Chapter Nineteen: Love me Like you do

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"Believe in yourself, and go for it." -Emma Watson

Asiyah

"Are you gonna stay the night?" I sang. 

"No!" Esther whined. "Stop singing that!"

"Are you gonna stay the night? Doesn't mean we're bound for life!"

"Isn't that like, forbidden?" 

"In Islam? Sure!"

"Okay...." she sighed.

I kept softly humming and looked out the window.

"It looks amazing," I breathed. The clouds, the sky, everything. The midday glow, the sun, everything.

Esther smiled, but said nothing. I reached out and took hold of her hand. 

"This is awesome," I laughed. "I can't wait to see....people!"

"Me too! I love people."

The airplane we were on was smooth and quiet.

"If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity," I softly hummed under my breath. I had headphones on while Esther hummed with nothing at all.

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"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." -Muhammad Ali

Adam

"My best friend is NOT a girl," I muttered.

"Sure," Gowaria smiled. 

"I'm serious Gowaria."

"Okay, I believe you," she laughed. "But why are you looking for her?"

"i wanted to invite her somewhere!" I explained.

"Where?" she asked, sipping her coffee.

"Somewhere I don't want to be."

"Where?"

"My brother's wedding."

"Oh, right. Are you happy?"

"Sure?"

"Okay," she sighed. "I'll tell you where she is. She's flying to England to visit her.... um... family."

"So-"

"But I'm not giving her the invite. You can do it yourself."

"Fine," I grumbled. "When does she get back?"

"Depends," she muttered. "Could be as long as a month."

Wow. I wasn't expecting that.

"So, how's your family?" Gowaria asked.

I paused for a minute.

"Different."

"Well, I gotta go." She stood up and grabbed her bag. "See you."

Before she left, she turned to me.

"Sorry for all the hate."

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"We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better." -J.K. Rowling

Emma

Even though I was out of the hospital, I was still in bed at home, sitting up and texting. I was in my pajamas even though it was 2:00 p.m. and my hair was tied up in a messy bun. Not the pretty one girls downtown wear. A really ugly messy one. Honestly, I felt as if there was an animal on my head, not my hair.

I had already texted my dad, who freaked out and demanded that I put him and mom on video chat.

I declined, of course. I don't want to talk to talk to anyone.

No, Emma. Get your life straight. Talk.

So I showered, got dressed, and headed out.

...

"Hi," I smiled.

He looked up from the book he was reading while sitting at an empty outside cafe table.

"Um, hey," he muttered.

"Um, can I sit?"

"If you want."

I sat and smiled politely.

"Hi Jack. You know me right?"

"Of course," he sighed. "You're Emma Sloane."

"That's me."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I came to-" I stopped.

"Yeah?"

"Ahem. I came to apologize."

"Why would you come to apologize?"

"Because," I sighed. "I forgot something. Peter IS your brother. And you probably are more upset than me."

"You speak the truth," he grinned.

"No rarely," I explained.

"I forgive you," Jack told me. "It just kinda hurt me."

"I know."

"He's not okay."

"I know."

We were silent. The people passing by seemed to go by in a blur.

"Is he okay?" I whispired. 

Silence.

"Jack?"

"Don't worry, Emma," he muttered. "He's alive. He's alive, and so you can grow up to marry him and whatever." There was sharp bitterness in his voice.

"Excuse me?" I stood up, but he was already gone.

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