Emilee

Max’s P.O.V:

I got out of class early so began to head over to where Anna would still be in math, to find that her class had been let out too. We were supposed to be walking back to my place together, so I searched the corridors for her. She said she’d meet me outside her class. As I rounded the corner, I found Anna talking to Emilee. That was a little odd. There’s no way they’d still be friends after everything that went down. As I approached them and came into hearing distance, I stopped dead in my tracks.

“You’re pathetic,” Anna spat in Emilee’s ear. “No wonder he left you.” Emilee didn’t seem to react to any of Anna’s harsh words. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. Anna always seemed a nice girl...

“Please Anna, I’m tired of this. Please just have him and be happy,” Emilee said softly. Anna laughed.

“You think I want him?” she scoffed. That was a shock to hear coming from my girlfriend’s lips. “I could do much better than some loser in a band that’s not going anywhere. He’s in obvious need of a haircut, and needs to be introduced to a gym.” She laughed at the look on Emilee’s face. “I’m leaving him in a few days, and ohh, it’ll hurt. He’s so in love with me it’s almost funny. Ronnie’s managed to escape, and we’re going back into hiding. Why, you’ll never see me again Emilee...”

“You can’t leave Max like that,” Emilee said quietly. “Anna, that’s gonna hurt him so bad.”

“He might do something...stupid,” Anna said with a smile. “Wouldn’t that be perfect? No doubt you’d follow in his fashion, and the world would be a better place.” I hadn’t realised I was crying until I saw that the book I was holding in my arms was wet. Anna didn’t love me? We always felt so right, so it seemed. Everything was a lie? If this is the real Anna, then I don’t want to know her anymore. It’s as if I’d been struck with sense all of a sudden. She was using us to get at Emilee, and to separate Craig and I. It was Craig’s fault Ronnie was taken from Anna, and well I guess Emilee was just a little fun to Anna. She enjoyed feeling higher than someone. It didn’t seem to click before, but Anna had spent a good deal of her life with Ronnie, a much stronger person as opposed to her. She was always the weaker one. This must be her way of being in control for once and having some fun before she has to return to following her lover again. As much as everything made sense, it still hurt. We felt special, but then again so did Emilee and I. Heaven knows I never got over her. I remember the instant I saw Emilee, back when she’d just moved next door. She was something else, I thought. I’d find myself taking out the rubbish at the same time she did, just to see her face. I’d drive the long way to school in the morning, just to catch a glimpse of her as she walked across the park. Anna walked off in the opposite direction, and Emilee crumbled to the floor. I rushed over to her, yet didn’t know what to do as I got to her side. Things hadn’t been all that great between us over the last few days. She’d stopped sitting beside me in maths, and didn’t go to band practice at mine last night. She lifted her head and to my surprise, I saw no tears staining her cheeks. I wiped my face and cleared my throat.

“Emilee...Emilee I can’t believe what’s been happening. Why did you not tell me she’s been talking to you like that?” I asked softly, sitting beside her on the floor.

“Would you have believed me if I had?” she asked, picking at her fingernails. I went to answer, but then realised that in fact, no, I probably wouldn’t have believed a word of it.

“I’m so sorry Emilee,” I whispered, more tears falling. “I’ve been such an idiot. She doesn’t even love me...”

“It didn’t take a genius to see that Max,” she replied calmly. She suddenly got up and began to pack her bag. I couldn’t seem to find the strength. As she walked away, I felt as if I’d finally lost her for good.

Anna broke up with me that night, telling me I wasn’t good enough for her. She seemed surprised at how well I was taking it. I refused to cry any more over her. The instant she was done, I kicked her out of my house. That pissed her off, to say the least. The person I now saw her as had no control over me. I paced my room for what must have been a good hour or so. Emilee was less than 10 meters from me, yet I could neither see her nor talk to her pretty face. From all I’d put her through, I was sure I’d be the last one she wished to see. Hell I hated me, so why wouldn’t she? I sighed and stopped pacing, sitting down on the end of my bed. Why am I such a screw up? Emilee and I had something great going for us, and I blew it. I couldn’t sit still any longer. I had to see her, to talk to her.

I awkwardly climbed the tree between our houses and tapped on Emilee’s window. I tried not to break down as no one came to open it. Tapping again, I almost gave up as yet again, she didn’t come to greet me. What did I expect after all? As I was about to climb back down, I heard the click of the latch as she unlocked her window, yet left it closed. I debated for a moment before finally deciding to let myself in. Why else would she have unlocked the window? As I climbed in and shut the window behind me, I turned to see Emilee curled up in bed. I wanted so desperately to go straight up and cuddle her, but knew she’d push me away. “Uhh...” I didn’t know what to say. I felt like such an asshole. “I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour. Emilee, I’ve been a jerk.” She blinked a few times in silence.

“I don’t know what you want me to say Max. She breaks up with you and you expect me to come crawling back? The world doesn’t work like that,” she said softly. The tears I held back before were now falling.

“Please forgive me,” I whispered, walking a little closer to where she lay. She sat up in bed, keeping her eyes pinned to the floor. It seemed so long since I’d received eye contact from her.

“I’m not sure that I can,” she said, releasing a long breath. I lifted her chin with my hand to find her crying, too.

“But you want to...” I felt myself getting closer to her, but I couldn’t help it. Something always drew me closer to Emilee. I swallowed my nerves and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips. She didn’t kiss back in the slightest, and I swear I died inside. I let my hand drop to my side, and my heart sink to the floor, as I dragged my feet back over to the windowsill.

“Wait Max!” she suddenly yelled, and I felt her make her way over towards me. I turned to find her staring directly back at me, only now realising just how much I’d missed her eyes. “I’m not ready to forgive you,” she started. “But I can’t let this go. I can’t let you go.”

“Just tell me what to do. Tell me what to say,” I begged.

“I think I just need time. I need to build that trust I had for you again...”

“I understand,” I replied, smiling across at her. She returned it, and butterflies formed in my stomach. Emilee was finally smiling again. I hugged her tight, and she hugged me back. I missed how special she made every moment together seem. We pulled away after what seemed like such a short moment. “I’ll let you get some sleep hun,” I said, and turned to leave.

“Goodnight Max,” she called, smiling down at me as I safely made it to the ground.

“Night,” I replied, blowing her a kiss. I watched her smile grow a little bigger before heading back home. Emilee was a very special girl.