Emma: Freshman Year

Chapter 8: The Meeting

As soon as the bell rang, Emma quickly jumped up off the bleachers, grabbed her backpack, and raced down the hall and around the corner towards Landon's office. As she approached the open doorway, her heart raced with anxiety as she spotted Landon sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop. His desk was bare, except for a sandwich that lay on a napkin and a bottle of diet Pepsi.

Just then, Landon looked up at Emma. "Oh, hi, Emma!" Landon greeted her as he closed his laptop. "Am I glad to see you!"

"Thanks," Emma replied shyly, stepping into Landon's office with her hands clasped in front of her to keep them from shaking. The butterflies in her stomach were stronger than ever, and her heart was racing furiously.

"Now," Landon continued. "The reason for this meeting is so that I can ask you a personal question. If you don't feel comfortable answering, just let me know."

"Okay," Emma replied, wondering what Landon was going to say next.

"You can shut the door," Landon directed. "This is just between you and me."

Emma obeyed, turning around and quietly closing the door behind her. Then, she faced Landon once again.

"How would you feel about coming over to my place tonight?" Landon asked, leaning forward. "Just to hang out?"

Emma's stomach jumped with excitement upon hearing those words. "I would love to!" she answered, barely giving Landon enough time to finish his sentence. Then, she thought of her mom, and how angry she would be if she found out that Emma was hanging out with one of her teachers. "As long as my mom doesn't find out," she added.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Landon reassured her with a wave of his hand. "So I'll pick you up tonight at seven then?"

"That works for me," Emma agreed. "My mom is usually hanging out with her boyfriend in the evenings anyway," she added resentfully.

"Great, I'll see you then!" Landon exclaimed, with a gleam of excitement in his brown eyes.

"Sounds good!" Emma replied, her heart racing with excitement. Her hands shook as she turned the doorknob and let herself out of Landon's office.

During the rest of the day, Emma could hardly focus on her other classes. All she could think about was hanging out with Landon. Even during volleyball practice, she didn't perform as well as she usually did. Emma was excited, but nervous, for she didn't want anyone to find out that she was going to Landon's place that evening. If any of her friends found out, they would probably ditch Emma because of the stereotypes against students dating teachers. So Emma didn't tell a single soul about her meeting with Landon; instead, she kept it to herself.

Later that evening, Emma waited anxiously by the kitchen window, watching for Landon's car. She had the entire house to herself, for her mom had gone over to Craig's house yet again. Usually, Emma was resentful of her mom when she spent time with Craig, but this time, she was relieved that her mom was gone. That way, she could slip off with Landon unnoticed.

Emma was so nervous that she didn't eat anything for supper. Even though she was happy that Landon had chosen her, her anxiety was eating her alive. What if she said or did something dumb in front of Landon? What if he saw her scars and realized that she had a history of cutting? What if Landon said something triggering, which would make Emma start crying in front of him? Emma's mind raced with worst case scenarios as she anxiously paced back and forth in front of the window.

Finally, a gray Ford Fusion pulled up in Emma's driveway. Her heart jumped as she realized that it was Landon, and she quickly grabbed her phone and slipped on a pair of black, lacy flats. Grabbing her house key off the hook by the front door, Emma stuffed it in the pocket of her jeans and left the house, locking the door behind her. Walking down the driveway, she opened the passenger door of Landon's car and let herself inside, slamming the door behind her.