EMERY STANDS in front of the bookshelf in the school library, looking for something new to hurry through on her free period.
She examines the spines, and comes across one that looks promising. She pulls it from the shelf, and sees one dark eye. She jumps back, surprised. She starts to remove the others.
When her arms are overflowing with dusty books, she recognizes the boy as Kade. She smiles.
"Quite a creepy way to get my attention, Kade." She licks eyes with him from the other side of the shelf.
"Oh? I thought it was cinematic." He scoffs, and disappears.
He comes around and helps Emery place the books back. She looks up at the taller boy.
"Hi." She says.
"Hi Emery." He responds.
She shakes her head and heads back to her table with the book she spotted earlier. Kade follows right behind her.
"Okay I've never seen you in here before." Emery smirks from behind her book.
His lips part. "What? I come here all the time to- um you know, read." He shrugs, leaning back in his chair.
"Mhmm." Emery nods, hiding behind knowing smile.
"Okay fine. I saw you come in here and I thought you might want company." He says, showing off his crooked smile.
"From you?" She places her book down.
His face goes blank, and he straightens up.
"Because in that case, I do." She grins.
He lets out a breath and lets out a relieved laugh.
"You're ice cold." He shakes his head.
She sees Harven come into sight outside the library doors. His head goes to Kade. He starts to head towards them.
"Hey, babe." He says, slipping an arm around Emery's shoulder. She grimaces lightly at him.
"Hey, Harven. What a nice surprise." She says flatly.
"You never fucking come to the library, Kade." Harven turns to him, chuckling skeptically.
Kade rolls his eyes. "It seemed like a good day to start, eh?" He responds.
Emery had already gotten back to her book, not having any interest in their conversation. Harven pulls her up and away from the table, leaving her to give Kade a lost look.
"Emery, what is wrong with you?" Harven asks when they reach a crevice in the hallway.
She widens her eyes. "What? I've done nothing." She defends. He gives her a dumb look, and you bet she gives one right back.
"You told me not to get with anyone and you're getting all sappy with Kade?" He says harshly.
"Oh that's nothing. Just talking to someone who's actually a good person. You could learn a thing or two." She cocks her head.
(We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two- a/n sorry😂)
"Just lay off the flirting. You're letting our facade slip. Tsk." He finishes.
"We're friends, okay. And that babe thing? Not gonna work." She shakes her head.
"Don't be such a killjoy, Emery." He rolls his eyes. She huffs. Emery turns her head, seeing Ethan just a couple feet away, already looking her way.
She stares, blocking the thoughts.
"You looking for something?" Harven shouts from behind her. She widen her eyes and twists around.
"Harven!" She hisses.
Ethan walks closer and Emery finds her arms around herself again.
"I'm sorry?" Ethan asks, eyeing Harven's form. They stand at the same height.
"I said are you looking for something? You seem awfully intrigued in our conversation." Harven cocks his head.
Ethan's index finger twitches, a sign that emery recognized. He's getting riled up. Harven looks even more laid back then usual, his own tell, in a way.
"Oh no, I was just thinking about how pathetic this relationship is." Ethan chuckles. Emery's stuck in the middle, not wanting to move because they are like wild bulls, trying to get at each other.
Which, on its own, should be a clear sign to move before something happens.
"Oh look! You don't even have to be in a relationship, you're so very pathetic on your own." Harven laughs.
With a quick glance, Emery sees Ethans nostrils flare and Harven's hardcore mischievous glint in his blues. They are equally as intimidating.
"Whatever. This relationship is hilarious." Ethan shakes his head. Harven raises a brow.
Pause. Know that Emery though of herself as a good, civil, pure girl before this next event.
Harven catches her lips on his for just a second, before he takes blow to the face. They trade punches and kicks, while Emery is stunned and viciously wiping her mouth with her sweater sleeve.
Emery finds herself in the middle of the bulls for a moment, before she takes a blow of her own, to her stomach. The contents of her lunch almost come back for seconds.
She doesn't know who did it, but she rolls over onto the ground. At the absence of grunting, she takes it they stopped. Her breath comes short, and she doesn't move since the throbbing in her abdomen hurts with each movement.
She lets out her ragged breaths while trying to get up. One of them tries to help her but she shakes it off.
"Good.... job, guys." She breathes, dragging her feet down the hall, deciding to take off the rest of the day. She cradles her stomach all the way to her car.
She blasts the cool air in her face, trying to catch some air. It strains her stomach every time she moves the wheel, but she makes it home.
________________
Emery lays on her bed, exhausted. An ice pack lays across her stomach, soothing it a little, but doing nothing for the throbbing. The bruise that is still forming darkens by the minute.
Discovery Channel plays on her small TV.
She hears the creak of her door. The face that pokes through is an unpleasant one.
Harven.
She groans. "Who let you in?" She narrows her eyes at him. His new look consists of an eyebrow cut and two and a half bruises.
"Your mom."
Damn, she mutters.
He walks in, taking a seat on the chair by her bedside. He glances at the ice pack and winces. Emery still keeps her eyes trained on the fish on the screen.
"I didn't do that to you, Emery." He says quietly, looking up to her head, which lays in the pillow.
"I know." She sighs.
He furrows his brows. "You...do?" He asks.
"I felt the imprint of Ethan's finger ring. It wasn't you." She turns to him, letting out a deep breath.
"Well. That's settled." He smiles.
She gives him a stupid look.
"Still mad?" He grimaces.
"Yep." She turns back to her TV.
"You kissed me, you idiot! We had a deal." She grumbles.
"For like a second!" He defends.
"Still."
They stare at each other in challenging gazes. Finally, Emery breaks into an unexpected laugh, which sends waves of pain through her midriff.
She hisses, closing her eyes for a second. When she opens them, Harven's at her bedside with worried eyes.
"This is partly my fault. Let me help?" Harven asks.
Emery lifts an eyebrow, to which he takes as a yes, or at least not a no. He removes the blanket and the ice pack.
"I brought some Icy Hot." He pulls a tube of ointment from his pocket, and squeezes a finger amount onto her stomach. He looks to her.
She sighs defeatedly and nods.
He proceeds to rub it in until it's completely dissolved. He replaces the pack and blanket.
He sits on the floor, leaning against the mattress. Emery resumes the channel.
Injured and exhausted, they watched the fishes.