Too Hot To Handle
Ch. 3
"I can't believe we're doing this!" Emma squealed in barely- controlled excitement as she held up another top in front of the store mirror, striking a pose as Manny laughed at her antics.
"Well, why not?" Manny asked, tossing another skirt into the "yes" pile of clothes that was quickly building up in Emma's arms. "We're in high school now, Em. And high schoolers do fun, daring things like go to clubs. This way, we can look back on our lives twenty years from now and think, 'gee I'm sure glad I flaunted it when I had it.'" Emma giggled.
"Well I don't know about you but I plan to be a very hot forty-year- old. And I already know Sean's still going to look good, so I'm not worried about a thing."
"There you go again!" Manny exclaimed in mock-outrage. "Talking about you and Sean like you're getting married. Not to be a pessimist, but how do you know you guys will still be together by the end of this month?" Emma smiled knowingly.
"I just happen to have faith in love, that's all." Manny pretended to gag and Emma shook her head disapprovingly. "I remember a day not so long ago Ms. Santos, when you too had a little faith in romance."
Manny frowned at her friend's smugness and grumbled, "Yeah, well that was a long time ago." Emma sighed and placed the frilly pink hat she was examining on Manny's head, pulling the brim down so that it covered her eyes.
"Not so long ago, my dear. Anyway, forget I brought it up. We are going to have a blast tonight. Chris knows everybody at the club so I doubt we'll have to wait in line, and I bet there are going to be a lot of cute guys there to keep you busy." Manny perked up immediately.
"You're probably right. By the way, does Sean mind that you're going with Chris while he's sitting at home fixing motorcycles or whatever?" Emma shook her head.
"Nah. I invited him to come along but I knew he wouldn't be up for it. Besides, Sean doesn't have the right to tell me who I can and can't hang out with." Manny smiled.
'Always the feminist,' she thought. Just then, she spotted a black halter top with a few sequins decorating the neckline, and she grabbed it off the rack with such enthusiasm that the entire thing shook.
"Down girl!" Emma exclaimed, giving her friend a quick pat on the head.
"I just can't help it, I'm so excited!" Manny insisted, examining the beautiful top with loving attention. "I just have a feeling that tonight is going to be incredible." She turned Emma around so that they were both facing the mirror, and she slipped her arm around the other girl's waist. "Watch out world," she murmured. "Here we come."
Joey's House
"Come here, Angie," Emma coaxed. "It's time for dinner. Your dad let us order pizza!" The little girl hopped up from her seat on the couch and ran over to the counter, watching expectantly as her babysitter put a piece on each of their plates.
"Anybody home?" A male voice resounded through the house as Craig entered through the front door and placed his camera carefully on the counter.
"Craig!" Angie squealed, running over to her brother and greeting him with an enthusiastic tug on his leg. Craig gave her hair an affectionate ruffle before spotting the pizza and settling down in a chair next to Emma's at the kitchen table.
"Hey Emma, how long are you here for?" Craig asked, examining the pizza slice before taking an enormous bite.
"Not much longer," she replied, glancing at her watch. "I'm meeting Chris at his house in about an hour so his sister can take us out. What about you? What are your plans tonight?" Craig shrugged.
"I guess I should probably call Ashley. She probably wants me to come over so I can hear some of her.poetry." Emma definitely noticed the inflection in his voice as he said the word "poetry". It was an obvious mix of resignation and frustration. "I mean, I love hanging out with her but we never DO anything." Emma raised her eyebrows at his words.
"Umm. I think you're entering the too-much-information-zone there, Craig," she replied. He laughed.
"That's not what I mean. I just.I dunno. I guess I'm looking for something different to do that's outside of our usual routine." Emma gave him a sympathetic smile, and Craig once again felt guilty when he thought about how Ash would feel if she knew what he was saying about her.
"Look, I have an idea," Emma began. "Why don't you come with Chris and I to this club he's DJing at? I'll probably need a chaperone anyway, since I've never done anything even remotely like this in my life. It could be fun. What do you think?" Craig gave her a skeptical look.
"You want me to be your chaperone as my Friday night activity?" he asked her incredulously. She nudged him in the ribs.
"Well when you say it like that it doesn't sound so fun. But believe it or not, I'm sure you could find something at a club that's to your liking. Who knows, this could be the 'different' type of experience that you've been craving." Craig considered her words for a moment, and then a smile began to slowly appear on his face.
"Alright, I'm in," he said, and Emma gave him a triumphant grin. "What time should I be at Chris's?"
"10 o'clock sound okay?" she asked. After noting Craig's surprised expression, she added, "My parents think I'm staying over at a friend's." He gave her an incredulous look.
"Why Emma Nelson. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd admire your rebellious nature." She shrugged.
