Brown Eyed Boy

Surprise Visit (Jessie POV)

A few hours after Carlos and Cassie left, my doorbell rang. I jumped at the sound, being the only one home and not expecting anyone to come over. Besides Carlos, no one ever really came to our house and I knew it wasn't him because he had text me that his mom still hadn't come home. The doorbell rang again as I got up from my bed and by the time I got to the top of the stairs, my phone in my hand rang. Looking down at the screen, my eyes widened at the name.

“Emmett?” I said in surprise as I answered my phone.

“Jessie,” he answered, sounding relieved. “I was hoping your number was still the same. Are you home? I've been ringing the bell.”

“Um,” I said, unsure of how to answer. Besides Jared, Emmett was almost like family once. But just like everyone else we knew, he had sided with Jared which made me wonder if this was a set up. Emmett hardly had anything to do with any of the cruel jokes against me, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk it. I told Carlos I would start standing up for myself, but I was hoping he would be there the first few times.

“If you're worried about Jared, he's not here,” he replied. His voice seemed to harden when he mentioned Jared, but still sounded sincere. I didn't answer and just walked down the stairs, to the door and looked out the peephole to see Emmett standing alone with his phone to his ear. I debated with myself for a second before unlocking and opening my front door.

He turned to the door and ended the call as he smiled over at me. “Hey.”

“What are you doing here Emmett?”

“Guess I deserve that,” Emmett replied. “I haven't been here in a few months.”

“Haven't been my friend either,” I said without thinking. I didn't mean to sound so harsh but I guess Carlos' lecture on standing up for myself sunk in and was making up for lost time. “So why are you here?”

Emmett flinched guiltily and I shifted in place, feeling horrible for treating him that way. “I just want to talk to you,” he said quietly. “Can I come in?”

“What's a matter, don't want Jared to find out you were here?” Unfortunately, Nick lived across the street from me and more than likely would report back to Jared if he saw Emmett here.

“Yes, but more for your sake than my own,” he replied. “Unless you want the slut rumors to start up again.” I glared at him and then stepped to the side so he could come in. Turning my back on him I walked into my living room and sat impatiently.

“What do you want to talk about?” I said.

Sitting down across from me, he sighed and looked down at his hands. When he finally looked up at me, his features were fixed in the most serious look I had ever seen on him. “Jessie, I'm really sorry,” he said. “I've been an idiot and a really crappy friend. I know that everything Jared says or has said isn't true, and I've tried to get him to stop but when he doesn't I just stop trying. Every time I've tried to help you, it just made things worse. I figured if I went along with it, Jared would ease up; and for a while, he did. But then Carlos showed up and things seemed to escalate. I thought he took it too far when he threw the football at you, but then I heard you almost hit your head in lab today and I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. Jared didn't like that I said anything, so he told me either I was with him or I was against him.”

“And you chose to be against?” I asked skeptically.

“I chose not to stand around and watch him be a jerk to someone who doesn't deserve it,” he answered. “Which to Jared, meant that I was against him.”

“Okay,” I said. “I still don't get why you're here.”

“Mostly to apologize,” Emmett responded. “And I know you think I haven't been there for you in the past few months, but if you give me another chance to be your friend, I promise I'll do better.” He stared at me so sincerely that I believed every word. Emmett was one of those people that always stood up for his friends and when he didn't it almost pained him. I wanted to look at him and be able to say “sure” because before all the drama, he was a great friend. But the paranoia in me continued to surface and wouldn't let me think of his apology and request as anything but a lie.

“I don't know,” I answered.

He nodded as though expecting the response and said “Will you at least think about it? I really do want to make up for not being around.”

“Okay, I'll think about it,” I answered. “But I'm not making any promises.”

“As long as you think about it, that's good enough for me,” he answered. “There's something else too; about Carlos.”

“What about him?” I asked with a cold feeling spreading through my stomach.

“You guys obviously know Jared doesn't like him much,” he said. “He doesn't want to admit it, but he's jealous of him. And the jealousy is driving him crazy to the point that he's planning something against him. Carlos needs to watch himself.”

“Why would Jared be jealous of Carlos?” I asked in disbelief.

“Because he has something Jared doesn't,” Emmett answered as though it were obvious. “You.”

“But me and Carlos aren't together,” I said quickly. “We're just friends.”

“Yeah but to Jared, that's too close,” he said. “He knows he screwed up when he broke up with you. Him being a jerk is his way of hiding from it. The fact that you and Carlos seem so close made him realize he lost a great friend too.”

“Oh,” I said. “Thanks but why are you tell me this?”

“Because you seem happier since you've had Carlos around,” he responded. “I don't want you to lose another great friend. It's like I said before, you of all people don't deserve this.” Listening to his words and thinking back on what Carlos told me, I actually started thinking that they were right.