Crush(ed)

Chapter 6: I am 16, going on 17.

The gentle morning light seeped through Emma's bedroom window, casting a soft glow across her room. She stirred in her bed, slowly awakening to the new day. As the memories of the previous night rushed back, she could feel her cheeks warming with embarrassment. A fresh surge of energy coursed through her, fueling her newfound shame. The good thing was that it was Sunday, which meant she wouldn't have to face anyone just yet.

With a reluctant sigh, she recalled the barrage of texts she had received from both Adrian and Alex. Her phone, unfortunately, had run out of battery, rendering it lifeless. Emma decided against charging it for the day, preferring a temporary escape from the endless notifications. Instead, she rose from her bed, went about her morning routine, and eventually made her way downstairs for breakfast.

Gemma, her twin sister, greeted her with a knowing look. "Alex called me," Gemma said, her voice laced with a mix of concern and curiosity. Emma felt a pang of jealousy, mixed with irritation at the thought of Alex and Gemma talking for hours about her own foolish actions. But she quickly dismissed those feelings, knowing that Gemma would never intentionally hurt her. Gemma had her quirks, especially when it came to makeup, clothes, privacy, and tidiness, but she was always there for her.

Emma replied casually, "I'll talk to him when I feel like it, but as you can see, I'm fine. You can tell him that." The idea of facing Alex after her embarrassing breakdown was mortifying, and she needed time to collect herself.

Sunday slipped by in a blur of journaling, reading, and tackling some homework. Emma intentionally kept her phone uncharged for the entire day to avoid the temptation of explaining herself to either of the boys. While there was no issue with Adrian, she knew it had been rude to ignore him after seeing his message. Her journaling session at night seemed particularly introspective as she wrestled with her own emotions.

The following morning, she prepared for school as usual, though she begged Jason, their cousin, to drop her and Gemma off. Emma wasn't ready to face Alex so early in the morning, but her request was denied since Jason was busy. She could not avoid Alex for long anyway, since they lived quite close to each other.

She boarded the bus, taking a seat ahead of Gemma and Alex. It seemed like Alex wanted to talk, but she pretended not to notice, wearing earphones after exchanging casual greetings.

However, as she entered her classroom, someone unexpectedly grabbed her and covered her mouth to stifle her scream. Panic set in for a moment before she recognized the soft hands that held her. It was Alex.

"Shh, don't scream; it's me," he said, releasing her mouth. Emma was about to scold him for the way he'd startled her, but Alex promptly guided her by the arm to the forbidden school terrace. She couldn't help but wonder if he intended to get her suspended for trespassing. Boys, she thought, could be so inventive.

"What the hell, Alex?" she protested. "Can't you talk to me like a normal person?"

He gave her a knowing look and replied, "I can't if you're hell-bent on avoiding me."

Emma sucked on her tongue playfully, pouting. "I was going to talk to you by tomorrow. Just let me be embarrassed, man."

"Embarrassed?" Alex sounded puzzled.

Emma shrugged, pretending it was obvious. "Yeah, man. I, like, bawled in front of you and was so vulnerable. I almost drowned in my own puddle of tears, man."

She knew her explanation was absurd, but it seemed Alex bought it. "I thought you were still mad at me," he admitted.

"Nope," she lied, popping the 'p'. "Now, can I get back to my education? Hater of women getting an education," she teased.

"Yeah, uh," Alex stammered, touching his hair nervously. "I just wanted to let you know that I am very—"

But Emma interrupted, "Sorry. Yeah, man, it's NBD," piling on more lies.

Clearly, she wasn't a very good liar.

"Now, I'm going. I have a very interesting history lesson to get back to. And a cute boy to sit next to. You know Emma; she's thirsty for them boys."

Alex didn't seem amused by her jokes. "Good luck with the lesson... and the boy."

The comment stung Emma more than she'd expected. She had made the comment first, but it hurt to hear it from him. Her last shred of hope seemed to be disappearing.

Without uttering another word, she returned to her classroom and somehow managed to sneak in without Mr. Thompson noticing. On the bus ride home, everything appeared normal, but Emma's world had changed, and Alex had taken a step back from his usual protective self.

Throughout that school year, without Alex constantly making her feel bad or giving her false hope with his possessiveness, Emma got closer to Adrian. They began dating, and she experienced her first relationship, romantic hand-holding and kiss, though not with Alex as she had once imagined.

Her family approved of Adrian, but Alex remained distant when the topic of her first kiss arose. He walked away, claiming to be busy, but Emma suspected he couldn't quite picture her doing adult things because in her head, Alex only saw her as a little, helpful kid.

As the trio continued to hang out and discuss books, movies, and life, things were changing, particularly for Emma.