Carnations for Emily

Chapter 2: The girl in white

14 years ago...

"Hey! Can I play with you guys?"
A girl with short auburn hair, and emerald green eyes, in a white dress, no older than eight years old, ran out of her house flailing her arms around hoping to grab the attention of a group of boys she saw playing in the street from her new house.

She had just moved to a new town with her family, as happy as can be.
Excited to make some new friends, she hopes one of them will accept her into the group.

While most of the boys said no and ran off, one stayed behind.
This boy has blue eyes unlike her green, and his hair was black and unkempt.
On top of that he also had the goofiest smile she's ever seen.
She thought he was cute.

The boy ran up to her and told her his name.
"Hi. My name is Jack.
What's your name?"
The black haired boy asked.

The girl, with a big smile on her face replied with
"Hi Jack!
My name's Emily!
Will you be my friend?"

Jack stood a little confused by such a question.
To Jack whenever he meets someone new he automatically considers them his friend.

"Yeah!" Jack answered.
Emily smiled brightly to this reply.
"You will? Thank you!"

Emily was already having fun she had just moved here and in a single day she had already found a friend in Jack.

"Jack!? Come on!
Let's go play basketball!"
The boys from earlier were calling to him.

Jack looked at them then back to Emily.
"Hmm."
Jack thought to himself for a second.
"Emily is wearing a dress right now. I don't think she'd be able to play with us...
But I don't want to leave her alone."

Jack was told by his mother last night that a new family had moved to their street from somewhere far away.
She told him that they had a daughter,
Emily.

So Jack had already known that Emily was here.
He was just too scared to say hi. While he acts tough in front of the other boys he's actually quite shy for a boy his age.
Nevertheless he was still happy that Emily had come out to play.

"Hey Jack?" Emily squeaked.
"Hmm?"
Emily looked to the group and nodded in their direction.
"Don't you want to go play with them?"
Jack shook his head and said:
"No, I'd much rather do something with you!"
Stunned, Emily blushed at such kindness and couldn't help but stutter out "R-really?"
Jack put on a smile and answered
"Yeah!
You're new here after all!
It's only fair.
C'mon I'll show you around!
...Um, do you have a bike?"

Emily looked down.
"No..." she said in somber tone.
"Ha! Well that's okay!
Wait right here!"
Jack ran off to his house and within a few minutes came flying back to Emily on his own bike.
"Just step on these and grab on to me."
Jack pointed at the pegs sticking out of the wheels of his bike.
"Whoa! Those look cool!"
Emily excitedly stepped on the pegs and put her hands on Jacks shoulders.

"Hold on tight!" Jack practically shouted and as he started to pedal off, his mom stopped the kids.

"Jackie!
Where do you think you're going?" She yelled out.
Holding her hand and standing at her side was Jacks three year old sister Jill.
"Mom!
I told you not to call me that!
Im a boy!" Jack shouted.
"Oh my are you trying to act cool in front of the new girl?" His mother exclaimed.
"N-no!" Jack said a little quieter.
His face turning red.
Emily waved at Jacks mom.
"Hi, Jacks mom!"
"Hey Emily, call me Hellen."
"O-oh! Alright! It's nice to meet you!"
Hellen went back to Jack.
"Now, where are you two off to?"
"I'm going to show Emily around town." Jack explained.
"That's alright then.
Just be careful.
And Jack?!" Hellen shouted.
Jack looked back at his mom.
"Keep Emily safe." She smiled.
Jack felt Emily's grip tighten on his shoulders.
When he looked back he saw a big bright smile on her face as her emerald green eyes shined.
Then the boy and girl took off to town.

From that point on the two had grown close.

