Status: In the Works
Waiting for a Hero
Part Quatre
Chris sat in his apartment Friday morning and lightly tapped his phone against his lips. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Emmy since breakfast that Tuesday but he was really hoping to see her and Addison again. He knew there was just something about her that would make him a better guy and Addison was such a relaxed and cool young woman. He wanted them both to be a bigger part of his life, friends if nothing else.
Chris sighed and went to his phone’s phonebook and found Emmy’s name in his contacts. He stared at his for a minute or so, trying to must up the courage to call and figure out what he would say. He glanced at the clock and figured if she didn’t answer she was at work, but everyone had days off right? Sitting up straighter in his recliner, Chris hit the dial button and held the phone to his ear. He bit at his lip as the phone rang and his heart skipped a beat when that musical voice asked,
"Hello?"
"Hey, um, Emmy? It’s Chris," he said nervously and smiling a bit despite himself. He heard the smile in her voice as she happily replied,
"Oh hey! Here I had figured you forgot all about us." Chris laughed softly and assured her he hadn’t forgotten either of them.
"How are you? I was afraid you’d be working," he admitted shyly, scratching through his darkened hair as he settled more comfortably in the chair he sat in. Emmy was quiet for a bit and Chris got nervous that he went too far, but then she said,
"No, Addison’s not feeling well so we’re having a girl’s day."
"Aw she isn’t? Anything I can do?"
"Come over!" he heard Addison chirp in the background and Emmy and Chris shared a soft laugh.
"Hey Addison," he said and he heard her scratchy voice greet him in return. "I could bring by some soup or something. My mom has this great tea she used to make for us when we were sick, I can bring some by," he offered and then caught himself, "No I’m sorry, I mean, we don’t even know each other. I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t be inviting myself over like this."
"No, I invited you," Addison assured and he heard Emmy gently shush her. She hummed thoughtfully which he thought was cute and he practically clawed the arm of his recliner off as he waited for what she had to say.
"If you don’t mind bad horror movies and day old spaghetti we’d love to have you over," she said at last and Chris jumped to his feet and tried not to sound too excited as he said,
"No, no day old spaghetti’s my favorite how did you know? And bad horror movies? Shit I have a collection- shoot! I meant shoot!" Emmy laughed and Chris blushed as he face planted his hand and dragged his hand down over his face in annoyance at his stupidity.
"Mom cusses all the time, I won’t tell," Addison teased as Emmy calmed down. There was a pause and he heard shuffling so he assumed Emmy moved away from Addison. She sounded clearer, more defined, so she was by herself and spoke firmly,
"You don’t have to do this. I’m sure you’re busy with movies and interviews and fans-,"
"No, no nothing like that. I’m free for a few months actually and I’d love to swing by and hang out. The tea really does help."
"Truth be told I think she just wanted to stay home but she hasn’t missed a day of school yet and it’s almost summer so I let her stay home," she confessed and Chris smiled. She was such a cool mom. He remembered the few times he faked sick just to spend the day with his mom and how much fun they would have watching movies and eating snack foods. It was some of his fondest memories.
"Well I’ll save the tea then, how about some Sprite or 7 Up?" he offered and Emmy giggled softly.
"No we have a ton of soda,"
"Soda? Where are you from?" he teased smiling brightly as he reached for his shoes and sat down to pull them on. Emmy cleared her throat almost guiltily, like she had been caught.
"Okay not an LA native, I moved from Kansas when I was fourteen," she said and Chris nodded as he began lacing up his shoes.
"Kansas huh? Well you’re-"
"Don’t you dare say it," she warned with a breathy laugh and Chris chuckled. He stood and rocked back and forth in his shoes and flicked the television off and grabbed his keys from the bowl by the couch.
"For now," he said mysteriously and she laughed. "I’m heading out," he told her ready to say goodbye and she laughed. "What?"
"You don’t even know where you’re going!" He stopped and realized she hadn’t told him where she lived and laughed bashfully. He cursed under his breath and she calmed her laughing.
"Do you know where the diner I work at is? Do you remember?"
"Yeah."
"Market Av is a block over on the right, we’re 420 room 7B on the second floor," she told him and he repeated it to her to make sure he had it right and she confirmed it. He said it again and then said goodbye and she said she’d see him soon and he hurried out of his house to his car after locking up.
