After school got out, Emma, accompanied by Manny, ran to the hospital. Sean
was in the lobby waiting for them. Emma ran straight into his one arm hug.
She was so happy to see him out of the hospital bed and moving again. She
planted a big kiss right on his, once again soft, lips. "Glad to see you
too, EM. Hey Manny." Manny was standing back away from them. She gave a
small wave and a simple smile. She felt very uncomfortable just standing
there. Sean gave Manny a questioning look as if to ask what's wrong. Manny
waved her hand to show that it was nothing. "Sean?" Emma asked confused.
"What are you looking at?" "What? Oh, nothing, just saying hi to Manny."
Yeah, that's all, EM." Manny piped in. "Whatever!" said Emma.
She threw her arms around Sean's neck again. Nothing could bring her mood down now! But Sean still seemed to lack Emma's enthusiasm. His eyes were still on Manny. Manny had gone and sat down on a bench in the far corner. Some weird sensation came over Sean to go and sit next to her. Then he snapped back to reality. Emma let him go and grabbed his right hand. "Come on. We should take you back to your house. "Okay. Manny!" he said, trying to get her attention. "What?" "We're going. Are you coming?" "Yeah, I'm coming." She rose from her seat and walked out the exit with her friends.
It was a quiet walk to Sean's. Emma and Sean walked hand-in-hand, slowly, behind Manny. Sean's eyes bore into the back of Manny's head. She could feel his gaze. Manny wanted to turn around and say, "What are you doing! You have a girlfriend! Stop doing this to me!" But she would never be able to do that. Especially in front of Emma. Emma was staring at the ground as she walked. Occasionally her eyes would travel to Sean's face. Every time he was staring at Manny. But why, she thought. Both of them had denied any kind of feelings for one another. Or had they been lying? She didn't want to know the explanation. It would just ruin the mood.
Finally, Manny spoke. "Guys, I think that I am going to head home from here." "Why?" Sean and Emma asked in unison. "Because...I'm just the third wheel here. It's not really comfortable for me right now." "Okay." said Emma. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I'll call you later, EM. Bye Sean." "Bye Manny, thanks for coming to get me." Manny gave him a small nod. She turned around and started in the other direction. Truth be told, Emma was sort of relieved that Manny had left. "It's true, you know." Emma broke the silence. "What?" "Manny. She's sort of a third wheel." "Yeah, you're right. I kinda feel bad." "Me too, Sean. So maybe we can fix her up so she's not always alone!" "EM..." Sean began slowly, "we don't mess with other peoples personal lives. It never turns out good." "Oh, come on, Sean! Just talk to Craig about Manny! See what he thinks about a double date or something! It will be great!"
"Emma!" Sean said, shocked, "No! You saw what happened the first time. It was a crash and burn! What makes you think that Craig will have changed his mind about Manny?" "Well," Emma began, "I have a perfect example of a bad first time around and then a wonderful second time! Come on Sean, sometimes people just need a second shot!" Sean knew exactly what she was talking about. He wished that she wouldn't use his mistake as an example. "Emma, can you just drop it? Craig won't go for it." "How do you know? I mean...at first I wouldn't have given you a second thought after..." Sean cut her off. "Do you have to remind me? I've been trying to forget about it. Can we please not talk about last year at all." "Okay!" Emma said. She was surprised at the way Sean had reacted. The rest of the walk was silent. Emma wasn't going to push this anymore. Sean had been really upset about last year. Emma had forgiven him, it was time that he forgive himself.
She threw her arms around Sean's neck again. Nothing could bring her mood down now! But Sean still seemed to lack Emma's enthusiasm. His eyes were still on Manny. Manny had gone and sat down on a bench in the far corner. Some weird sensation came over Sean to go and sit next to her. Then he snapped back to reality. Emma let him go and grabbed his right hand. "Come on. We should take you back to your house. "Okay. Manny!" he said, trying to get her attention. "What?" "We're going. Are you coming?" "Yeah, I'm coming." She rose from her seat and walked out the exit with her friends.
It was a quiet walk to Sean's. Emma and Sean walked hand-in-hand, slowly, behind Manny. Sean's eyes bore into the back of Manny's head. She could feel his gaze. Manny wanted to turn around and say, "What are you doing! You have a girlfriend! Stop doing this to me!" But she would never be able to do that. Especially in front of Emma. Emma was staring at the ground as she walked. Occasionally her eyes would travel to Sean's face. Every time he was staring at Manny. But why, she thought. Both of them had denied any kind of feelings for one another. Or had they been lying? She didn't want to know the explanation. It would just ruin the mood.
Finally, Manny spoke. "Guys, I think that I am going to head home from here." "Why?" Sean and Emma asked in unison. "Because...I'm just the third wheel here. It's not really comfortable for me right now." "Okay." said Emma. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I'll call you later, EM. Bye Sean." "Bye Manny, thanks for coming to get me." Manny gave him a small nod. She turned around and started in the other direction. Truth be told, Emma was sort of relieved that Manny had left. "It's true, you know." Emma broke the silence. "What?" "Manny. She's sort of a third wheel." "Yeah, you're right. I kinda feel bad." "Me too, Sean. So maybe we can fix her up so she's not always alone!" "EM..." Sean began slowly, "we don't mess with other peoples personal lives. It never turns out good." "Oh, come on, Sean! Just talk to Craig about Manny! See what he thinks about a double date or something! It will be great!"
"Emma!" Sean said, shocked, "No! You saw what happened the first time. It was a crash and burn! What makes you think that Craig will have changed his mind about Manny?" "Well," Emma began, "I have a perfect example of a bad first time around and then a wonderful second time! Come on Sean, sometimes people just need a second shot!" Sean knew exactly what she was talking about. He wished that she wouldn't use his mistake as an example. "Emma, can you just drop it? Craig won't go for it." "How do you know? I mean...at first I wouldn't have given you a second thought after..." Sean cut her off. "Do you have to remind me? I've been trying to forget about it. Can we please not talk about last year at all." "Okay!" Emma said. She was surprised at the way Sean had reacted. The rest of the walk was silent. Emma wasn't going to push this anymore. Sean had been really upset about last year. Emma had forgiven him, it was time that he forgive himself.