The Eccedentesiast

Chapter Thirty-one

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Chapter Thirty-one
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"Emma," Debra called out for her daughter. She knocked on her door and waited for a response. "Emma."

There were sudden footsteps and obvious stumbling on the other side of the door. Emma finally came into view.

"Yeah?" She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Someone's at the door for you. Some boy."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Daniel? The boys?"

Debra shook her head and shrugged. "Some boy named Tyler."

Emma groaned. "Alright. Just . . . tell him to come up."

Without another word, she closed the door and went towards her bed to grab her bra that was under her pillow. Her sweatpants were already on. She had hurriedly pulled them on when she heard her mom's first knock on her door.

There was another knock shortly after she was laying next to her pillow and then the door handle rattled before it opened.

"Well, hello there, gorgeous." Tyler grinned from ear to ear.

Emma hummed out a reply but was seconds away from falling asleep.

"I have news." He closed the door behind him and jumped beside her on the empty side of the bed. "It's been almost more than five months since we started dating."

Emma's eyes shot open. I've got to make a decision. Don't I?

Tyler waited for her to fully react.

"Fuck." She rubbed her left hand down her face. Her body was weak and not willing to move.

Tyler played with her hair. Her long, brown hair was sprawled out around her head.

Emma didn't want to say no. She didn't. It had gotten better between them. Most nights they never had sex when they slept over at one another's homes. They would talk and laugh and have fun.

They went on dates—many and a lot. Tyler was a little bit of a romantic. Emma felt her heart flutter many times, but it always froze after a few seconds.

Tyler's heart always fluttered. He waited for her and waited patiently and he's been excited and dreading this day to come. They're out of school, it's summer and he'll be going off to college and she'll be a senior in high school.

"You know what, let's forget the deal. Let's date. Like a couple. No deadline or anything."

Emma turned her head. She arched a dark brow at him. "So, it's not ending, now?"

Tyler shook his head. He furrowed his eyebrows, making him look extra serious. "I don't want it to end now."

Emma secretly didn't want it to end either. But was this what it was to be a teenager? Do I have to go through this to live the experience?

"Emma, " he brushed a strand of hair from her eye, "say yes."

She was screaming on the inside. Crying and jumping around. Would it be okay for her to mine down her tall, thick walls for a boy? Is it worth the risk? Maybe not, maybe it is.

Emma was scared that she was going to agree. She didn't want to be in a serious relationship because then it meant liking turned to love, and all of that turned to not only sex and not only meeting parents but moving in together when they're at a certain chapter in their relationship and then getting married young and having babies on the way.

Fucking shit, that's scary.

"Okay." She would hate herself for this, that's what she knew. "Fine. I'll . . . I'll try my best."