Chapter One: Emma's Crush, Spike's Realization
Manny Santos stared at her best friend curiously. Waving a hand in front of her face, Manny received no response from a Miss Emma Nelson.
"Em...what is up with you lately, huh?" Manny asked. "You've been like this for days."
Emma finally snapped out of her trance. "Huh?"
Manny rolled her eyes. "It's Craig, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Emma admitted, biting her lip. Manny sighed.
"Emma..."
"I know, I know! But I mean, look at him." Emma replied, studying the object of her affection from across the library.
"Oh, I'm looking alright. But I mean, he did kinda crush me. No, crush would be an understatement. He basically destroyed my self confidence. I bet that no guy will ever go out with me, like, ever." Manny complained.
"Uh huh." Emma replied, not really paying attention.
Manny glared at her. "Gee, thanks for being supportive."
Emma looked at her. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She said sheepishly.
"Since when do you get all obsessed over guys anyway? I mean, isn't that my deal?" Manny asked.
"Yeah, well...he's so worth it." Emma replied.
"Ain't that the truth." Manny replied.
The guy in question was none other than Craig Manning. Tall, dark, and handsome were three generic words that could be used to describe him, but they were words that fit. Hottie, Rockstar, and Heartthrob were three more. He was like the perfect guy. He sang. He played guitar. He was a photographer. An artist. Any girl would be lucky to catch him.
And Manny almost did. They even went out on a date. But ultimately, Craig decided she wasn't mature enough for him, and that was that. Leaving him wide open for advances from Emma.
She may have been the same age as Manny, but she felt like she was mature enough to handle a guy like Craig. Sure, she had only had one boyfriend before, but...you had to start somewhere, right?
Craig walked by the table Emma and Manny were sitting at.
"Hey Emma!" he said brightly.
"Um, hi Craig." She replied with a shy smile. His gaze fell on Manny.
"Uh, Manny. Hey." He said. Manny merely lifted her eyebrows and pursed her eyebrows to acknowledge him. He rolled his eyes. "Very mature. I'll see you later, Em."
"Bye." Emma said. As soon as Craig was out of earshot, she turned to Manny. "Manny! That was so bitchy of you!"
Manny rolled her chocolate colored eyes. "Well he deserves it. If he didn't like me, then he shouldn't have asked me out."
Emma shrugged. "Just don't hold a grudge okay. I mean..."
Manny sighed. "Em, he's all yours. Be my guest."
Emma smiled slightly. She couldn't run and jump on him, for Manny's sake, but it was definitely a start.
Meanwhile...
Spike sat on her living room couch, head in hands, still reeling from the latest realization thrown upon her.
Memories from fourteen years earlier were running through her mind, some fresh, some a little hazy. Unfortunately, this happened to be one of the hazy ones. She sighed.
"Just pick up the phone, Spike." She told herself.
After ten minutes of deliberating, she picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, it's Spike. We...need to talk. Later tonight? Okay. Great. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed.
Emma was going to kill her.
Manny Santos stared at her best friend curiously. Waving a hand in front of her face, Manny received no response from a Miss Emma Nelson.
"Em...what is up with you lately, huh?" Manny asked. "You've been like this for days."
Emma finally snapped out of her trance. "Huh?"
Manny rolled her eyes. "It's Craig, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Emma admitted, biting her lip. Manny sighed.
"Emma..."
"I know, I know! But I mean, look at him." Emma replied, studying the object of her affection from across the library.
"Oh, I'm looking alright. But I mean, he did kinda crush me. No, crush would be an understatement. He basically destroyed my self confidence. I bet that no guy will ever go out with me, like, ever." Manny complained.
"Uh huh." Emma replied, not really paying attention.
Manny glared at her. "Gee, thanks for being supportive."
Emma looked at her. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She said sheepishly.
"Since when do you get all obsessed over guys anyway? I mean, isn't that my deal?" Manny asked.
"Yeah, well...he's so worth it." Emma replied.
"Ain't that the truth." Manny replied.
The guy in question was none other than Craig Manning. Tall, dark, and handsome were three generic words that could be used to describe him, but they were words that fit. Hottie, Rockstar, and Heartthrob were three more. He was like the perfect guy. He sang. He played guitar. He was a photographer. An artist. Any girl would be lucky to catch him.
And Manny almost did. They even went out on a date. But ultimately, Craig decided she wasn't mature enough for him, and that was that. Leaving him wide open for advances from Emma.
She may have been the same age as Manny, but she felt like she was mature enough to handle a guy like Craig. Sure, she had only had one boyfriend before, but...you had to start somewhere, right?
Craig walked by the table Emma and Manny were sitting at.
"Hey Emma!" he said brightly.
"Um, hi Craig." She replied with a shy smile. His gaze fell on Manny.
"Uh, Manny. Hey." He said. Manny merely lifted her eyebrows and pursed her eyebrows to acknowledge him. He rolled his eyes. "Very mature. I'll see you later, Em."
"Bye." Emma said. As soon as Craig was out of earshot, she turned to Manny. "Manny! That was so bitchy of you!"
Manny rolled her chocolate colored eyes. "Well he deserves it. If he didn't like me, then he shouldn't have asked me out."
Emma shrugged. "Just don't hold a grudge okay. I mean..."
Manny sighed. "Em, he's all yours. Be my guest."
Emma smiled slightly. She couldn't run and jump on him, for Manny's sake, but it was definitely a start.
Meanwhile...
Spike sat on her living room couch, head in hands, still reeling from the latest realization thrown upon her.
Memories from fourteen years earlier were running through her mind, some fresh, some a little hazy. Unfortunately, this happened to be one of the hazy ones. She sighed.
"Just pick up the phone, Spike." She told herself.
After ten minutes of deliberating, she picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, it's Spike. We...need to talk. Later tonight? Okay. Great. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed.
Emma was going to kill her.
