Emily

I want to study Music. I love music. My parents like music, but my Dad disagree and thinks that music is not a career but a hobby. While, my mom think otherwise.

"Sometime, some people don't get what they want if they do what they want.." I said playing with my fingers absentmindedly.

"At least they tried." He said. "Instead of them regretting and wishing they should have tried."

I looked at him, his beautiful face was glowing in the sun. His face was serious, but at the same time looked a little concern.

The bell rang and that ended our discussion. I gathered my things along with the papers.

"High five." He tells me all of a sudden when I turned to look at him. His hands were out and I awkwardly give him a High five.

He didn't let go and turned my hand to my palm. I pulled my hand back as if I was burned.

"What was that?" He asked me. "I thought I was mistaken."

"We have classes." I reminded him as I made my way back to the building.

"What was that?" He asked again walking beside me.

"I fell down on glass pieces." I said.

"How?" He asked pulling me back.

"While I was cleaning. I accidentally broke a glass and I fell on them."

He raised one of his eyebrow.

"Are you investigating?" I teased him, hoping he wouldn't push the topic.

"Are you okay, though?"

"Yes." I said to him.

We walked together to the inside of the building and I see his group waiting for him.

"I'll see you around." I said and walked to my locker.

When school ended, I saw London standing near my locker.

"Was Everett with you during lunch?" She asked.

"For a brief moment."

"You keep saying it was a brief moment." She sounded angry.

"That's because I was with her for a brief moment." I heard Everett and I internally wanted to sigh in annoyance.

"Oh. Hi, Everett." London's tone changed from angry to higher octave in a matter of seconds.

Everett ignored her and leaned against the locker beside mine. I don't know what he wants now. London was trying to start a conversation with him, but he ignored her.

"I will see you two around." I said to them and shut my locker and walked towards the exit door.

"Not so fast." Everett pulled me back, with my back pack.

I heard few gasped and whispered. Yes, they must be wondering why the golden-boy all of a sudden is talking to quiet Emily. Even I'm wondering why he's suddenly so interested in talking to me, now.

"I have to-"

"catch the bus? I will drive you home." He said loudly like he wants people to hear that.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Let's go." He said pulling me out of the school building.

"I have a study group session. I'm not going home yet." I said and he stopped all of a sudden and I bumped into his hard back.

That definitely hurt my nose.

"With who?" He asked.

"Over there. Bloom and Aaliyah." I said pointing to the bus stop. They were looking at us, already.

Everett looked at them and at me. "I will drive you guys."

For a moment, I thought he was joking and I laughed and said,

"Nice joke."

"I'm not joking." He said. "I'm serious." He looked at me and screamed all the way. "Come here."

I don't know why I was feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. His group was watching us while his girlfriend folded her arms and glared at me.

"You said you won't get into my business." I reminded him, but he ignored me.

Bloom and Aaliyah walked towards us looking surprised and scared.

"What plans did you guys have this afternoon?" He looked at them.

"We planned for group studies." Bloom said. "It's okay if Emily can't come."

And I frowned at Bloom's words.

"I will drop you guys." He said. "Where are you guys going?"

"Starbucks." Aaliyah said. "That's down the street."

"Okay." He said. "Let's go."

We followed behind him towards his parked dark blue Mercedes sedan instead of one of his sport's car.

"You want to sit in front?" I asked Bloom and Aaliyah.

"No." They said in a hushed voice as if they are afraid he will hear us.

At the end, I sat in front. Everett put on his ray-band sunglasses and adjusted the coolness in the car and checked the mirror before pulling out of the parking lot.

There were many cars pulling out at the same time which took us a while to get out of the school. He turned on the radio while waiting for the cars in front to get out of the way.

"Which one of you is Bloom?" He asked all of a sudden.

"I'm Bloom." She said shyly.

"And you must be Aaliyah." Everett said glancing quickly.

"Yes."

"I'm Everett." He said.

"We know." Bloom said. "Everyone knows you." She chuckled awkwardly at the end.

We reached Starbucks after sometime. He pulled to the front of the door. Bloom and Aaliyah quickly opened the door after thanking him in a hurry and I was doing the same.

"How long will you be here?" He asked.

"I don't know." I said.