The adrenaline was racing through him. He hadn’t felt that way since his first date in High School.
Chris sighed and went to his phone’s phonebook and found Emmy’s name in his contacts. He stared at his for a minute or so, trying to must up the courage to call and figure out what he would say. He glanced at the clock and figured if she didn’t answer she was at work, but everyone had days off right? Sitting up straighter in his recliner, Chris hit the dial button and held the phone to his ear. He bit at his lip as the phone rang and his heart skipped a beat when that musical voice asked,
"Hello?"
"Hey, um, Emmy? It’s Chris," he said nervously and smiling a bit despite himself. He heard the smile in her voice as she happily replied,
"Oh hey! Here I had figured you forgot all about us." Chris laughed softly and assured her he hadn’t forgotten either of them.
"How are you? I was afraid you’d be working," he admitted shyly, scratching through his darkened hair as he settled more comfortably in the chair he sat in. Emmy was quiet for a bit and Chris got nervous that he went too far, but then she said,
"No, Addison’s not feeling well so we’re having a girl’s day."
"Aw she isn’t? Anything I can do?"
"Come over!" he heard Addison chirp in the background and Emmy and Chris shared a soft laugh.
"Hey Addison," he said and he heard her scratchy voice greet him in return. "I could bring by some soup or something. My mom has this great tea she used to make for us when we were sick, I can bring some by," he offered and then caught himself, "No I’m sorry, I mean, we don’t even know each other. I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t be inviting myself over like this."
"No, I invited you," Addison assured and he heard Emmy gently shush her. She hummed thoughtfully which he thought was cute and he practically clawed the arm of his recliner off as he waited for what she had to say.
"If you don’t mind bad horror movies and day old spaghetti we’d love to have you over," she said at last and Chris jumped to his feet and tried not to sound too excited as he said,
"No, no day old spaghetti’s my favorite how did you know? And bad horror movies? Shit I have a collection- shoot! I meant shoot!" Emmy laughed and Chris blushed as he face planted his hand and dragged his hand down over his face in annoyance at his stupidity.
"Mom cusses all the time, I won’t tell," Addison teased as Emmy calmed down. There was a pause and he heard shuffling so he assumed Emmy moved away from Addison. She sounded clearer, more defined, so she was by herself and spoke firmly,
"You don’t have to do this. I’m sure you’re busy with movies and interviews and fans-,"
"No, no nothing like that. I’m free for a few months actually and I’d love to swing by and hang out. The tea really does help."
"Truth be told I think she just wanted to stay home but she hasn’t missed a day of school yet and it’s almost summer so I let her stay home," she confessed and Chris smiled. She was such a cool mom. He remembered the few times he faked sick just to spend the day with his mom and how much fun they would have watching movies and eating snack foods. It was some of his fondest memories.
"Well I’ll save the tea then, how about some Sprite or 7 Up?" he offered and Emmy giggled softly.
"No we have a ton of soda,"
"Soda? Where are you from?" he teased smiling brightly as he reached for his shoes and sat down to pull them on. Emmy cleared her throat almost guiltily, like she had been caught.
"Okay not an LA native, I moved from Kansas when I was fourteen," she said and Chris nodded as he began lacing up his shoes.
"Kansas huh? Well you’re-"
"Don’t you dare say it," she warned with a breathy laugh and Chris chuckled. He stood and rocked back and forth in his shoes and flicked the television off and grabbed his keys from the bowl by the couch.
"For now," he said mysteriously and she laughed. "I’m heading out," he told her ready to say goodbye and she laughed. "What?"
"You don’t even know where you’re going!" He stopped and realized she hadn’t told him where she lived and laughed bashfully. He cursed under his breath and she calmed her laughing.
"Do you know where the diner I work at is? Do you remember?"
"Yeah."
"Market Av is a block over on the right, we’re 420 room 7B on the second floor," she told him and he repeated it to her to make sure he had it right and she confirmed it. He said it again and then said goodbye and she said she’d see him soon and he hurried out of his house to his car after locking up.
The adrenaline was racing through him. He hadn’t felt that way since his first date in High School.