Go Ask Jennifer

Chapter 11

When school was let out for the day I managed to catch up to Emily. I felt so desperate and annoying but I had to make sure she wasn't mad at me. Although she didn't seem mad when I was talking to her earlier, well not at me at least. Either way I haven't known Emily long enough to tell when she's really mad, which is crazy because it feels like I've known her for so much longer. It's almost been a month now.

"Emily, hey." I say as I catch up to her. "Are you okay?" I as sincerely, my fingertips lightly resting on her arm.

"A little pissed off actually but other than that I'm fine." She still sounded indifferent and it may just be I don't know any different.

"At me?" I ask shyly.

She looks at me immediately and I can just tell she's judging my moment of weakness. "Why would I be mad at you?" She laughs like it's anew joke she's never heard of before, perhaps I should just stop there. She clearly has no idea.

"About Will asking me out tonight?" I ask as we continue walking home, the school is out of sight now and it's just me and Emily, so it seems like.

"Oh is that what you guys were holding hands about before lunch?" She connects the dots and looks purely amused. God this was stupid and so self centered.

"Yeah," I confirm quietly.

"No, why would I be?" She asks but I don't say anything. She's right. Why should she be? "Do you want me to be?" She asks curiously.

"What? No." I respond quickly and completely unsure of why I got to defensive. I heard it in my tone but it didn't click with anything else.

"Relax, I'm kidding." She insists as she nudges me with her elbow. "Soo what did you tell him?" We're almost half way home now.

"I told him I would let him know,"

"You'd let him know?" She asks in disapproval.

"Well yeah, it was really short notice!" I try to reason with her, automatically the air around us felt light again.

"Oh my god, JJ. Have you ever even been out with a guy before?" She asks seriously so I give her the honest truth.

"Not alone." I confess. Her pointer finger and thumb apply directly to her temples as she mascara them for a quick second.

"Okay after school tomorrow you're coming over to my house. I'll get you ready for your date and then after wards you come back to my house and tell me everything. I love watching you grow." That last part made me smile because it was word for word appraisal from her, something I take seriously.

"You sure you're the right person to do that?" I ask taking a friendly shot at her and every so often I get a good one in. She scoffs at it and smiles.

"Jennifer Jareau, well I'd never." She exaggerates while holding her hand to her chest for the dramatics.

I can't help but laugh and change the topic. "What are you up to tonight then?"

"Depends on how I feel. I might get bored listening to the same Led Zeppelin album over and over again and have to resort to hanging out with you but luckily for us Led Zeppelin never disappoints." I shake my head and didn't take her constant remarks to heart. It's her defensive mechanism.