myself I wouldn’t focus on the bad.

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