MPHFPC HIGH SCHOOL AU

3

After that, big changes arrived.

Like for example: next day's lunch. Ricky and I usually sit alone, eating leftovers because our cooks never make enough food. That day, Ricky was late. He ran to me with red cheeks and big eyes. He screamed, "GUESS WHO'S NOT EATING ALONE ANYMORE!" I was starring at him waiting for explanation, but before I could get one, a short, brunette girl walked by. Melina.

She smiled to Ricky and I could feel the pain in my chest. I had a big crush on Melina since the fourth grade and Ricky knew it. I guess he didn't even think about it, but by his goofy grin it was kind of obvious that he liked her too.

"Is that him?" she asked and flashed her eyes at me. Melina was shy and quiet, always in her own world and even though she had more friends than I and Ricky, she still didn't have lots of people.

Ricky nodded. "Jacob Portman - the one and only!" I smiled nervously and we shook hands. A voice in my head went I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GONNA HAVE LUNCH WITH MY CRUSH!!!!!!!!!!!! But then, Melina and Ricky turned around and started walking away and it was only then when I completely understood what Ricky was saying before. He didn't mean us, he meant himself. I wanted to go after him. I wanted to tell him, that he never actually ate lunch alone, he always had me here, but I didn't.

I swallowed the pork and blinked the tears away, ashamed of what just happened, hoping nobody payed enough attention to catch the conversation. As I bit into the last piece of the cold pork, somebody crawled behind me, screaming "BOO" and I swallowed the piece without chewing it first. I started coughing and gasping trying to get the pork one way and start breathing again, which caused the entire room to erupt with laughter.
When I started breathing I heard a familiar Brittish voice. "Oh sorry mate. Didn't mean to startle ya." I made a Yeah-right face and turned to Enoch, who wasn't doing well in hiding his laugh.

"What do you want?" I asked not amused, picking up my bottle of water, but quickly putting it back, because it didn't feel safe to drink or eat or do anything around him.

"I couldn't help to notice you're frien' flirting with his lab partner," he said. "So I wanted to drop by and tell ya that Emma is talking to Miss Rattenschweitz about changing partners which must mean she doesn't like you and -"

"Enoch?" Enoch's mischievous grin faded and he turned around ro see Bronwyn. She was standing behind him, outraged. "If Emma wants to tell him something she shall," she said and looked at me as if she was feeling sorry for me. "You're in no position to speak for her." With those words she turned around on her heels and sprinted out.

Enoch made a pff-ing noise as if he didn't believe Bronwyn would actually say something to Emma, but still stood up and left.

His words were stuck in my head for the next few days. On a sunny wednesday morning, two minutes before the bell rang, Emma walked to me. "So......" she said.

"So......" I repeated. There was an awkward moment of silence. "Look I know about your talk with Enoch and I don't.... I don't wantcha to believe everything he said."

"It's alright," I assured her.

"Alright then," she said and I swear I heard a bit of offense of not letting her finish. "So I s'ppose we're meant to start the project......"

"Yeah. You can come to my place at 5?"

"At 5?" She started giggling. "How old are we? 12? I'll be there at 7." And then she walked away, without even knowing my adress.

---

Exactly at 7 o'clock the doorbell rang. I rushed to the door and opened it. Emma was standing - well trying to stand still - there with a funny look on her face and when she spoke a strong scent of alcohol filled the room.

"Have you been drinking?" I asked her.

"Yeah, gotta problem?" She pushed me away and walked into the kitchen. I quickly followed her, trying to prevent a to-be-failed meeting with my parents. Apparently she didn't notice them, though. By the time i reached kitchen she was already pouring rum - for which I didn't even knew we had - into a cup. My father was standing behind her, his arms crossed on his chest. When he turned me, he turned to me. "Who's this, Jake?" I gulped and my eyes flew to Emma, who was now emptying the rum bottle (not the cup) into her throat, apparently too drunk to aim properly, because half of it was dripping down her neck into her shirt. "That's.... Uhm...."

"I'm Emma," she said shaking my father's hand. Once she let go of it he quickly grabbed a towel and started cleaning it.

"Jacob what are you doing hangin out with these type of people?!"

Luckily, I didn't need to answer that question either. "Oh he isn't," Emma said quickly, drinking some more rum. "Your boy and I don't even like each other. We're just signed for lab partners and I stopped by to teach Jake some tricks." She winked at the last word and I facepalmed. I thought that she drinking rum was bad, but after seeing my father's expression I realized it wasn't nearly as bad as it could be.

I'd rather not repeat the things my father said to Emma and me that night. Long story short: I am now forbidden to ever get closer than 10 feet to Emma, lord help me if I talk to her and she can never step into our house again.

I quickly grabbed my phone and texted Ricky the good news, then flopped onto the bed, glad with the way my life just turned back to where it was supposed to be.