Silent Flames {#Wattys2015 #JustWriteIt #FreshStart}

-Chapter One-

You know what? 

You never realize how much somebody means to you until they're gone.

I know you've heard it so many times before, but it's true. Once they're dead, they're dead. And I'm sure you usually have more regrets than they do, rotting away, or enjoying heaven, or burning in the depths of hell, or being reincarnated, or whatever you believe in.

I should have asked them about this! I wish I would have told them that! There was so much we could have done!

All regrets, and they'll haunt us.

And really, it doesn't matter how long the person was in your life. It could have been a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, or a decade, or, if you live long enough, I guess, a century! (Seems a bit impossible, I'm aware.)

It's the impact that matters! If a stranger walked up to you on the street and told you their life story, one with hardships and death, and lost family, and being reunited, wouldn't it make an impact on the way you look at things?

Deny it all you want, but I can tell you that it will.

If somebody saved your life and you never saw them again, wouldn't you still remember them? They were in your life for only a moment, yet they left an imprint on your mind that will always be there.

Things happen for a reason, things that happen to you, or your friend, or your neighbor, or some dude on the street you don't know.

It's all going to affect you, and you're going to affect other people.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the world revolves around you. That's nonexistent. I'm just saying that we all have a way of affecting one another. That guy that saved you from going home with that boy that was crazy and way unsafe, even though you didn't know him? His daughter never came home after she left with one of those boys. He only knows that she's not married but has five children.

That lady that saved you from getting kidnapped in a bathroom? The same thing happened to her as a child, but she didn't have anyone to rescue her then.

We all affect one another! If these things wouldn't have happened, you would end up like the daughter, or the women! We learn from each other's mistakes, and every mistake you make helps somebody, whether you believe it or not is your choice.

I understand that now, and I didn't a long time ago.

Just keep that in mind.

Yours Always,
Emily

~

Emily Thomas didn't like the idea of falling in love. She didn't understand the idea of kissing a boy, of cuddling on the couch.

She didn't understand the happiness that came with a boyfriend, she simply didn't have the ability to agree with it.

She was sixteen, and all of her friends had a boyfriend.

She didn't care, and this certainly didn't affect the way she looked at things.

Emily had no passionate flames burning in her heart, and she probably never would.

At least, that's what she hoped for.

She was afraid of falling in love, because she saw it as nothing but a weakness. To moon over your boyfriend day in and day out, to only talk about your boyfriend with your friends, to only have one word on your mind no matter what.

Boyfriend.

She looked upon the word with scorn, she sneered at the very thought of gaining the dewy-eyed look that came over her friends.

Never would she fall in love.

She was certainly open about it, for she demanded respect from her friends when they criticized her decision. Of course, Emily was simply an intimidating person. When she wanted something to get through your head, her eyes burned so fiercely that it was almost as if she were trying to sear open your soul and tear it apart.

She also had a rather strong build, with thick arms and legs that were even thicker. Her hair was always down, even when it was 100 degrees outside, because she constantly stated that she preferred herself with her hair down.

And Emily, above all, was simple. She was frank. If you said something to her that insulted her, she wouldn't sugarcoat or hide what she wanted to say back, unless, of course, she was aware it could get her into serious trouble. Rather, she said it flat out.

Her sharp tongue earned her some well deserved respect, and nobody messed with her once her reputation was established.

And this was simply all Emily needed.

No love, just respect.

~

"Class, this is Tyler Ford." Ms. Harrison said briskly as a boy walked into the classroom. He was about ten minutes late, and Emily wasn't particularly happy with this, seeing as whatever wasn't done in class was assigned as extra homework.

"He's new to the school, so treat him with respect and let him get to know you all." She continued dryly.

Emily smirked. As if Ms. Harrison would ever treat anyone, except maybe her, with respect. The filthy hypocrite wouldn't speak with any politeness to this new boy, she probably wouldn't even bother to learn a thing about him.

"Last name's Ford, huh?" Jackie, Emily's sort-of-kind-of friend that she really didn't have any liking for, said.

They had not gotten to chose their seats, mind you.

"Yeah? So?" Emily asked casually, brushing her black hair out of her face and looking at Ms. Harrison, who was now writing an overly complicated mathematic expression on the board.

Emily began to copy it down and listened half-heartedly to Jackie as she continued to speak. "He's kinda cute, really." She babbled. "I like the way his hair is, especially the color. Dirty blonde! Definitely my type."
"Everything is your type, Jackie." Emily sighed. Jackie ignored her and continued to evaluate Tyler. "And his eyes are a really nice color too, I'd call it turquoise. What would you call it, Em?"

"Don't call me 'Em'." Emily hissed, thoroughly annoyed by this. "And I'm trying to do this problem!"

Jackie looked horrified. "I didn't even realize she's written it!" She wailed, copying it down with a messy scribble that she surely wouldn't be able to read later.

Emily shook her head and listened as Ms. Harrison droned on about algebraic equations and why x=y and why a and b were opposites.

"Emily," a voice whispered behind her.

Emily turned in her chair. "What?" She snapped, surprised to see the new boy sitting behind her. "I know you." He said.

"Why don't you just do your math problem?" Emily snapped, trying to turn back around, and doing her best to avoid showing that she was thoroughly bewildered by this. She didn't like talking to boys. She found them way too immature and had no liking of them whatsoever.

"Hey, idiot." Tyler called. Emily felt her cheeks turn red. She spun around again, this time rather furiously. "What the hell do you want? And don't call me an idiot!"

"Emily Thomas, our teacher is about to kill you."
"What?"
"Turn around, kid."

Emily turned back around, thoroughly confused, and saw that Ms. Harrison was no longer standing at the board. "Where'd Ms. Harrison go?" Emily asked Jackie.

Jackie looked at her like she was crazy. "She's standing right at the board." She said. "Are you okay, Emily?"

Emily shook her head to clear it. "Yeah. Sorry. Fine."

"Not for long, child." A rough voice hissed in her ear.

~

A/N: Confusing? I bet. Don't worry it'll get clearer.