Sooner or Later (Feat. 1D and 5SOS)

15. Jiminy Crickets!

Tuesday morning, Emma woke up three hours early just to make sure she had enough time to pack and prepare for her date with Harry Styles.

Okay, so he hadn't technically asked her out on a date, but why split hairs? At this point, Emma was going to take advantage of whatever opportunity she could, and this bonfire was the perfect opportunity to make some magic happen, to create that special spark. So she packed her cutest swimsuit, her brightest beach towel, and lots of sun screen at the behest of her mother, who insisted that she would turn into a lobster if she didn't.

With her beach tote in hand and her backpack hanging over one shoulder, Emma walked outside to the bus stop and waited patiently for the school bus to arrive. For ten minutes, she waited with all younger children: seventh graders, sixth graders, and worst of all, elementary school students, who still picked their noses for entertainment. They all stared at her like she was some mystical creature, like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.

I can't wait 'til I start driving, Emma thought. The bus sucks.

Heidi Hoffman was sitting in her usual seat: the one all the way in the back and away from the annoying younger kids. Today, unlike other days, Heidi was not waiting to greet Emma. In fact, she didn't even notice her best friend step onto the bus. Instead, her eyes were once again glued to her new cell phone. How quickly it had become the center of her tiny, superficial universe.

Emma sat down next her friend. "Morning, Heidi."

"Morning," Heidi mumbled back as she scrolled through her Twitter feed. "Did you know that girls are already starting to look for their prom dresses? I've started looking at a few myself, and I can't find anything flattering."

"Heidi, we're thirteen. We can't even go to prom."

"So? I can still look." Finally, Heidi gave Emma her full attention, and when she noticed the beach tote, her brows knitted with confusion. "What's with the beach bag? Is the school having another one of their lame theme days? They tried that last year, and it was stupid."

"No," Emma answered. "Actually, Harry invited me to the lake after school. His friends are having a bonfire or something."

Heidi's jaw dropped. "You've gotta be kidding me. Emma, do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into? Have you even been to a bonfire? And the ones with your family don't count. Trust me, you're not gonna be singing sing-alongs and roasting marshmallows with these people."

Emma shrugged. "How different could it be?"

"Ugh, you're hopeless. They're gonna eat you alive."

"Maybe. But I don't care. All that matters is that I get to spend time with Harry."

At that, Heidi started to laugh. "Emma, you're stupid if you think Harry will be spending any time with you. He may have invited you, but that doesn't make it a date. Tonight, he'll be surrounded by girls. Lots of girls. High school girls. And then you'll see his true nature. You'll see that I was right all along."

Emma swallowed hard. "Well, I don't believe you. I mean, why would he invite me if he didn't wanna spend time with me?"

"Because he was being polite! The guy kicked you in the face with a soccer ball, remember? He's probably just doing this out of guilt."

"Out of guilt?" Emma slowly repeated, her tender young heart filling with doubt. "You really think he just did it to be nice?"

"Positive."

The school bus came to a stop then, and Luke, Calum, and Michael boarded the bus. In truth, Michael's bus stop was another three blocks away, but every morning he walked to Luke and Calum's stop because he hated waiting with the other kids on his block. Somehow, even first graders knew Michael Clifford was unpopular among his peers.