The reviews are really popping now!
Noah and Emily as a couple?
Um... Let's just say that they have people from their own universes who already like them.
Thanks for the reviews!
Also, for the first five chapters, they'll be focused on different characters, but after those chapters, it'll probably be more focused on just Emily, or maybe not, I don't know. I just want to properly introduce the five main characters, but I don't know if everything will connect as well for the first few chapters because I want to introduce everyone.
Chapter 3
"My name is Shores Octavius-Osborne and for most of my life, I've been pulled between the world of my mother and the world of my father, pushed into a mold that I just can't fit. I know my parents expect a lot from me, and I know they keep a lot from me as well. Fortunately, there are no expectations or secrets with my best friend Emily, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
"What're you guys talking about?" Shores asked when he returned, looking between the two.
"Nothing," Emily said quickly, and he believed her. Emily had no reason to lie to him. Even if her mouth had been agape and she'd seemed a little troubled, it was probably nothing. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her though it was possible that nothing was wrong since Emily had no reason to lie to him.
"So, Shores," Emily quickly changed the subject from whatever wasn't wrong with her, "any fun plans with your mom this weekend?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure we'll do something. Maybe we'll go hiking."
"Doesn't your mom hate hiking?"
"Yes, but she loves doing things I traditionally do with dad so who knows? My mom would kill a guy to have me like LA better than Portland."
"Wow," Noah said from the front seat, "you come with some serious baggage, don't you?"
"Yeah, sure, where'd you say you were from again?"
"New York."
"And your relationship with your family is perfect?" Shores asked, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"My family is dead."
"Whoa, you come with some serious baggage, don't you?"
"Shores!" Emily snapped.
"Okay yeah, that was super mean, sorry. And I'm sorry to hear about your family."
"It's alright. I shouldn't have said anything about your parents, we don't really know each other and I can't act like we do."
"You know what's a good way to get to know someone? Their taste in music. What do you want to hear? Em has everything." Noah fell silent for an extended amount of time.
"Oh, uh, I don't really listen to music that often. You guys can pick."
"Okay, Um," Shores said with a smile, "play us out with some Evan Hansen."
"You always pick Evan Hansen on a road trip," Emily accused.
"It resonates with me."
"Sure, whatever. But next time I'm picking the musical."
"Sure, I'll hear Waitress again."
"Maybe I wasn't going to pick Waitress."
"You always pick Waitress."
"I also pick-"
"-Six, right. I'll listen to Waitress or Six again."
"You guys are weird," Noah commented as Emily put on Dear Evan Hansen.
"Gee, thanks, stranger," Shores had said that any friend of Emily was a friend of his, but he'd never really had to test this before. Noah was grating on his nerves.
"Oh, sorry, it's not a bad thing. You two remind me of me and my friend Eve."
"Oh, okay." The trio fell silent as Shores' favorite musical played, a lot of things seemingly going unsaid. By the time the finale was fading out, Emily had pulled up to his home.
"Thanks, Em, see you Sunday, if not sooner. Text me when you make it home."
"Will do. Have fun with your mom!"
"Thanks, I totally will." Shores grabbed his duffel from the trunk and headed inside, searching for any sign of life in the echo-y house.
"Mom? Mom, are you home?"
"Shore! You surprised me!" His mom was the only person in the entire world who refused to call him Shores instead of his given name, Shore. Shore was "technically a real baby name" but Shores was aesthetic and he refused to go by anything else. But because his dad called him Shores his mom refused to. Because obviously everything Otto Octavius did was wrong and everything Noelle Osborne did was right. Obviously.
"I told you I was coming," he pointed out.
"Oh, I guess I didn't see that message. I'm sorry, kiddo, I have a meeting tomorrow. I hope that won't get in the way of family time." The way she said it, he knew it would get in the way of family time. The way she was dressed up, he knew that she was preoccupied tonight as well, still, he had to ask.
"We could have family time tonight, couldn't we?"
"Sorry, kiddo, maybe when I get back from my date. Definitely when I get back from my date. You understand, right?"
"Right, of course. I was thinking we could go hiking-"
"Yeah, keep that on the backburner. Hey, would you mind going through the shed today or tomorrow? Your useless sperm donor left some of his things in the tool shed. You can keep whatever you find, I just want it out."
"Yeah, why not?" He watched her secure the strap of her heel before calling after her, "I'm spending Thanksgiving break in Portland."
"Is that in the agreement?" She asked with a glance back and a frown.
"Yeah. Same as always."
"Right. Well, I'll bring you leftovers, and you can call out for whatever you want. Enjoy your evening, buddy." It was times like this that Shores wished her pet names showed any semblance of affection. Emily's mom called Emily and Daniel sweetheart and honey, she'd even extend those affectionate names to Shores when he was over. His dad called him soldier, which was still desperately lacking in love but at least wasn't as awkward as kiddo or buddy. He half believed that his mom only wanted to spend time with him because it made her look like she was winning against her ex-husband. Shores was merely a pawn in that game.
Emily didn't play games with him though, so he called her up after getting himself a pizza and finding out that she'd made it home safe.
"Hey, Em, I was wondering if you wanted to do something this weekend. Seems like my mom has some kind of business thing and is flaking on me again."
"Aw, that sucks, I really can't hang out though, I have homework and plans with Daniel and Noah."
"I understand. Speaking of Noah, do you think I came across as mean to him? I was thinking about it and I really didn't mean it. I just get so awkward around…"
"Everyone?"
"Yeah."
"You weren't mean, Shores. Noah completely understands."
"Good. Well, I'll see you Sunday."
"Yeah, Sunday. I'm sorry we can't hang out."
"Don't worry about it, I've got stuff to do too. I'll just do it on my own."
"Well, have fun."
"Yeah, have fun with Daniel."
"Hey, it'll just be the two of us on the ride back. We can blast Waitress as loud as we want."
"Sounds perfect, Em. I'll let you get back to your family time." They hung up and Shores decided to finish his pizza and turn in for the evening. If he went to bed now, he could get an early start on the super fun day of cleaning out the tool shed. He couldn't believe that his mom had given him a chore list before she'd given him a hug. No way was he ever going to drop in on a whim after this. Though he knew there was a possibility of finding some pretty cool stuff in the shed.
He didn't know what he was expecting, really. A box of his dad's old band t-shirts, some baseball cards, possibly an old radio from way back in the day.
What he was not expecting to find, was a box full of robotic tentacles.
"Huh. This is new. Better save it, to show Emily…" Better not to put them on, he thought, but he knew he was going to. He made his best worst decisions when he was alone.
