Broken

Chapter 8

The final bell was about to ring, marking the end of another school day. Today had been one of the best I've had. I managed to apologize to Emily and even help calm her down during a panic attack. I'm glad I could show her I'm not here to hurt her but to be her friend. It seemed like she understood that what happened the other day was a mistake and that I genuinely felt sorry. She had stayed by my side all day, moving from class to class with me.

When the final class ended, we went our separate ways toward our lockers. I grabbed my things and headed to where my friends usually hang out, but they weren't there.

Right, they mentioned a field trip for their workshop class.

So, who will I walk home with now? I could go alone, but—

Wait! Emily!

Feeling a bit foolish, I turned and headed toward her locker. I saw her staring at her phone, looking distressed.

"Hey, Emily," I said quietly to avoid startling her.

She looked up, quickly shoved her phone into her bag, and gave a small smile.

"H-Hello, Mike."

"I was wondering if you'd like to walk home with me..." I said, trailing off.

"S-Sure," she replied, her voice soft.

"Great!" I smiled.

We were almost halfway home when we heard a loud dinging.

"What's that?" I asked.

"S-Sorry, it's my phone," Emily said, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, I was confused there for a second!" I laughed.

Emily pulled out a gold iPhone 5s that was ringing loudly. She answered it, but instead of a greeting, all I heard was shouting.

"Where the fuck are you?!" the caller yelled.

"I-I'm w-walking home," Emily replied quietly.

"You bitch, I told you to be home right away! My girlfriend's coming over, and she wants to meet you! If you're not here soon i'll beat your ass!" The caller continued.

"O-Okay, I-I'm s-sorry," Emily stammered.

She ended the call and stuffed the phone back into her bag. When she turned to face me, her expression was a mix of fear and shame.

"I... uh... I..." she hesitated, struggling for words.

"Emily, who was that?" I asked, concern in my voice.

"W-Wrong number..." she mumbled, looking away.

I realized she might not want to talk about it right now. Maybe the caller was the person who hurt her. If I got angry or upset, it would only scare her more. So, I decided to let it go for now. "Oh, okay," I said softly.

"You know, my mom's away on a business trip. You could come over if you'd like," I offered.

Her eyes widened. "T-Today?" she asked.

"Today, tomorrow—whenever works for you," I smiled.

"M-Maybe tomorrow," she said, glancing at me.

"Sure, just text me," I suggested.

"I-I don't have your number," she admitted quietly.

"Here, I'll give it to you," I said, pulling out my phone.

She took out her phone and opened iMessage, handing it to me. I typed in my number and saved it as "Mikeyyy💙" before handing it back.

She looked at the contact and smiled.

I blushed at her reaction. She then wanted my number in return, so I handed her my phone. She typed something and gave it back, showing "Em💞🙈."

That was the cutest thing ever. We exchanged smiles, and for a moment, everything felt right.

As we walked, I realized we had shared our first special moment. When we reached the end of the road and said goodbye, I was content despite Emily not coming over today. I'm sure this is the start of something special.

I think I've found the girl.

My girl.