Message in a Bottle

Chapter Eight
Emily and I sat together like always in ceramics class with her boyfriend, Justin and his friend Patrick across from us. Today we were molding Jurassic animals with clay but instead of being just statues we had to make them useful so I was making a T-Rex crown which I was failing miserably at.
“I have to meet him,” Emily groaned dramatically. “He seems so romantic. Like those type of guys that only exist in movies that are like, perfect boyfriends that actually brings his girlfriend flowers not only on special occasions,” she said, making it toward Justin.
“Hey! You never even ask for flowers,” he said defensively.
“My point exactly. A girl doesn’t have to ask their boyfriends for flowers, Justin. They just give it to her.”
“Okay then. I’ll bring you flowers tomorrow!”
“No, no, no! Ugh. You’re doing it all wrong! Do I need to write out directions? You see what I mean, Morgan?”
“He hasn’t even brought my flowers so I wouldn’t know what the ‘ideal guy’ is like. And flowers means ‘I like you’ and I bet you that he doesn’t even have those kind of feelings for me. We’re just… friends.”

“Hi, Morgan. I brought you flowers. Er… flower.”
“Oh my God!” Emily squealed.
“Thanks, Carter,” I laughed, my face turning red as I took the single Pink Hibiscus from him. “How long have you been waiting here?”
“Hardly an hour.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Your brother let me in.”
“This is so sweet of you,” I said, inhaling the scent of the flower.
“Do you like them?”
“Of course I do. They’re my favorite kinds of flowers. But next time you bring me flowers go for the orange or white. I’m not a big fan of pink anymore,” I laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he smiled.
From behind me Emily cleared her throat.
“Oh yeah! Carter, this is Emily. Emily, this is Carter.”
Emily rushed forward, a wide smile across her face.
“Hello,” Carter said, opening his arms as his usual way of a first meeting.
“Are you serious?” Emily asked, excitement flooding through veins.
“Or do you prefer a handshake like Morgan?” he asked, sticking out his hand.
“No, no, not at all!” Emily threw her arms around Carter, nearly knocking him off balance.
I restrained the laughter by covering my face with the flower.
“I need to find a vase I can put these in…. Emily, will you come with me,” I called. I waited for her to follow but she clung on tightly to Carter who was looking a bit creeped out. “Emily!” she let go of Carter and followed me into the kitchen, leaving him behind in the living room.
“You’re such a moron,” I mumbled was I dug in the cabinet for my mom’s thin crystal vase.
“Hey, if you weren’t going to hug him like that then I will and by the looks of it you weren’t so I went right in.”
“You have a boyfriend.”
“I’m sensing a bit of jealousy,” Emily squealed, poking me with her finger as I filled the vase with water.
“Psh. No. Pft. Yeah right. I’ve known Carter longer than you have so you’re the one that should be jealous. And there’s romance between us so two points for Morgan!”
“Romance, eh? Can you ever see yourself with him?”
“Oh goodness, Emily.”
“Well, can you?” she pressed.
“I’m not going to say anything because you’re going to be loud and he’s just in the other room.”
“So I won’t scream. Tell me!”
“No, it’s weird. Especially coming from me. The girl who doesn’t act like a girl.”
“Then I take that as a yes?”
“No!”
“No?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“No! Stop it, Emily. I know what you’re doing.”
“So no?”
“No.”
“No what? No you can’t see yourself with him or no to my no?”
“Now you’re just being redundant.” I stuck the flower into the vase and headed for the door.
“So is that a yes?”
I turned around. “Ugh! Yes, I like him but no I can’t see myself with him, okay? Are you happy now?”
“I can fix that,” Emily murmured as she walked past me, pushing open the door.
“No, stop it, Emily! That was a secret!” I yelled as I burst through the door into the living room.
“What was a secret?” Carter asked. He was sitting on the couch with Ben, Emily smiling widely beside the door.
“What’re you talking about?” I scoffed, setting the vase down on the on the small table beside the couch.
“You just said… never mind,” he chuckled.
“Morgan was talking about how she-”
“Shut up, Emily!” I yelled. Carter looked at me funny and I smiled. “Emily you can go now,” I said between my teeth.
When Emily walked past me she whispered, “You have to tell him sooner or later.”
“No I don’t,” I sang, trying not to sound stupid but that was probably already too late.
“Bye, Morgan. Text me, okay?”
“Don’t count on it,” I snapped.
“Bye, Ben. Bye, Carter.” I rolled my eyes when she said Carters name slowly and mellifluously.