Dear Emma

5 Years Earlier

5 years earlier

Emma danced around the room, laughing, to her favourite song on the radio, her long red hair spread about in every direction. Audrey and Nate stood in the corner, giggling, as Emma made her way over to them, wearing only a pink training bra and shorts.

“Come on Emma, put some clothes on,” Audrey chuckled. “What if mum comes in? And besides, we’re in the company of a gentleman.” She pointed to Nate, who immediately blushed.

“Who cares? You only live once. And you can’t see anything anyway.” She spun around, arms outstretched. “Don’ cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?” she sang.

Nate blushed even pinker, and Emma laughed. “Come on Natey, be a man.”

Audrey began to walk downstairs. “I’m going to get us some drinks,” she called out.

As she was walking, she heard the muffled reply of “You do that, sister!”

Audrey sighed. Her mum was in the kitchen, making what was probably their dinner. And she didn’t look happy.

“Could you please turn that music down?”

Audrey nodded, and went to open the fridge, catching her reflection in the stainless steel. As much as she loved Emma, being around her made Audrey feel insecure. Emma was so carefree, and so pretty. Audrey’s hair was a drab mousy brown colour, eternally tied up in a ponytail, and next to Emma’s striking red hair, she was almost invisible. At school, it was Emma they loved, Emma who was the teacher’s pet. But Audrey didn’t hate her for it. People were people, and no matter how much they were noticed, they were important. At least that was what her mother told her.

She grabbed three cans of coke out of the fridge, and a photo stuck to the door caught her eye. It was that one they took four years ago, that day they went to the waterfall. It symbolised their friendship perfectly. Emma had a massive smile on her face, her arms in the air and her head tipped slightly backwards. Audrey was standing next to her, grinning shyly with her arm around Nate. Nate was almost more her best friend than Emma. When she was off doing something crazy, Audrey and Nate would always be together, watching to make sure she wasn’t being stupid.

Audrey walked up the stairs, and went into her room. Emma was still partly dressed, and a new song had come on. She was dancing around madly, Nate just sitting on Audrey’s bed, watching her shenanigans. How that girl managed to act drunk without ever having a sip of alcohol, Audrey never knew.

“Mum says we have to turn the music down,” Audrey said, twisting the knob on the stereo. Emma immediately stopped dancing, deflated.

“But it’s no fun if the music isn’t loud,” she sighed, and sat down next to Nate. Audrey went up and hugged her. These were the times when she was in the lead, when they day was done and the party was over.

“Come on Emma, Mum said so. Without her, we wouldn’t even be doing this.”

They sat in silence for a while until Emma decided she was bored.

“Let’s play a game.”