The Key

Chapter 2

Emma ran out of the classroom so fast she didn't see Carter turn the corner and ran right into her.

"Whoa slow down" Carter exclaimed, grasping Emma's shoulders to regain her balance. "Geez what happened in there? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Emma took a calm, steadying breath. "I'm pretty sure I have"

Carter gave Emma a questioning look.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud." Emma said looking away.

Carter left it at that. She figured that was the closest to an answer she'd be getting. Emma usually kept to herself and even with Carter, who had been her best friend since grade school, was very reserved and never shared anything about her past or any of her secrets.

"Okay," Carter dragged out, "Well, you're still coming over later, right? Cause I have some pretty cheesy horror movies calling your name," Carter giggled and bumped Emma's shoulder making her grin.

"Um, I'm not really sure. You know how Skye is." Skye, Emma's boss at the small rundown shed they called the Skyeburger, was always on Emma's case about not working enough hours. Emma personally thought she was working plenty and if anything, worked too many. But Skye was the boss and Emma could not afford to lose her job, so she went with it.

"Okay listen up," Carter said with an all business look on her face. "I'm sick of your excuses. You're coming over. I'll see you at eight o'clock sharp. If you aren't there by then I'll come and drag your behind out of that old shed you call a restaurant! See you later." With a little wave Carter turned around and walked away not leaving any room for argument.

Emma rolled her eyes then turned towards the exit of the school. Her eyes met, once again, with those same pale blue ones. She automatically spun on her heel and walked as fast as humanly possible, an invisible trail of smoke in her wake. She heard footsteps pounding on the hard white tiles of the hall behind her. She closed her eyes and continued walking, wishing him away. The footsteps faltered and she couldn't pick them out from all the rest. That hopefully meant he had decided to leave her be.

Someone tapped Emma on the shoulder, startling her. "Look just leave me-"Emma cut herself off as she whipped around to see Ryder Jamison standing behind her. Ryder was the typical high school boy all girls fawned over. Emma wasn't any different in this instance. She'd had a major crush on him since Junior High. Emma had always been just another girl to him. Emma realized she was gawking and tried to form a coherent sentence. "Oh, hi. Sorry, I thought you were-"

"Someone else? " He said his eyes sparkling with amusement. "That's kind of what I figured."

"Yeah," Emma replied lamely as her face flushed a furious shade of red. She tucked her long dark hair behind her ear bashfully.

"Okay, well, I just wanted to see if maybe you'd want to go get a burger or catch a movie sometime." His gaze never once wavered as she stood there in astonishment making a complete fool of herself. "Well?"

"Oh, I uh well I-"she stuttered stumbling over her words.

"Just say yes," he said smiling and watching her in wonder.

"Yes, I'd love to," she returned his smile.

"Sweet, I guess I'll just text you." He turned to walk out the door.

"Wait, don't you need my number?"

"Nah, I've got it."

"Okay, cool" with that he turned and walked away without another word. How he knew her number was a mystery to her. The only other person who really knew her number was Carter and she was sure Carter would have told her if Ryder had asked for her number. She let it go figuring Carter had forgotten to tell her. She decided she had better head off to work if she wanted to make it on time.

Emma's shift was a slow one so she decided to head out early, asking Sarah, another employee, to cover her shift. After she agreed Emma packed her things and left with a headache, aching feet, tired eyes and a smile pasted on her face.

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Emma was giddy all the way home from work waiting for his text. She lay on her bed never letting her phone out of sight. Her cheeks had begun to hurt from smiling so much. The smile hadn't left her lips since she'd talked to him in the hallway hours ago.

She heard her phone buzz on her nightstand that rested beside her bed. The sound startled her jerking her from her state of reverie. She sat there for a moment then realized it might be Ryder. She practically threw herself at her nightstand, hitting her head on the edge of her nightstand and flying off the end of the bed, then finally landing with a thud on the floor.

"I'm okay," she said to herself embarrassed even though no one had witnessed her acrobatics.

After regaining her composure she reached her phone to see Carter's name flashing across the screen and clicked the green answer button.

"Hello?"

"Hey, where the hell are you!"

"Shit, I completely forgot, sorry. I'll be there in a bit."

"I know you will be. Now hurry up."

Before she could apologize again, she heard the line disconnect. Emma had completely forgotten Carter was picking her up at the restaurant and had instead gone home early. She grabbed her bag and packed her stuff. Then she grabbed the keys to her beat up blue jeep and rushed out the door.

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When she lifted her hand to knock, the door swung open, Emma's arm was grabbed and she was yanked in. A hand came over her mouth to muffle her scream of shock.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry," Carters voice came and Emma blew out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "That weird Keith kid is standing by the sidewalk.

"So?" although she'd had a weird encounter with this boy, Emma didn't want to worry Carter more than she already had.

"So, he's been asking me questions about you all day. Weird ones."

"Maybe he was just mesmerized by my wit and charm."

"Yeah, sure. That could be it. OR, he's a crazy stalker guy trying to kill you. You can't trust him!"

"Oh, stop." Carter had always had a flare for drama. It always got her into trouble and Emma always got dragged down with her. "You're so melodramatic."

"You'll be sorry when it happens and I'll be saying 'I told you so,'" claimed Carter as she pulled the curtains aside and peered out the window. Over her shoulder Emma could see Keith stretching on the sidewalk in front of the house across the street. He wore a pair of running shoes, sweats and a white tee shirt.

Carter unlocked the window then pushed it open. Before Emma could ask what she was doing Carter was yelling out the window at the boy. "Freak!"

Keith looked their way and rolled his eyes at Carter before his eyes wandered to Emma and held her gaze. He lifted his head phones to his ears, his gaze never faltering. Once his earbuds were sitting in his ears he turned his head and began jogging down the hill.