Hello all here comes chapter three of the rewrite. I hope you enjoy please review.
Emily skated down the street towards the diner. She felt better about today. It would be a better day. She had to keep moving forward and not looking back. She slowed to a stop outside the diner and sat down on the step to take off her skates, replacing them with her sneakers before walking into the diner.
It was a fast-paced shift, Friday lunch hour was always busy, and she liked that she didn't have time to think as she worked. She chatted with Velma and Grazi best she could in between running orders and ringing up bills. When the diner finally fell into a lull the three of them leant against the bar exhausted.
"That was brutal." Graziella sighed leaning against the bar.
Emily nodded, taking the caps off three cokes handing one to each of her co-workers, taking a long drink from her own.
"I hate the Friday rush." Velma sighed.
"So, Emily, what is the deal with you and Riff?" Graziella asked the red head.
Emily frowned. "No deal."
"Really? Cause I heard you pretty much saved his ass the other night. You stitched up his shoulder." Graziella smirked at her.
"As much as it would bring me joy, I couldn't really let the guy bleed out. I have to mop those floors and bloodstains are a bitch to get off linoleum." Emily shook her head.
The girls laughed.
Graziella shook her head. "I don't know there was a definite spark between the two of you the other." She sipped her coke.
"I have to agree, you two would make a cute couple." Velma nodded.
Emily blinked and shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm really not looking for anything right now." She looked down at the bottle in her hands.
Graziella frowned. "How come?"
"Just..." Emily trailed off. What could she say? She recently lost her fiancé and love of her life, and she didn't think she'd ever be able to love again. "Not the right time. Well, I should get going, we still on for tonight. I'm coming over to yours after my shift?" She asked Velma.
Velma nodded. "Yeah."
Emily grabbed her bag and skates and waved to the girls leaving the diner and made her way home to get changed before her shift at Docs. As she walked, she couldn't get the conversation with the girls out of her head. It was nice of them to want to set her up with someone, after all they didn't know her history. And maybe in another life it would have been nice but in her reality, she couldn't, it was too soon, wasn't it? Still too raw and painful. She hadn't had time to grieve properly, the job had come first.
"Why do birds suddenly appear. Every time you are near. Just like me, they long to be, close to you." Aiden sang along to the record as they danced in their tiny living room.
Emily groaned rolling her eyes. "Please, don't ever give up your day job to pursue a career in singing." She laughed as he spun her around.
Aiden kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, I'll leave the singing to you." He kissed her neck. "I love you." He whispered against her skin.
"I love you too." Emily smiled at him.
Emily wiped tears from her eyes and felt anger boil in her gut. She was sick of crying. Of not being able to cry properly.
"Miss Young, we're very sorry but your fiancé was involved in a hit and run. He didn't make it." The doctor told her softly.
Emily stood there, her heart hammering in her chest, she knew exactly who had been behind the wheel of that car and she swore, no matter what he would never see the light of day again. She turned and looked at her 'boss' an understanding passing between the two of them. She'd thought they'd been found out, but they hadn't, their involvement had gotten Aiden killed, not their secret.
Emily changed into a blue dress which would be fine for the dance after her shift and smoothed down the skirts. She liked this dress it had a halter neck which showed off the tattoo on her back, a crescent moon surrounded by roses and the sparrows on her collarbone flying under hers and Aiden's numbers. She left her hair down and picked out a pair of blue flats to match. She quickly ate a quite dinner before heading out into the slightly cooler evening air. She walked around to Docs and stopped short seeing Riff stood outside. Oh right, she was going to check his shoulder. She took a deep breath and walked over to him. "Hey." She greeted him.
"Hi." Riff nodded at her. Inside his heart was racing, she looked stunning in that dress with her hair falling in soft curls, framing her face. "You look... nice."
"Velma and Grazi twisted my arm about going to this dance tonight." Emily explained, pulling open the door to the store and stepped inside.
"Oh right, yeah I'm making an appearance at that. Do you like to dance?" Riff asked her.
Emily shook her head. "Not really. Hi Val." She greeted the older woman.
Valentina smiled. "Good evening Emily." She eyed Riff with suspicion. "I've told you before Riff..."
"He's with me." Emily cut her off. "I mean not with me... He's the idiot from the other night." She elaborated. "I need to check his shoulder, make sure it isn't infected."
Val nodded in understanding. "I should have guessed. You can use the storeroom if you like." She motioned to the door that led down into the basement.
"Sure, do you mind if I grab a few things?" Emily asked her.
"Take what you need." Val motioned to the store.
