perfectly wrong | ethma

nine

emma

it's the morning after the party and my head is killing me.

"morning," riley's way too cheerful voice says from next to me.

i look around and realize i'm not in my own room. i still have my clothes on from last night.

i groan in pain and throw the covers over my head.

"drink some water, emma. you'll thank me later," she nudges me a little.

i remain under the covers with no plan to move.

"okay, don't drink the water." she says. i hear her set down the water on the table next to me. "instead, you can tell me why you and ethan fought last night."

i remove the covers and sit up. she hands me the glass with a winners smile as she watches me drink it.

"ok so, big deal? you fought," she says. "people fight all the time. i mean, you and i fought almost every day in first grade and look at us now."

i roll my eyes. "that's different,"

she gives me an apologetic smile. i know she's doing her best to make light of the subject, but i honestly want to do anything except talk about it.

"it wasn't really a fight," i tell her. riley's eyes were glued onto me. that's one of her best qualities— good listener. "he just needs time to think and process everything that he's been through lately."

"why does he have to do it without you?" she questions. "if anything, i think you're the only person that can help him through it."

"because it's hard, riley." i sigh. "it's hard to think or even breathe when i'm around him. and it hurts me. it hurts to know that he wants me now because his perfect little girlfriend cheated on him with his brother,"

i don't know why i can't stop talking.

"it hurts to know that i'm his second choice," i cover my face. "he told me whatever jen and him were going through that they would 'work through it' and then he walked in on her with grayson. so, what does he do?"

riley sits there unsure what to do. i'm on the edge of crying and there's nothing she can do to prevent it.

"he goes to my house and kisses me," i tell her . "he kisses me. and oh, it felt good— really good. but, i realized that he was just hurt and looking to distract himself from hurting."

"emma," riley's soothing tone chimes in. "you can't possibly think that."

"i was a distraction, riley. that's all i was, and that's all i'll ever be." tears fill my eyes now and riley holds me close.

"it's okay," she tells me. "we're going to get through this together."

ethan

i wake up with the absolute worst headache, so i make my way to the kitchen to get some water and aspirin.

grayson's downstairs making breakfast in the kitchen and i weigh my options. one, go downstairs and face him and relieve my headache. two, walk back upstairs and live with this headache forever.

i decide the first option was best for my survival.

"hey e," he says quietly once he sees me in the kitchen. "how's your head?"

i don't say anything as i search the counters for aspirin.

"it's probably killing you, huh?" he says.

i hear a shake of a bottle shortly after he says those words. i turn my head slowly and see the tiny bottle he's holding in his hand is the aspirin bottle.