"Are you guys seriously still leaving on your trips?" Emma said as soon as the front door closed behind Mr. Gates and Ms. O'Connor. She wasn't really surprised, but she was very disappointed about her parents being okay with just leaving her here by herself. Even if this was some kind of mean joke or prank, it was still upsetting and scary.
"Emma, what more can we do?" her mother stated as she sat on the couch, not even looking at her daughter. "The police were called, and you heard them. They said to let it go, that it was nothing. Life goes on, dear, stop worrying over nothing."
Emma's eyes turned to her father, who seemed uneasy about this situation since the beginning. "Emma, they did say it was nothing. Maybe you should just let it go." He patted her shoulder gently, a fleeting gesture of comfort, before walking past her upstairs. "I'm going to start packing my travel bag. Please try to relax your mind about this, Emma." His words did little to relax her.
After he had left the room, she crossed her arms tightly, mad that no one was taking this seriously other than her. Her mother noticed her upset demeanor. "We'll still be back for your birthday, honey, and we'll still be inviting Jason to your birthday party." She paused, picking at a loose thread on the couch cushion, not meeting Emma's gaze. "I expect you to get your attitude in check before then." She finally looked at her daughter, eyebrow raised, a clear warning in her tone.
Emma chose not to respond as she stomped upstairs, slamming her door behind her. She locked the door, taking the tiny scrap of paper with Ms. O'Connor's name and phone number on it, setting it on her nightstand before throwing her body onto her bed, yelling into her pink pillow. Reaching for her bag, she pulled out her phone so she could update Blake on the situation.
Emma- Sooo my parents called the police and they basically told me it was nothing and to move on
Blake- I'm sorry to hear that Em
She sighed heavily into her pillow, rolling onto her side as he replied again.
Blake- We'll keep an eye out. If anything happens, they'll definitely have to believe you.
The only problem was, what if something else did happen and she ended up getting hurt? There was nothing she could do about it now though; she had no clue who sent the letter. She set her phone on the bedside table.
"We'll be leaving now, Emma. See you on your birthday! Merry Christmas!" Her father yelled from downstairs, making her roll her eyes.
There was a knock on her bedroom door, followed by her mother's voice. "See you later, dear. Have a good Christmas. Practice your violin in the meantime." Emma glanced at her violin as she heard her mother's footsteps walking down the stairs. The sound of the front door closing filled the house before it settled into silence.
She lay there, body full of anxiety. She didn't even notice time passing as she looked blankly out the window. Suddenly, she heard the soft ping of her phone. Picking it up, it was a message from Blake.
Blake- I'll see you tomorrow... and Merry Christmas.
Her eyes looked up to the top corner of her phone, seeing it was 12:00. "Merry Christmas to me," she whispered, closing her eyes slowly.
YOU ARE READING
It Started With Hello
Romance***** Emma Pear knew she wasn't the most popular girl in high school. Her nose was usually buried in a textbook, and her grades were as spotless as her reputation for always following the rules. "Nerd" was a label she'd long since embraced. Her pare...
