Greetings, friends!

I like writing meta pieces where I get to travel into my inner world, interact with my characters, and just have fun with them. This is a piece I needed to write to get my excitement out about my boys playing in the Big Game today and let Luke take over my Instagram feed to talk shit all day. #FlyEaglesFly

Luke’s excited for the game. Matt has been drooling over Rihanna all week, and Shana is just as excited about the halftime show. Meanwhile, Naya plays a little Valentine’s Day trick on Luke that I plan to expound on that funny prank in a story that I’m going to complete and hopefully post by Tuesday.

Until then, enjoy!

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It had happened again. Luke and the others had suddenly found themselves transported from the serene grassy knoll that they had inadvertently become their “substitute home” to the familiar “white room”. That only meant one thing.

The little creator wanted to talk to them.

Naya sat back, forcing herself to remain calm and her features to appear enigmatic. She’d been feeling a disconnect coming from the little creator lately and wondered about it.

Carlo was nervous. Maybe they were in trouble. They were supposed to be in “their world” fighting their adversaries, but lately found themselves disenchanted with it, so they hung out more in the grassy knoll world than their own.

But it was Luke who donned a half smirk as the little creator shimmered into existence, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her green hoodie and the cocky swagger in her step unmistakable. He’d been feeling the electric-like connection to her all week… her excitement, her anticipation. Her happiness. All because of one upcoming event. Her smile matched his as he gave a nod of appreciation at her Philadelphia Eagles hoodie.

He didn’t have to say anything to her. It was like they were thinking the exact same thing. The moment they locked eyes, huge grins spread across their faces and she sauntered up to him, extending her right hand to dap him up in repeated hand slaps.

“How ’bout them Eagles, huh?!?” she half cheered, half screamed with excitement. “They don’t know about our boys, do they?”

“They ain’t ready for the pain we bringin’!” he shouted to the sky. “Eagles nation, baby!!! We in here! By the way, is it Game Day yet?”

She nodded happily. “In my world, yes… today is Super Bowl Sunday. We gon’ show them KC boys how Philly defense gets down!”

The rest of the group let out sighs and giggles of relief as they watched the little creator and Luke commemorate their favorite team going to the Super Bowl. The two of them were currently displaying goofy, over exaggerated versions of dance moves from the 80s and 90s, including the Cabbage Patch, the Kid N Play, and the Roger Rabbit as celebration. One would have thought the Eagles already had the ring based on how they were acting.

But it was always good to see her happy. When she was happy, they couldn’t help but to feel the same to some degree. That was partly why they hadn’t passed through the “Eternal Goddess of Flames” door and gone back into their world. Every time they went in, it felt… empty. Like something was missing.

‘No,’ Naya thought to herself as she watched light beams emit from the little creator’s form, the manifestations of her delight, ‘someone was missing.’

But now she was back, and Naya couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading across her face. The words of the little creator, even though they were still unwritten, reverberated throughout the entirety of Naya’s psyche.

The little creator turned to her and winked, her way of silently letting her know that she was back and that everything was going to be okay.

“Hey, Luke,” Naya teased. “So… where are you taking me today to celebrate Valentine’s Day?”

Luke stopped his dance mid-step and turned her with a gaping mouth and eyes full of confusion and shock. Did she really expect him to miss the Big Game? He’d been talking about it and preparing for it all week – there was no way she was that clueless.

“I expect a romantic dinner with candles, music, the works… especially since we didn’t get to spend last Valentine’s Day together,” Naya continued, raising her chin haughtily as she fixed him with a warning glare.

“But… but…” he stammered, “… the game!”

“You can just record it or something,” Naya shrugged, then turned away so he wouldn’t see her smirk. She winked at his siblings Shana and Matt, who looked at the ground to avoid busting up with laughter. “I’ve been really looking forward to this night. I bought a new dress and am actually going to wear shoes.”

Luke cocked his head with confusion, wondering how he could get out of this one. There was no way he was going to miss seeing this game live. Maybe he could convince her to eat dinner at a sports bar… hell, anywhere that had a TV and was broadcasting the game.

They were in a world where thoughts took shape if one didn’t exercise the proper restraint, and they could clearly see that Luke was trying to decide on which swanky hotel dining area might be also showing the game on their big screens.

“I mean… I guess we could…” Luke grudgingly relented, then stopped when he heard the little creator begin to giggle, even though she tried to cover them up.

Turning a lighthearted glare to her and Naya, he realized the truth. “You two are fucking with me!” He shook an obstinate fist playfully at Naya and the little creator.

