✓ 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, charlie conway

09 | it's okay to be a mess

"Did America always dominate?" Fulton questions.

"You fucking idiot," Emma chuckles, putting her face in her palms from secondhand embarrassment.

"No. America wasn't around back then," Ms. Mckay answers. "Don't forget that compared to other countries, America's still young. still forming its own identity. America's a teenager, just like you."

"Like us?"

"You bet. A little awkward at times, but always right there on the verge of greatness."

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

Emma boards the plane with her boxy blue carry-on luggage, side by side with Connie and Julie. They take their seats, Emma quickly claiming the window spot. Charlie, Goldberg, and Averman are seated in the row next to them. Averman has a silk eye mask on, and had the tray lowered with his feet propped up on it before a flight attendant came and chastised him.

"No, no, think about it! We're, like, a million feet in the air in some metal tube holding all of our stuff, and our life is in the hands of one single dude. Plus, we've got clouds and stuff covering everything. How the hell is he supposed to know where we are?" Goldberg rambles.

"I'm pretty sure the pilot's a woman," Emma says, turning her head to face him. "And calm, down, eat some pretzels, and you'll die happy."

"I don't like pretzels!" Goldberg whines, putting his head between his knees.

"Okay. Well, shut up, and I'll die happy."

"Wow, Hart, thank you, very compassionate," Goldberg mumbles.

"I try, darling."

"Wow, this is so cool. I've never flown anywhere before," Julie says, taking in her surroundings.

Emma's flown countless times before. But she knows it's a privilege that not everyone has access to, so she smiles warmly at Julie's enthusiasm and keeps quiet.

Her icy exterior from earlier in the week is starting to melt. She thought she would be sucky and grumpy to her friends for the rest of her life, but it turns out all it takes is some bonding time to become her old self. My dad doesn't exist, she tells herself. He doesn't exist, you live at home with your mom and Betty, and he doesn't exist. He can't hurt you.

"Hey, Julie, sorry about earlier," Connie says. "With all the bickering. Really, both me and Emma are excited to have another girl on the team. We're in desperate need of some new girlfriends."

"It's okay. I'm looking forward to being friends with you guys, too, really. All my teammates back in Maine were guys," Julie says, wincing.

"That must have been tragic," Emma says, returning the look.

"Yeah, it really was."

The girls all glance to the three boys across the aisle from them and share a laugh.

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

"Hey, you got a girl in the stands?" Charlie asks Adam, following his eyes to the bleachers.

They are leaning against the railing on the sidelines.