Shoot your shot

James

I rushed to the library, ten minutes late for Emma. The girl was going to give me a right telling off. I couldn't help but chuckle thinking about Emma giving me a lecture, the way her eyes went wide, the way her lips would pull into a pout.  I opened the library door and glanced at Emma in the usual spot. She was tapping away on her phone, completely oblivious to my presence. I sat down opposite her and she still didn't look up from her phone.  A sweet smile was on her face as she continued to tap away. I cleared my throat and she abruptly looked up, her face shocked to see me sitting there.

" James- sorry about that" she said while tucking her phone back into her pocket. 

Emma pulled out her books and pushed one towards me.

" I think we need to work on complex equations" she said to me, completely dismissing the fact that I was 15 minutes late. 

I felt annoyance brewing in the pit of my stomach. Why did she not care that I was late?

" Any plans this weekend Emma?" I asked politely, trying to talk to her and go back to normal. Before these dumbs thoughts about her entered my mind.

" Yes.... Liam is taking me out for dinner tonight" she beamed .  Her big brown eyes are full of excitement.  I felt my heart drop slightly. Why did this bother me so much?

" Nice" I replied, not sure what else to say.

" How's it going with Callie?" she asked while looking at my working out and furrowing her brow.

" Yeah great actually" I lied back. I mean, things weren't going bad but they definitely weren't going great. Especially when I secretly was developing strange  feelings for Emma.

" Great. Well James, you're smashing it- these answers are all perfect. I really don't think we need to continue these sessions after this term you know!" Emma said, smiling her head off at me.

" What?" I was confused.

" You heard me. You got this, have a little faith in yourself."  She reached out and rubbed my hand, the warmth of her touch and her soft skin against mine igniting something that I wanted to put out.

" What about you- you need the money though right? I can keep coming and my dad can keep paying you. It doesn't bother me!" I quickly suggested, knowing that the money was a big deal for her.

She tapped her pen against her pad and bit her lip.

" Promise not to tell anyone?" I nodded my head and she continued " That brand my friend Lauren creates content for? Well, they were so impressed by the response from our shoot that they have asked me to be a model for them . They have given me a 3 month contract and offered me £500 a month for 10 shots a month! I can't believe it myself, especially , well....look at me" and she laughed and shook her head.

My heart was hammering in my chest , this was a lot of information to process and feelings. I felt shit that I wouldn't be spending as much time with Emma after the half term, I felt so happy for her that she was offered this great opportunity, I felt ridiculously jealous about her date with Liam.  Fuck.

" I'm so happy for you Emma. You truly deserve it" I said back to her. Opting to be the nice guy.

She began talking about some conspiracy theory she heard to do with fluoride in water and I couldn't concentrate. Usually I loved having these random chats with her, but today, I just needed to get away.

" Emma- sorry to bail but I just remembered I was meant to get my mum from the station. It totally slipped my mind. Erm.... see you Monday" . I jumped up grabbing my bag and avoided looking at Emma's confused expression.

***

I sat in my car and hit my steering wheel in frustration. I did not expect this curveball when I started the school year. Why did I have to develop feelings for Emma. I groaned in frustration and ran a hand down my face. Callie was gorgeous and sweet but she just wasn't Emma.  Should I tell her how I feel? I thought about her date with Liam and realised I was being a dick if I was to sabotage it. I decided if her date was bad, I would be honest. If her date went well, then I would let her explore whatever was between her and Liam, as much as it would suck to see.  I decided to ignore the burning desire to tell Emma my true feelings, I mean- would she even like me back?

Back at home, I got dressed up for the pub. I wasn't a big drinker, but tonight I wanted to let loose. I didn't have football tomorrow so I could nurse a little hangover if I needed to. I picked out a plain white short sleeved shirt, showing my built frame and stuck on some dark jeans and designer trainers. I left my  dark, unruly hair a bit wild, grabbed my phone, bank card and keys and dashed out the house into the waiting uber.

It seems tonight that all the lads were out, which was a perfect distraction. I made my way over the big crowd forming at the back of the pub. As I approached, a few of the girls noticed me and giggled, trying to catch my eye. I smiled back, not wanting to come across as a dick, but my mind was still firmly on Emma and those big bloody doe eyes of hers.

The drinks flowed and I found myself deep in shots. A pretty brunette was flirting shamelessly with me all night long, I appreciated the attention although I would have preferred Emma. There she is again, penetrating my thoughts. I stood up and my head went dizzy, my vision blurring and my feet unsteady. I made my way to the toilet. I had finished doing my business when the brunette from the bar opened the stool door and locked it behind her.