Chapter 1: So We Meet Again

"I was walking in Memphis

I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

I was walking in Memphis

But do I really feel the way I feel?"

- Marco Cohn, "Walking in Memphis"

I looked in the mirror, smoothing the ruffles in my shirt. My hair looked okay, dirty blonde and straight, like usual. I smiled to make sure I had nothing in my teeth, and saw only white.

I can't believe I'm doing this; I really wonder who I'll meet again. I decided on a purple tank top and a white skirt.I grabbed my Louis Vuitton bag and headed out.

I can barely walk in these. I peered down at my 4-inch platform flip-flops. I climbed into my dark blue Volkswagen Convertible Beetle and drove out of the garage.

I absentmindedly drummed my fingers on the steering wheel and turned on the radio. Why am I so nervous?

It took about a half an hour to get to the school. I really can't believe that I'm about to walk into my old high school. It's almost… scary. I parked my car in the familiar bus area and slowly got out. I walked up to the door and took a deep breath. I'll be okay. I pushed the handle and it creaked open slowly, almost painfully.

I smelled roasted chicken; there must be a banquet in the caf. I walked down the halls, and the clattering sound of my shoes seemed to strangely vibrate off the walls, making it seem louder than it actually was. When I opened the doors to the lunchroom, I nearly felt paralyzed. I saw a man standing at the other end of the room, a very familiar looking man.

"Emma!" Sean Cameron was looking as shocked as I felt.

"S-Sean," I tried to say calmly, walking over to him.

"You've… changed," he said, his eyes wandering from my newly brown-with-blonde-highlights hair to my chest. I crossed my arms.

"Yeah, you have too." He was as muscular as ever and still had the same shocking blue eyes as he did in high school. His hair was a bit longer and lighter than it always has been. He looked a lot more mature, though, and… I hate to say it, but… really cute.

"So… how's everything been going?" he asked curiously.

"Fine, and you?" I was not being very talkative, but inside, I was ready to burst. I was talking to the man that broke my heart years ago. It was really overwhelming, and I looked around the room, trying to find something else to do. I spotted my ex-best friend.

"EMMA!" She saw me at the same exact time and rushed over to hug me.

"Manny!" I sputtered; she almost knocked me flat down to the floor. I held her out at shoulder's length. "You look… amazing!"

She truly did. She looked similar, but even more beautiful. Her shiny, black hair gleamed so much that it almost hurt my eyes, and she was so curvy that I was jealous, and I admit it. She reminded me of Catherine Zeta-Jones, she was that pretty.

"Nah, you look better," she laughed. "I can't believe we're actually seeing each other again!"

"Yeah," I smiled, and turned my attention back towards Sean. He was looking a bit uncomfortable, I could tell. "Sorry," I blushed.

"What? Oh, it's alright," he replied. He seemed to be zoning out, possibly remembering old school memories. His crystal-clear eyes looked cloudy for once.

"Sean?" I asked gently.

"I'm… I'm fine," his eyes slid back into focus, and they seemed to bore through me. "It's just that… I'm sorry about what happened back then. I really didn't mean to… to do that to you. It was wrong and… I'd like to be friends again."

I smiled… it was too sweet not to. "Me too."

"Oh, you guys are SO cute!" Manny cried, watching us with a clueless smile.

We stared at her.

"What?"

Sean shook his head and leaned in a bit closer to me. "Do you know anywhere where we could talk… in private?" he whispered.

I shrugged and pointed to the door.

"Manny, we'll be right back," he said to her, and gently put his hand on my shoulder. For some reason, I was surprised that he would do this. When we were out of the cafeteria, he looked down at his shoes.

"I was wondering if… if… y-you… God," he said, laughing nervously, "I can't talk today."

I giggled. "That's okay. What were you going to say?"

"Oh, yeah," he looked up at me, his cheeks flushed. "Do you remember The Dot?"

I nodded.

"It's still open, you know," he said. "Do you want to have lunch with me there… someday?"

I smiled. He hadn't changed a bit since high school when it comes to asking someone out. "Sure."

He looked much more relaxed after that, and gave me a small smile. "You probably have a new phone number, right?"

I laughed. "Yeah…" I groped in my purse for a piece of paper and a pen. I found one and wrote my phone number on it, tearing off a bit for him to give me his number. I handed him the pen. "Now it's your turn."

He scribbled it down and we traded numbers. "You know, maybe we should go back the caf," he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

"Let's go," I replied, walking towards the door. As we walked, I could feel his hand brush against my waist. I smiled to myself.