I'll Always be by Your Side (Noremma)

Love Letters

(A/n:  This is gonna be very short and cheesy!  I Promise the next chapter is going to be better.)

Norman continued looking at the sky before taking out a piece of paper and a pencil,

"If I can't confess to Emma now, I'll just write my feelings down so that later, when fate says it's right; I won't have to muster up a lot of courage."  He whispered.

He placed his paper on a rock and began writing,

Dear Emma,

It's me, Norman.

He stopped for a moment.  That just sounded completely weird and gross already.

He sighed before writing again

Hi, Emma!

I hope you are doing well.

He stopped once again, it sounded like something on the back of a postcard and he didn't want that.

"Just be yourself, there's no point in trying to give Emma a false impression of the type of guy you are."  He recited.  Ray had given that piece of advice long ago and he had forgotten it until now.  

He picked up his pencil and began to write,

Dear Emma,

I know this may sound a bit weird coming from your best friend but...

I like you, a lot.

It's ok if you don't like me back, I hope we can still stay friends and I get to walk alongside you for as long as I can.

Just don't force yourself to do anything, ok?

-from Norman

He dropped his pencil and carefully folded up the letter.

Norman knew that it wasn't that great of a letter and all of the confessions he planned in his head were all verbal.  He still kept the letter anyway, as a backup plan in case everything fails.  He jumped when he felt someone poking him

"Norman, are you alright?"  Emma asked.  Norman sighed in relief,

"Yep, just thinking of something.  How long have you been awake?"  He asked

"I just woke up."  Emma said, standing up.  Norman followed her as Emma led them deeper into the woods,

"Emma, this doesn't look like home."  Norman observed.

Emma shrugged, "I know but it's been so long since we've hung out alone, so I figured that we could right now!"  She responded.  Norman stopped in his tracks, causing Emma to turn around, "Oh, do you not want to hang out right now?"  She asked.

Norman shook his head, "Nonono, it's ok.  I was just... Worried for a test tomorrow!"  He lied.  Emma reached the designated spot.  A little clearing in the middle of the woods that they used whenever roleplaying or cosplaying with the group.

"Wow!  It's so much bigger when it's just us!"  Emma exclaimed, spinning around.

"Careful!  You're going to get dizzy!"  Norman shouted before running to catch up to Emma.  Emma flopped on the floor and began laughing.

After a minute she stood up, "Hey Norman?"  She asked,

Norman finally reached her "What's wrong, Emma?"

'I like you.'  She thought.  Those three words should have been simple enough to say out loud, but they got caught in her throat, "Promise me that we'll be friends forever."  She said.  The time wasn't right for her to confess because she just thought that Norman saw her as a friend.

Norman was shocked by those words, "Yeah, I promise.  But why are you bringing this up now?"  He asked,

Emma shrugged, "I just thought with college being so close, we'll be living our lives away from each other soon!"  She lied.  Norman could sense that wasn't the reason but decided not to pry.

"Hey, Emma?  We should probably be using this time to work on school work."  He said, changing the topic.

"But what do we do?  I don't have my textbook with me."  Emma explained.

Norman thought for a while, "Well, since the dance is coming soon, maybe we could practice together?  It is a large part of our grade after all."

Emma nodded and dusted herself off.  "what's first?"  

"Remember what the teacher said, first put your hand on my shoulder and. . . I'll uh have to-"

"I know your stressing about it!  Don't worry about it, this is only because we're dance partners right?  Not anything more!"

"hehe, yeah right!"  Norman responded, feeling slightly disappointed that his feeling weren't reciprocated. 

"Norman!  Are you ok?  You're zoning out."

"I'm okay, Emma, let's just continue."  The duo began to waltz to a tune they both new so well.  Isabella's lullaby.  Emma quietly began humming along and before Norman knew it, the song ended.  "Are you feeling better now?"  Norman asked.  

Emma nodded her head, "Let's head back now."  

"Alright, I just forgot something real quick.  Stay here and I'll be right back!"  Norman responded.  After Emma nodded, he ran as fast as he could back to the river and began kicking stones.  He felt like such an idiot, Emma obviously liked Ray!  The two were together all the time.  He took out the letter and threw it into a lake.  Norman vowed to himself that he'll try to suck up his feelings and to let his two best friends be happy.  "As long as Emma's happy, then I'll be happy."  He muttered.  After a minute, he calmed down and headed back to where Emma was,

"Did you find what you were looking for?"  Emma asked.

"Yeah, let's go.  The sun is starting to rise."

The duo began to head back.  All that was running through his head was the memories created in that very forest, all of them were very good past-times.  Why did it also have to be the place where he had his first heartbreak?