The End of Innocence

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

CLARE GASPS. EMERSON gasps.

The two stare at each other for a moment. The adults glance at each other in evident anxiety.

"C-clare," Emerson stutters. "Wow. I didn't realize it would be somebody that I knew..." She glances at Julian in confusion, and Clare wants to disappear, right there. Emerson must think she's an absolute freak after what happened last week. She can't even look Clare in the eye now.

"So you two do know each other!" Julian says. He's trying to sound upbeat.

Clare's mom gives him a weak smile. "You're... you're friends, right, Clare?" She's trying to get Clare to say yes so she can go drink cocktails with Miranda and not have to worry about her daughter. Clare clenches her fist. She has to say no. She has to leave. She can't let Serena expose her secret. It would ruin her.

She nods. "Yeah."

Emerson nods too. "This is so great," she says, probably for Julian's benefit. "Clare, you want to go upstairs?"

Clare follows her. They slink up the stairs, the adults already forgetting them as they begin to talk downstairs.

For a townhouse, Julian's place pretty nice. There are three bedrooms—the master and two offices—and two bathrooms. Emerson leads Clare to a small living room and holds up a hand so that Clare won't speak.

"I didn't know it was going to be you, Clare," she says. "I promise. And I'm not going to tell Serena that we hung out. I'm not really interested in being her friend anymore. You don't have to worry."

Clare doesn't know what to say. Emerson and Serena, not friends? It doesn't add up.

"Look, she has some great blackmail," Clare says. "I can't afford it if she finds out." It's weird talking to Emerson about this, but then again, she has nothing to lose anymore.

Emerson shakes her head so vigorously that Clare giggles at the sight. "I am not going to tell Serena," Emerson says. "I don't want something to happen to you, and don't say I don't get it because I have seen what that girl can do to people. I just—I'd really like to hang out with you." Clare starts to interrupt, but Emerson puts her hand back up, shoving it in Clare's face. It makes Clare laugh how pushy Emerson is being. "Honestly, I'm really glad you're here," Emerson continues. "I can't tell you how sick I am of my friends right now."

"But... they're your best friends," Clare says. This doesn't feel real. It's too much like her daydreams.

And, anyways, the last time she thought Emerson had accepted her, she ended up worse than before.

Emerson nods. "Yeah. And they're all good people. I just can't put up with all their drama." She sighs. "Please, Clare? I swear, I'm not going to tell."

It surprises Clare that Emerson is so against the drama. Her old friends in Ohio were a lot like Emerson's group, and even if there was a lot of annoying drama between them, she never abandoned her friends for it. It never made her so sad she couldn't talk to them anymore.

Of course, this is a chance to make a friend here in Altenview, which is something she really needs. So she nods.

"Okay," she says, and then, "Okay!"

"Actually, I have something I need to talk to you about," Emerson says, and Clare smiles.. "Annie Levin is dropping out of swim, and Coach Williams let varsity decide who the new JV captain should be."

Clare nods. Hopefully it's one of her nicer teammates, like Taylor Nathanson, who always congratulates her on her times.

Emerson has a smile on her face, a kind of smile that Clare recognizes. It's the kind of smile that Clare's parents get on their faces when she opens a present they think she's going to really like.