EMISON: Memento Vivere (discontinued)

Chapter VI

"No, I'm good. I'm okay. Here." Ali said distantly.

Cece let Alison be and followed where Alison's eyes were set--where else but at the Brew where Emily works.

Both Cece and Alison were taken aback by the sight unfolding in front of them. Alison remained motionless, knees curled against her chest, hand tightly gripping her ipod.

Through Cece's hotel window, they both saw Emily walking out of the Brew hand in hand with a blonde girl. They were laughing, the blonde girl speaking in close proximity with Emily. From afar, the girl can almost pass up as Ali's Queen B threat during her glory days back in high school. The girl was fancy, that's for sure. She had a White Porsche car parked in front of the Brew. The mysterious girl placed her hand at Emily's lower back, guiding her to the front passenger's seat, opening the door for a smiling Emily.

Cece looked away from the two and instead motioned herself to look at Alison whose eyes were glimmering with a river of tears. Alison remained motionless, caring less about the tears that found its way. Both her hands looked liked they were drained of blood, both gripping her ipod very tight.

"Ali..."

"I'm okay," Alison mouthed, words barely able to get out of her mouth. Eyes still set towards the now empty parking space in front of the Brew. Gone is the White Porsche car that whisked her sweet Emily away.

Cece heaved a heavy sigh and instantly grabbed Ali for a hug.

"Sssh, I'm here Ali. I'm just here," Cece said in a hush tone, her hands gently raking over Alison's back in her efforts of comforting her. Alison instantly lost her grip on her ipod and hugged Cece back she could almost break Cece's bones. Alison burst into more tears, her body shaking, sobbing shamelessly, her arms not losing its tight grip against Cece's.

First day in Boston shouldn't have been this hard on Alison. She and Cece had a grand scheme on how she would go see Emily. But... Seeing Emily, finally, apparently happy with someone else was not exactly part of the plan. There was no Plan B or Plan C. There was just Plan A--ask for forgiveness and win Emily back. But after what they both saw, neither one could process if Plan A can still even be a reality.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," Ali kept saying. "I am so, so, sorry." Alison sobbed hard, until it felt like there was hardly any air that her lungs could take. She felt numb, dehydrated. It felt like she got slapped 20 times by Cece. It felt so real and so surreal at the same time to see Emily. She could feel the disappointment, resentment, frustration and exhaustion all boiling in her body. Her sweet Emily. Finally. In the flesh. But nothing prepared her for what she saw. Not even the years she spent cooped up, leaving her with nothing but to adjust to whatever's been left in her life. Emily was that one good thing she's ever had. No, great even. And she messed that up big time.

Cece can hardly count the number of times Alison said her sorry's. She knew it wasn't meant for her. It was meant for Emily. That one and only person Ali have learned to love the most.

++++++++++++

"Having fun yet?" Alexis asked, beaming with a smile.

Emily crunched her nose and pretended she wasn't enjoying. She mouthed the words "noooo". Alexis followed Emily's suit and stuck out her tongue.

"She did it again. She did an Ali thing," Emily thought to herself, causing a distraction between her playful banters with Alexis.

Alexis had gone into a habit of picking Emily up at the Brew whenever she can. She could sense that finally Emily's giving her a chance. At least her persistent efforts of wooing her has finally bear its fruits. Now Alexis is spending a could have been ordinary night with an extraordinary girl. There's really nothing she could ask for more. Except for one thing, maybe... Be Emily's girlfriend.

She snapped out of her thoughts, and consequently made her smile.

Emily noticed the sheepish smile plastered on Alexis face. For a moment, she savored the sight in front of her. Alexis was glowing, obvious with utmost bliss. Emily couldn't help but wonder if she feels the same amount of happiness as Alexis does. Could it be that she's feeling "happy" because Alexis is happy? Has she finally convinced herself that yes, like other people, she too can be happy. That maybe this time she can let her guards down finally.

She could hardly find any fault in Alexis. She was kind, down to earth and entirely easy to go along with. She's confident, smart and patient. She may be rich, but she was never the type to flaunt it--except on her obvious taste on cars and extravagant surprises and day outs with Emily. Alexis was the definition of fun. She just never runs out of energy, so it seems. When she first introduced her to her parents, she instantly captured their hearts. Which is why Emily promised to Alexis she'll set up a Skype conference call one of these days so she could meet the girls. And for the first time in a long time, Emily felt she may be ready to share her life again with someone else.

Alexis was serious when she said the first time she doesn't take no for an answer. Emily's turned her down several times, but the girl was definitely persistent. The first time Alexis laid her eyes on Emily way back at the park, she knew instantly that she was attracted to her. She thought to herself how gorgeous the brunette was. She almost looked like an angel from where she was sitting. Emily's face looked so peaceful, but distant. Alexis couldn't tell exactly if she was seeing things, because despite the kindness in Emily's face, she couldn't help but notice a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Alexis and Emily were sitting at a bench at the park, Emily not realising they're sitting on the same bench where she saw Alexis. Alexis recalled to Emily how she got her number.

(Flashback)

Alexis used to attend a boarding school in Paris. When her dad died, she took that as an excuse to leave Paris and head to the first state in the US that came to mind--Massachusetts. She doesn't have a lot of relatives abroad. She remembered she dated a tourist from Boston named Jake back in Paris so she took a chance of finding him in Facebook.

Alexis was set to meet Jake at the park, the same day Emily decided to do her photo walk. She was flirting with Jake when she caught Emily taking photos of her. All the flirting with Jake immediately went down the drain when she saw Emily's beautiful face.

"Are you sure you wanna pursue Em?" Jake asked curiously. "She's unavailable, you know."

"Why not? She's gorge."

"Tell me about it. If she was into guys, I'd be the first in line. That girl's as nice as an angel."

"Wait, she has a girlfriend? Is that why she's unavailable?"

"Nope," Jake said while he fumbled on his phone trying to retrieve Emily's number.

"Then what?" Now Alexis is curious.

"Three letters for you board school babe. Ali. She's an ex, an epic one. Like the one that got away shit kind of thing. There! Found her number!"

Sure, Alexis was never a believer of luck. But on that day when she first saw Emily, and with a little bit of help from Jake, she knew luck was on her side.

So what if Emily had an epic relationship, Alexis pondered to herself. She's no expert in one because she hasn't been in a serious relationship, but she's taken it as a challenge to know Emily more.

Yes, definitely, challenge accepted.