"What can I say? I figure we only live once, right? Anyway, I'm going home to change. See you at Chris's, okay?" Craig nodded, and Emma slipped out of the house with a quick goodbye to Angie. A small smile played on her lips as she realized that the stakes had just been raised. "Tonight's going to be a very interesting night. Very interesting, indeed."
"Sorry, Ash. I'm just feeling really tired tonight. Can we do something tomorrow?" Craig couldn't believe he was telling a flat-out lie to his girlfriend, someone he cared about, as thought it were no big deal. As he hung up the phone, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror, but instead of looking away, he stared back at his image in defiance.
"You have no reason to feel guilty," he told himself firmly. "You just didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her you were going to a club without her. And you have no reason to feel bad when you think about.other people. I'm sure Ash does it too." Around that time, Craig realized he was talking to himself, and anyone listening in would probably think he was crazy, so, shaking his head, he pulled on a shirt and grabbed his wallet off the desk.
Chris's house was only about a block away from his, so he decided to walk there and enjoy the cool weather that had arrived the day before. By the time he had reached Chris's street, he realized that he was over fifteen minutes late and picked his pace up to a light jog. When he arrived at the driveway, Emma was waiting for him, rubbing her hands together in order to fight off the cold that was quickly creeping up her bear legs and arms.
"Sorry I'm late!" Craig huffed as he ran up to the car, giving Chris a quick wave, who was talking to someone that looked like she could be his sister.
"You're forgiven," Emma said with mock-sternness before opening the car door for him and gesturing inside. "After you." Craig slid in to the back of the SUV, noticing immediately that someone was already inside.
"H-hey Craig," Manny stuttered, looking at him in surprise then glancing down at her hands.
"Hi," he replied automatically, searching for something else to say but failing miserably. Instead, he opted to busy himself with the seatbelt as an awkward silence filled the small space.
"Ready kids?" Chris asked, setting his cap sideways on his head as he hopped in shotgun and his sister placed the keys in the ignition.
"Yep," Manny and Craig replied simultaneously, nervously glancing in opposite directions. In a few seconds, the car had peeled out of the driveway and the five of them were on their way: Chris and his sister arguing heatedly over the radio station, Emma squealing in anticipation ever couple of minutes, Manny examining her nails with unusual attention, and Craig trying and failing miserably not to think about her leg pressed up against his.
Chris adjusted his cap and turned around to face the three passengers in the back. "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to first night of the rest of our lives."
Ch. 3
"I can't believe we're doing this!" Emma squealed in barely- controlled excitement as she held up another top in front of the store mirror, striking a pose as Manny laughed at her antics.
"Well, why not?" Manny asked, tossing another skirt into the "yes" pile of clothes that was quickly building up in Emma's arms. "We're in high school now, Em. And high schoolers do fun, daring things like go to clubs. This way, we can look back on our lives twenty years from now and think, 'gee I'm sure glad I flaunted it when I had it.'" Emma giggled.
"Well I don't know about you but I plan to be a very hot forty-year- old. And I already know Sean's still going to look good, so I'm not worried about a thing."
"There you go again!" Manny exclaimed in mock-outrage. "Talking about you and Sean like you're getting married. Not to be a pessimist, but how do you know you guys will still be together by the end of this month?" Emma smiled knowingly.
"I just happen to have faith in love, that's all." Manny pretended to gag and Emma shook her head disapprovingly. "I remember a day not so long ago Ms. Santos, when you too had a little faith in romance."
Manny frowned at her friend's smugness and grumbled, "Yeah, well that was a long time ago." Emma sighed and placed the frilly pink hat she was examining on Manny's head, pulling the brim down so that it covered her eyes.
"Not so long ago, my dear. Anyway, forget I brought it up. We are going to have a blast tonight. Chris knows everybody at the club so I doubt we'll have to wait in line, and I bet there are going to be a lot of cute guys there to keep you busy." Manny perked up immediately.
"You're probably right. By the way, does Sean mind that you're going with Chris while he's sitting at home fixing motorcycles or whatever?" Emma shook her head.
"Nah. I invited him to come along but I knew he wouldn't be up for it. Besides, Sean doesn't have the right to tell me who I can and can't hang out with." Manny smiled.
'Always the feminist,' she thought. Just then, she spotted a black halter top with a few sequins decorating the neckline, and she grabbed it off the rack with such enthusiasm that the entire thing shook.
"Down girl!" Emma exclaimed, giving her friend a quick pat on the head.
"I just can't help it, I'm so excited!" Manny insisted, examining the beautiful top with loving attention. "I just have a feeling that tonight is going to be incredible." She turned Emma around so that they were both facing the mirror, and she slipped her arm around the other girl's waist. "Watch out world," she murmured. "Here we come."
