New Beginnings

Chapter 14

Okay, I know that I just wrote a chapter but I'm getting to a good part. lol. Also, rubypotter, thank u for reviewing. I need more ppl tho. U guys, I really need u to review.

Then, before either of them knew what was happening, they were kissing, and it definitely was not a little peck.

Emma sat on her bed, just sitting there, just thinking at 7:00 in the morning. She had managed to get through the rest of Courtney's sleepover without letting it slip that she and Shawn had kissed, but it had been hard. Now she had a feeling that Shawn was going to ask her out, but she didn't know what she should say. Because, Courtney was her best friend, but she really liked Shawn. And if she said no, then he would get kind of embarrassed. And then he might not like her at all anymore, not even as a friend. I think at the end she was just thinking of excuses to say yes, but she still thought that she should. Finally, she decided that if he asked, she would say yes. And if he didn't ask, she would just go on being his friend. But why wouldn't he ask? RING! Her alarm clock went off for her to get up, but she was already up, she went on sitting, sitting and thinking.

Shawn also sat on his bed, just sitting, just thinking. He had gone the rest of the sleepover without telling anyone that he and Emma had kissed, but it had been difficult. He was thinking if he should ask Emma out. She was really nice, but then would it be kind of awkward? Also, Courtney seemed to like him, and she seemed kind of like a snake--she looked harmless, but she was deadly. And besides getting mad at him, she might get mad at Emma, and he didn't want that. Also, what if they break up? Would there be tension between them? What would happen? He finally decided to ask her out. RING! His alarm clock went off for him to get up, but he was already up, he went on sitting, sitting and thinking.

At school, Emma gave Shawn a note that looked like this:

Dear Shawn

I think we should keep our kissing a secret

because courtney might get mad

because she liked u too

and I told her that u werent my type

and that she could go out with u

Emma

Shawn quickly read the note and stuffed it in his jeans pocket. He wrote Emma another note that said:

Emma, I know that u said we should keep it a secret, and I agree.

Meet me after school in front of the school?

If ne1 sees us we can just tell them that we're walking home 2gether

Because we live next door to each other

He quickly passed the note to Emma, who sat next to him in History while the teacher's back was turned. He watched her read it, and when she nodded, he nodded back and smiled. Then he mouthed "I need to talk to you about something." She nodded and then turned back to the teacher.

Emma's heart was racing. "He's going to ask me out!" she thought. DRING! The bell rang for the end of the period, but since it was the last period of the day, it also signaled the end of school. Emma quickly walked to her locker, opened it, took out her jacket and closed it again. She didn't bother putting away the books that she didn't need, because she didn't want Shawn to think that she ditched him because she was late. Then she walked to where she was meeting Shawn, but he wasn't there yet. She waited for about two minutes, but then she saw Shawn behind her.

"Hey," he said. "Sorry I'm late. Mr. Konigsberg wanted to talk to me about the work that I missed because I just moved here."

"It's okay. Mr. K. is really mean," Emma replied. They started walking in an awkward silence.

Then Shawn started talking. "Emma, about last night, it was a... I don't know, a spur of the moment thing, but I really do like you." He watched Emma nod and wait for him to go on. "And I know that Courtney might get mad, and there might be consequences, but I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me."

He looked expectantly at Emma, who said, "I feel the same way, but personally, I don't care what Courtney says. I'm my own person, and I can make my own decisions. So, whatever she does, I will go out with you." Then she smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"So, um, so you want to come over and do homework. You can help me with the million pages that Mr. K. gave me."

"Yea, that'd be okay. Since we live next door I'll just stop in and tell my mom--oh, wait, I forgot that my mom was going to New York to visit her friend today, and my dad has a meeting until 8:00. So do you want to come over to my house instead?"

"Yeah, sure. Lemme just go tell Phoebe and Mike." Shawn still wasn't used to calling his parents mom and dad. He disappeared inside but quickly reappeared in less then two minutes. "Yeah, it's okay with them."

"Okay, c'mon," Emma replied.

