Knock On Wood (BoyxBoy)

chapter forty-three. kevin.

I've come to despise my house. It reminds me of everything that I hate.

It's a crappy house. Two floors of bare walls and basically-empty rooms. The only room with any furniture in it is my room and the living room.

This house reminds me of Dad, the stupid alcoholic asshole.

It reminds me of all the one-night stands I've had; all the stupid first kisses I've stolen.

This house reminds me of Emma. God, does it remind me of Emma. I freaking hate that it reminds me of her. Her stupid freaking manipulative ass.

She's the only reason I came back here. She's the only reason I'm back at home again.

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My doorbell rings and I groan, getting up from my bed to answer the door. When I get downstairs, I open the door to see Emma, her beach-blonde hair with brown roots curled and her dress the shortest she could find in stores.

"Hey," she says, batting her heavily mascaraed eyes.

I look at Emma, frowning. "Come in. Let's get this over with."

When she comes inside, I lead her to my couch and we both get out the chemistry homework we were assigned the day before.

"So, what do you need help with?" I ask, trying not to make eye contact with Emma.

"Oh, I don't know," She says, leaning on my shoulder and pointing at the paper in my lap. "This one?" She drags her finger down the page, closer to my crotch. "Maybe all of it?"

"Okay," I seethe, pushing her hand away from me. "Let's start one question one and see how far we get."

"Fine." She straightens her back and picks up her homework. "Question one: 'A compound that produces hydrogen ions in a solution is called what?""

"The options you have are base, polymer, salt, and acid. Do you know the difference between all of them?"

"Uhm... no?" She says.

I take a deep breath in, thoroughly annoyed at the idiot-blonde act she's doing. I explain what each of the options are easily before I look up at her from the paper. "Do you understand?"

Emma is silent and stares at me like a deer in headlights.

"Oh, boy," I mutter, shaking my head. "In one ear and right out the other, huh?"

"No, I heard you," she says. "I'm just thinking."

"About the question?"

"About you," she says, looking at the floor. "You've gotten so much smarter since we last dated. It seemed like you weren't even trying in school, and now look at you; you're explaining things better than the teacher can."

"It's just 'cause I got a tutor," I say. "Can we focus?"

"Why do you always do that?" Emma says, raising her voice in frustration.

"Do what?"

"Whenever I bring up us dating, you change the subject. Why is that?"

"Why can't you just let go?" I ask, irritated. "I wouldn't have to change the subject if you'd just stop bringing up the fact that we dated once. And you can hardly call what we had, 'dating'."

"We were together for three months, Kevin! What isn't real about three months?"

"Okay, fine, you want to know? I'll tell you," I say angrily, running a hand through my hair. "It was real for the first month. I liked you a lot. We went to homecoming, we walked to class together, you came to my games, it was good. The second month got rocky. We weren't spending a lot of time together because of finals and just being busy. And then the third month came and you just snapped."

Emma doesn't say anything. She just stares at her lap.

"I'll be right back," I say. I stand and walk into the kitchen. I feel like it's a good time to let her just... sit by herself.

When I get back, I hand Emma a glass of water and sit down.

"Hey, Kevin?" Emma asks after a bit.

"Yeah?"

"I miss you," she says. "I miss you a lot."

I don't say anything.

And then, she hugs me.

At first, I resent the contact. Touching her makes me remember things; makes me feel things. Not love-things, but hate-things, like anger for her walking all over me. But, after a minute, I just let it happen. I figure that, though it does make me uncomfortable, maybe this is what she needs to move on.

"Kevin," she whispers into my neck. "I have an idea."

"Okay," I say. "What is it?"

"I know how I can get over you. But I need your help."

"Anything," I say, relieved. "I'll do anything to help, Emma."

Emma moves her face to look into my eyes. "Really?"

I nod, and she kisses me.

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Hello, readers! Sorry for the late update, but I was studying last night for a huge test that I need to pass in order to graduate lol. I hope you enjoyed and leave me some comments on what you thought!