𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕥𝕙 | 𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕞𝕒

seven

song of the chapter-
out of my league- fitz and the tantrums

~emma~

for as long as i could remember, we've had lunch with the dolans every sunday.

my dad, little brother and i sat at our usual table at blue plate oysterette. it's the perfect restaurant  on the beach with an incredible view of the pier.

my little bro's coloring something that looks like our family but in reality is a bunch of circles and lines. i wish i could go back to those days where all you stressed about was what color to use next in your terrible artwork.

but now it's all about high school, and what to do for the fundraiser, and how to get your best friend's crazy hot brother to work your booth, while the most popular girls in school are now promised to see him there.

"hey guys!" i hear mrs. dolan say.

"hey!" my brother and i say jumping up to hug her.

mrs. dolan is sorta a surrogate mom to me. i couldn't have made it through the years without her.

"how's school going?" she asks me, breaking away from the hug.

"uh, let's just say interesting.."

"i don't know what that means but tell me all the gory details later!"

we start to walk back and i didn't even notice grayson, mr. dolan, and ethan walk to the table.

mrs. dolan goes and greets my dad as i nudge gray's head and sit next to him—and across from ethan. we make intense eye contact for a second or two. or at least until everyone's done with their small talk.

i look away from him and see him smirk out of the corner of his eye.

"hey ethan!" my dad says, "i haven't seen you since you got back from football camp. glad you're starting again!"

just thinking of ethan in his football gear makes my heart go a hundred miles an hour. i take a drink of my water to calm myself down.

"well..." mr. dolan starts, "he'll be lucky if he makes it through the season. if he doesn't get in a fight on the first day of school!" i take another sip. gray looks down at the table, tracing its wooden patterns.

"really?! what happened?" my dad asks.

"tell him." mr. dolan says to ethan.

ethan automatically has that sexy smirk on his face once he redirects his eyes to mine. he takes his toothpick and puts it in his mouth, without breaking eye contact. does he know what he's doing to me?! god, i would love to be that toothpick. oh my goddess emma shut up!

he takes it out of his mouth—here it comes...

"it was, uh, just an argument over something that happened at football camp. uh, excuse me." he says, getting up from the table, going to what i'm guessing is the men's room.

huh, i wonder why he didn't say anything...?

—

it's now friday and gray and i are at wood-shop designing our booth. also, tonight is the big party that everyone's been waiting for.

"our booth is going to kick ass at the carnival!" gray says.

i cant help but just smile, knowing he's right.

"oh and news update," he says, "caroline stopped me in the hall and said that she's going to the party tonight....she wanted to make sure i would be there."

i sigh. i don't know why he's so obsessed with her. he can definitely find someone so much better.

my phone goes off. "well i sure wish you the best of luck with that." then i open the text i received. gray just bites his lip and shakes his head like he's disappointed with me. i wonder what's been up with him lately—he's been—off.

"oh i have to go to practice right now. uh can you still give me a ride afterwards though?" i say reaching for my backpack.

"oohhh i can't! i'm taking my parents to the airport." he says, then pauses and leans on the table, "but ethan can give you a ride.." then there i was again; sighing. i just want to forget about him, but at the same time, i don't.

but then again, this would be a great time to talk to him about the booth.

"convince him to do the booth!" gray says, reading my mind, "you're gonna have to ask him eventually."

i just say nothing and head to practice.

—

after practice was over i went to grab my bag and take off my cheer shoes for an exchange of slides.

i walk off the field, through the school, and out the front doors to find ethan talking to a few other cheerleaders. (which were all freshman. ugh he's so desperate.)

what am i saying though? here i am, wanting to be his, when he's way out of my league.

~ethan~

"there's a party at my place tonight if you guys want to come." i say, they all just smile, laugh, and nod. just like all the other girls. "i know my parents won't be home, so there's gonna be drinks and everything. my brother will be there but, i don't know—"

"hey!" i hear from behind me.

emma.

i look over my shoulder to see her sweaty in her tight cheer uniform and a high ponytail. her body was perfect. i don't recall her ever having boobs.. maybe she was on human growth hormones this summer or something, i don't know. but all i do know, is that she was attractive as hell.

"i'll catch you guys later." i say to the three girls, and they disburse.

"hey." i say back, now facing emma.

"gray said that you were gonna give me a ride?" she says. she doesn't seem to be so thrilled compared to the other girls who get the privilege of getting a ride home from me.

"yeaaahh." is all i can get out.

i guess i was too caught up in my mind because she breaks the silence soon after. "so, where's you're car?"

i turn around gesturing to my 1998 honda shadow mate black motorcycle.

she scoffs, "yeah that's—not gonna happen."

"look, i have a spare helmet you'll be fine!"

"i'm not gonna get on that thing like—one of your—make out girls!" she says stuttering through her words.

i can't help but laugh, "what?! they don't all make out with me!"

she gives me a face and crosses her arms. okay maybe she's right... "okay so like—ninety-five percent of them make out with me."

"yeah." she mouths and starts to put her earbuds in.

"but that's clearly not what's happening here so if you would just get on the god damn bike please!" i say throwing my hand back to point at my motorcycle.

"it's so beautiful outside i think i'm gonna go for a run." she says.

i don't know if she noticed it, but we were kinda close to each other this whole time.

"are you serious?! it's like five miles.." i say trying to tune out my extremely loud, and now perverted thoughts.

"what?!" she shouts.

"are you seri-"

"sorry! pphfff can't hear you!" she interrupts in the same volume, pointing to her earbuds. "uh, i'll see you at the party, okay?" she then points at me and starts running.

"no you won't because i told you not to come to the party!" i say, returning her point.

"better get used to disappointment!" she shouts.

"see i knew you could hear me!" i shout back.

i watch her jog while i grab my helmet and put it on. i just smile at how she's so much different then all the other cheerleaders and all the other girls in general.

she's just special.