My Brother's Best Friend

Chap. 11

"I made breakfast," Emmett informed me, as I came out from my bedroom.

"I'm grabbing something with Michelle," I said, grabbing my keys off the counter.

"Okay," he agreed. "I'll just let this beautiful omelet go to waste then."

I rolled my eyes, laughing as I grabbed a bottle of water.

"Are you coming to my game tonight?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "But I've got to run, so I'll see you later."

He waved at me with his spatula as I jogged out of the door, my phone already pressed to my ear.

"Hello dear," my mom's voice greeted.

"Hey mom," I answered, as I stepped into the elevator.

"How are you?"

"Fine."

"And what can I do for you?"

Straight and to the point.

"I need my credit card back."

Silence.

"I mean, unless you don't trust me," I added, playing onto the last time we saw each other, when they analyzed me at a lunch restaurant.

My mother wasn't the best mom, but she still had a conscience.

"We do," my mom promised. "It's just that this is a big step Emily."

"I know," I agreed. "I'm ready for it."

"Let me talk about it with your father," mom promised. "I'll call you back this afternoon."

That's as good as I was going to get.

"Okay," I agreed.

"I love you Emily."

"Love you too," I mumbled, before hanging up.

I drove to the school, heading to the library once I reached campus. I had a major paper due in AP Comp in a week, and I'd like to get a start on it.

"Emily?" a familiar voice asked behind me, as I was about a quarter of the way into my paper.

I turned to see Parker standing by the bookshelf, his eyebrows raised at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

All he had to do was mention seeing me here and Emmett was going to flip out because I'd lied to him.

"AP Calc tutoring," he said, nodding to a table across the room where a group of students were sitting.

They didn't exactly look like his type of crowd.

"Don't give me that look," he warned.

"You just didn't strike me as an AP Calculus type of guy."

"Yeah well I'm not."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Why are you here?"

"Just getting a head start on my paper."

"And you couldn't do that at the apartment?"

No, because Emmett would ask too many questions.

"I just needed some peace and quiet."

"Parker!" one of the girls from the table hissed.

"Keep your pants on," he called back, at full volume. "Be there in a sec."