I Can't Cope (COMPLETED)

Chapter 18 - Riley

Today's the day Emily sees Hunter, and I'm really worried about it. James said he called Hunter, but that he was pretty evasive of his questions. He asked him what he was doing around here the other day, he said stuff. He asked him what he was going to say to Emily, he said he hadn't decided. I'm really not sure how it's going to go.

I wish I could go with her, but I have to go to school, and then, after that, dance rehearsals. Steph said she'd take her though, because she has a free day today, and no rehearsals after school either, since she's in B Troupe. I'd much rather go myself, but Emily refused to let me skip school or rehearsals, so eventually I agreed to let her go with Steph, on the grounds that she'd text me to tell me what's happening.

I get up out of bed and chuck a passable outfit together - I can't be bothered to try too hard today - there are other priorities.

Walking into Emily's room, I expect that I'm going to have to wake her up, but I find her pacing up and down anxiously in her pyjamas. She stops when she notices me in the doorway and looks up at me. She pauses, before saying,

"What if I fail everything?" She flops down miserably on her bed.

"Emily..." I say, walking over and sitting beside her. "You won't. If anyone's going to fail, it's going to be Hunter, because he's a boy, and face it, they do. And if he does, he will definitely regret it... Anyway, do you want help deciding what to wear?" I say.

"Yeah." Emily says, getting up again slowly. "I don't know what kind of look to go for..."

"Where are you going with Hunter?" I ask.

"I, uh, don't really know..."

"You don't know?" I ask. Emily pauses.

"That wasn't what I meant. I meant I know where we're going but I don't really know what it's like there."

"Well, is it a restaurant, or a juice bar, or a coffee shop or something else?"

"I think it's a coffee shop..."

"Okay. So you don't need to wear anything too formal..." I trail off, focusing on looking through her wardrobe.

"How about this?" I ask, pulling out her black flowery playsuit. She thinks about it for a few moments, then replies,

"Yeah."

"Okay. When are you going?" I ask.

"Steph's coming at 10.30."

"Okay, so I'll be at school, I guess... Don't forget to text me, because I will reply."

"Won't you get in trouble?" Emily asks, whilst changing into the playsuit.

"I don't know. I don't care really, I have other priorities."

"Ri, don't get into trouble because of me, it's not worth it. I'll be fine and it will go okay. At least that's what I'm telling myself." She says, although deep down I know she's worried, understandably.

A lot of the time I forget I'm younger than her - we just treat each other as equals. I always worry about her problems and try to help her sort them. Unlike usually the protective nature lying with the elder sister, I feel like we are both equally protective of each other, I guess because we've both experienced pain, in several different ways, and that's changed us. We both know how to get ourselves through things, my way being keeping things to myself, which, although it seems like a bad idea to some people, actually does work.

Emily looks in the mirror and inspects her reflection closely.

"Do I...?" Emily turns to face me. "Do I, er, look okay?"