Heartstrings

Chapter 6: Distracted

Jake's Perspective – 3 weeks later

Just as I was about to close my locker and walk off to calculus, Emma appeared and began putting in her combination. She was only six lockers down from me, and I'd made a habit of casually crossing paths with her each morning. We never talked, but I just liked to be around her, so I stalled and pretended to look for something as she retrieved her books.

Today her long, reddish-brown hair was wrapped up loosely in a clip and she wore a flowy button-up shirt that was tucked into a pair of loose green pants that still accentuated all the right places.

I wasn't shy about my staring, and I didn't really need to be – she never looked around to see who was looking at her. And I looked at her a lot. I'd been stealing glances and watching her as she moved throughout her days, and it hadn't taken long to notice that Emma walked through life with blinders on. She shut everyone out and only focused on what she needed to do to get out of here.

It'd been three weeks since I told her about my dad, and aside from the rare acknowledgement and subtle smile she'd give me every now and then, she barely talked or looked at me. It was maddening, actually. I had never opened up to anyone about my situation and I told her, of all people. I don't know what I'd expected, but I definitely didn't think she'd be so distant or that I would find it so hard to get her off my mind.

When I was younger, I had such a big crush on Emma. I used to dream about her and swear she was the girl I was going to marry. It sounds silly now, but I still think it's kind of endearing how sweet and innocent my young "love" was for her. I felt that way for years, too, until seventh or eighth grade when I made the mistake of writing Emma off like everyone else.

Through the years, I'd moved on and dated other girls, but ever since I saw her under the moonlight, those old feelings had begun to creep back along with some new... hormonally charged ones.

- Hey, dude.

- Holy shit. You scared me.

I jumped a little as Sam came up behind me and leaned against some lockers. He chuckled –

- Did you look at those new plays coach gave us?

- Uhhh... oh yeah – yeah, I did.

- So dumb, right? I don't know why he wants to play MacFadden so much.

- Yeah, he can't see for shit.

- He's never going to be able to do the plays.

I closed my locker and noticed Emma had already left, so Sam and I headed to class as he griped about our playbook, practice, and homecoming – which was just around the corner.

- Is homecoming still a thing? Like do we have to do all of that?

- Yeah, Jake. Come on, it's our senior year. It'll be fun. We'll get a little drunk, get dressed up, take our dates to dinner, and then go to the dance.

- I kinda forgot about it honestly. I have no idea who to take.

We stopped in front of the door to calculus.

- That's absurd. I can think of like ten girls right off the bat who would be thrilled to go with you.

The bell rang and I glanced inside the classroom and saw Emma sitting there in the front row focused on writing. "But they aren't her," I thought to myself.

- Mr. Healy are you going to join us, or do you need a special invitation?

Mr. Howard looked at me impatiently from inside the classroom.