Mind and Matter

18 | Emerson

"I have to go pick up my little brother, so unless you want to be swarmed by hundreds of elementary school kids, you should probably go home," I told Leo as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

He still had an arm wrapped around me. "I would come, but I have practice soon. You know I like being around you."

"Well, I still have to think if I do," I answered sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and my heart exploded. How can he always do that?

"Don't lie to yourself, Emerson," he said, tilting my head up with his fingers so I looked at him. "You like me."

"Keep dreaming, Caruso," I answered while knowing I'd replay his small kisses in my head as I'd try to fall asleep tonight.

I stepped onto the front lawn of the lower school and looked around for Mason. After scanning the whole sea of students, parents, and monitors for a minute, I still couldn't find him. So I walked farther ahead, settling near the entrance of the school so he could see me if he had yet to leave.

I caught sight of a girl sitting cross-legged on the ground a few feet away from me. Her black curly hair fell over her face, concealing her eyes from anyone else. My eyes fell to the beat-up copy of Jane Eyre in her hands, way above her grade level. She looked nine or ten at best.

"Do you like it?" I asked her and then wondered if she would find it odd a total stranger was trying to strike a conversation. Instead, she looked up and nodded.

"I find the character of Jane to be quite complex," she answered, closing the book. "It makes it hard to put down."

"It's pretty impressive you're reading it so young," I remarked. I grew tired of standing and sat down a couple feet away. "What grade are you in?"

"Fourth; I'm nine," she answered with a sense of childlike pride. "I want to try to read all the classics by middle school."

"You're going to have to like lots of hours of you and books then. I still love reading."

"Really? All of my older siblings hate it. They think I'm weird..."

"Books are a gift," I told her, opening up my backpack and pulling out the three I had stashed in there. "I'm always reading. You're never too old or too cool for it."

"I like you," she said bluntly, and I laughed. "I'm Nola, by the way. It's short for Magnolia, but I don't like the name."

"Emerson," I answered her and stood up when I saw Mason running down the steps of the school towards me. "It's nice to meet you, Nola. I actually like your name." Just then Mason came and wrapped his arms around my waist, digging his head into my side. Nola laughed, and he looked at her with a hint of confusion.

"I've got to take him home, but I'm here almost every afternoon," I told her and picked up my brother. He was on the lighter side for a seven-year-old and was really just lazy. "We can talk more about books."

Her face lit up, and she waved goodbye to me as I headed down the grass home.

☆

It was almost Thanksgiving.

I wasn't sure how much I considered that to be a blessing, considering my home environment.

Every evening, when my parents came home from a long day at work, they spent it arguing over Max, which lead to one unrelated disagreement to another. And then they ignored each other, headed off to different sides of the bed, and repeated the same process the next day.

But even with all the rules my parents proposed for my brother, they weren't there for the six or more hours he spent in school, and I knew all of his problems originated there.

I walked out the exit of school that Tuesday afternoon to the freedom of Thanksgiving break. The teachers seemed even more eager than the students to leave. I could see Mr. Clark ambling to his car with a skip in his step and a bright smile decorating his face.

Jarred out of my thoughts, I felt myself stumble forwards into a group of people. I looked up, and someone's hands wrapped around my arms to keep me from falling. When my eyes met his, my neutral expression turned into a dismal frown.

"Almost took a fall there, Em," Franco said, letting go of me.

"Even if I did, I would've been fine," I replied, folding my arms across my chest. "We're on grass."

"Hey, at least say thank you," he teased, and I rolled my eyes.

I noticed he wasn't alone. Standing near him were Neve and Haley and their popularity protégées. Haley seemed bored, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone. Neve was trying to tell her something but stopped when she saw me in front of Franco. She scowled and whispered something to Haley.

She looked up with wide eyes when she saw me.

It felt odd, for a moment, standing near her as a stranger. I could tell she felt the same way from how her head tilted downwards and she inched away from Neve.

"Why is she here?" Neve asked to no one in particular, running a hand through her reddish hair. It didn't bounce when she touched it, as if she had put one too many hair products in it this morning.

Kalani had nicknamed her "Crusty Neve" when we were in middle school.

Franco placed his larger hand on my arm, looking over at Neve with a smirk. "I saved her from a fall. I was trying to be helpful." I removed his arm from me like it was poisonous and backed up.

That was when I felt familiar arms slide around my waist and sensed that signature deep, spicy cologne. He leaned his head in and kissed me on the cheek from behind. I placed my hands on top of his, staring down the crowd in front of me.

When Neve's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, it hit me that Neve wasn't jealous over Franco. She had her hopes set on Leo.

"We'll just be heading out of here," Leo said, his eyes burning into Franco's face. "I hope you all have a fantastic break.".

"Kissing other girls, I see. Getting around must run in the family." Neve mumbled her words, just enough for me to hear. Leo's expression was impassive, but I noticed his jaw twitch.

"What are you getting at?" I challenged, taking a bold step forward. Her lips curled into a small smirk, her devilish blue eyes twinkling.

"Nothing important, Emerson," she replied, folding her arms across her expensive pea coat. "It's just, Leo and I have already kissed." Franco's dark eyes widened slightly and he smirked, as if this was an episode of the Kardashians.

Leo shoved past me until he was hardly a foot from her. "Don't get started on that, Neve," he said. His jaw clenched even harder, that vein in the middle of his forehead beginning to protrude. "You remember how it ended."

She said nothing else, but from the way she smiled and sauntered to her big expensive white Jeep, she wasn't even slightly bothered. Leo's fists uncurled and he stepped back with a heavy sigh, staring up at the sky before stalking away. Seeing Leo leave, Franco took a step towards me.

"Fuck off," I snapped, shoving past him and storming down the street. I was heading the opposite way of Leo, who was now hardly a dot in the distance.

Haley offered me a pathetic smile of sympathy, and I used the best non-physical line of defense.

I ignored them all and kept walking, even if it led me nowhere.