Outer Space

Chapter 2 - New and Old Friends

"It's not a big deal," Jemma said. Trying her best to avoid all of the questions that she knew Charlie was bound to ask her in the next few minutes. She had tried to cover the bruise with makeup that morning to avoid all of the questions overall, but that clearly didn't work out too well.

However, Jemma's saving grace seemed to appear out of nowhere in the form of Charlie's annoying coworker, Janie. Turns out that she could catch a break today. "Hey Lee Lee," Janie said as she walked over to the counter that the two girls were sitting at. "I was thinking that since this place is pretty empty me and you could go into the back, and you know... talk." She said completely ignoring that Charlie looked to be in a pretty serious and heated discussion.

Okay so maybe Jemma couldn't catch a break because she didn't exactly want to be around to hear any of this. "You know what Charlie," She began saying. "That sounds like a good idea. You haven't 'talked' to anyone in a while."

Before she even finished her sentence she was already collecting her things and getting ready to leave. "See you later." She said as she opened the door, not waiting for a response. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible avoiding any possible conversation on the bruise that stained her face.

..........

As Jemma walked aimlessly through the streets of Los Angeles she watched the people that were around her. When she wanted a mini escape from her world she always looked into the worlds of others. It was like reading a book without having to read and watching a movie without having to pay for it. People watching... It was real life and it was there for her pleasure. 

Walking in front of her she saw a family. A mother, father, and a little girl. She watched the little girl grab both of her parents' hands then proceed to say, "swing." The two parents then lifted the girl up as she jumped, almost simulating a swing.

"1, 2, 3, jump." The three family members counted down together.

Jemma found it weird that the little girl wasn't in school. It was only one in the afternoon witch means that kid should definitely still be there. Maybe her parents took her out early for ice cream, Jemma thought. Or maybe they were on vacation and we're enjoying time together as a family. Either way they were happier than Jemma and her family ever were or ever could be and even though she refused to admit it Jemma craved that little girl's life, a life with parents that loved her. 

..........

After a long day of just walking around the city, Jemma was glad that she was finally able to collapse in bed to take a well deserved nap. Then, all of a sudden Jemma began to hear an annoying chirping sound. Instantly recognizing the sound as the one that her friend set up to be her ring tone she pulled her old, worn down phone out of her back pocket. Picking up the phone she said, "Hey Emmie."

Emmie didn't know about most of the things that went on in Jemma's life and if it were up to Jemma she never would. Emmie knows the Jemma that Jemma pretends to be, she knows the Jemma that has a normal life, a normal family. Around Emmie, she is a completely different person, unrecognizable to the few people that know the real her. It was easier that way. 

"Hey girl, where'd you go today?" She asked with her almost annoyingly peppy voice. Emmie had this thing where she was totally and completely unable to not be happy. Drastically different from Jemma who could pretty much count the number of times that she had been truly happy in her life on one hand.

Jemma didn't want to tell Emmie the real reason she had left school that day because she knew that Emmie would go straight to her mother. Her mother,  the vice principal of the school that both girls attend. Jemma did not want Mrs. Turner to end up realizing she said something to the vice principal and then worm her way farther up her ass than she already was. "I felt like I was gonna barf," Jemma settled with as her answer, real classy. 

Emmie didn't usually notice when Jemma ditched because the two of them only had first period together and lunch two out of the five days. So as long as she didn't skip first period and she stayed until after lunch on those two days a week she was home free. The school was ginormous, her graduating class alone had around 400 people and since Emmie was in mostly honors classes she was on the opposite side of the school that Jemma was supposed to be on for most of the day.

"Oh no, you're sick! I'll bring you soup. Wait, are you supposed to eat soup when you're throwing up? Hold on do you eat soup or drink it. I think you eat it. No, you drink it." By now Jemma has completely stopped listening to Emmie's internal arguments that come out as confusing ramblings, preferring to just think up a good enough lie to convince her that it is not a good idea for her to come over.

Deciding enough was enough Jemma interrupted Emmie saying, "I'm fine Em. I think I just ate something last night. I just had to get it out of my system." Knowing how gullible and naive she is Jemma had no doubt that her lie would convince her that she was fine.

"Okay, if your sure you're fine," Emmie responded without questioning. "But if you're not sick anymore then you should come over, you haven't slept over in like a week." Apparently a week with no sleepovers was too much. Jemma didn't mind going over as much as she did though because it meant that she wouldn't have to be at home. It meant that she wouldn't have to be at home with him.

"Sure." Jemma answered, "I'll even pick up a tub of cookie dough ice cream for us to pig out on." Jemma hates cookie dough ice cream but she eats it anyway because it has always been Emmie's favorite. Since the day Emmie pulled it out of the freezer for the first time Jemma just hasn't had the heart to tell her that she doesn't like it.

After the two said their goodbyes and hung up Jemma decided that she still had enough time to lay down and rest her eyes for a few minutes. She didn't even expect to fall asleep, but when she woke up an hour later to the same annoying chirping that disrupted her earlier in the day she realized that she had been wrong.

"Where are you." Was the first thing Emmie said when Jemma answered the phone.

Not wanting to tell Emmie about her nap she just said, "Sorry I got caught up, I'm on my way now." After Emmie answered with confirmation that she heard Jemma hung up and proceeded to bolt around her room getting everything that she would need for the night and the next morning.

Right as she exited her bedroom and walked into her sad excuse for a living room she heard the unmistakable sound of a knock at the front door. Since no one ever came over and she knew that he was at work she was a little cautious when going to open the door. As she walked past the kitchen counter she picked up a knife just in case, knowing what people around here were like.

As she pulled the door open she was shocked at what she saw. Dropping the knife that she had been holding to the ground, she couldn't take her eyes off of him and it seemed like he couldn't take his eyes off of her either.

After their staring match, he finally relented and became the first of the two to speak. In that deep voice that she would never be able to forget. The same voice that often plagues her nightmares he said, "Long time no see blondie."