From the top! TedXHidgens

Part 12

Ted started to get really tired. Ted knew that Henry was trying to shake him off but he knew what people were capable of. He can't be alone.
They finally got to Emma's apartment. Henry buzzed up. Ted couldn't really here the exchange. Ted just stood there and waited to be let up. He followed Henry up to the apartment. Emma didn't like him and he knew that, this is going to be interesting.

"Hey guys," Paul opened the door for the two men.
Ted was barely through the door when...
"You didn't say you had Ted with you." Emma stared Ted down. Yup that checks.
"He insisted he accompany me." Henry brushes him off. Ted would be lying if he said that didn't hurt. This isn't about him.
"Wow when's the last time the four of us have all been in the same room?" Paul tried to start up the conversation. Paul might be the most socially inept person Ted has ever met.
"That would be the joint funeral for the other victims, babe." Emma patted Paul's arm. Oh god bad topic. Ted glanced at Henry quickly, he looked unphased. That's a relief.
"Yeah so why the fuck are you in my home again?"
"I wanted to talk about something." Henry sat down. Oh shit are we doing this? "I guess I wanted to talk about the whole disaster with all of us here." Oh shit we are doing this.
"Uh sure yeah" Emma looked unprepared for this topic. Ted was prepared for the topic but y'know Henry trusts Emma more. He can't blame him they haven't talked in like 4 months but it's not like Ted doesn't understand. Whatever.
"What happened to us is pretty fucked up. We're always gonna have those memories." Paul kicked it off with the most obvious fucking statement.
"There is also the whole survivors guilt." Emma added.
Ted has known Charlotte and Bill for such a long time. He may have not been close to Bill but it's not like they weren't friends. Ted didn't not value they're "friendship".
"Paul, how did Bill die?" It was an out of body experience for Ted. The words just kind of fell out of his mouth. He wanted to know but at the same time he really didn't. "You were the only one there, Paul. I was his friend too." Ted made sure to look Paul dead in the eye, so he knew that paul wouldn't lie.
"When we got to the school Alice was infected." Ted knew it. He understood that it was Bill's daughter but it was a death sentence. "When Bill found out he tried to shoot himself." The idea of Bill trying to kill himself disturbed Ted. "I stopped him but the infected got the gun." How did they get the gun Paul? "They shot him."
"Ok" Ted knew that Paul wouldn't tell him if he asked. He would just have to accept it like that.
"It's kind of depressing that we are the four that survived." Emma half laughed. She looked desperate to lighten the mood. Ted didn't blame her. He chuckled to ease the tension.
"Don't forget about that fucking squirrel." That joke felt pathetic to Ted. A desperate attempt to salvage this conversation.
"Peanuts!" Emma and Paul said together. They really are a sickly sweet couple.
"Henry, I have no fucking clue how you can be around music all the time and not freak the fuck out." Emma joked. Ted thought that was a pretty stupid statement. Music is a fixation in life. They just have to get over the fear.
"I am in a perpetual state of freaking out, my dear." Ted knew Henry was joking but... that's just not good.
"Henry..." Maybe Henry will open up about it with Emma here.
"Nope no, not right now." Henry closed himself off.
"Ummmm" Emma looked questioning.
"I just drank a little to much last night and..." Paul and Emma's eyebrows shot up. Fucking Christ. "NO no none of that. I just let my emotions get the better of me."
Emma wasn't buying it. She looked to Ted.
"He... cried." Ted really didn't want to be the one to say it, "he said they're gone"
"Henry? What's wrong?" Emma's voice changed. She sounded so much kinder than she usually did. Huh.
"It's just survivor's guilt Emma. I may not have known Charlotte and Bill well but I was drunk, those feelings were just amplified." He's lying. But if he doesn't want to talk about it, what can Ted do?
"Ok. Whatever you say Henry." Ted was kind of pissed off that Emma didn't push any further.
An alarm on Emma's phone go off.
"Oh shit. I have to go to work. I'm sorry guys." Emma stood up slightly frantic looking for her things. "It was great to see you guys." Emma grabbed her keys off the kitchen counter "this isn't over Hidgens," and she was gone. This is uncomfortable...
"Well I best be off." Henry stood up. "Can you do a singing class next week? Same time."
Henry wants to do another class. Holy shit. Teds heart rate sped up.
"Yeah that'll work." Ted really has to resist smiling ear to ear.
"See you then. Always a pleasure Paul." And Henry was gone.
"Oh uh bye!" Paul tripped over his words.
Alone in a room with Paul. An experience Ted tried to avoid when he could.
"Sooo singing lessons." Paul smiled.
"Fuck off Paul." Ted noticed the coffee he was holding, "can I get a coffee?"  Paul poured Ted a cup of coffee. They stood in the kitchen in silence.
"So Henry huh?" Paul bounced his eyebrows like the whole scene before didn't happen.
"So Emma huh?" Ted retorted.
"I've missed you dude." Paul patted teds shoulder.
"Yeah yeah," Jesus Christ is paul teds best friend now?