"So when do you think is Mrs. Flitch going to announce our partners for the BHWF this year?" Brooklyn asks me, sitting down next to me and opening her fruit juice. We are currently having lunch time and I'm really happy that we made up.
"I don't know. Rumor has it that it'll be this week. But maybe she's going to tell us once we're at the mountains." I shrug.
"Man, I really hope I'll be with one of you guys this year again. But I have a feeling that none of us is going to be together." She says and I nod, taking a bite of my apple.
"What's up, peeps?" Stella asks, sitting down next to Brooklyn. We smile at her and I frown at the lack of my best friend. Normally she's here before Stella.
"Where's Zada?" I ask and Stella nods at the line of students behind me. I turn around and my stomach immediately drops. Hades. Hades and Zada, smiling at each other. No way...Oh she's coming over here. And Hades too...
"Hey guys." She greets us and I just nod at her, continuing to munch on my food. Hades sits down next to me, great. He is now sitting between me and Zada. Don't flip, Emma. Why am I so angry all of a sudden? The whole time we've successfully avoided a conversation with each other.
After I had my talk with Zada two days ago, he came home late. He slept over noon the next day and helped my mom with chores. No conversation and interacting for us both. And today he drove me to school, because mom thought it was a waste of gas to drive in two separate cars. And again, we didn't talk or look at each other once. I'm fine with that, but now I just feel annoyed with him.
"What did we miss?" I hear Zada ask and almost roll my eyes. Since when did they become an 'us'.
"Oh, we were just wondering when Mrs. Flitch is going to announce the pairs for the BHWF." Stella shrugs. I hope I have somebody who's nice. Maybe a girl or a guy I have never even talked to. So I get to know a new person.
"Oh. I think she's going to announce it on the mountains. I just have a feeling. But maybe she'll tell us now and lets us practice how to work together. That would make more sense." Zada shrugs and I nod. That would definitely make more fun.
"If you don't want that, I'm eating it." I turn my head to Stella and see her eyeing Hades' plate. He shrugs and pushes his food towards her. I frown, but keep my mouth shut. He didn't have a good breakfast either today. All he ate was an apple.
"Thanks." Stella says and he winks at her, making me roll my eyes.
"Gotcha." He says and looks around the cafeteria. What is he doing? He seems so off. I decide not to question it and stand up.
"Guys, I have to go to the library. See you later." I say and they exchange a look. I know I have been going to the library pretty often lately, but that's just an excuse. In reality I just meet up with Bradley and we talk. I feel bad for just leaving him at the party. Especially after what he told me about Jack.
We say good bye and I make my way to the library. Once I'm in, I walk towards our usual spot and sit down on the ground. I hope he isn't mad, that I just left him, but I think he understood why I had to go that quickly.
"Hey." I hear him say and sit down next to me. I smile at him and greet him back.
"So, how's Xandros' grandma?" He asks.
"She's doing good." I answer.
"Well, that's good I guess. He must be happy." He says and I nod. At least I think he is.
"Yup. Sorry I left you at the party, though." I say and he shakes his head.
"Are you kidding me? Of course you had to go. No apologize needed. Did you talk it out yet?" He asks, making me sigh and pick on my nails. I need to get them done too.
"Nope. And I don't think he wants to anymore. He's been acting pretty distant lately. Probably because of all that stuff with his grandma." I shrug and he nods.
"Enough talking about him. Did you talk to Jack?" I ask him and he nods and I can already see his face light up. I guess at least one of us had a good talk.
"Yes, we made up and decided we would try a long distant relationship." He tells me.
"Oh, I hope you guys will work it out." I say, making him smile at me. I really do hope they will.
><><><><
"Give it back." I say and he frowns at me.
"I just need it for a second." He says, handing it back to me and crouching down to get his own pencil case out of his backpack.
"Then ask me, like everybody else. You know I hate it when people touch my stuff." I say and for a second his body straightens. What? He knows it.
"I guess." He sighs and finally gets his own pencil out. I watch him write his name on the task sheet that we just received. I frown back at mine when he catches me.
"Already trying to copy? I haven't even started yet." I could literally hear the smirk through his voice.
"Ha-ha. I was just thinking." I roll my eyes. Oh how am I supposed to work like this for the rest of this school year. Mrs. Flitch decided to change our seating system in biology and I'm seated next to, drum roll please, Hades.
"Sure, you were." He says and I stop responding and concentrate on the worksheet.
Mrs. Flitch didn't give us a particular reason why she just randomly changed our seating chart, but it doesn't take a genius to know that I'll most likely be Hades' partner for the BHWF. I kind of thought so, but didn't want the idea of us being partners for almost three days, get to my head.
