Jar of Hearts

♡ 6 ♡

Emily's jaw slacks, causing her pouty lips to part.  "I... Uh... Um. I... I don't have a response to that." She stutters. Her cheeks blush deeper than they ever have in her life. Her encounter in the hallway with Jack seems like a walk in the park compared to the embarrassment she is currently experiencing.

Luke's bright green eyes shine with amusement, enjoying her discomfort way too much. "Don't sweat it, short stuff. I've admired many a behind in my time." His smirk turns into a smile and he leans back on his hands. "And to answer your question--I don't come to parties just to stare at people. I'm simply observing the comical scene that is drunk teenagers making fools of themselves."

A ghost of a smile graces Emily's lips when her eyes take in the front lawn.

Almost as to prove his point, Hannah Dyer, Parker's younger sister, trips over her own feet and faceplants in their perfectly manicured grass. Her dark hair which is cut into a bob, unattractively sticks to her face. Her brown eyes are glazed over. She glances around lazily, still on the ground. She looks like she's going to get up but then her shoulders slump instead and then she continues to try to twerk whilst still on the ground. It's a sight, to say the least.

A laugh leaves Emily's lips and her gaze finds its way back to Luke. "I'm sure that'll be all over social media tomorrow." She grimaces in pity for Hannah. Sure, they never got along, but Emily would never wish embarrassment for anyone since she knows the feeling all too well.

Luke shrugs. His eyes are still trained straight ahead.

Unintentionally (but intentionally), Emily's eyes look over Luke's body as he lounges casually without giving her a second thought. He wears a black hoodie and dark jeans. She also can't help but notice how the color really compliments his skin tone and how his clothing fits well on his clearly muscular form.

The first thought to enter Emily's head is, I wonder if he works out.

Luke's head turns and his deep green eyes catch hers.

I hope he works out, is the last thought she has before the door opens behind her.

"Hey. There you are," Jack's voice announces as he walks inside the house. He shuts the door behind him and makes his way over to them.

"Hey," Emily mutters, her eyes still captivated by Luke's. She reluctantly turns to face the other boy.

Jack grins but then his eyes move to the other boy sitting on the bench behind her. Jack's smile dims slightly. "Who's this?" He nods his head toward the guy wearing dark clothing.

Emily's eyes shift back to the boy on the bench. "This is Luke. He's new here." She offers a small smile but Luke's expression stays completely neutral.

He nods his head toward Jack. "'Sup," he simply says and turns his head back to the window.

Jack's eyebrows raise and his eyes meet Emily's. She shrugs in response. And before she can say anything, another person barges into the house.

"Hey, babe. I was looking for you everywhere." Jaclyn Lawrence walks in, flipping her perfectly straightened raven hair over her shoulder, exposing her radiant, brown skin. She doesn't bother closing the door behind her. Her full red lips pull into a smile when her eyes meet Jack's.

Jaclyn is very popular at Lincoln High. She's a mean girl who pretends she's friends with everyone. Nobody's fooled by her act but they go along with it anyway because she's hot--and rich. She's always wearing something designer. Like now, she wears a skin-tight Louis Vuitton dress.

Emily's heart drops in her chest. He has a girlfriend. I'm an idiot, she thinks whilst resisting the urge to run away. She didn't know that they were dating.

Jack slips his arm around Jaclyn's waist. "Hey. You know Emily, right?"

 But, clearly, they are a thing.

Jaclyn's lips purse and her eyes cut over to the brunette for a brief second. She gives a tight (fake) smile to him. "Yeah. I might have seen her around."

Jaclyn's dark complexion is flawless and her hair is always perfect. However, her personality is a different story.

Emily notices her behavior and thinks, Does she feel threatened? By me? Emily isn't sure if she should feel happy or offended by that. On one hand, Emily definitely finds Jack attractive. She would not mind being his girlfriend. But on the other hand, Emily would never get involved with a guy who is not available. She's not that girl.

Biting her lip, Emily does her best to compose herself before responding. All she wants to do is hide and scream at herself for thinking she actually had a shot with Jack Tatum. Of course, he's taken by her.

"It's not like we were best friends when I first moved here in the ninth grade. But hey, who's keeping track? A lot of things have changed since then." Emily shrugs and lifts her cup to her pink lips. "Like your nose," she says quickly and takes a sip of her modified Coca-Cola made by Parker.

Jaclyn's head turns toward Emily so quickly she could get whip-lash. "Excuse me?!" Her eyes widen and her jaw drops.

An awkward cough comes from behind Emily, causing her to turn her head.

Luke is still looking out the window but with a smirk now playing on his lips.

Jack clears his throat, causing everyone to set their eyes on him now. He runs a hand through his auburn hair and shifts on his feet. "So, um. I guess you guys don't like each other too much, huh?" He laughs uncomfortably.

"Well, I don't generally like to surround myself with people who are friends with the spawn of satan. So..." Jacyln twirls a lock of her hair with her finger and shrugs innocently.

A scoff escapes Emily's lips before she can stop it. Shit, she thinks. Everyone looks at her now, expecting her to say something. She opens her mouth and the word vomit tumbles out. "Don't you dare talk about my best friend like that. Rory is a thousand times the woman you will never be. And at least she doesn't have to pay to look hot. So..." She mocks Jaclyn's valley-girl accent. "Bite me, bitch."

Jaclyn practically has steam coming out of her ears now. She is frozen out of shock that Emily actually spoke back to her for once.

Emily's hands find her hips and there is no stopping her now that she's started. She's shy, but when someone gets her riled up, things change. "You kicked Rory off the cheer squad because you were jealous that she was really good and you thought she would try to take your spot as captain. Like... Damn. Are you that insecure?"

Emily shakes her head. "That was so low. She would never do that to you. And, you know that. You're just a mean girl, Jaclyn, and that's all you'll ever be." She sighs and looks at the ground, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm done here," she whispers and walks away.

When her hand touches the handle of the door, her eyes lift up to meet Luke's from across the hall. He smiles. Not a smirk, but a genuine smile.

Emily quickly exits the house before he can see the blush that is surely staining her cheeks.

When she steps out of the house, the first thing that she sees causes her jaw to drop and her eyes to widen.

"What the hell, Rory?!" she yells.

A/N

QOTD: Clearly Emily has a spicy side to her. What are some of the best comebacks you've ever used?

AOTD: Wouldn't you like to know, Weatherboy? (lmao, yes, this is sarcastic)