The Girl Across the Street

The Girl Across the Street 18

Friday, December 7th, 6:30AM. My alarm goes off and, as much as I desperately want to, I refrain from hitting the snooze button. After getting three texts from Emma waking me up at random points in the night, I don't feel well rested at all. Every time she texted me, it took me an hour or so to fall back to sleep.

I try to wipe the sleep from my eyes and stagger into the shower.

By 6:45 I'm out of the shower, mostly awake and brushing my teeth. I grab the shirt and pants I laid out and get dressed.

I walk downstairs at 7:00, grabbing my toast from my mom, kissing her on the cheek as I walk out the front door.

Beep beep. I get in Simon's car and look behind me. I see Emma in a downstairs window, polishing a green apple on her bright green shirt.

Simon starts to pull out. "Wait, we should ask Emma if she wants a ride today. She walks every day and it's a pretty long walk. It's cold outside and she has a concussion, don't you think it'd be nice to drive her?" I suggest.

He thinks about it for a moment. "I don't know man. If we wait for her, we'll be late and Nathan will give us crap. If we get to his house late and with her in the car, we may never hear the end of it."

I nod. "But look, she's right there. It looks like she's ready. Let me call her and see if she's ready to go now. Come on Simon, you have to feel bad for her. She got shoved into a locker for God's sake yesterday."

He sighs and looks ack at her house. He sees her in the window, shrugging on an electric blue winter coat and orange gloves. "Call her." He relents, glancing at the clock. I search for her name in my contacts and press SEND.

"Hey Emma. Yeah, it's me. Do you want a ride to school?" I see her glance out the window at our car. "Great. We'll be waiting." I hang up and Simon backs his car up, pulling into Emma's driveway. A minute later she comes out her front door.

"Thank you guys for offering to drive me today."She greets.

Simon grunts neutrally and I reply, "no problem. And when Nathan gets in the car, just ignore him. He is probably going to be crabby. We're supposed to be at his house in-" I turn my head to check the car's clock, "one minute. Simon's record time to driving to him was four minutes, exceeding the speed limit by about twenty miles per hour."

When I say the last part, Simon jerks the car forward at an alarming speed of sixty miles per hour on a road with a twenty-five mile per hour speed limit. "Oh my god we're going to die!" Emma cries, "we're going to crash at this speed! Slow down are you crazy?"

Simon and I both ignore her as she begs and pleads with Simon to slow down for the record-breaking three and a half minutes it takes us to come to a screeching halt in front of Nathan's house. While he walks down the walk, nose buried in another book, we all try to catch our breath.

"Okay, I think we all agree to never, ever do that again." I pant. Simon and Emma both nod ebulliently.

Nathan climbs into the car. "Guys, this is the second time this-" When he looks up he stops dead in his tracks. "Um, what are you doing here?" He asks Emma.

She blushes, "well, um, Dylan asked me if I wanted a ride to school today."

Simon chimes in, "rememberwhat I said the other day Nathan?"

Nathan grumbles a small "yes." Then, after contemplating his words for a moment, he adds, "but if you're late like this every day then I'm going to be pissed."

At Nathan's remark, Simon slows the car to a crawl. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Fine, fine, there's nothing I can do about it! Just move the fucking car!"

Simon doesn't speed up at all. Clearly, he's now really enjoying this. "Or what? You'll yell at me a little? Maybe threaten me a couple times? What would you do when I stop driving you to school every morning?"

"Oh my God what do I have to do to make you move this car?!"

"You know the magic words." Simon sings, taunting the hell out of Nathan, who groans loudly. "Yes, yes, I know. I'm a terrible friend aren't I? Always making your life so difficult. God forbid you say one little itty bitty nice thing about me once in a while..."

Nathan sighs a long, overdramatic sigh. "Fine, fine. Simon is the best friend, soccer player, driver and all around guy I know. I couldn't ever imagine life without him and I value everything he does for me because his time is more valuable than God's."

Emma mouths drops and she covers it, trying to hide her laughter. She fails and Nathan glares at her more. She looks between me and Simon. "Do you guys really have to say to Simon that every time you piss him off?"

I nod gravely. "Hence why I never piss him off. Nathan however, he usually has to say that about once a week."

Nathan interrupts, "it's not my fault Simon is so righteous and oversensitive."

"Do you really want to say it twice in one car ride [insert Nathan's last name]?"

Nathan groans again loudly but shuts up. A minute later we pull into the school parking lot. It's 7:25 now, Simon's driving and our being late to Nathan's making us five minutes late. As soon as the car is parked, Nathan hurries out and goes to the gym far ahead of us.

Emma gets out with Simon and me and follows us on our way to the gym. "So what do you guys do that you come to schools early for?" She asks.

"Well, Simon and I run on the track until 7:40 and Nathan plays basketball in the gym. Will you have something to do while you wait for class?"

"Yeah, I can study for the math quiz we have. Do you mind if I come out to the track with you guys?"

"Not at all." Simon says. "Just wait right here while we change."

We change quickly and meet Emma outside the gym. Together, the three of us walk out to the track. Emma breaks off from us and starts off for the bleachers. Simon and I run a silent lap before Simon breaks the quiet.

"Okay, I want to know what changed your mind from yesterday to today about Emma. You're totally bipolar with her."

"It seems like every time I'm with her, something bad happens and I don't like that at all, but i can't help and feel bad for her." I admit.

Simon's eyebrows furrowing confusion. "Why do you feel and for her?"

I tell him everything. From the minute she walked in Homeroom to when she walked home from dinner yesterday. It takes two laps to explain and an extra lap before Simon replies.

"Wow." He says, looking over at the bleachers where Emma is studying. "That's pretty intense." I nod. "So her dad had an affair, left Emma and her mom, her mom has no time for her and she's getting abused physically and verbally by some of the guys here? Damn, I feel awful. Now I really get what you mean."

I nod gravely. "It's amazing how she puts up with the crap coming from all directions." I glance at my watch, 7:45. "Crap! Simon we are really late!" I turn and call to Emma, "Emma it's 7:45! We'll meet you in Homeroom!" She nods and waves, quickly packing up her books. Simon and I sprint back into the school to the locker room.

Nathan is standing outside the locker room door, fully dressed and showered, book in hand. He looks up and sees us. "Where the hell have you been? You're super late! Hurry or I'm leaving without you!" He calls as we rush past him. We don't have time to shower so I quickly throw water on my face and put on a little extra Axe.

Nathan sighs in relief when we come barreling out at 7:55. We sprint to Homeroom and make it to the classroom just as the bell rings.