"So, why are we going to Granny's with your tutor and his friends again?" Ruby asked as she drove to the restaurant with Emma in the passenger seat.

"Killian won his races at his swim meet yesterday and they're all going out to celebrate. He invited me along," Emma said, nonchalantly, as if she didn't go home after their tutoring lesson and put on a better outfit. "I asked if you could come along, too."

"Yeah, I get that. I meant why are we going?"

Emma crossed her arms. "Fine. I want you to meet him so you'll stop bugging me about that whole "he likes you" thing you were talking about yesterday."

"Ah, so the real reason comes out." Ruby took the final turn until they were parked outside of Granny's. "And I wasn't bugging, just making an observation."

"Whatever." Emma unbuckled herself from the seat and got out of the car, crossing in front of it until Emma and Ruby were standing side by side. "Ready to go meet my tutor and his friends?"

"Are you?" Ruby asked, making Emma roll her eyes and push her towards the door.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Phil. I don't know why I was in such a bad mood." Killian apologized as they walked into Granny's. "Well, I do, but I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"Thanks, man." Phillip said as the hostess asked how many. "Five."

"Actually, seven," Killian interrupted, and Phillip gave him a weird look.

After the hostess sat the two down, Phillip turned to Killian. "You, me, Victor, Aurora and Kathryn make five. Who else did you invite?" Phillip asked.

"I just asked Emma if she wanted to come today, but she was already hanging out with one of her friends and asked if she could bring her along." Killian opened up his menu to avoid his friend's gaze. "No big deal."

"It sounds like a big deal to me! You guys are hanging out outside of your tutoring sessions?"

Killian shrugged it off. "It's not like it's one-on-one. There's a big group of people here. Besides, I just want to get to know her. Nothing else."

"Okay…" Phillip said, giving his friend a sideways glace before turning to his own menu.

Victor and Kathryn came after, but when they tried to sit down, Killian nearly shouted, "No! Not there!"

Victor gave him a weird look. "Why?"

"He invited the girl he tutors and I'm guessing he wants to sit by her," Phillip turned the page in his menu.

"Well, she's not going to know anyone else here. Just… Sit down over there," Killian gestured to the other side of the table. Kathryn left an empty seat beside Phillip for Aurora, and Victor sat next to her, leaving two empty seats for Emma and her friend.

The waitress came around with waters for the table and asked for everyone's drink order. Just as she left, the door to the restaurant opened, and Emma came through the door with her brown-haired friend.

Killian didn't even notice the other girl. He only saw Emma and her eyes scanning across the restaurant until she met Killian's. He waved once she found them, causing the two to start walking over. His heart started to pound and his stomach had butterflies until she got to the table.

"Hey, Killian," Emma said, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

Killian smiled at her, and noticed Emma's shoulders relax a little. "Hi, Swan," he pointed to the seat next to him, which she took, and her friend sat next to her, Victor on the other side. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Yeah, me too," Emma pointed to the girl next to her. "This is Ruby." Her voice was shy – much like it had been on the first day they met. Ruby waved her hand to the table.

"This is Phillip," Killian started, and Emma made a nodding motion to him. "And that's Kathryn, and Victor's back there by Ruby." Killian named off the gang before turning back to Emma.

Ruby apparently did not have the same sense of shyness as Emma. "Okay, I have to ask, since Emma is too scared. Where are you from?"

Emma slapped the back of her hand against Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby!"

Killian smiled at the realization that Emma had talked to her friends about him. He wasn't even aware that Emma never asked, but clearly she noticed if she told her friend about it. "I grew up in Ireland and moved here with my dad and brother the summer before ninth grade." He gave Emma a smirk as she turned red.

Ruby seemed to have lost interest in the knowing more about Killian's accent because she pointed to Kathryn. "Weren't you in my homeroom freshman year?"

Kathryn tilted her head. "Oh, yeah! Good to see you again," she said politely.

That end of the table went into an easy conversation, and, since Ruby was quite the social butterfly, there wasn't a moment of silence. She was mostly talking to Victor, and he was chatting right back, along with Kathryn, leaving Emma, Phillip, and Killian to talk.

"How's the tutoring going?" Phillip asked the two.

Emma and Killian looked at each other for a second before Emma answered. "I mean, I still have a lot to go, but he's already been a big help. I can't thank him enough for all he's done so far."

Killian waved his hand. "That's what I'm here for. I think she just needs a little more confidence and then she'll be back on her game."

Emma smiled when the bell signifying someone coming into the restaurant rang. In came Aurora, and Killian saw Emma plaster a smile on her face. "Oh, hey Aurora."

"Emma! What are you doing here?" Aurora came up right to the edge of the table, standing in between Emma and Killian.