Emily nodded. "Thank you." She grabbed what she didn't have in her first aid kit. "Come on." She motioned for Riff to follow her. She walked into the basement/storeroom and turned on the light. The storeroom had a small area with a bed, bedside table, two chairs and a table and it dawned on Emily as she set up what she need on the table that this was the first time she'd really been down here since she'd stayed those few days when it had first ended. "You been changing the bandages, keeping it clean and dry?" She asked him.
"Sure thing doc." Riff nodded his head.
"Okay buddy boy, take your shirt off and have a seat." Emily motioned to the chair.
Riff smirked and pulled his shirt over his head. "You know, I think this whole thing is just a ploy to see me topless you wicked woman." He sat down on the chair.
Emily rolled her eyes ignoring the heat flooding in her cheeks and glanced down at his subtle toned torso before peeling back the bandage and checking the wound. It was healing nicely, no redness around the stitches, no signs of infection. She carefully cleaned the wound and applied more cream before replacing the bandage. "There, another week and I'll be able to take out the stitches, you'll hardly have a scar."
Riff smiled at her. "Thank you." He placed his hand over hers.
Emily looked down at their hands and then up at his eyes. He had nice eyes. A mix of blue and grey, they were hauntingly beautiful. Aiden had brown eyes, warm like a dark whiskey.
Riff stared into those big blue eyes and slowly leant in closer to her, reaching up with his other hand to cup her cheek when she pulled back shaking her head.
Emily cleared her throat, pulling back from Riff, taking her hand away. "You should get dressed." She picked up the bandages and tossed them in the trash.
Riff watched her for a minute before tugging his shirt back on. He stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well thanks for patching me up, I guess I'll probably see you at the dance." He shrugged his shoulders.
Emily nodded. "Yeah, I guess you will."
Riff nodded. "Right." He brushed past her and stomped up the steps, he nodded to Valentina behind the counter and marched out of the store not pausing to even glance back as he marched down the street. He didn't get this girl. One minute it seemed like she was into him the next she was brushing him off. He shook his head pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lit it taking a long drag. Well screw her, he didn't need her, he was the leader of the Jets, girls were falling at his feet all the time.
Emily left the basement and walked up into the store. "Sorry about that Val." She ran her hand through her hair. "How can I help?"
Valentina gave her a soft smile. "You can come have a cup of coffee with me." She locked the door to the store turning the sign to closed and motioned for the young woman to follow her upstairs.
Emily sat in Valentina's kitchen accepting the cup of coffee from her.
Valentina sat down opposite the young woman. "How are you doing Emily?"
Emily sighed. "Honestly?" She shook her head. "Not great." She took a sip of coffee. "They give you training for reassimilating into normal society, but nothing can really prepare you."
Valentina nodded. "I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you. And I'm sure Riff staggering in bloodied up the other night didn't help."
"Funnily enough, that was kind of the most normal I've felt in a while." Emily let out a small laugh, shaking her head feeling tears prick at her eyes.
Valentina reached over and placed her hand over Emily's. "You went through something terrible and it's all right to be a little messed up from it."
Emily sniffed and nodded. "I know. I just really don't want to be messed up anymore."
Valentina nodded. "You'll get there, it'll take time, but you will get there. You've done so much already." She said softly. "And it's all right to open yourself to other people, let them in. Although I do worry about Riff."
Emily smiled. "So do I." She shook her head.
Valentina chuckled. "He's a good boy deep down, but troubled."
Emily nodded her head. "I don't even know where to begin... I never got to grieve as me for Aiden. It was two years ago but it still feels so recent, like I'm only just getting to grieve for him." She explained. "And then it doesn't. It's very confusing."
Valentina nodded.
Emily took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "Sometimes I wish there was a book or some kind of map on how to navigate all of this." She shook her head.
"I think we all wish that dear." Valentina nodded her head. "Well, I think it's time for you to be heading off, you have a dance to get to I believe?"
Emily nodded. "I do. Heaven help me." She drained the last of her coffee and stood up, wrapping her arm around Valentina and kissing her cheek. "Thank you for the coffee and the sympathy."
"Anytime dear. Try and have fun tonight, you deserve it." Valentina walked back down the stairs with her and unlocked the door.
Emily smiled. "I'll try." She promised, swinging her bag over her shoulder. "Night Val."
"Goodnight Emily." Val watched the young girl walk across the road and nodded her head; she would be all right in the end. She was sure of it.
Emily walked up the steps to an apartment building and rang the buzzer for the correct number and waited. The click of the door signalled they had buzzed her in, and she walked into the building and searched for number 9. She found the door and knocked.
