Running Into You

Chapter 16

Emma

In the kitchen we see Caleb and Piper eating pizza at the island Henry and I ate at earlier. They were talking quietly. Piper is giggling silently. When they noticed us come in the room they stopped talking and tried to look serious, but you could still see the humor in their eyes. I cut my eyes over at Caleb.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Caleb lies.

Just then Piper starts giggling uncontrollably and almost falls off her stool. Henry walks around the island and opens a cabinet to get plates completely ignoring his sister. I stand there staring at her likes she's a madman. When the giggles subside she takes a deep breath and with a wide grin on her face she throws a pizza crust at Henry. "She's your student?" she blurts out and then starts giggling again.

My mouth drops open in shock. I stare over at Caleb in disbelief. "What have you done?" Caleb just shrugs without meeting my eyes.

Henry grabs two slices of all meat pizza as if there is nothing wrong and takes a seat at a long dining room table in front of a wall of windows.

"I don't know if Mom is going to be upset with you or happy that you finally found someone after Amy."

Henry doesn't say anything as he takes a big bite of pizza. Caleb looks over at him nervously. Henry looks at him and shrugs. "I don't care," he admits with a mouth full of pizza.

"Are you sure, man?" Caleb asks unconvinced.

"Yeah, it was going to come out eventually. Now I don't have to lie to them. I hate lying. I probably was going to tell them anyway."

Piper starts giggling again. Henry throws his pizza crust at her and hits her in the arm that she brings up to block it from hitting her face.

"What's so funny, anyway?"

"It's just you're always so perfect. You made perfect grades all through school, you were the best football player, and everyone loves you. You're the golden child and now Mom and Dad are going to see you're not perfect. That you can make mistakes. I can't wait." Piper smiles gleefully.

"Hey, Emma is not a mistake" Henry declares angrily.

"Do you think they're going to just be honkey dory with her being in high school? With her being your student?"

Just then Henry looks over at me and sees my white face and tears sliding down my face. He jumps up and wraps his arms around me. With one hand behind my head he whispers in my ear, "It's going to be okay. Everything will be fine." I shake my head no and he holds me tighter. The room has become very quiet. I look over at Caleb and Piper and they have stopped eating and are watching me with guilty concern. I take a deep breath and step back out of Henry's embrace. I grab a slice of pizza and sit down at the table Henry was at. I look around at them still silent and watching me.

"I'm fine," I state firmly and take a bite of pizza.

I barely taste it, but continue to chew and act as normal as I can. Henry goes to the fridge and grabs a Coke before heading back to the table. He pops it open and sits it in front of me. I take a sip of it and the cold acid running down my throat brings me back to life.

"So what's the worse that could happen?" Henry asks sitting back down and picking up another slice of pizza.

"Well, Mom is probably going to be thrilled. She has always said you're too serious and should find someone to have fun with, but Dad?" Piper shakes her head.

"Yeah, Dad," Henry sighs looking off in space.

"Dad's a different story. I mean I could sleep with every professor at the university and Dad wouldn't bat an eye, but you? Please, the golden child cannot be tarnished. I mean what are the associates going to think? Remember when you decided to quit football? Dad thought you were going to go pro and then you wanted to become a teacher? You had such potential. You could have been anything in the world and you decided to become a low paying, hardworking, no appreciating teacher. Dad was so disappointed. When he said to go out and follow your dream he was thinking engineer or doctor not teacher. Those are the only times you've come close to being human and not some kind of demigod in their eyes. This is just too much," Piper pipes in with a giggle.