Young Love
The rest of the week progressed and Yugi and Emily saw each other again a few times. Téa and Emily invited Yugi to join them in playing tag, hopscotch, and hide-and-seek. Now that Yugi had more than one friend to play with, he didn't feel so shy around Emily anymore. Also, Samuel and his friends weren't tormenting Yugi so much on the playground now that he had friends. They were still disgusted by the thought of Yugi being friends with Emily, but they agreed that the trouble wasn't worth it.
Even Emily seemed a little happier with Yugi. She couldn't explain it, but something about him made her feel so happy and free. Even she began to accept that she was developing a crush for Yugi and started to secretly hope that he would have a crush on her too.
Even Téa could see that Emily was developing a crush for Yugi. There was nothing Emily could hide from her best friend and Téa knew as much. She also saw that Yugi seemed to like her too. On their way back to the classroom, Téa came up with a plan. "Hey, Emily, why don't we come back to the playground tomorrow for a picnic?"
"Okay," the blonde replied. "Do you want me to ask my mom to bake cookies too?"
"Sure," the brunette answered. "I also think she should come too."
"I'll have to ask her if she's working tomorrow," Emily replied. So it was settled that the girls would make plans for tomorrow.
Since it was Friday, Emily didn't have homework. This meant she could help her mother bake if Rachel would anyway. Rachel always helped make cookies and brownies for Emily's class for holiday occasions or fun days at school. She found her mother working at her computer filling out important documents for work. As a customer service representative, Rachel had a task of assigning documents and contracts to customers and sending them to supervisors. She was able to work in a facility and from home so she could still spend time with her daughter.
Emily saw that her mother was working, but she stepped inside her workroom. "Mom, I was wondering, do you have to work tomorrow?"
"I'll have things to do here at home, so I'll have to work for a little bit," Rachel answered. "Do you need something, Honey?"
"Well, before I came home, Téa invited me to go on a picnic at the playground with her tomorrow and she wanted me to ask you if you wanted to come too. If you have to work, it's okay, but I was wondering if I could still go."
"Of course you can go," Rachel offered. She always allowed her daughter to visit her friend and she also allowed Téa to come over as well. "And I guess I can take a little time off."
Emily was delighted to hear that. "Great, and can we make cookies for tomorrow too?"
"Sure, we can," her mother answered. This was one of Emily's favorite pastimes with her mother. Almost every weekend, when Rachel didn't have to work and Emily finished her chores, they would bake sweets. After finishing up a few forms, Rachel and Emily went to the kitchen. Rachel opened up her recipe box and pulled out her recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
The school was just around the corner from Emily's house, so it only took ten minutes to get to the playground. Téa was already setting the table with a placemat and plastic plates and cups. She also placed a picnic basket on the table with a pitcher filled with fruit juice.
By the time Téa finished setting the table, Rachel and Emily arrived. "Hi, Téa," they greeted.
"Hi, Emily. Hi, Mrs. Briar," the brunette returned.
Rachel looked around. "Isn't your mother here with you?"
Téa shakes her head. "She had to go to a dentist appointment, but she'll be back in a few hours."
"I see," Rachel said, adjusting her glasses. "Well, I'm sure it'll turn out well."
"It will," Tea replied. "It's just a standard cleaning."
As they ate, Rachel decided to talk about Yugi. "So, Téa, Emily tells me that she met a new friend."
"You must mean Yugi," the young brunette replied. "Yeah, he's a good friend. We see each other on the playground and always get together."
Just hearing Yugi's name made Emily start thinking about him. Rachel noticed her daughter's expression and saw that she was in a trance. Téa saw it too. "Have you noticed this too, Téa?" Rachel wondered.
"Yes, Mrs. Briar," Téa answered. "There's no questioning it. Every time I see Yugi and Emily together, a strong atmosphere starts developing between them."
"I won't deny it," Emily immediately said. "I'm in love with him. But if you've known all along, why didn't you say anything?"
"There was nothing to say," said Téa. "I guess I've just been waiting for you to finally say it."
"It really was plain to see," Rachel added.
But rather than feel upset, Emily continued to let it out. "It's true. I think about him during the day and I dream about him at night, wondering, imagining that he feels the same way about me." She giggles and comments, "I feel like a princess thinking about her prince." She stops and recollects herself. "Oh, but that sounds silly, doesn't it?"
"Not at all," her mother replied. "Lots of girls feel that way. You meet that special someone for the first time, feeling as though you knew him from before."
"Just like in Sleeping Beauty," Téa commented. Emily agreed, and playfully, the girls began singing and dancing to the song.
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
Yet I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do,
You'll love me at once,
The way you did once upon a dream
Rachel laughed as she was watching their display, finding it adorable. Little did anyone know that Yugi came to the playground and was watching from behind a wall. As he was watching Emily dance and listening to her singing, he felt his heart racing.
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
Yugi pulled Téa away and cut in and sang, The way you did once upon a dream
Emily turned around. "Hi," she said nervously. "Yugi, hi. We were – I was just, um… hi."
"Did I surprise you?" He asked.
"A little bit." Emily held her hands together and moved her foot around.
"Why so shy?" Yugi asked. "After all, we've met before," he reminded her. "Not just in school, but in our dreams." I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
Emily held Yugi's hands and began dancing with him. Together, they sang, And I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream
When they finished, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Rachel and Téa faced each other and smiled, finding the scene sweet. Finally, Rachel stands up and approaches the two. "You must be Yugi. I've heard so much about you from Emily." She faces her daughter and tells her, "You were right, Emily. He's all that you described."
"Over here," Kanade's voice cried. "I'm his mother."
"Really," Rachel asked. "How nice."
"I was just watching the whole thing and I couldn't help but admire it," said Kanade. "Young love is just adorable, isn't it?"
"Mother," Yugi groaned, feeling embarrassed.
Kanade looks at Emily. "You just have to be Emily; the one Yugi told me helped him from those bullies. He was right; you do look like an angel."
"Um, thank you," Emily replied shyly.
Kanade refocuses her attention on Rachel. "Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry. I was just so caught up on this whole love scene that I didn't even introduce myself. Forgive me. I'm Kanade Muto," she says, holding her hand out to Rachel.
Rachel shakes Kanade's hand and introduces herself. "I'm Rachel Briar. Is it true, that Yugi was picked on by bullies?"
"Yes, and according to what he told me, your daughter defended him." Kanade smiles and explains, "You see, my son is a quite shy and insecure and is easily picked on by bullies because of that."
"I'm afraid Emily's the same way," Rachel replied. "The only person she's ever opened up to was Téa."
"Yugi too," Kanade added. Both mothers looked at Téa, wondering if she had anything to do with this. Téa just turned away and munched on a cookie without saying anything.
"Our moms seem to like each other," Emily observed. She began to feel embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Yugi."
"Sorry for what?"
"I don't know what came over me. I told my mom that I liked you and often fantasized about you and then Téa and I started singing and then…"
Seeing that she looks like she's about to cry, Yugi rubs her shoulder. "It's okay, Emily. You were just having fun. I admit it was a little silly, but it was still fun. But I admit, I was a little carried away too when I told my mom about you."
"I guess we're even then," Emily wondered. She smiles gently and asks, "Would you and your mom like to join us on our picnic?"
He smiles and answers, "I think we'd like that." So he positioned himself next to Téa and across from Emily. Rachel and Kanade rejoined them as well.