The door flung open revealing a smile Velma holding a martini glass and dressed in a dark green dress. "Em, you made it." She exclaimed, pulling in the girl inside.
Emily nodded. "Well, I was worried you might hunt me down if I bailed. Hi Graziella." She greeted the blonde sitting on the couch who was wearing a dress of dark blue.
"Hi." Graziella greeted her.
"We're having martinis would you like one?" Velma asked.
"Please." Emily nodded setting down her bag. "Nice place you have." She looked around.
"Thanks." Velma poured her a martini and handed it to her. "Did you bring a dress to change into?" She asked her.
Emily shook her head. "Just the one I'm wearing." She took a sip of martini.
Velma grabbed her free hand. "Come with me." She pulled her into the bedroom. She let go of Emily's hand and crossed over to her closet rifling through the dresses looking for something that would make all the boys weak at the knees. She turned and quickly studied Emily with her fair freckled skin, blue eyes and rusty red hair. She pressed her lips together before pulling out a dress that was a blush pink at the top with a darker pink skirt and a dark green dress with a lovely sweetheart neckline before shaking her head and returning it, pulling out a deep cobalt blue dress instead and then walked over holding each up to Emily.
"Riff likes blue." Graziella said leaning against the door a cigarette in her hand.
"Huh?" Emily frowned.
"Yeah, but we don't want to be obvious. Here, this one." Velma held out the pink dress.
Emily looked confused as Velma thrust the dress into her hands. "Why does it matter that Riff likes blue?" She asked looking between the two girls.
"Because he likes you silly!" Velma rolled her eyes.
"No, he doesn't." Emily laughed. "And this is really sweet of you Velma, but I can just wear my dress, I know it's a little simple but..."
Velma shook her head. "No buts. Tonight, Cinderella I am your fairy godmother, and you are going to look fabulous at the ball. And trust me Riff is totally into you and you guys were so cute earlier with the whole thing with your tattoo. What is it anyway?" Velma asked her.
Emily sighed and took off her dress revealing the serpent tattoo on her hip.
"Wow." Velma breathed looking down at the tattoo. "Why a snake?"
Emily shrugged. "Just liked it." She lied quickly taking the other dress and pulling it on.
"It's really pretty." Velma told her watching her put on the dress. "I think we're about the same size." She said spinning Emily around to help her zip up the dress.
It wasn't a bad fit and the colour really worked with her complexion and hair. She felt almost pretty. Emily avoided wearing anything overly pretty, so as not to catch too much attention from anyone. She wanted so badly to blend in. "What do you think?" She asked the two girls nervously, turning around to face them, playing with the hem of the skirt.
"Perfect." Velma smiled at her walking over and grabbing her hand leading her to sit on the bed and began to play with her hair.
Graziella nodded. "Velma has the best taste in clothes." She agreed, putting out her cigarette in an ashtray and sat down on the bed. "You want me to do your makeup?" She asked Emily.
Emily bit her lip. "Sure."
Grazi grabbed her makeup bag from where she'd left it earlier and got to work on her face while Velma stood behind her working on her hair. The two girls had silently agreed to take Emily under their wing and break down those walls she'd built up around her.
Knowing this was a battle she wasn't going to win, Emily let the girls tag team her in this makeover. She joined in a little bit with the conversation as they talked about the boys and work, but she just felt the twisting ball of nerves in her stomach.
"Done." Velma announced stepping away from the half up half down do she'd done.
"Me too." Grazi put down the lipstick brush with a triumphant smile. "Go take a look."
Emily stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She did look nice. It was almost like the old her but different. "Wow." She breathed. "Thank you, you didn't have to go to all this trouble." She shook her head.
Velma smiled. "Hey what are friends for? Shoes." She passed Emily a pair of dark pink heels.
Emily nodded. "Well thank you." She put on the shoes then picked up her glass and took a sip of martini. "To new friends." She held out her glass.
"I'll drink to that." Grazi smiled chinking her glass against Emily's.
"Me too." Velma chinked her glass against the other.
The three of them finished their martinis just as the buzzer sounded downstairs signalling the arrival of the boys.
Velma grinned at the two girls. "Okay girls lets go."
Emily apprehensively followed her two new friends out of the door and took a deep breath not quite sure what she was going to do when everything eventually went wrong but like Val said she had to start somewhere and take things one day at a time. Maybe, if she was really, really lucky, this new life might not turn out to be so bad after all.
And that's chapter three hope you all enjoyed it.
