She's Different- He's Not.

Chapter 2 - Lewis

There was only one girl on his mind. And she never left it. It may be all fantasy, all in his head, but she was the reason he slept at night, luring himself to sleep with sexual fantasies about Her. Lewis had spent the past 24 hours agonizing over his apology and how he would repair his relationship with Emma. In a daze, still lost in thought, he opened his closet and grabbed his shirt off the bed. It was still damp from the night before, and it smelled like her. He breathed deeply, savoring the moment. He knew it wouldn't last long. Too anxious to do anything else, he brushed his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. Then he stepped outside, his stomach twisting into a hard knot.

Lewis walks across the street, fiddling with his hands the entire time. He takes a deep breath, puts on a dazzling smile, and knocks on her door. No reply. He does it again, biting his lower lip and pushing up his big square glasses higher on his nose.

The door swings open. His expression immediately fades. "Oh Lewis! What a surprise!"

"Hello, Mrs. McCarthy!" he says, pleasantly.

"Please Lewis! How many times have I told you to just call me Christy? We're practically family by now!"

"Right, of course. Hello Mrs. Christy! I wanted to talk to Emma. I brought her favorite snacks. We were planning on hanging out today"

"Oh, what a sweetheart! Emma isn't here right now. She's spending the night at a friend's place," Christy says. "It was all very last minute, but I'm sure you'll see her tomorrow for your first day of senior year! I'll let her know you dropped by."

"Right... I'm sure I will. Would you mind passing along a message if you see her? I just want her to know that she's always going to be my best friend, no matter what." Only ever friends, Lewis sighs longingly, if she only gave me a chance we could be so much more than that.

Mrs. McCarthy notices the shift in his mood, and starts again when he looks back up. "Of course Lewis! I'm sure she knows that, but I'll let her know!"

-----------------------------------------later that night around 10 pm-------------------------------------

*CUT TO LATE AT NIGHT. LEWIS IS STARING LONGINGLY OUT THE WINDOW HE USUALLY SEES EMMA THROUGH*

That night, Lewis doesn't sleep. He stays up worrying about Emma and wishing he could take back what he said at Rikki's on Saturday. But it's too late. Their friendship could never be the same. Not after what he'd done. He tosses and turns all night dozing only briefly early in the morning. Frustrated, he opens his phone. He winces, the light is blinding in the dark. He opens up his text messages:

Hey, can we talk?

*10:06 read*

Please Emma... I'm so sorry.

*10:08 read*

I take back everything I said. Please just let me know you're ok.

*10:11 read*

Emma I'm getting really worried. Please text me back!

*10:20 read*

*Your mom said you're spending the night at a friend's house, but this isn't like you. If I don't see you at school tomorrow, I'm calling the police. I'm sorry."

Lewis sighs and turns off his phone. He knows sleep is hopeless. He picks up the framed picture next on his nightstand. 14-year old Emma and 15-year old Lewis grin back at him from their first day of high school. He picks up the next frame. It's Emma's tenth birthday party- the day he knew he was in love with her. He could still feel the joy he felt in that moment.

He kisses the photo, the smooth glass cool against his lips. He imagines that Emma's lips would be even smoother. In that moment he re-enters his deep fantasy of him and Emma, Emma and him. The thought of him holding her deep at night is enough to calm his nerves. In the back of his mind he knows that this is only a fantasy and only ever will be but for the meantime, he blocks out that reality and focuses on what it would feel like for them to be real. All he wanted was for her to love him, but he messed it up, if there ever was a chance of the two of them, it's gone now. After what he did, well, that's something he doesn't want to talk about. Hours later Lewis finds a little bit of sleep and dreams of rescuing Emma from her misery, rescuing her from all the pain he caused her. In the morning he was rudely awoken by a startling text, a text that will change his life forever.

Cleo

They found her Lewis, and it's not looking good, get here fast.

Lewis threw on his clothes and rushed out the door before having time to brush his hair or tie his shoelaces. He sped over to there, wherever there was.