It was late and it was raining as Emily tore down a street in some town in Pennsylvania. She had just turned seventeen and had been moving all over the states since being pulled away from Italy. Her mother had temporary positions all over and had brought Emily along to pull her away from her "bad influence" friends. One of which she didn't think would talk to her ever again, the other leaving a gaping hole in her heart. She swallowed hard as to not cry just before a light caught her eye. An internet cafe.
She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding when the sign declared it was open all night. The place was pretty quiet, just a few people trying to get out of the rain like her. An older woman with a big smile offered her a hot chocolate and she took her up on the offer before someone caught her eye.
She pulled off her heavy and soaked coat as she looked the girl over. She was small and blonde, maybe a few years younger than her. She was soaking wet as well, curled up in one of the booths. She sat by herself and was shaking. Anyone else would have assumed it was from the cold, but Emily knew better. She quickly thanked the waitress that handed her the seaming cup of hot chocolate before getting up to sit across from the girl.
She jumped at Emily's sudden presence, her blue eyes widening as Emily pushed the hot beverage in her direction.
"Here, you look like you need it." Emily said, smiling a bit. The girl smiled back before taking a few small sips.
"What about you, you look pretty cold yourself." The girl said, handing her back the mug.
"I'm Emily, what's your name?" Emily started, pulling a piece of her soaked and curling hair between her ear.
"I'm Jennifer." The girl replied a few second later, sitting up a little straighter.
"So, what brings you here?" Emily asking, knowing there must be a reason behind the girl's shaking hands.
"I could ask you the same thing, your clothes are designer, not exactly clothes you should be ruining in the rain." Jennifer said, letting out a laugh. She had a great laugh, Emily remarked.
"I don't care for them really, but I'm sure my mother will have a thing or two to say when I go home." Emily laughed a bit too, before her teeth automatically bit into her cheek at the thought of her mother.
Emily's father had been an abusive drunkard and a cheater and when he disappeared in Italy Emily had shed only a few tears. As horrible as he was to her as a teenager, she loved him when she was a child. And she hated herself for still having such a feeling for the man who had once given her a concussion. Her mother had been devastated and Emily wondered just how much she knew about her father's cheating and drinking. She really wasn't around enough to see it. Whenever she spoke or saw her father he was sober, proper and a downright gentleman.
Emily sipped at the hot chocolate a bit, warming her hands as she tried to push all of those thoughts out of her head. Instead she settled on playing with the charm bracelet that Matthew had given to her before she had left. She tried to not think about Matthew much, remembering the state he'd been in when she'd last spoken to him.
"Looks like it's stopped raining," Jennifer remarked, breaking the silence that had slowly built up between them. Emily turned to look, nodding.
"Yeah," Emily breathed, turning her attention back to the girl in front of her again. She didn't know why but she felt compelled to talk to her, help her in anyway she could. "You never answered my question, what are brings you here tonight?"
"I didn't want to be at my house." Jennifer said simply.
"Parents?" Emily questioned, but Jennifer only shook her head.
"It's my sister," Jennifer started, and Emily heard the painful undertone of her voice and reached over the table to grab her hand. "Today's the fourth anniversary of her suicide and I just couldn't be in that house today." Emily nodded towards her, squeezing her hand. They had just met, so why did Emily feel so protective? She wanted to hold this girl and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Maybe Emily just yearned for some physical form of affection. She missed Matthew hugging her and stroking her hair. She missed the squeeze of his hand and the very presence of him. She missed John too, knowing that she'd left their relationship on very unsteady ground. She shook the thoughts out of her head.
"Hey, it's going to be okay." Emily promised the girl she'd just met.
"Thank you." Jennifer whispered, obviously holding back tears.