They went into Emma's house and got a snack from the kitchen, and then, carrying their backpacks and their snacks they went up to Emma's room. They started with the math homework first. They were doing scientific notation. The first problem was to change 8.3 ³ into standard form. Since Shawn had just moved here, Emma had to help him a lot. He got the answer as 83000 when he first tried it, but when Emma explained it to him, he got the answer as .0083 which was right. As they did the rest of the sheet, they started talking.

"I'm going to New York for Christmas," Emma said "To see all my friends and stuff. We're going to get a hotel right near the tree and watch it turn on and stuff. It'll be just like it used to be."

"You mean with, like the kissing and stuff?" Shawn inquired, trying to sound genuinely curious.

"Yea, but don't worry. Even if I do kiss someone, it's not like anything's going to happen."

"Okay," Shawn said, trying to sound relieved, but Emma could see right through it.

"Seriously, you have nothing to worry about. Ya know what, I'll ask my mom if you can come too. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah," Shawn replied, meaning it this time.

"Oh, but I have a question," Emma said. "Are we going to tell Courtney about us? I don't think we should; she might scratch our eyes out or something."

"Okay, but then why would we be going to New York together?"

"We can just tell her that we're both going to New York, but to visit different people, and we'll be so busy that we probably won't even see each other. Trust me, it'll work"

Then they smiled at each other and started laughing. There wasn't a reason, they just did. Maybe it was because they were thinking about Courtney not knowing they were together, or maybe it was just because they were happy. In any case, when they started, they just couldn't stop. They rolled around on Emma's bed, and then all of the sudden Emma had to go to the bathroom, so she stood up, went to the bathroom and when she came back out she couldn't find Shawn. She looked around her room, and on her desk she found a not from Shawn that said:

Emma

I had 2 go mike and phoebe called me 4 dinner

Ill c u 2morrow

Dont tell ne1 that were going out

Not just Courtney

Shawn

Emma read the note and stuffed it under a million sheets of paper on her bulletin board. No one would find it there. Emma decided to call Shawn to see if he wanted to go to the diner for dinner with her tomorrow night.

Ring...Ring...Ri--"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Emma."

"Oh, hey Emma. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to the diner with me tomorrow night for dinner."

"Yeah, that'd be cool. When do you want me to pick you up?"

"Anytime, just come over. I'll be there."

"Okay, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"'Kay, see you."

They hung up and Emma immediately went to her closet to pick something to wear. She didn't want to wear something that looked like she didn't care, that she just came because she had to, but she didn't want something that looked like she was over anticipating this date. She ended up picking the angel/devil tube top that Courtney got for her, and a tight, ripped denim mini-skirt that Courtney had also gotten for her. She wasn't going to wear it to school, though. She was going to change when she got home.

At school the next day Emma pretended that nothing was different. She cheered in cheerleading, and passed notes in all her other classes. She and Shawn talked like they normally would have, and nobody caught on.

After school Emma went home, did her homework, and then went online while she listened to Z100. At the same time that her song was on (We be burnin')she noticed that it was 6:30 and she should probably get ready.

Just gimme di trees and mek we smoke it yo (smoke it yo)
It don't mek we peace so don't provoke it yo (voke it yo)
We nuh need nuh speed so we nuh need coke it yo (coke it yo)
Set ya mind at ease we gotta take it slow

So when yuh see di S.P. floatin', don't provoke him
Cau di weed weh we smokin' need fi soakin'
Fastin' fi di medication, and di best hygrade a Jamaican
When we a bun a weed we supportin' and promotin'
Lau di crack and di coke ting yeah we smoking
Herb a di healin' of di nation
Legalize it right now we wanna blaze one

Emma had been getting undressed but at this point she stopped and started to dance around in her bra and underwear. Well I wouldn't exactly call it dancing. I was more like shaking your butt.

Everyday, we be burnin' not concernin' what nobody wanna say
We be earnin' dollars turning cau we mind deh pon we pay
Some got gold and all dem diamonds all we got is Mary J
Legalize it, time you recognize it

She did this until she realized that Shawn was standing in the doorway, and then she told him to come in while she finished getting dressed. When she was ready she told her mom that she, Shawn, Courtney and the rest of the gang were going to dinner.

"Bye mom!"

"Bye honey, have fun!"