The Reasons Why I Need You

5. Living Up to the Expectations

"Jared! Leave me alone," I shout as I notice him following me outside the building. He's been like a little puppy following his owner all day. I'm not his owner!!
"But sweetheart-"
"Oh my god."
"You're not living up to your wallflower expectations, Emma. People are looking," Jared says reaching for my hand.
"No," I shout pulling my hand away. He is right. People are looking. I normally would ignore a person like him but he gets so under my skin that it can't be ignored. I need to stop yelling, I hate all this attention.
"Well I guess you're living up to your expectations," I snap.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You're just as annoying like all the other bad boys in the world. You don't understand when I girl wants to be left alone, she means it."
     "Well remember sweetheart, I can't leave you alone until after the prom. That was the deal," he says winking.

***

"Emma, when are you going to allow yourself to go flirt with guys? He didn't ask you to marry him. He's just taking you to the prom," Skylar tells me back at home.
"I don't want the new guy who thinks he's so cool to flirt with me. It's bad enough I have to go to prom with him. He just thinks he can get any girl. I've seen it all and I'm not going to be fooled," I point out.
     "Come on, spending time with him can't be that bad..."
     "Skylar, Jared is just the same as all the other bad boys. Once he gets what he wants he leaves. I don't like people like that."

***
Jared's POV

     "Victor, why does that girl hate me so much?"
     "Jared come on, you practically pounced on her when you first met her. Emma doesn't like to be flirted with."
    "Well how was I supposed to know?"
    "Be less like the stereotype for bad boys. That's what most girls consider you, and I'm sure Emma does too," Victor says with the most serious face I have ever seen. So serious that it's almost humorous.
     "Bad boys? Psh, what are we thirteen? She thinks that a guy flirting with a girl is turn off," I state chuckling. This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard.
     "She is pretty conservative if you couldn't notice. She thinks you're a player and-"
     "Victor say no more, please. I need to do something for her to get past this."
     "Yeah you do. Like maybe an apology or-"
     "Victor, you're an amateur," I say chuckling. I need to do something big.
     "She doesn't like attention remember," he warns me. Dammit! I forgot that. Emma certainly isn't like most girls. She doesn't like attention and make up and all that garbage. That's what I like about her. She really doesn't need to do any of that because she's pretty just the way she is. If only she didn't hate me.