"Uh, Killian invited me."

"Oh, well glad you could make it," she said.

Emma seemed uncomfortable, her eyes looking around the table. "Did you want to sit here? There's that open spot next to Phillip I could take…"

Killian's face morphed into confusion and his body sank, thinking that Emma didn't want to sit by him. But, Aurora quickly shook her head. "Oh, no. I can sit there."

She smiled as she went around the table and took the spot next to Phillip. She then leaned over and gave Phillip a quick kiss before turning to her menu. "Sorry I'm late."

Emma looked between Phillip and Aurora smiling at each other. She turned back to Killian. "Are they…?" She pointed her fingers between his friend and his girlfriend.

"Yeah. They've been dating since sophomore year. They're actually pretty annoying…" Killian said, giving Phillip a reason to punch him. "Hey!"

"So how do you know my girlfriend?" Phillip asked, placing his arm around Aurora's chair. They were actually a pretty perfect couple. They met in 10th grade and hit it off right away. Killian remembers the way Phillip used to gush over Aurora when they were at swim practices, giving him a chance to tease his friend.

"She's actually my neighbor," Emma said.

"How's Roland doing?" Aurora asked. "He was so big last time I saw him!"

Emma nodded. "He really is. He just turned five a couple months ago and suddenly acts like he's all grown up. It's actually kind of cute."

"Your brother's five?" Killian turned to Emma, and she nodded. "He should come to my Wednesday swimming class. I think he'd have a lot of fun."

Emma thought about it for a second. "He loves coming to open swim on the weekends. Maybe swim lessons could be good for him." She then turned back to Aurora, and they struck up this nonsense conversation about some block party and their creepy old neighbor, Mr. Gold and his much-too-young wife, Lacey.

This was so easy. Emma and Ruby were fitting right in with his group. The awkward shy phase was over, and they all seemed to have embraced each other. It was nice.

He shook his head, frowning slightly as he took a sip of his Cherry Coke. The more he watched Emma laugh and chat with his friends, the more disappointed he became that this wasn't real. This was fake. This was just Emma being nice. She wasn't part of his group.

Sometimes, when they were together, he forgot Emma was already in a relationship. He thought that maybe, just maybe, they could be together. His heart dropped at the thought that Walsh was her boyfriend, and that she was really here with him just as friends.

He wasn't really a part of her life. He was her tutor. He was there to help her pass math.

Emma looked down at her watch. "Wow, sorry guys, but Ruby and I have to meet up with our friend Mary Margaret."

Ruby and Emma stood up and started putting on their fall jackets and picking up their purses. "This was fun. You guys should let us know when you're going to do this again." Ruby smiled and winked at Victor, causing Emma to roll her eyes.

Emma then turned to Killian. "Bye, Killian. I guess I'll see you Wednesday for our next session," she gave a little wave.

"Bye, Swan." Killian saw a hint of a grin flash across her face, giving him the confidence to have the last word. "Text me if you're confused on something… Or if you need your outfit approved."

Emma turned completely red, and Ruby laughed out loud. "He's hilarious. I like him," Ruby said to Emma as they turned around, waving and leaving the restaurant.

Killian stared out the door they had just left when Phillip's voice brought him out of a trance. "She seems nice."

"She is." Killian was still looking at where the two friends had just exited, thinking about the dinner they just had together.

"I can see why you like her," Victor said as he and Kathryn stood up to come closer to the other three. Killian suddenly focused on his friends.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Killian, you haven't complained once about tutoring since you started, and you offered to do an extra session last weekend. Plus, you were totally flirting with her! Do you even realize how you look at her?"

Killian scoffed at her comment. "Oh, please. I flirt with everyone. And I'm just trying to be nice! Besides, she's dating Walsh."

"That asshole?" Phillip looked disgusted. Aurora gave him a little slap in the chest, but Phillip didn't seem to notice. "How could she be with him? She's so sweet and… he's a complete tool!"

Aurora ignored her boyfriend's comment, turning to Killian. "Why would you like someone who already has a boyfriend, and that boyfriend is your enemy?"

"Enemy's a little too strong…" Killian started stirring his Cherry Coke. "More like, a foe."

Victor laughed out loud. "Seriously, Kill? That's the part of the sentence you focused on? You aren't even denying that you like her!"

"Sod off."

Kathryn cut in. "Seriously, you've hated the guy for years! How do you think he'd act if he knew you were pining after his girlfriend?"

Killian continued to stare at his drink. "I'm not pining after his girlfriend! I'm just her tutor. If he doesn't like it, he should have tutored her himself!" Killian finally looked up at his friends, hating that he felt like the center of attention. "Look, I didn't come out or invite Emma to talk about them. I just wanted to have a fun time with my friends that I haven't hung out with in a long while. Can we drop it?"