"I have basketball practice. I will come back in two hours to pick you up."

"I can go home on my own." I said to him.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes. We three live in the same neighbourhood, we will be going home together."

"Okay." He said.

"Thank you, Everett." I said.

He just give me a nod and I stepped out of the car.

"That was weird." Bloom said opening the door and the smell of coffee hit us.

I ordered their refresher along with cheese danish. I usually wouldn't recommend coming to places like this for homework. They play music and people gather here to talk, but maybe it was the people or I wanted to forget what's going on at home.

I focused on my homework and helped Bloom or Aaliyah when they asked for help.

From time to time, Aaliyah randomly brings some joke and I couldn't help but laugh.

Morgan and London usually study at my place. They said it's a good place to study. My notes and laptop is with me at my place and they don't have to worry about forgetting anything when they are at my place.

I wondered would they like to hang out here as well. When we were in elementary school, we used to play in the park. We use to do fun things. We don't do those anymore. It's always parties or study group. We don't hit the mall or movies together once we were in freshman years.

We were done in two hours. Our bus was coming in half an hour. Aaliyah said she wanted to buy her sister some chocolate muffins and stood in line to purchase some muffins.

"You are much more nicer than London and Morgan." Bloom suddenly said.

I blinked a little trying to take in her information.

"What do you mean?"

"They are not so approachable.. initially we didn't approach you because we thought you would be rude like them."

"You think they are rude?" I asked.

"We don't think they are rude. We know they are rude. London pushed Aaliyah accidentally and didn't bother to apologize and waited for Aaliyah to do." Bloom huffed in annoyance as she folded her arms and leaned back on the chair.

"She's nicer if you get to know her.." I said.

"Maybe." She said. "But what's the harm in being nice?"

I didn't have any answer for that. Aaliyah returned and we left the store to catch the bus to go home.

No one was at home, yet. Mom have closing shift in the grocery store today and Dad must be working late.

I took a shower and sat down in front of the piano and looked at the music sheet in front of me.

I remember when I was four, when we  brought the first piano, home. Daddy and Mommy were excited for me to start my lessons. They told me I have to do good, they said the piano was expensive and so will the lessons.

I grinned and promised them as I pressed a random key.

I heard the front door open and Dad walked in looking tired. He loosened his tie and looked at me.

"Hey Em." He said. "How was school?"

"It was good." I said to him.

"I'm tired. I will take a shower. Can you order some pizza in the mean time?" He asked as he handed me his MasterCard.

"Okay, pepperoni?"

"Sure." He said as he walked towards his room.

Dad came out of his room when the pizza arrived. We ate quietly our dinner. I volunteered to do the dishes as he said he still needed to pack his bag for the business trip. He give me an appreciative look when I offered to clean up.

After dinner, I sat on my bed and looked at my phone. I played with my phone for sometime, but Mom was not home, yet. I went to bed after that.

The next day, when I reached school. London and Morgan was standing near my locker.

"What's with you and Everett?" London asked.

Morgan looked very bored standing there like she wants to be anywhere else than here.

"Nothing." I said to London.

"He drove you and those two girls home?" She asked. "Who are those two girls anyway?"

"Bloom and Aaliyah. We live in the same neighbourhood." I said opening my locker.

"You have changed." London said.

And I stopped midway while taking out my books.

"Why? Because she found better friends?" Everett interrupted us.

London gasped in disbelief.

"Everett." I warned.

"She should know the truth." He chuckled.

"What truth?" London asked looking at me.

"You are the worse friend and so is she." He looked at Morgan.

"Everett." I hissed. "Stop."

"You two left her alone in an unknown place. What a sh*tty friend."

I gasped this time.

"Are you talking about the party at your place?" Morgan asked.

"Yes." He said. "I think she could do better when it comes to being friends with you two."

London was speechless. "It's not like she's a child.."

"Poor excuses that I'm not interested in." He shrugged. "Let's go, Em." He pulled me along with him and I pulled my arm back from him.

All eyes was on us. I was upset and humiliated at the same time.

I looked at him in disbelief. Why is he even doing this? Why now? In our senior year?

"It's not like we wanted to be friends with her anyway." London all of a sudden shouted and I turned to look at her. "She's nothing, but a boring person with boring personality."