“Luke, did you really think I’d make you miss the game?” Naya couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. “You’ve been talking about it since it was announced the Eagles won the NFC championship.”

Luke cocked his head impressively at his girlfriend. “Since when did you start learning about football?”

“Since you wouldn’t shut up about it,” she smirked. “And lucky for you, I’m fine going out on the actual Valentine’s Day. Date Night Tuesday.”

“You really had me going there.” The edges of Luke’s mouth slightly curved into a sensual grin as he looked Naya up and down. “I’m definitely gonna get you back for that one. And I might not wait until Tuesday.”

The rest of the group – mainly Ana, Matt, and Carlo – cackled and let out a bunch of instigating “Ooohs” as they playfully poked Naya.

“Make sure to keep the volume down,” Carii, Naya’s younger brother remarked from his quiet perch in the corner. When Naya turned to him in surprise, not expecting to hear him speak, he quirked a sardonic brow and grinned ever so slightly, his way of letting her know he was just getting in on the fun a bit, too.

The little creator pulled out her “magic pencil” and began to draw a rectangular shape in the air. No one knew what it was until a sleek, black SmartPhone appeared, then dropped into her hand. With a smile, she handed it to Luke.

“What’s this for?” he asked. They had their own phones, so he wasn’t sure why she was giving him another one.

“I’m giving you access to my Instagram all day today in honor of Super Bowl Sunday, Philly Luke,” she grinned. “I’ll be kicking back eating nachos and—”

“Quesadillas?” Carlo interjected with interest.

“Yes,” she answered in a resigned tone, even though she was still smiling. “I will get quesadillas. But-” she raised a warning finger, “I’m only buying them already made. I ain’t preparin’ ’em. Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

“Got any smokes?” he inquired, pulling out a thick joint and offering it to her.

“Unfortunately, no,” she shook her head while also declining his gift. “But I don’t need weed to enjoy the game. I just need to see my boys kick ass.”

“And Rihanna, right?” Shana asked excitedly as Matt grinned wolfishly, his mind already on the sexy singer. “She’s gonna kill it!” As she made the proclamation, she snatched the phone out of Luke’s hands and took a quick selfie of herself.

“Shana! Give me that back!” Luke protested, reaching for the phone only for her to take off running with it. The rest of the group laughed as he chased her around the infinitely wide space.

“Posted to your IG!” she yelled triumphantly as Luke grabbed her in a bear hug and retrieved the phone.

“Can’t take y’all nowhere,” he grumbled good naturedly as he gave her playful head push, then snapped a quick selfie of himself, then another of him and Shana, then a final one of all three Carter siblings donning their Philadelphia gear.

The little creator smiled lovingly at them, then at the rest of the group as she prepared to make her exit. She’d truly missed these little maniacs. They were fun and funny and didn’t give a shit what anyone thought about them. It was always refreshing to be around that type of energy.

As if reading her mind, Ana blurted out, “We’ve missed you. You know… talking to you. Hanging out with you. It’s been… cold without you here.”

Naya nodded her agreement. “Our world is so hollow without you. Empty. Like all of our actions are just echoes that go nowhere.”

The little creator understood. She knew the problem existed, but she just didn’t have a solution for it. When she read book one, she could feel her essence on every page, literally dripping from every word. But now, as she attempted to tackle the second story in their journey, she wasn’t experiencing ‘writer’s block’, just ‘writer’s unworthiness’.

“But you ARE worthy,” Ana insisted, able to see her thoughts as it manifested into a dark shadow. “That’s why your Creator assigned you to write our story.”

The little creator nodded again. “I’ll get over it. I always do. Besides, the Publisher has me on a deadline.”

The moment she said that another version of herself appeared, only she wasn’t wearing a green Eagles hoodie. She had on her standard beige business suit and penny loafer high heels.

She cocked her head at the little creator, aka the Writer, and playfully admonished, “Don’t bring me into this. You know you need to turn this manuscript in. And I’m not even pressuring you this time around to write. This stagnation is on you… but the rest of us – including the Prime – are gonna help you through it.”

Wrapping the Writer in a huge bear hug, the Publisher asked politely, “Now, can I go? Cuz my day was yesterday and I’m looking forward to kicking back and watching the game, too.”

The gang watched with a long awaited merriment as the little creator –with a beige-suited version of herself attached that refused to let go – hobbled, stumbled, and tripped her way out of existence.

When the little creator was truly herself, she wasn’t too much to handle. She was just enough, and that was what kept them hoping and faithful that book two wasn’t far off.