"Can I say one more thing?" Aurora asked, causing Killian to groan but nod. "Despite having a boyfriend, I think she might like you, too."

Mary Margaret was already waiting in the driveway when Ruby and Emma pulled up. The three walked into Ruby's house and hightailed it to the basement right away.

"Oh my gosh, Mary Margaret, you should have been there. Killian is sooooo funny!" Ruby was animatedly gesturing in the air. "And he is totally hot."

Mary Margaret smiled. "I wish I could have come, too."

"And his friends were so nice. This girl – Kathryn – was in my homeroom a few years ago, and she was totally shy and reserved in there, but super sweet when she's with people she feels comfortable around." Ruby continued spilling details of their dinner when Emma's mind drifted away.

So, Aurora wasn't Killian's girlfriend. She saw the picture of them and had just assumed, even if there hadn't really been a reason to. Did that mean he was available? And if he is available, is he really interested in her?

Well, it didn't matter either way. She was with Walsh.

But for some reason, it did matter. It was easier for Killian to be her tutor when she thought he was dating. Now, she knows he is single. What if Ruby was right when she said Killian had a crush on her?

Well, that's his problem, not mine. Emma thought. She was just going to be there to be tutored. If he does have a crush on her, that's something he has to deal with, not her. She had a boyfriend. She doesn't need to worry about his crush.

Then, why did she?

Her phone buzzed in her hand and saw she had a message from Walsh.

Miss you tonight, babe. Want to go to the movies tomorrow?

Emma was still upset with Walsh. He called her dumb. He called her a slut. Maybe not in those exact words, but that's what he said.

I can't. I'm taking Roland to the pool tomorrow with Marian.

Emma looked up to see Ruby still telling Mary Margaret about dinner with Killian's friends. She had absolutely no clue what they had been talking about for the last few minutes, causing Emma to just nod along with whatever Ruby was saying. Her hand buzzed again, and the words started up a heated conversation.

The WHOLE day? Come on, Em. I know you're still mad
about dinner the other night, but it's already been three
days. Can't we just move on?

You still don't get it, Walsh! I'm not being dramatic. It was such
an embarrassing thing for me, and you didn't even care! All you
cared about was that my tutor had a stupid picture of me on his
phone. And it really hurts to think you don't think I'm smart.

It's just… Killian Jones really bothers me, okay? He's cocky and
selfish and I don't want you to be around him. You're too kind to
be around someone like that.

I don't have a CHOICE! He's my tutor, Walsh!

I just want you away from him – how about I'll be your tutor?

You can't be my tutor. Last time we tried, we just ended up making
out for a half hour, remember? I really need to do well, and Killian
has already been helping, a lot.

Can we at least get coffee tomorrow?

"Whoa! What's going on over there, Emma?" Ruby asked, turning towards her friend. Emma looked up from her phone with a pout to see her two best friends looking at her with curious faces.

"It's just Walsh. He wants to hang out tomorrow, but I don't know if I want to." Emma sank in the couch. "He doesn't like Killian and is making a big deal that he's my tutor, not that I had any choice of the matter."

"He's probably just jealous," Mary Margaret said.

Emma stared at her friend. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, from what I've gotten from the both of you, he's very, very smart, the star swimmer, really funny, sweet, and attractive. And this apparently flawless boy gets to tutor you for an hour every Wednesday and Friday, with nobody else around and no interruptions whatsoever. I know I'd be jealous if a girl like that was around David."

"Do you really think so? Because he seemed to be indifferent towards me having a tutor until I told him that it was Killian. That's when everything went to hell," Emma explained.

"Maybe there's something that went on before with the two of them, but I can't imagine Killian being the perfect boy helps."

Emma felt her phone buzz again. When she looked down, she was surprised to see it was a text from Killian, not Walsh.

Thanks for coming out to celebrate with us tonight. I hope
you and Ruby had a fun time.

Emma plastered on a fake smile for her friends, one that they both probably saw right through. "I don't want to think about Walsh or Killian or David or anyone. Let's just have this overdue girl's night."

With that, Ruby left to go make some popcorn while Mary Margaret went to change into her pajamas.

Emma turned back down to the two texts that were waiting for a response. She started with Walsh:

I'm too busy this weekend. Maybe we can squeeze in a Skype call
Sunday morning. I'll see you Monday.

And continued with Killian:

I promise we had fun. I'm stopping by the pool tomorrow with my
brother. Maybe I'll see you there.

Emma sent a quick message to Marian saying her phone was dying (even if it wasn't) and that she should call Ruby's house if she needed to talk to her. Then, Emma powered off the phone so she wouldn't get any more texts from her boyfriend or her tutor.