Almond Boy

Almond Boy - 27

Elliot and Emma spend the first five minutes at the bench just sitting there. Staring at each other, staring at the ground, the silence and insecurity unshakeable.

Still reeling from what Emma had told him, Elliot keeps waiting for Emma to say a single word and is starting to feel annoyed. What was the point of coming out here if she didn't want to talk to him?

"Emma, is there a reason you wanted to come out here so badly?" Elliot asks. He likes the park bench as much as the next one, but there is nothing happening: no soccer, no basketball, no volleyball nor running to watch. The storm clouds are rolling over these empty fields and in the distance you can see the rain pouring over a dull and dark city.

Emma though sees that above them there is still the sun, and it feels so warm. It makes her worries feel lighter, and though she is terrified that Elliot hates her now, she also feels like she isn't going to be left in the dark.

Emma fiddles with her oxygen cord, twisting it around her fingers then undoing it, over and over. She smiles.

"I didn't like where we left off."

"Was there more to be said?" any other terrible things I do to you, any other beliefs I can shatter with just my personality?

Emma catches his anger and she winces. She turns to look at him and shakes her head, and murmuring into her fingers she says, "no. Not a single thing."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Elliot sighs and raises his arms in the air. "Was there a point to coming out here, then?"

With a sad smile Emma laughs, and she shakes her head again and just mentally kicks herself down because this was stupid and Elliot is angry and she shouldn't have said anything and now their friendship is over.

"I had to get you in the shade somehow. The tree behind the bench can cover you here."

Rolling his eyes, his gaze eventually falls on the glassy eyed girl next to him. "Emma."

Emma throws herself against the back of the bench, staring at the storm clouds as they get closer and closer. "This is where I met you."

Elliot shrugs and nods. "Yeah?" Elliot grabs his almonds but he doesn't want to eat them. Instead, he stirs his finger in the bag and watches the tear-drop shaped nuts rise and fall, picking up a handful and watching them slide between his fingertips.

Finally he picks up a couple and sets them down on Emma's knee. "Why'd you want to come out here so bad?"

Emma feels so stupid, and sucking in a hiccup of a breath, she says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said before and I'm sorry."

Elliot furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head. "You meant every word you said before, don't you dare lie to me."

Emma flinches and she feels worse than she did before she said a word. She doesn't know what to say to him, what can she say to justify anything that's happened in the last half-hour? What can she say to make him feel better?

Elliot puts his hand on her shoulder and shakes her a little.

"Emma, c'mon. What's got you so upset? Why were you so hell-bent on coming here? I know - I know I make being vulnerable a problem -"

"No, I'm sorry, I'm stupid, and I'm sorry, and I can call my mom and you don't ever have to see me again, and I'm sorry."

Emma is full out crying now, but all Elliot can do is shake his head and go, "what are you talking about?"

"I was really mean, with what I said. And you were crying, and I know it was my fault, and I'm sorry, and I know you probably wish you hadn't met me and I'm sorry and I dragged you out here and it wasn't worth anything and I'm sorry."