Rainbow Stripes

two

"What is he doing here?" Emma demanded, from no one in particular. Then, she spun to glare at Noah. "What in hell is he doing here?"

"Woah Em, no need to be rude -" The boy at the door began.

"Don't call me that. We are not friends." Emma commanded in a low voice.

He smirked. "Could've fooled me."

The boy in the door was Noah's playboy of a best friend, Harry Taylor, the epitome, for the lack of a more accurately descriptive word, a dick.

"Why are you here?" She reiterated, except now her hostility was directed to Harry. Her hands were now folded across her chest, while he was leaning against the doorway, his mouth still turned up in that incorrigible smirk of his.

"Noah finally got himself arrested. I'm his phone call." He bubbled excitedly, a new sight to see; she'd never seen him excited before.

Noah sighed, getting up from his seat. "I didn't get arrested, you moron. I was taken in for questioning."

"Tomato, tomahto, you still set foot in a precinct 'cause you were in trouble." Harry pointed out gleefully. Noah merely rolled his eyes at his response, but Emma and Richard wore matching masks of appalled looks.

"Are you seriously best friends with this guy?" Emma queried.

"Believe it or not, he is actually a good friend."

"Damn straight." Harry reported. Turning to Richard, he asked, "Can he go?"

"Yeah, sure." Richard's voice surprised her; he'd been quiet throughout the whole ordeal. "I just need to say something to him." Addressing Noah, he raised an eyebrow quizzically, "Can I talk to you for a second, outside?"

Noah nodded. "Of course." He threw her a parting nod her way, and exited the room with her dad. Emma, on that note, shouldered her bag and made a beeline for the stairs before Harry could instigate a conversation with her.

If he was upset by her dismissal, it didn't show on his face. "See you at school tomorrow!" He cried out as she left.

For the love of God, I hope not.

*

Finding her best friend Hollie in school the next day was the hardest thing Emma has ever done in her entire life.

Yawning, she made a beeline for her locker, taking her time opening it and taking her stuff out of it.

She slammed her locker shut as soon as she done, and jumped when she saw a grinning redhead standing behind her locker.

"Jeez, Hollie, pinch the smile a little. You look like the Joker." She grumbled, pressing her books to her chest.

"Wow, someone didn't get enough sleep." Hollie teased.

"What sleep?" Emma replied sardonically.

"Jessica Jones?"

"Jessica Jones." She confirmed. "Still didn't get to finish the darn season. There aren't enough hours between twelve and seven o' clock."

"Seven hours isn't enough?" Hollie asked, astonished.

Emma threw her an incredulous look. "I need at least thirteen!" She exclaimed.

Hollie rolled her eyes. "Then why did you even come to school, oh the-greatest-fan-of-Marvel-alive?"

"I wasn't going too! Dad caught me on the laptop." She mumbled angrily.