Breaking Emily

Measure 1

~ Measure 1 ~

The day that my father left was full of tears and regret for both me and my mom.

She was grief stricken over the fact that he'd cheated, that she now how to make the house payments, that she had very little income, and that she was on her own to raise a six year old girl who was grief stricken as well.

But I was grief stricken over the fact that he broke our date.

He had never once broken a promise to me, and it was like a million tiny knives to the heart that day.

Dad took almost everything that he owned. In fact, he only left two things: a jar filled with two hundred dollars, and an old, dusty 1986 piano.

For years, I stared at it, wanting so bad to run my hands over the smooth keys. Mom said no. It had been my dad's, and I think she didn't let me play it because she didn't want the memory of him. But I think she still kept it because she did at the same time.

All those years, even though I wasn't allowed within a five foot distance of that old, dusty piano, it didn't matter. I played it.

***

Marking down the third measure triad, I slipped the sharpie between my teeth and did a test run.

"Sounds beautiful, Em, now can we go?"

I turned around to see Hannah's feet thrown up on the coffee table and her face glued to her phone screen.

"You'll lose brain cells if you stare too long. I mean, it wouldn't make much difference than how you are already..." I said, gathering my papers from the music stand and slipping them inside of the bench.

Hannah snorted.

"Very funny." she said.

She stood up and shoved her phone down into her silver clutch, walking toward me. Looping her arm around mine, she said, "Tonight is our night, Em."

I smiled as I lowered my head, laughing.

"I don't know," I said quietly, "Do you think I'm ready to go out and 'live', per se?"

"Trust me," Hannah proclaimed, laying her hand on my shoulder, "You'll love it."

If I had to be one-hundred percent honest about my experience at Teen Scene Underage Club, I would say that I would rather wrestle a hungry gorilla in a circus cage with bananas hanging from my neck.

Everyone was dancing, which I didn't mind, but when I went to get drinks, I came across several kids making out in the corners.

"God, try not to swallow each other." I mumbled.

I went looking for Hannah and eventually found her dancing in a group of kids, some just dancing, and some... are they grinding? Good God, I want to leave.

"Come on, Em, lighten up!" Hannah yelled over the music, hanging onto some random guy's arm for support.

"Hannah, why are we here?" I cried.

"Because you need to learn how to have fun sometimes, girl. I'm not gonna sit around all day while you play your piano and feel sorry for yourself, thinking that maybe if you learn how to play that crap then your dad will magically come back!"

I was dead silent when Hannah looked up at me.

She stopped dancing suddenly and threw her hand over her mouth.

"Emily..." she said, "I'm so..."

"Just leave me alone!" I screamed.

I turned around and ran from her, reaching the back doors and stepping into the back alley.

Sobbing, I searched through all the disgusting teens making out, and some worse, against the walls of the building for a quiet place to cry.

Turning the corner, I found a spot behind the dumpster and collapsed to my knees in tears.

Come on, Emily, pull yourself together.

The music was still blaring behind me, so loud that I couldn't even hear the sound of the cars passing each other on the highway.

Still I looked up, watched the headlights shining bright in the distance.

I could hear the soft footsteps behind me, and assuming that it was Hannah, I whispered, "Just go away."

"Well, if that's what you want."

The voice didn't belong to Hannah. It was a guy's voice, deep and melodic.

I looked up.

"But before I just go away, could I help you with anything?"

The voice belonged to a tall boy with soft brown hair hanging down over his forehead. He had a tattoo of a cross on his neck and diamond studs shining from his ears.

He reached down to his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, holding it out to me.

"They help." he said.

I stared at him, speechless as he shrugged after my moments of silence and lit one for himself.

I watched the smooth smoke escape from his lips as I drew in a sharp breath.

He smiled to me.

"Enjoying what you see?" he purred.

Yeah. Maybe Hannah's right. I need to...

I stood up and wiped the remaining tears off of my face.

"There." he said, throwing his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it, twisting his foot, "Now let's see a smile."

I did, very faintly.

He walked to me slowly, running his fingers down my arm.

"Does the beauty have a name?"

"Emily." I said quietly, a little breathlessly.

Up close, I could see the crystal clear blue of his eyes. The light touch of his hand made me shudder.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Beautiful. Just like you."

I bit down on my lip.

No, Emily. This is wrong. Don't...

The boy leaned in and kissed me gently at first, eventually picking up speed and easing me against the wall to the point where I was comfortable. He tasted like cigarette smoke, which was bitter and made me cringe slightly.

You don't even know his name.

He pulled away slowly and left me hanging onto his shoulder, like all the life had been sucked out of me. I gasped for air as he held me up.

"Easy now." he whispered, "It's okay..."

"Emily!"

I could hear Hannah screaming for me from the back door of the building.

"I..." I stammered, "I need to go."

He smiled and nodded to me, reaching down to my hand and slipping something between my fingers.

He walked away and I saw him disappear behind the shadows of the night.

"Oh my God, there you are!"

I turned to see Hannah running toward me.

She took a good look at me when she reached me.

"What happened?" she gasped.

I shook my head.

"Please," I whispered, "Just take me home."

This time, she obeyed.