Survival

Survival: Chapter Eight

• Chapter Eight: •

After the deep emotional crap ended, I finally told Emma I ran away from home. She thought I was brave enough to take matters into action. She also said that could have not been more stupid.

"I would've done the same thing too," she told me.

And now I needed to find a place to live, food to eat, and a bed to sleep in.

And this is where it gets better.

"Well, Adam. I live with my roommate Stephanie in a medium size apartment. It's just the two of us. We haven't been living there too long" she said. She paused for a moment, and thought for a second." You can come live with us if you wanna? I-I don't know if that sounds weird, does it? For a girl to invite a boy to live with them?"

Nope, it definitely sounded good to me! Later on, I always questioned why someone who I never met could be no nice to me. Why me? Did my family in heaven send me a guardian angel in the shape of Emma?

"Are you serious!" I almost shouted in surprise. A girl inviting me to live with her?

A girl.

A girl!

"Of course, yeah. Absolutely," she said." I like helping people. I believe that helping people is the way this world should function."

I just hope Emma isn't doing this because she sees me as a charity case.

"However, there's one little problem. My mom is the one who got me the place. And one of her rules is: no boys allowed," she said. "Therefore, if you stay with us she can't find out you live with us," Emma told me when she got out of high school her mom got her an apartment for her eighteen birthday, and she could bring one friend to live with her. And she picked Stephanie.

"Stephanie is nothing like me," she says." We're like the complete opposite. I'm quite. She's loud. I don't party, she does. But for some reason, we're best friends."

"The hard thing is that we have to keep you as a secret, Adam. My mom can't know a boy is staying with us. She would freak out," she said.

"Okay, you wouldn't even know I'm there," I said thinking that I do want Emma to think I'm there. I want her to think I'm the only one there.

After the conversation, we walked to her car. A red Mustang with two doors. Nice. I gawked-but not at the car but at Emma. I can't believe she's actually letting me live with her. She's letting a complete stranger live with her. She's clearly not afraid of me. She knows I wouldn't turn out to be a psycho killer or one of America's Most Wanted. Just to be clear I am not either of them.

"My house is not too away from here," she told me as we drove away from the store. I hope Stephanie wouldn't mine me.

"Emma, you think Stephanie will be cool with, you know, me around," I asked her.

"I don't think she'll mind," she said, "and honestly she'll be glad to have a guy under our roof."

"What do you mean," I ask when I clearly know.

"As I told you, Stephanie is a bit of a party person. She likes to take it to the edge. But she's awesome. As long as she doesn't throw a party, bring a guy over, or kill someone in the apartment she can stay. Mom's orders," Emma says.

"She sounds fun," I say.

"Sometimes a little too much fun. Sometimes she tries to drag me into her world, but I'm just that type of person who doesn't party like that," she says." Partying is not a sin nor is drinking. But doing tequila shots until you throw up, or doing drugs is not me."

Wow. Can this girl be more perfect?

"Yeah, I know what you mean. When I party, I try to keep it PG 13," I lie. If I told her I've never been to the party, never gotten drunk, never played beer pong, she'd probably think I'm a loser.

We kept on talking throughout the drive until we arrive at her apartment-my new home.

In one hand, I love the idea a girl is actually inviting me to live with her, but in the other, I don't know if I'm taking advantage of the opportunity. The only thing I know is that Emma is that girl I've never met but always wished to meet.