The rest of the day was a blur. I couldn't find Emily anywhere, and her image—whimpering and stuttering—kept replaying in my mind. I felt like a complete jerk for scaring her. I had yelled and gotten upset with her and I worried she might never want to talk to me again. Maybe she'd gone home because of me. She wasn't in any of my classes, and the worry only grew.
The minutes dragged on, and I barely paid attention in class. My thoughts were consumed by Emily.
Finally, the bell rang, and I rushed to my friends.
"Guys, I really need to talk to you!" I blurted out, my voice urgent.
"What's up?" they asked, their concern evident.
"I messed up today. I scared Emily badly. I yelled at her because her whole face was bruised, and her eye was swollen, and when I tried to find out who did it, but she wouldn't tell me. I grabbed her, and she ran away. I haven't seen her since. What should I do?" I said, running my hands through my hair in frustration.
"You grabbed her?" Caleb's voice was tinged with shock.
"Yeah... but not too hard," I admitted quietly.
"Dude, you really screwed things up!" Tom said, clearly exasperated.
"I know," I mumbled, hanging my head in shame.
"She was stuttering more than usual and even whimpered. I must have scared her even more with my anger and grip," I said, letting out a heavy sigh.
"If I were you, I'd give her some time," Kyle suggested.
"I know, but I want to see her and make things right!" I exclaimed, my frustration showing.
"Mike, just do what you think is best," Caleb said calmly.
"Yeah, okay," I replied, feeling defeated.
When I got home, I talked with my mom about Emily. She was upset with me for grabbing her. She pointed out that if Emily has anxiety or other issues, I likely made things worse. Her advice was to stay calm around Emily the next time I see her and to give her some space, just like my friends suggested.
That night, I tossed and turned, replaying the encounter over and over in my mind. I thought about all the things I could have said or done differently. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a chance to see her and make things right.
YOU ARE READING
Broken
Teen FictionSometimes, the hardest battles are the ones we hide from others. As Mike and Emily's relationship deepens, they must confront the shadows of Emily's past and the unspoken fears that linger beneath the surface. Emily is broken, but with Mike's suppo...
