"Thank you for the meal, Ms. Pear," Reina whispered with a small smile as Emma's mother sat the meal on the table.
Everyone began putting chicken alfredo onto their plates. "You're welcome, dear. It's hard to believe you're the same girl from all those years ago," her mother said with a smile, taking her seat beside Emma's father.
Emma stabbed her fork into the pasta, glancing sideways at Reina.
"I can't believe we didn't recognize you at first, considering how much you were over here as a child." Her mother nodded with a grin.
Emma shoved a spoonful of pasta into her mouth. She didn't plan on talking much tonight; she needed time to decompress. "So, how are your parents?" her mother asked while taking a sip of water.
Emma's eyes widened, and she choked slightly on the noodles, patting her chest.
"Um... they're fine... separated, but fine," Reina said, letting out a nervous laugh while taking a gulp of water.
Emma's parents looked at each other awkwardly. "Sorry to hear that, dear. Well, how's school going?" her father asked, trying to quickly change the subject.
Emma wanted to slap herself on the forehead. Reina's life was a mess at the moment, and they just kept digging the knife in deeper. She glanced at Reina out of the corner of her eye; she looked speechless.
"It's... well... I mean... umm..." Reina began, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"It's going well, Mother," Emma interjected, surprising everyone.
Reina looked at her. "Yes, I'm getting my grades up and looking forward to graduating," she said with a relieved smile, apparently recovered from the awkward questions.
Her father smiled, nodding in approval. "That's great, dear. Emma is excited to graduate this year, too. Colleges are lining up to have her, but of course, we would love her to go to Princeton or Harvard," her mother said with a wide smile, looking over at Emma.
Emma raised a brow, looking back at her mother. "But it's up to her... of course." She leaned back in her chair once again, swirling her fork in her pasta. Emma smiled at the thought of her mother finally letting her make her own decisions.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her bra, getting her attention. She stood. "Excuse me a moment, I need to use the restroom," she said before walking upstairs into the bathroom and locking the door. Pulling the phone out of her bra, she saw a message from Claire.
Claire Bear 🐻 - Sup girl you wanna come over to me and Whitney's dorm tomorrow to help us paint/decorate and chill. But Kandy is redying Chris's hair so she can't make it Niki will be here tho
She thought it over. Tomorrow was Friday. Blake had work, and she had school, but afterward, she could probably make it. She quickly texted back.
Emma 🍐 - Sure girl I'll stop by after school
Claire Bear 🐻 - Kk wear something you don't mind getting trashed
Emma smiled before sliding the phone back into her bra. Opening the door, she walked back downstairs. She and the others continued to have dinner together. Afterward, her mother picked up everyone's plates to wash dishes.
"I should get going home now. Thank you for the lovely dinner," Reina said, standing with a smile, picking up her bookbag, and throwing it over her shoulder.
Her mother smiled while heading to the sink. "It was nice having you over for dinner, dear. Emma, why don't you walk her to the door? Honey, would you help me with the dishes?"
Her father nodded, standing from the table to follow her mother. Emma sighed, standing up and following Reina to the front door. When they got outside to Reina's car, Reina turned to her.
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...