Jack and Emily had played together all day, every day from sun up to sun down.
Their parents watch as one would run over to the others house to wake them.
"Good morning Hellen!
Is Jack awake yet?" Emily quietly asked, remembering that while Jack woke up just fine, his little sister was a different story.
"Haha, good morning Emily, no Jack is not awake yet but I can get him if you'd like." Hellen exclaimed.
Emily had a thought and grew excited then, hoping Hellen would say yes to her next question.
"Um, Hellen?" Emily spoke.
"Yes dear?"
"W-would it be okay if I woke Jack up today?" She asked sheepishly.
Hellen thought for a moment and grew a smile.
"Sure, Emily.
His bedroom is the door on the right at the end of the hall."
"Thank you!" Emily, glowing with happiness, ran off to where Jack slept.

Quietly, Emily turned the doorknob and gently opened the door.
Peering inside she saw Jack snoozing away.
Excited to see her friend, She bounded up beside his blue sheeted bed, almost shaking with anticipation for what the day held for them.

As Emily leaned in closer about to wake Jack by poking his cheek, she stopped for a moment.
Another thought had came to her mind.
She didn't know why but her face felt hot.
She had felt embarrassed for what she was about to do.
Emily decided to lean a little closer to Jacks face.
Smiling, she put her lips together and pressed them against Jacks cheek.
She wasn't sure why she did but something about it felt right to her.

When Jack start waking up Emily panicked and quickly jumped back.
"G-good morning Jack!
Haha..."
"Whoa!" Freaked out at Emily being in his room, Jack fell out of his bed and onto the floor.
"E-Emily?" Jack questioned.
Emily rushed over to him.
"Ah! I'm sorry I scared you.
I just wanted to wake you today and Hellen said I could."
In her panic Jack had noticed Emily's face was a different hue.
"Why's your face all red?"
Caught off guard, Emily gave a questioning glance then remembered what she did moments ago.
"Oh! Uh, it's just a little hotter out today is all!" She said as she tried to calm her blush.
"Hmm..." Jack leaned closer to her as her face turned even more red.
"Are you sure?" The boy asked. "Definitely!" The girl replied.
Though she was eight and Jack was nine, both too young to notice, something about Jack being so close to Emily made her little heart flutter...

As time marched on,
the summer they spent together eventually ended and it was time for school.

Both Jack and Emily's parents didn't have time to take them to school and the trip was too far to walk.
So the two met up at the stop sign on their street and waited for the school bus to pick them up.
"Morning Emily!" Jack waved, running up to the girl.
"Oh, morning Jack." Emily waved and smiled in her reply.
Jack stood next to Emily wondering how the school year would be for him.
He always had fun at school.
Though he struggled with a few things like math and history, everything else was fun.
He looked to Emily then and felt worried.
She wore a sad expression today, something was bothering her and he had to find out what.
Then he remembered what his mom told him durning summer.
Her words ringing in his head.
"Keep Emily safe."
Jack nodded to his self then and spoke up.
"Emily, you look sad.
Is something wrong?"
Emily looked up from the ground.
With a small smile on her face she answered.
"I'm just a little nervous is all.
My little hearts racing a bit faster."
Jack also remembered
"Hey we have the same teacher this year don't we?
You can follow me if you want.
I'll make sure to stay by your side."
Jack just being a kid, and a boy at that, didn't realized how much those last few words meant to Emily.

A few moments later and the bus had arrived.
The door swung open and the two heard the yells and screams of children.
Jack looked at the bus driver and smiled at him.
The bus driver didn't smile back.
In fact this one was different from the one Jack remembered from last school year.
He felt kinda sad about it, for the one before looked so happy to be helping kids get to school. While this one seemed almost like he didn't even care that Jack and Emily were there.

When Jack took a step towards the bus he felt something grab his hand.
When he looked back he saw Emily looking at the ground again.
Amidst the children's screams he heard her mumble:
"You don't mind do you?"
Jack flashed her his iconic smile and said "Not at all."
Emily looked up then and smiled brightly, making Jack happy that she was smiling once more.

"Get on already."
Jack heard the bus driver say.
"Hmph." Jack huffed. "Come on Emily."
"Okay." With her hand in his, Emily followed Jack up the stairs to an empty seat on the bus.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, from this day going forward it would be the start of a budding young love.

Chapter 2: End

...One of heartache and sorrow...