𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆

;suprise

Emma Chamberlain

I never found Grayson and early the next morning he doesn't ring like yesterday so I don't ring either to try and stay away from being the weird clingy girl.

Emre offers to drive all three of us to school, which is strange but as soon as I pull up I know exactly why.

To my left is a sleek black car with all windows rolled down and a group of boys crowded round it.

As soon as I realise what Emre's doing the window is fully down and he's leaning over me in the passenger seat to speak to the driver in the black car.

I know exactly who's car it is.

"Dolan" Emre hollers, but it isn't Ethan that turns around it's his older brother, Addison.

They start up a conversation while I turn my back completely to face my best friends in the two back seats, praying no one realises that he's my brother.

"Emma?" calls someone within the group and as I turn to face the voice, the group disburses and Grayson steps forward.

I kind of gasp his name in response, completely shocked with his leather jacket attire and the cigarette hanging from between his fingers.

"Graysons one of them"

"No way"

The girls gasp from the back of the car but I'm to fixated on Grayson who puts out his cigarette with his foot, blows to the side and leans into the window.

The rest of the boys start to go wild as Grayson opens the door for me to step out. The girls follow behind self consciously holding their bags to their bodies like the boys were wolves ready to pounce on them.

"Of course the soft one gets the hot girl" says one of the boys and I instantly know it's Nate.

Now he was the man whore of the group.

I scowl across at Nate to tell him to shut up but it seems Ethan has already beaten me to it.

Holy fuck. That's why Ethan was so familiar, how had I not put two and two together? When Grayson had told me that he had a twin brother I hadn't even linked him with the notorious bad boy.

"Well it's good to know that you actually go here and wasn't just making it up" I laugh nervously looking around at all the boys staring at me, apart from Ethan he has both earphones in, it's intimidating and I can't wait to leave the awkward situation.

My brother shouts goodbye to me which is my escape. I give him a small awkward wave and begin to advance leaving Grayson behind, his group going mad with shouting and whistling.

"Well you didn't tell me Grayson was one of them GOD I wouldn't have gone looking for him if I'd known" Amanda says in a whisper, rubbing her temples as if she had just been through the most traumatic experience of her life.

"That's because I didn't know" I reply in a harsh whisper back "he wasn't wearing his jacket when I met it him, he was in a brightly neon printed top and he definitely wasn't smoking" I pull my folder out of my locker and press it against my chest with an exhale.

Us girls watch as students and pupils file in from all sorts of directions still too shell shocked to say anything to each other.

"Are you working tonight?" Amanda finally asks breaking the awkward silence, I reply with a timid nod.

I didn't want to work but the hours were acceptable and I needed money for your food and water especially when Emre was too busy doing things I'd never understand instead of working.

Amanda helped out a lot too she worked at a local swimming pool facility to bring in money that went straight to our shared funds.

Olivia didn't work but her parents contributed so I couldn't complain.

When school finished I didn't need to go home and get change as the uniform was almost identical apart from the absence of my striped Queens tie.

I walk this way frequently to work so it was a known path but it was still beautiful and was able to be admired.

Above, the trees cover me like umbrellas in the pelting rain and they lead me along the path towards the mouth of the rows of stores.

Theres a broad range of stores on the road, from those that sold clothes to those which were shelters for the homeless.

The shop I was aiming to get towards was the old library right at the bottom to the left. Which consequently meant I had to pass each shop before getting to my own.

With my vivid imagination and overactive mind I imagined different situations in each shop. Some which were educated guesses seen as I knew the workers, others like the liquor store which I knew nothing of.

I walk past the coffee shop I had met Samuel at. My mouth watered as my coffee addiction started to kick in, my mouth watering as I imagined that there were multiple other couples in there gripping their chocolate frappes talking about their interests to try and get to understand each other more thoroughly.

The next shop along is for electronics. It's usually quiet and not many people seem to be standing in line to buy anything which baffles me as to how it's still up and running.

Directly opposite on the right hand side is the shelter recently opened for the homeless. It is probably the busiest building on the street due to how bad Queens has gotten with the amount of people sleeping rough.

I know only of stories of the people who currently live there and I wish that they are all only rumours and nothing more.

On the same side of the road is a convenience store, a store dedicated to babies which I might say makes me very broody, a heavy liquor store and a small family owned cafe.

On the side of the road I always neared first is a very busy toy shop filled to the brim with children and parents, a pharmacy and a tattoo parlour run by Daniel who was super chill, talented and always had great conversation starters.

"Good afternoon Emma" calls Dorothy as I walk into the library.

At first I don't even see her but then there's a loud clatter and she drops her books from her arms onto the floor

"Do you think you're going to be okay on your own tonight? The homeless shelter has invited me down to do a group reading and I can't help but jump at the chance" she says a little to excitedly which makes me warm a little at her enthusiasm for novels. 

"Of course" I chuckle "nothing hectic ever happens on a Thursday afternoon anyway"

Or any day I think to myself, but don't say out loud. I wave her off through the entrance and take place behind the desk.