"I wonder if anyone is having a New Years party?" Sarah asks.
"Probably, I'll have to get a new outfit, I have no party clothes, what about you, Emma?" I shrug and sip my coffee.
"I don't think I'll go to any parties, I'm probably just going to bed early this year, I'm not really feeling it, you know?"
"Yeah, I understand, I can always hang out here." Kayla says.
"Yeah, me too."
"Thank you, that's really sweet, but you guys should go, if there's a party, I'll be asleep anyway."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, you guys deserve to have fun."
"We can have fun with you around, Emma." I look at them.
"You don't have to lie, it's fine, I know I've been a drag lately."
"A drag? Emma, your boyfriend died, you're not being a drag, you're mourning." Sarah says. "Please never think we don't want to be around you because you're sad, or because you may not exactly be yourself."
"Exactly, Emma, we care about you, you're our best friend, and if someone is telling you that you're a drag, then they're wrong." I shake my head.
"No one is telling me anything, I just... I don't know, I feel like I'm making everyone around me sad. All I do is worry people, and I don't want to do that anymore."
"We worry because we care, so are you saying you don't want people to care about you anymore?"
"Kayla." Sarah hisses. "That was kind of rude, don't you think?"
"I didn't mean it like that! Emma, you know I didn't mean it like that, right?" She asks, panic creeping into her voice. "I just meant that..."
"Of course I know you didn't mean anything by it, it's fine."
"No, I'm serious, that was so rude, I feel awful, Emma, please don't forget that people care about you, okay?"
"Kayla, it's fine!" I snap, and I regret it the moment her bottom lip starts to wobble. Her eyes widen and she busts into tears, and then, I'm crying too. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Kayla. I didn't mean to make you cry."
"W-why are you crying?" She asks, words choppy.
"Because I made you cry!"
"You're both going to make me cry." Sarah says, voice cracking. And then, we're all crying. I hear footsteps running down the steps.
"Girls? What's going on?" Mom asks.
"We just got a little emotional, that's all." I say, wiping away tears.
"Is that coffee I smell? it's three in the morning." Dad says. "Can I have some?"
"Help yourself." I say.
"So, everything is ok?"
"Yes, I'm sorry we woke you up."
"It's ok, sweetie." Mom says, smiling. They go back upstairs.
"I guess we try to sleep now." I say.
"Yeah, I guess so."
YOU ARE READING
Open This When...
RomanceEmma's boyfriend is dead, but his memory is not. She still has his jacket, his football Jersey, the necklace he gave her, and a huge stack of "Open This When" letters he had written for her. As she reads them, she realizes that he loved her more tha...
