Eminence (Wattpad Edition)

Note 25 - I'd like to reintroduce myself, if I may

Emanon stood nervously before everyone as they were spread out on the couch. She looked in various directions, as though still gathering the right words.

"Em, if you don't mind me asking. Why are we sitting like we're in an impromptu intervention?" Warren asked.

"Well... I feel like the reason most of us are here is because of different coincidental circumstances," Emanon began. "And as much as I appreciate the memories I now hold due to last night's blood-sharing, uh, binge drinking... I don't think it's right to start friendships this way. I wanted to do it properly. I know it'll be difficult considering how scattered and messy we already are, but I want to make friends a little more authentically. So I'd like to reintroduce myself."

"Sure, if you feel it's necessary," Anika responded, smiling.

Emanon cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and looked down for a moment, like she was going over invisible note cards.

"Hello, um, my name is Emanon. I think it's a very pretty name, and it was given to me by a close friend of mine. She took another deep breath.

"The truth is... I guess you could say I'm an amnesiac. I don't remember who I was before about ten years ago. Supposedly, my name was Eminence, and I was in a contract with a human that ended and caused my identity and memories to be lost. I don't know what kind of person I was—maybe I was a total bitch. I don't know, but I want to learn about her. If only to carry her memories the way a loy of you have been carrying them. It's not fair for you to bear both the pain and the joy of her alone."

Theo sat up straighter. "We don't bear them because we want to feel pain, Em. We do it because we love her."

"I know... but all I've done since breaking out is live in someone else's place. I forced Warren into a contract without fully knowing the consequences. I scrambled everyone's memories and created false ones. I've been a complete mess. I'm not proud of that. I don't want to be a stray animal anymore. I want to be a person. I want to take more responsibility."

She glanced toward Warren, who now had a concerned look on his face.

"Em, you don't have to do anything. It's fine, I—"

"It's not, though. I like you and because of what I've done–"

"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice cracking.

Emanon walked toward him, and reached out her hand. "Will you go out with me?"

"What?"

"Oh man," Jack sighed with relief. "I thought she was going to break up with him from guilt."

"You're asking me out? Even though we're already dating?" Warren said, a little dazed.

"Yes, because I never actually asked. We've never done any of this properly. We never had a first date. So— Will you please go out with me? I really like you."

Warren let out a laugh. "What am I going to do with you? This whole weekend has been more of a rollercoaster than a vacation. Why have you been so serious today? Are the memories really weighing you down?"

"I think it's okay," Anika chimed in. "Sometimes you have to think about things a lot before you start to change. It seems like Emanon genuinely wants to grow."

"Confessing your feelings is sometimes the best thing to do when you're bottling up things you don't understand," Theo added.

"Well?! We're waiting for your response," Jack said impatiently.

Warren looked from Jack to Theo to Anika and finally to Emanon, whose outstretched hand began to tremble ever so slightly. He sighed and smiled, then reached out and took her hand.