Intertwined and Unexpected

Chapter 16: Chloe

Honestly, I had forgotten about Emma.

That is, until Wednesday morning at lunch. I was sitting at the usual table with Liam, laughing at his impersonation of our English teacher. Then my eye caught Emma's and my smile immediately faded. Liam stared at me, noticing the sudden change in emotion.

"Chlo?" Liam started, his forehead creasing up like it did when he was confused, "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I just...I need to go," I say and pack up my lunch, knowing instantly what I needed to do.

"Go where?" Liam asked, frowning.

"Go set things right with my friend," I say quickly, and then shoot him a quick smile. "Don't worry." He nodded and returned the smile.

"Alright, good luck!" he called after me as I walked towards Emma. I took a deep breath, and hoped I wouldn't need Liam's luck.

"Hey," I say softly to Emma who scoots over on the lunch table bench to make room for me to sit down next to her.

"Hey," she replies, her face emotionless.

"I want to apologize. I had no right back-talking your friend," I say, not exactly meaning it.

It's true that I did want to make peace with Emma, but I did mean everything I said about Alexi. Alexi hadn't always been as bad as she is now. Sure, she could always be a little snappy or sarcastic, but I think Brian's brought out the worst in her.

Sometimes, I have to be the one to man up (woman up? Whatever), just be the bigger person and apologize. Emma gave me a small smile, and I knew I was forgiven.

"Thank goodness some people in our generation still know how to make a decent apology," Emma laughs, and I join in, relieved.

"So how are you doing?" I ask her, and it feels like forever since I've talked to Emma.

"Fine, and I noticed that you and Liam are doing pretty fine, too, you know what I mean?" Emma waggled her eyebrows, and I smacked her shoulder playfully.

"You know you're just jealous," I kidded, batting my eyelashes.

"Yeah right. There's no one I have my eyes on right now," Emma laughs. I realize that it's not just Emma I've missed-- I've missed actually having a real, friendly, girl-talk conversation with someone.

"So how's Ava?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Fine. Better, I guess." Emma is silent for second, then suddenly her eyes light up excitedly. "Hey! What if you, me, Alexi, and Ava get together sometime and do something? Just like old times!"

"Alexi?" I exclaim, and recoil. "Um, I don't think Ava and Alexi will get along too well."

But in my head, all I could think was, I don't think Alexi and I will get along too well.

"Oh," Emma slouches down a bit, "I forgot about that. Yeah, maybe it could just be you, me, and Ava." I nod.

"That would probably work. What would you want to do?"I ask, and Emma thinks for a minute.

"Maybe we could go to that movie--"Loving Back"-- like we had planned to do way back when."

"Sounds great!" I chirp, excited. I had been waiting to see that movie for a long time, and it had just slipped my mind.

"Awesome," Emma smiles. "I'll ask Ava when I get the chance." Just then, the bell rang and lunch was over. I walked quickly to meet Liam before he left the lunchroom and gave him a quick peck on the check.