The Wallflower Game

Chapter Eighteen

Today, Keith and Kimberly came over for lunch. Emily suspected that Katy had leaked something to their mother because it was their mother who requested she invite them over. Her reason was that she was curious as to who she was babysitting. Emily knew her mother was a practical lady and usually did not bother with such trivial things, so Emily knew something was up. When she had approached Katy, Katy smiled, which to Emily was a confirmation of her suspicions. 

Emily had warmed up towards Keith now, smiling at him in school and sometimes when she saw him at the library, she would go over and sit next to him. If they met around the neighborhood, Emily was willing to initiate a conversation, chatting all the way until they had to walk separately. 

Emily enjoyed Keith’s company. He was humorous, sincere and attentive. He had little quirks that made her want to frown and laugh at the same time. For example, Keith would yawn loudly then take a deep breath only about one or two seconds later, sometimes when he was distracted and Emily tried to catch his attention again, he turn back and scan all her features in a split second before continuing. 

She still had romantic feelings for him, of course, but she had to pace herself and take it slow. Keith didn’t push her, as he promised. He just treated her like a good friend and she appreciated that. But there were times when he thought she wasn’t looking and he would just gaze at her quietly. And sometimes when they walked too close and their hands brushed, he would immediately distance himself and put his hands in his pockets but continue chatting in a lively manner as though nothing had happened. 

All this taken into consideration, Katy had no right to tell their mother anything, much less hint that there was something beyond friendship. 

Now Emily stood in front of her closet, searching for something to wear. 

“Just friends, huh?” Katy’s teasing voice sounded from her door. Emily turned back to see her leaning against the doorframe with a smirk on her face. 

“What is it now?” Emily grumbled.

“You don’t need to think of what to wear for a mere friend,” Katy kept smirking.

“So I just go naked?” Emily flipped through her dresses.

“He’d like that, for sure.” Katy walked in. Emily chose to ignore that comment.

Katy picked a dress out. “This is nice.”

Emily glared at her. “I wore that dress before.” Katy just rolled her eyes and picked out another dress.

This entire process took about twenty minutes before they were running late and so Emily just picked a random dress to wear. She tied her hair up into a neat pony tail because she didn’t have time to attend to it. In the midst of all this, she realised that she had been paying more attention to how she looked only recently. Before, she used to leave her hair as it was when she just woke up, maybe just running her fingers through it instead of using a comb, throw on some casual clothes, mock her sister’s daily beauty routine that took forever and sometimes secretly hide her makeup and nail polish. 

She shook her head and sighed. This was all Keith’s fault. 

Over lunch, Keith was polite and courteous to her mother, which Emily liked. Whenever he complimented her mother, Katy would wiggle her eyebrows at Emily, which made her roll her eyes. Today she sat next to him and their elbows kept touching, which kept distracting her. 

Her mother also kept cooing at every single thing Kimberly did. 

“She’s so adorable,” she would say, with her eyes all lit up as though she was a child unwrapping Christmas gifts. “Unlike you two girls,” she would add, which both sisters just shrugged off since they were used to hearing that. 

“I disagree,” Keith smiled, “I think your daughters are adorable too.” When he said this, he leaned slightly towards Emily, unaware he was doing so. Katy laughed, knowing the compliment wasn’t meant for her, then kicked Emily under the table, causing her to cough and blush. Emily in turn glared at Keith, who was biting his lip and grinning back at her. Emily stared at him for a while then shook her head and continued eating. 

“Keith, are you going for the batch camp?” Katy asked. 

Keith nodded and Kim asked, “What camp?”

“All the students in our year have to go for this camp,” Keith explained. “It’s supposed to give us a break from academic work and help us bond better with our friends and whatnot.”

“What will you be doing?” Kim licked her lips trying to clean her mouth. 

Keith took his napkin and wiped her mouth and cheeks for her. “We’re gonna climb a mountain, Kimmie.”

Kimberly scrunched up her face at the new nickname and turned to Emily. “Are you going too?”

“Yeah, it’s compulsory unless you have a valid reason.” Emily shrugged. 

“Have you packed yet?” Keith addressed his question to Emily. 

“Nah, our class hasn’t received the packing list yet anyway.” 

“I could pass you mine and you can start over this weekend,” Keith offered. 

“It’s alright. There’s two more weeks to pack, no rush.”

Keith nodded and they continued lunch. 

Two weeks later, Emily and Katy were rushing to pack their bags. Clothes and toiletries were everywhere and they were shouting at each other. 

“No! That one doesn’t go in that bag!”

“But there’s space here!”

“Just gimme that thing.”

“Where is the toothpaste?”

Their mother popped into their room. “Please sleep early, you both have a long day tomorrow.”

“We know, Mom,” they groaned in unison. It was eleven at night and they had yet to prepare their bags for tomorrow’s camp. 

Emily’s phone rang and she dove on the bed to answer it while searching for the other pair of socks. 

“Hello?”

“Hi Em,” Keith said. 

“What happened?” Emily found only one sock. Where is the other one?

“Just wanted to talk to you,” Keith continued in a calm voice. She could picture him sitting on his bed, bags all packed and had nothing else to do. “Excited for tomorrow?”

“I have no time for this,” Emily looked around frantically. 

“Did you take the shampoo?” Katy yelled from the bathroom. 

“No, I didn’t! You said you had it!” Emily shouted back at her. 

“Ouch,” Keith winced. “Bring the phone away from you when you’re screaming, okay?”

“Sorry,” Emily said without really meaning it because her mind was somewhere else. “You know I love talking to you and all but now is just a really, really bad time,” Emily said, feeling guilty. 

“It’s alright, I can tell you’re busy. I won’t bother you then.” Keith paused. “Rest well tonight, okay?” He said softly. 

“You too,” Emily said gently, mirroring the tender voice he used. “See you tomorrow.”

“G’night.” She hesitated, then hung up. 

“Stop having phone sex and help me out here!” Katy screeched. 

Emily jumped to her feet. “Mom and Dad will hear you!”

“I already heard her,” her Mother said in a monotonous voice as she walked past the room. “Your dad’s asleep so keep it down.”

“Keith and I are just friends,” Emily groaned but nobody believed her.