Joey's House
"Come here, Angie," Emma coaxed. "It's time for dinner. Your dad let us order pizza!" The little girl hopped up from her seat on the couch and ran over to the counter, watching expectantly as her babysitter put a piece on each of their plates.
"Anybody home?" A male voice resounded through the house as Craig entered through the front door and placed his camera carefully on the counter.
"Craig!" Angie squealed, running over to her brother and greeting him with an enthusiastic tug on his leg. Craig gave her hair an affectionate ruffle before spotting the pizza and settling down in a chair next to Emma's at the kitchen table.
"Hey Emma, how long are you here for?" Craig asked, examining the pizza slice before taking an enormous bite.
"Not much longer," she replied, glancing at her watch. "I'm meeting Chris at his house in about an hour so his sister can take us out. What about you? What are your plans tonight?" Craig shrugged.
"I guess I should probably call Ashley. She probably wants me to come over so I can hear some of her.poetry." Emma definitely noticed the inflection in his voice as he said the word "poetry". It was an obvious mix of resignation and frustration. "I mean, I love hanging out with her but we never DO anything." Emma raised her eyebrows at his words.
"Umm. I think you're entering the too-much-information-zone there, Craig," she replied. He laughed.
"That's not what I mean. I just.I dunno. I guess I'm looking for something different to do that's outside of our usual routine." Emma gave him a sympathetic smile, and Craig once again felt guilty when he thought about how Ash would feel if she knew what he was saying about her.
"Look, I have an idea," Emma began. "Why don't you come with Chris and I to this club he's DJing at? I'll probably need a chaperone anyway, since I've never done anything even remotely like this in my life. It could be fun. What do you think?" Craig gave her a skeptical look.
"You want me to be your chaperone as my Friday night activity?" he asked her incredulously. She nudged him in the ribs.
"Well when you say it like that it doesn't sound so fun. But believe it or not, I'm sure you could find something at a club that's to your liking. Who knows, this could be the 'different' type of experience that you've been craving." Craig considered her words for a moment, and then a smile began to slowly appear on his face.
"Alright, I'm in," he said, and Emma gave him a triumphant grin. "What time should I be at Chris's?"
"10 o'clock sound okay?" she asked. After noting Craig's surprised expression, she added, "My parents think I'm staying over at a friend's." He gave her an incredulous look.
"Why Emma Nelson. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd admire your rebellious nature." She shrugged.
"What can I say? I figure we only live once, right? Anyway, I'm going home to change. See you at Chris's, okay?" Craig nodded, and Emma slipped out of the house with a quick goodbye to Angie. A small smile played on her lips as she realized that the stakes had just been raised. "Tonight's going to be a very interesting night. Very interesting, indeed."
"Sorry, Ash. I'm just feeling really tired tonight. Can we do something tomorrow?" Craig couldn't believe he was telling a flat-out lie to his girlfriend, someone he cared about, as thought it were no big deal. As he hung up the phone, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror, but instead of looking away, he stared back at his image in defiance.
"You have no reason to feel guilty," he told himself firmly. "You just didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her you were going to a club without her. And you have no reason to feel bad when you think about.other people. I'm sure Ash does it too." Around that time, Craig realized he was talking to himself, and anyone listening in would probably think he was crazy, so, shaking his head, he pulled on a shirt and grabbed his wallet off the desk.
Chris's house was only about a block away from his, so he decided to walk there and enjoy the cool weather that had arrived the day before. By the time he had reached Chris's street, he realized that he was over fifteen minutes late and picked his pace up to a light jog. When he arrived at the driveway, Emma was waiting for him, rubbing her hands together in order to fight off the cold that was quickly creeping up her bear legs and arms.
"Sorry I'm late!" Craig huffed as he ran up to the car, giving Chris a quick wave, who was talking to someone that looked like she could be his sister.
"You're forgiven," Emma said with mock-sternness before opening the car door for him and gesturing inside. "After you." Craig slid in to the back of the SUV, noticing immediately that someone was already inside.
"H-hey Craig," Manny stuttered, looking at him in surprise then glancing down at her hands.
"Hi," he replied automatically, searching for something else to say but failing miserably. Instead, he opted to busy himself with the seatbelt as an awkward silence filled the small space.
"Ready kids?" Chris asked, setting his cap sideways on his head as he hopped in shotgun and his sister placed the keys in the ignition.
"Yep," Manny and Craig replied simultaneously, nervously glancing in opposite directions. In a few seconds, the car had peeled out of the driveway and the five of them were on their way: Chris and his sister arguing heatedly over the radio station, Emma squealing in anticipation ever couple of minutes, Manny examining her nails with unusual attention, and Craig trying and failing miserably not to think about her leg pressed up against his.
Chris adjusted his cap and turned around to face the three passengers in the back. "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to first night of the rest of our lives."