"So you know we'll probably be partners for this event." I hear him whisper and turn my head towards him. He keeps writing his answers, well aware of my eyes on him.
"Yeah. Well sorry to disappoint you." I shrug and continue writing my own answers. I hear him stop writing and feel his eyes on me.
"What do you mean?" He asks. I shrug and he sighs and starts writing his answers again.
"I mean, no alone time for you and Zada. Or Julie...or Jaiden." I say, shrugging again. He snorts.
"What would I want with Julie?" He asks. So he wants Zada?
"I don't know. You tell me." I say.
"Green isn't your color, Emma." He says, sounding serious and I frown. Jealous? Me?
"The hell did you smoke?" I ask, glaring at him and he chuckles and shakes his head again.
"Whatever. I'm okay with us being partners. Even if I wanted to change it, Mrs. Flitch probably wouldn't let me." He shrugs. So he wants to change partners, then?
"Well, you should try it." I say, hopefully not sounding too hurt.
"Is it that time of the month again or are you just dumb?" He asks, rudely and I gasp and glare at him. He glares right back at me. I feel a few heads snap towards us, but ignore it.
"Miss Donatelli. What seems to be the problem?" I hear Mrs. Flitch ask and drop eye contact with Hades. We're not done yet.
"I'm sorry. A fly just scared me." I say and she shakes her head, but goes back to reading her magazine.
Hades already dropped his gaze towards his sheet again and I mirror his actions. I didn't think he would talk to me again, but after a few minutes he opened his mouth again.
"That also means, you get no alone time with Bradley." I frown and look at him. He is looking right at me and it is now that I realize that he doesn't know about Bradley's sexuality and so I decide to play him just a little bit. Revenge for the period insult.
"Yeah, too bad. But we spend enough time together in our free time." I shrug and drop my gaze towards the table again. I saw his jaw clench and was afraid I would start laughing.
"Huh." He says and I nod. Silence follows and after a few seconds, he starts writing again.
Suddenly he drops his pencil and my head snaps to him. He frowns and his hands are massaging his temples. I place my hand on his bicep.
"Hades, what-" Before I could finish my sentence his eyes roll to the back of his head and I have experienced Hades fainting yet another time. The teacher comes rushing towards us and tells some student to go get the school's nurse. I just try to stop my heart from bumping out of my rib cage.
><><><><
I've been sitting here for almost two hours. School has ended an hour ago, but Hades still didn't wake up. I remember my mom telling me that after he fainted in my room, he slept for more than four hours, so this might take longer.
I called mom and told her I would get him home, so she could continue running the flower's shop. She didn't want to, but she eventually agreed that it would be unnecessary to close the job and then just wait. I also called Maria and she told me that I need to make sure that he's eating. The doctor said, last time when he fainted, it was because his body wasn't used to normal food again.
That's where my heart stopped beating. I mean, just imagine what they fed him in jail. What he had to go through. And he had nobody, but his grandma, who visited him every single week. I feel so bad, you don't know. I mean, sure we had a fight, but I could've visited him. Mom actually asked me every month if I wanted to, but I kept saying no. And now after I heard what the doctor said, I hate myself for not visiting my best friend in jail. I'm the bad guy here. I really am.
I stand up from the chair next to the school nurse's bed, ready to go to the bathroom and wipe my face again. I have shed tears, just because it is now coming to me. I realize that I could've fixed it years ago. I could've swallowed my pride and talked it out with him.
"Emma?" A cracked voice stops me from leaving the small room. I quickly wipe my tears away and turn around. I hope my eyes aren't too puffy.
"Are you crying?" So much to that. I shake my head, not trusting my voice.
"Of course you were. But why? Am I dying? Did they find a tumor in my head or something? Emma, you're scaring me." He says, stressed out. I laugh and watch him sit up and look around.
"You're not dying. I just have something in my eye." I lie and he gives me an 'are you serious' look. I sigh and drop my gaze. I hear him stand up and seconds later he is in front of me and lifts my chin up for me to meet his worried eyes. I smile sadly at him and he crooks his head to the right.
"What's wrong?" He asks, his thumb getting rid of another tear. Why is he so nice to me? I don't even deserve this.
"Emma, wh-" I stop him by doing something I also didn't expect I'd ever do again. I hug him. I was afraid he would push me off of him, but it only takes him a second, before he wraps his arms around my body. I tighten my arms around his waist and smell his cologne.
He rubs my back and places his chin on top of my head. I missed this. I miss him. I miss us.
"I'm sorry." I whisper and he pulls away slightly, looking straight into my eyes. I don't know if he knows what I mean, but he doesn't question it and just pulls me back into his embrace.
