The Distance Between Two Hearts

chapter 2

    "Walking home today was a blur. All i rememeber is throwing myself on my bed the way i am right now." I said to Lily on the phone.

    We've pretty much called eachother every night since we became best friends in middle school. I set up my paints and brushes and walked into my bathroom to get my cup of water, leaving lily on speaker.
    "You're painting aren't you Emma?" She asked. I could tell by the tone in her voice she was smiling, slightly rolling her eyes the way she always did.

    "Yes lily, i am." I replied, throwing my painting notebook on the floor and setting my water down carefully. 
"How'd you know?" I said. 
    "I assumed." Said lily.
"Hey, what was all that about at lunch?" She started, "You kinda ditched me Em."

    "Lil im sorry, theirs this new kid Jeremiah, and i didn't want him sitting alone." I explained, wetting my paint brushes. "There's something about him," i stopped in my tracks like a deer in headlights when my stepfather walked in, "Your mother has to talk to you," He whispered, "Hello Lily." He said to Lily on the phone.

    "Hey Seth!" She said cheerfully, "Well I'll see you in Economics tomorrow Em, love you!"
   "Love you too Lil, see you in Economics."

    I got up from my painting zone and threw my phone on my bed. I rolled my eyes at Seth and said, "What is this all about?"
   "Its no suprise that you're not my biggest fan Emma, but this discussion isnt about me." I crinkled my forehead and rushed past Seth, down the stairs up to the stove where mom was starting dinner. Chicken soup. Her specialty, and my favorite.

     "Emma, you got a letter in the mail." She smiled.

     "Chicken soup and a letter, its my lucky day." I said sarcastically. I carefully opened the letter and immediately saw it was from my first choice art college in france. I panicked and threw the letter on the table.
    My hands were sweaty and my heart raced.
"Come on honey, this could be a wonderful opportunity!" Yelled my mom.
   
      I finally built up the courage to open it up...

     Hello Emma Robins, we are looking forward to seeing you around our school next year. We will make sure that our school is a comfortable environment for you.
      Sincerely,
  Madam Eleanor

     I nearly had a heart attack! I was going to be attending my first choice college next year, without exception!
    "Im sorry." I apologized to Seth because i knew how hard he tried to get me to like him, and i felt awful for giving him a hard time.
    "Its alright kiddo." He forgave me.
  
    After racing back upstairs to work on a new painting i couldnt help but think about Jeremiah.
    Which was out of the ordinary, mainly because boys were the last thing on my mind. But his smile seemed to make me feel as if we had something. A connection.
                *After dinner*
     "...And then when i opened it, it was from my first choice college!" I screamed into the phone. I heard Lily screaming on the other line. "Emma thats amazing!" She squealed. "Ooo lala!" She said playfully, as if she was one of those french woman.

     "I mean france, its so far away." I whined. "Wouldn't you just love to come with!"
     "I would if i wasn't destinied to be a totally successful actress!" She said.
      Being an actress was perfect for her. She was gorgeous and had just about as many personalities as johnny depp.
    "Lil," i said seriously, "have you ever been in love?"
Lily broke into laughter on the other line.
    "No." She said through giggles.
    "Don't tell me you're in love with Jeremiah, the mystery boy you just met!"
    "Shut up no way!" I said. But i didn't know what i felt. Was i in love? If i was, Jeremiah certainly never thought of me that way.
    A weird chick was messy hair, messy clothes, plain brown eyes, a freakish obsession with art, and non existent confidence. Thats not attractive at all, but certainly was the truth.
      *The next day at school*

    I was standing at my locker with Lily when i noticed Jeremiah from directly down the hallway. I dug my face into my locker in hopes that he wouldnt notice.
    "Hey quietness." I heard a familiar voice say from behind me.
    Crap. It was Jeremiah.
I turned around. "Hey." I smiled, my hands trembled to hold my notebook full of stupid drawings.
    "Do you think you can show me where room 214 is?" He said, with a cute confused look on his face.
    "Actually.." I choked on my words,"thats where im going." I tried to muster a smile. I probably looked constipated and slightly horrified. All and all, a non attractive mix.
    As i walked to class, my mind and heart raced.
  I refuse to fall in love, i refuse to fall in love, i refuse to fall in love.
    In which i kept repeating over and over again. I could see Jeremiahs smile from the corner of my eye, while his brown hair fell in his face. He adjusted his bookbag and pulled down his blue v-neck, which rose while he moved his back pack strap.

     Walking into government class was interesting. People stared. As if i had just murdered ten people, and he was my accomplice.

     "Mr. Walker!" Yelled Mrs. Campbell. "So nice to meet you." She smiled.
     "Since we're already on semester two of the year, i thought I'd make an appointment with you to see the guidance counselor to pick up some information you might need." She said.
     "Okay." He replied calmly. While picking up his bookbag that he'd thrown on the desk, he muttered
"is it okay if i get your number?"
   "What?" I asked. God i was so stupid!
    "Your number." He repeated himself. "So that you can tell me what i missed. I wont be in lunch." He smiled.
    "Oh! Yeah no problem" i tried to play it cool but all the papers flew off my desk from flailing my arms like an idiot.
   I scribbled it down on a piece of torn paper and gave it to him.
    "Thanks." He said, before exiting class and turning the corner.
     "Fuck." I whispered to myself. "Stupid." I muttered, slamming my book shut and getting up to pick up the crap i dropped.
    "This'll be a long ass day." I pouted.