BECAUSE IT WAS YOU

Chapter 16

Believe it or not, I am well aware of the fact that I'm being a drama queen. The whole episode with Jayden happened on Thursday. I have successfully been able to avoid running into him on Friday. By skipping meals at the cafeteria for instance.
But I'm not entirely sure if it was because I had tried, or because Jayden was trying too.
It turns out that he didn't hang out with the rest of our gang either.

Or maybe none of it was intentional. Maybe we just needed a break from all the drama to sit back and think for a while. But whether that's what he was doing or not, I did not know.
Apparently there were too many things that I did not know recently.

But that's behind us now, cause' it's Saturday. Well it's technically not behind us until we sort things out. But for the time being, today is a new day and that's all that matters.

Saturdays...

Saturday is that day when people wake up late and walk around in pyjamas with frizzy hair. You could be anyone you want and do whatever you want to.
Weekend nights, however, were packet with parties, movie nights, game nights and etc etc.

Today though, Chris has been up for hours, choosing what to wear for her little date with Emmanuel.

"For the hundredth time, it's NOT A DATE!" Chris widens her eyes so hard making me freak out at the creepy imagination of her eyes popping out.

"It technically is Chris!" I reply for the hundredth time.

When they had run into each other at the library yesterday, Emmanuel had suggested they go out for a movie. Which is literally, a date!

Chris throws a cushion at me, and I break into laughter.

"I highly doubt you just simply ran into each other. Sure you didn't plan the meeting behind my back?" I quote the words "Simply ran".

She turns around from the mirror to reveal her outfit.
She's dressed in a dark blue short tee and a denim trouser.

"Perfect!" I clap my hands together.
(A small intermission between our conversation)

"It wasn't planned Em! You'd be the first to know anything about my life! You know that." she picks up her hair brush from the dressing table.

"Well, I'm glad you're going out with him. He seems nice. Doesn't he?"

"He does." she grins.

I walk toward the dresser and start combing her hair.
It's this thing we did as kids.
Not always, just sometimes.
When we went out for instance.
Well, technically, I started it as a kid.
Since Chris lost her parents, I felt the need to fill in for them and do things like combing her hair, feeding her and protecting her.
Although I'm pretty sure the last thing she needed was an eight year old trying to be a mom and dad to her.
Although, that would make her laugh. With her two ponytails and cute smile, she'd walk around the house.
But mom and dad are most certainly parents to Chris and Jo. They are nothing but family.
Apart from mom and dad, the three of us, (me, Chris and Vee) also had two big brothers (Jonah and Kent, our neighbor/friend). And I always hoped that it would suffice.
Doesn't mean we erased any memory of their parents.
Every year, on their death anniversary, we paid a visit to late Mr and Mrs Lancaster, Chris's and Jonah's parents.
Anyways, moving on...

We both turn at once as we hear a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" I inform Chris, tying her hair up in a ponytail.

"I'm nervous." she grabs hold of my wrist. "What if I mess it up?"

The nervous look on her face made me worry about her.

"Chris! Just be yourself! Everyone loves you for who you are. And if a guy doesn't see how special you are? Damn him. He's one of the unlucky few." I assure her.

"You're the best Em!" she hugs me.

I pat her on the back. Realising how emotional this is turning out, "I still have to get the door though." I say.

"Oh yes! Yes! Go!" she pulls back.
And we both giggle. "Please come with us -" Chris starts.

"NO!" I cut her off sternly, she does not dare mention it again.

I walk to the door and open it, there standing is Emmanuel, in a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Hey!" he grins, his face red. I can tell he's feeling a bit shy.
Or maybe very shy.

"Did you guys colour coordinate?" I keep switching my glance from Emmanuel to Chris.

"Em, I'm wearing blue." Chris points out, blushing.

"She actually is!" Emmanuel shrugs and nods his head.

"Yea Em. You alright?" Chris asks me mockingly.

"Huh! I see what you're doing here!" I point at them both.
Are they already getting together and mocking me?

I ignore their laughs and push Chris out of the room.

"You go young lady! You've proven to me that you belong with him." I say.

"Wha-hat?" Chris laughs.

"I think she needs some time alone." Emmanuel whispers loudly to Chris. "Let's leave." he takes Chris's hand and walks away.

"We'll be back soon Em!" Chris yells.

"Have fun you two!" It's my turn to laugh.

"Stay safe you!" Emmanuel yells.

I'm glad she's going out with him. Although it definitely took me a while to make her change her mind about originally wanting me to go with her.
I made it clear to her that I would feel awkward having to thirdwheel.
Also took me a while to realize that maybe "thirdwheel" wasn't the right word to use with Chris, cause' she then yelled at me asking "How could you think so?!"

As they walk further away I smile alone to myself like a proud mom watching her kids leave for school.
Except they aren't my kids and they are definitely not going to school right now.

I take hold of the door knob to close the door, but the opening of another door ahead, distracts me.
And like any human would react to a movement in front of them, I look up and front.

Jayden. It's Jayden opening the door to his room from inside.

There goes that eye contact again. Freezing in time.
I look away faster than I had imagined to, if I had imagined at all, and close the door.
Well, I almost close it, until he speaks.

"Emma, wait." he says, his voice deep and low. Any other time I wouldn't have noticed it, but now that we hadn't seen each and spoken to each other for days, and also, because it was never like this before, never an argument of this sort, I noticed it.

Completely tensed, I open the door a few inches and look out, at him again.

"Yea?"