I cry even more and pull away, so I can go and freshen myself up a bit. I instantly miss his warmth when we untangle our arms from each others' bodies. I walk out and into the closest school bathroom. I look like a mess. His confused look that he threw me seconds ago, almost makes me laugh.
I wash my face. I can't believe it took me so long to realize that I am the bad guy. And that it's my fault we are no friends again. I get back into the nurse's room to see the nurse talking to Hades, who puts his jeans jacket on. It is slowly getting cold here and I should've brought a jacket too, but we are just walking across the street and get into the car, no big deal.
"Thank you." I hear Hades say to the nurse and he walks over to me, an unsettled smile playing on his lips. If I were him I wouldn't know how to react either. And I think he dies to now what just happened between us. He quickly signs a paper and I join his side and we walk out of the room together.
"So..." He says, while I get my keys out of my backpack. I bite my lip and look at him. He looks at me with curious eyes and I sigh.
"Well, you need to eat more." I say and he rolls his eyes.
"That's not what I meant." He sighs, running a hand through his hair. I know, but am I ready to talk about what just happened? Nope.
"Well, that's all I can tell you." I say, walking faster and pushing the school doors open. I instantly get greeted by the chilly evening air.
"Did you tell my grandma?" He asks, worried and I nod.
"Why?" He groans, stepping into my car.
"Because she's your grandma, Hades. She deserves to know." I close my door after getting in as well.
"But she'll worry for nothing." He says, putting his seat belt on.
"She told me I should make sure you're eating." I tell him and start the engine.
"I don't need a babysitter. Thank you very much." He snorts.
"Well, then eat next time." I shrug and pull out of the parking lot.
"I wasn't hungry." He murmurs. I sigh and stop at a red light. I glance at him, seeing him looking out of the window. He has no idea how I feel about him and I think it should stay that way.
Although I might want the past back and just be best friends with him again, I know that is never going to happen. Too much stuff happened and too much time passed by. I start driving again, taking a left turn, instead of a right. I need ice cream.
"Where are we going?" He asks, noticing my wrong turn.
"I'm just quickly going to the supermarket." I say and park in front of it. He sighs and mumbles a quiet 'k'.
I step in and immediately walk towards the ice cream section. Ever since I can remember my favourite ice cream was a local sort called 'nut salad'. It is a small bucket of pistachio, hazelnut, coconut and good ole vanilla bean ice cream. I grab the biggest one and pay for it. When I'm seated in my car seat again, I put the bucket on Hades lap and it seems like he just now noticed, that I bought ice cream.
"Oh, can I have some of that?" He asks and I roll my eyes. I forgot it was his favourite too.
"Only because you fainted." I say and finally drive us home.
"Thanks." He says, like a little child. Sometimes he doesn't even know that he is acting like a child, unless you tell him.
In just some more minutes I'm already seated on my bed, eating the ice cream while watching some movie on TV. I gave Hades a good amount and now have half of the bucket gone already. But I'm on my period so I'm allowed to do that. It's my last day anyways. So I should enjoy it.
"Can I have some more?" I hear Hades entering my room. I didn't even hear him knock, because today I just really seem off. I can't get my feelings straight and also don't know how to handle them. I nod and he closes my door behind him. I feel the bed dip and soon he is seated in front of me, blocking my view from the TV.
"Hades, you're in my way." I sigh, not feeling the strength to be mad at him. He frowns and turns around to turn off the TV. When he looks back at me, I frown at his worried look.
"Emma, you have been acting weird ever since I fainted. What happened?" He asks and I shrug and dig my spoon into the ice cream again.
"Emma, look at me." He says and I shake my head. I hear him sigh and soon the ice cream is taken away from me.
"No." I say, like a little child that just got her toy taken away. He places the bucket behind him and grabs my chin to make me look at him.
"Hey." He whispers and scoots closer. I didn't realize that I was crying until he wiped a single tear away. Jesus, get it together Emma. It's like my miserable phase all over again. He hugs me tight and I cry against his chest.
"I'm so sorry." I say.
"For what?" He asks, confused. I shake my head, not wanting to tell him and I hear him sigh. He pulls away, so he can wipe some more tears away and kiss my forehead, his lips lingering on my forehead.
"Hades- how, how can you be so nice to me?" I ask him, trying hard not to hiccup.
"What?" He asked, shocked and pulls away from me again.
"I mean- why?" I ask and his frown deepens. I can see him thinking and look away. Am I ready to hear his answer? Nope.
"Because you're my Emma." He says in a duh tone and a sad smile grazing his lips.