"Jessie?" Her mom called through the next day just after lunch. She'd woken in her own bed that morning, having been carried there by her dad the night before without even stirring.
Reluctantly, she slid off the sofa where she'd been digesting a large meal of cheese sandwiches and trotted to where Linda was reading a diet magazine at the kitchen table.
"Yes?"
"I've invited your friend Emily round to play this afternoon, and she's going to be staying the night while her parents go out. Is that okay?"
"A sleepover? Yay!" The young girl beamed. Emily was her best friend, and a sleepover with her sounded like great fun. "Can we have popcorn? And watch a movie? And drink soda?"
Her mom laughed at her excitement.
"Sure, let's all three of us go out shopping and you two can choose a film you want to watch, okay?"
"Okay! When's she getting here?"
"In about an hour. How about you go and play, and I'll call you when she gets here?"
Following her mom's advice, Jessie went and played in her room for an hour. However, the moment she heard the doorbell ring she shot downstairs, arriving at the door at the same time as Linda, though breathing quite heavily. Exercise was a thing she tried to avoid as much as possible, so even running to the door was a challenge for her unfit frame.
A second later, her mother clicked up the latch and opened the door, revealing behind it both Emily and her mom. Emily's mother was a large, slightly simple woman who enjoyed good food and good gossip above all else; even before she had got inside the door, she had started regaling Linda with a "scandalous" story involving the lady who lived just down the road. Emily, aged six like Jessie, was already looking slightly embarrassed by her mother's gushing manner, and took the opportunity to follow her friend inside to the sitting room.
"Hey Emily!" Started Jessie. "Guess what; mom says you get to stay all night and watch a movie!"
The other girl smiled shyly. She was rather diffident, and even though she had known Jessie for years, still behaved slightly timidly when faced by Jessie's occasionally overbearing manner.
"That sounds fun."
"I know! And we get to eat popcorn and drink soda!" She was very excited about that; buttered or sugared popcorn was another of Jessie's favourite foods. "Also we're gonna go out to the shops in a bit and choose the film and stuff."
"Okay. I'll-" she began, but was cut off as Linda popped her head into the room.
"Come say goodbye to your mommy, dear." She said, causing Emily to blush and follow her out of the room without finishing her sentence.
After they had said their farewells, Emily and Linda returned to the sitting room.
"So, you want to go to the supermarket now, or would you rather play a while first?"
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