The Seaside Café

Chapter 19- That's Just The Way Things Work

Chapter 19- That's Just The Way Things Work

Emma's Point of View

Breathe. Just breathe. In and then out… in and then out. In through my nose and then out through my mouth. I can do this. I… I can do this.

“Hi,” I greet with a shaky smile into the mirror. “I’m Emma, Jace’s girlfri-“ I can’t finish my sentence because I erupt in a fit of giggles. Luckily, this is only a practice run and nobody’s around. Once I stop giggling, I fix my hair and try again by clearing my throat and making eye contact with myself through the full body mirror in my bedroom. “I am Jace Parker’s giiiiiirl-“ I try to say it really slowly to stop myself from giggling, but it doesn’t work and I break out in another fit of unstoppable giggles.

“Emma!” I hear Michael calling my name from outside my door. “Are you talking to yourself?”

“N-no.” I stammer back, walking over to my door and swinging it open. “Why aren’t you at work?”

He steps inside of my room uninvited with Charlie following with his bouncy cheerfulness. “I have the day off. Why are you so dressed up? You don’t normally dress like that for school, do you?”

I look down at my outfit and then turn and look at it in the mirror. I’m wearing a floral layered skirt with a black belt and a black tank top tucked into it. The skirt is kind of short but not too short, and I’ve never worn it to school before. Actually, I’ve never worn anything other than jeans to school, so this is something completely new to me. “No, but it’s the first day back from break.”

“It’s that boy, isn’t it?” Mikey smirks as I begin to perfect my fishtail ponytail. “Jace, that’s his name.”

“No!” I shriek, deciding that showing both my arms and my legs is too showy, so I grab a crème colored cardigan from my closet and slip it on over my black tank top.

Michael laughs and I know that I answered his question too quickly. “It is that Jace kid. Emma’s got a crush.” He sings teasingly.

I give him a dirty look as I slip on my pink Sperry flats. “Shut up, Mikey.”

“What?” He asks innocently. “Do you think that wearing a skirt is going to make him ask you out or something?” He wonders with raised eyebrows.

I blush profusely and grab my school bag. “No,” I admit honestly. “That’s not what I think at all.” He opens his mouth to say something but right before he does, my phone beeps with a text so I quickly advert my attention to the small screen. Immediately a bubbly grin erupts on my lips as I see that Jace was the one that just texted me.

I’m gonna be there in like, ten minutes :P

I giggle and begin to text him back. I wasn’t aware that you were picking me up. I have a car, you know.

Yep, I know, but I have McDonald’s and I wanna pick you up.. please?

Another giggle escapes my lips despite my brother standing right there and I text him back. Okay, well then I’ll see you soon, and you better have McDonald’s.

He doesn’t respond and I assume it’s because he’s driving, so I push my phone into my bag and turn back towards Michael.

“Whoa,” Mikey stops me from exiting the room like I so badly want to because this conversation is just incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. “then he already asked you out, didn’t he?”

I let out a long sigh and look down at my shoes. “I’m gonna be late for school, Mikey.”

He doesn’t move from my doorway and just stands in my way with a stupid grin on his face. “I don’t care, my baby sister has a boyfriend.”