Deathly Private

Chapter Eleven: Shots Fired

After all the parents and grandparents, and tiny children, had retired to their rooms or left for their houses, Emma, Andrew and Carter sat up in Emma's room. Emma and Carter lounged on the bed and Andrew spun around in his chair. "Does anything exciting ever happen in his town?" Carter flipped through a old picture book.

"We have the kite festival."

Carter snorted and sat up from the bed, "I said something fun, not something for old people."

Andrew stopped spinning, "There's a party."

Emma sighed, "I haven't seen anyone since I got back, and I don't know if I want to."

"Come one sis, it's the perfect welcome back party. Trust me, I know everyone misses you. You were like the most popular girl in school."

"No I wasn't."

Carter threw an arm around Emma, "Just a couple drinks. I want to meet your friend what was her name? Nina and umm...Chris!"

"Hey that's perfect! Chris is the one throwing the party." Andrew smiled. "I miss that guy. Did you know that he has his own house now? Bitch is making bank buy restoring cars for old rich guys."

"Oh I though Chris was your age?" Carter raised an eyebrow.

"No he graduated last year. I didn't know he was doing that."

Andrew and Carter stared at Emma for a moment before Andrew piped up. "Why do you look like you're going to cry?"

Emma took a deep breath and stood up walking over to her closet, "Chris and I dated...it got really serious. As in he started talking about what kind of wedding we would have, how many kids." Carter whistled. "Yeah, so when I was told I'd be moving to the Academy, we talked about it--well--fought about it is more accurate. I ended up getting so pissed that I broke it off. I couldn't take it anymore."

"Have y'all talked since?" Andrew asked softly.

"Yeah, I guess we've made up. We occasionally text, but other than that I haven't seen him."

Carter stood up, "Well there's no point in holding it off. We are mature-ish people."

This time Emma snorted.

***

When they were dressed in warm clothes, rain boots tugged over their pants and comfortable flats in their purses, they left. They tip toed down the hall towards Andrew's old room. "This is how I use to sneak out when I was in high school." Andrew whispered while lifting open one of his bedroom widows. A large tree had grow along the side of the house; Andrew demonstrated for the girls how to reach out and shimmy across the branch to the unfinished tree house. "This is genius." Carter breathed, once she hit the finished floor of the tree house, they climbed down the ladder and sprinted to Emma's car.

Andrew directed them to Chris's new house, but Emma already knew the address. She tried to hold back the tears as she saw the old farmhouse grow closer and closer. How many times did he drive her to this house? Promise that he'd buy it for her, and they could have a family there.

Cars littered the driveway, music thumped loudly form within the house.

"Wow talk about a nice house. Hopefully there are some good looking guys in there." Carter purred they got out of the car.

Inside Andrew and Emma were instantly showered with hello's and hugs. Emma felt a warmness bloom in her chest; all these people missed her. "Kyle! Holy cow there's my man." Andrew clasped hands with him. Kyle was tall, lanky and had short cut blond hair. He smiled widely at Emma and Andrew. "Still with Lydia?" Andrew asked.

Kyle held up his left hand, showing off a thick gold band. "We got engaged, I need an address to send you an invitation man."

"Fuck yeah, I could DJ the wedding if you want. Free of charge obviously." Andrew smiled, "Where's Chris? Haven't seen him in a while."

Kyle suddenly turned pale, his eyes wandered briefly to Emma. "In the kitchen--I would--gotta go. That guy owes me thirty." Just like that, he was gone.

"Okaayy, that was weird."

Andrew shrugged, "Always been squirrely."

They made their way into the kitchen, where they had been told the drinks and food were. When Emma stepped into the room, she felt the warmness quickly turn to ice. Tears filled her eyes as she watched two figures untangle themselves from each other. Chris hadn't changed at all; he was still tall and muscular, with shaggy blond hair and dopey brown eyes.

Nina had changed however.

She wore tighter clothes, her make-up was thick and had hair platinum blonde. Her face screwed up in anger, while Chris's eyes danced over Emma. "The fuck are you doing back?" and "Hi Emma." Were thrown at her at once.

Emma throat began to burn with tears, her stomach knotting in pain. "I-I didn't realize--you guys--"

"That's what happens when you up and leave and don't look back." Nina snarled. "Maybe if you actually cared about us you wouldn't have gone. I wouldn't have had to comfort Chris."

Carter whistled, "Damn you are in fact, the biggest bitch I have ever met."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Emma's best friend. You know the kind that doesn't sleep with her ex-boyfriends."

Nina moved forward, and Chris had to physically hold her back.

"You know, Chris, I thought you were cool. Doing this my sister? You're lucky I don't fucking kill you." Andrew's voice was cold, his face was deadly calm.

"I think it's time to go, I don't think there is much left to say." Emma said softly beginning to turn. Nina once again raised her voice, "Yeah just fucking leave like you do. Well guess what, we won't miss you!"

Emma turned, her sadness quickly turned to a burning hatred. "You gotta be fucking kidding me! Do you understand how painful it was to just FUCKING LEAVE? To be forced out of the place you love the most to go to school with a bunch of rich assholes who only care about what you're wearing or what business your parents own? I fucking hate it. I fucking missed you." She paused taking a deep breath, and turned to Chris, "I hope you're fucking happy. I hope her pussy is made of gold cause her personality is about as pretty as cow shit."

Nina was stunned, long enough for the three to exit the now dead party. People uttered goodbyes as they awkwardly stood around. As they made it to the front door, they could hear Nina yelling again, this time directing it towards Chris. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Just drop it Carter." Emma muttered, slamming the door.

"We need alcohol, and lots of it." Andrew breathed; he who was shaking with anger.

Since the party failed, the instead sent Andrew on an alcohol run, who came back with more whiskey and vodka than three people could ever need. Well, unless your best friend was sleeping with the first love of your life. Then it wasn't enough.

They sat in the barn, that housed all of Emma's dad's old tractors and cars. Emma sat on the seat of a 1945 John Deere tractor that had recently been repainted. "You think that--" hiccup "--I'm prettier than Nina?" She took another gulp of vodka. She had started out mixing it with juice, but then ran out, and was now drinking it straight. 

Andrew snorted, "Nina looks like a 6th Street prostitute."

Carter laughed, "I think that's being a little nice Andy, she is a bag of shit. You however, my dear little glass of champagne, are beautiful. I think Chris was regretting every moment of being with Nina, the moment he laid eyes on you." 

Emma hiccuped, "She was always a bitch. Telling me it was a good way for me to start over, bitch just wanted to get with Chris. Well she can have him and all his crying and planning." 

"There has to be another guy Emma, you're smart and pretty. I mean come on, you're my sister." Andrew slammed back another shot.

Emma didn't answer, when Silas was the first one to pop into her mind. 

No fucking way, she took another swig.