She Loves Me, He Hates Me

“What was that about?” asked Zach as he looked up from Abby’s face and towards the door. Abby got up and retrieved her cell phone from on top the TV which was on pause now with everyone wondering what happened.

“I don’t know, but I’ll call and find out. Everyone shut up for a sec.” Abby said. Everyone was quiet anyway, but it seemed that it just went dead silent. It was so silent that you could hear the phone on the other end ring. After about the fifth ring, a voice talked into the phone which must have been an answering machine because Abby started to talk rapidly.

“Hey Jackie, I hope all is okay. If you want to talk or come back it’s totally fin with me. Please pick up soon honey. We all miss you. Bye.” Abby shut the phone and put it in her pocket.

“What could have happened?” Johnny asked Emmy who was sitting, still looking at the door. She turned to Johnny and waited a moment.

“I really don’t know. Whatever it is, I hope she’ll be okay.”

“Me too. She seems pretty cool, but a little bit shy.”

“She is at first,” Emmy said to him. “But once you get to know her, she comes unglued.” The party was quiet for a few minutes but then Aaron and Eric wanted to finish their game on RB with Abby’s consent.

“Go ahead guys.” Abby said quietly. The party noise became loud again and conversations picked up. Some more people came in late, but Johnny and Emmy didn’t really notice. They continued their conversation again. Johnny went to go get some drinks for himself and Emmy and as he walked away into the other room was with the kitchen; Abby tore away from her beloved boy toy Zach and sat next to Emmy.

“So, how is it going with you two?”

“I don’t know. It seems that you and lover boy over there are going famously.”

Abby sighed for a minute and looked over at Zach who was now staring at the big screen watching Aaron and Eric duke it out. “He is so adorable.” Abby said, melting at her own words. “But this isn’t about me. Does he like you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have any spidey senses to tell me so like you do.”

“Well, I think that he does. I can see it in the way he looks at you when you talk or the way he smiles when you giggle at some lame joke. You both got it bad.”

“No way!” Emmy said, pushing Abby over. Emmy saw Johnny renter the room and she shoved Abby a little who got up from the couch. Johnny sat next to Emmy again, making Emmy feel complete.

“Johnny darling, what do you think of our dearest Emmykiens here?” Abby said to Johnny. Emmy felt her face go completely red and put a death glare on her face.

“Well, I. …um, well Abby, I must say our Emmykiens is amazing.” Johnny said looking up at Abby with a huge grin on her face. Emmy felt like she was going to die. Abby was giggling, knowing that Emmy was going to kill her later.

“Why thank you Johnny.” Emmy said with a huge fake grin on her face. Johnny wrapped Emmy in a huge and laughed.

“God Emmy, we should have stayed friends in fifth grade.” He said. The huge lingered and Emmy felt her breath fly away from her. She was silent for a minute and then spoke again.

“Well, do you even know why we weren’t friends anymore?”

“No, not really.” He said. He forgot that he still had her in his arms and then when he remembered, he still didn’t want to let go. He did and lyed his hand on the couch, hoping that the same accident from earlier would happen again. He waited for her answer.

“It was all that Bridget Babel’s fault. You had a crush on her. So instead of hanging with me and Zach, you wanted to chase her around at recess.” Emmy said casually. On the inside though, she wanted to throw up. That was how her heart was broken for the first time was because he ran off to play with Bridget who at the age of ten had boobs the size of your head.

“Oh my . . . I feel so stupid right now. I should have known better then to run off with Bridget Babel. She’s such a slut.”

“Thank you for not being all over her now. I swear to Bob she has to have slept with over half the male population at school.”

“Minus me of course.”

“I would only hope for that to be a given.” Emmy smiled and was glad that he didn’t drool over her like the rest of the boner sporting jerks at the school.

“Why does ever one like her so much?”

“Because she has a huge chest.”

“Johnny!?!”

“What? You know it’s true.”

“I know.” They both started laughing.

Hours went by and still there was no answer from Jackie nor did the party get interrupted again. Well, except the check in with Abby’s mom to see if we needed anything. Everyone knew it was a “you-kids-better-not-be-doing-drugs-or-sex-at-this-party” check which they all passed. Abby’s parties never got that way, but her mother was still extra cautious anyway. She’s a mom, she has the right anyway. Johnny’s head was on Emmy’s lap as they talked to each other while everyone else was watching Finding Nemo on the big screen on the girls command. That’s when Johnny’s pocket vibrated.

“Hold on a sec, it’s probably my mom.” He said as he reached into his pocket. It had been a text from his mother.

Come home soon.

He texted her back.

Okay, be home soon.

Then he put it back in his pocket, only to have to get it back seconds later.

Letter from Al is here.

It had been a while since Al had text him and he was starting to wonder what was up. The letter would be a sure explanation. Johnny sighed and looked up at Emmy who stared right back at him. He loved the way the blue of the TV shined back at him off her bright eyes. Her lips looked inviting but they had only just reconnected that night so that was out of limits.

“I have to go. But you still need to come to an Abelard concert. We’re playing next Friday night. Hope to see your face in the crowd.”

“You sure you can see behind that drum set?” Emmy giggled. It was a lame joke, but she was tired and didn’t care. It was Johnny, and she felt like she could say anything to him and he wouldn’t care if it was stupid or not. Already she felt comfortable with him. ‘This is a good sign.’ she told herself as she looked at Johnny.

“I’m pretty sure I can.” Johnny sat up and finally got off the couch.

“I’ll see you on Monday then?”

“You know it.” He said back to her. She got off the couch and stood next to him as he searched his jean pockets for his keys. He found them and jingled them a little. “Well the. . .”

“Well then. . .” Emmy said back to him.

“See you later Emmy.” Johnny said as Emmy scooped him into a hug. He picked her off the ground and set her back down.

“Show off.” Emmy laughed.

“Bye Em.” He said as he reached for the door knob and looked at Emmy. He thought she was stunning in her deep purple top, but soon looked her back in her face. That’s when he realized that he had o take Zach home as well. “Hey Zach!” He yelled. Zach took his face away from Abby and started to groan as he got off the couch. Abby grabbed him by the wrist and gave him her number on a pink post-it. Zach finally got to the door where Johnny and Emmy were standing and glared at Johnny. Zach said good-bye to Emmy and waited on Johnny to open the door. He did put still looked back at Emmy.

“Bye, Johnny.” She said as he shut the door behind himself.

Emmy walked slowly over to the part of the couch Abby was sitting. She plopped herself next to her best friend and put her head on her shoulder.

“I believe I’m in love.” Said Abby.

“Me too Abby, me too. . .”