The instant I heard her sob I turned around, hurrying back to her house… I got the gist of what she was saying. Suddenly an idea came to mind; I paused indecisively on the pavement. I broke into a run—towards my house; I didn’t want to make this any longer than it had to be.
I rushed in past my Mom, panting as I tried to soothe Cynthia on the phone. She fluttered after, calling me. I ignored her.
In ten minutes I was in my car, still on the phone with Cynthia, going at a speed my dad would not only give me a ticket for, but also insist on grounding me for a month.
I passed her house, parked a few houses down, and jogged back around the house. I eyed the tree near her window speculatively.
Me (on the phone): Open your window.
She did, and dropped her phone in surprise. I caught it deftly.
Me: Grab some sweats or something, and toss them down.
She stared for a moment, and suddenly she understood. She momentarily disappeared from view, and then she was back, sweatpants flying out the window.