Emma slipped out of Kelly's messy apartment silently, hoping not to wake her boyfriend. She locked the door behind her and made her way towards the parking lot. She pulled out her pink phone and called Manny, hoping her friend wasn't busy. She desperately wanted to go shopping for something new and colorful, hoping that it would put another spark in her boring life.
Like Peter's phone call had. He was planning to come up next Saturday, and she had yet to tell her roommates or her boyfriend. Just another reason to call Manny. She walked down two flights of stairs and sat through nine rings before her friend managed to pick up her cell. She answered out of breathe, asking Emma quickly what she wanted.
"Are you busy now? Cause I was thinking we could use some girl time, like you, me, coffee. You in?" Emma's voice was laced with fake enthusiasm, which she hoped her friend wouldn't pick up on. Emma was also a good actor, not that she had thought too much about it. She smiled as her friend eagerly agreed, and promised to be out of the dorms in fifteen minutes.
Emma got into her car and drove to the dorms, thinking the whole time about how she really hasn't changed. As she pulled into the lot, she saw her friend sprint out of the dorms, sweating slightly. Emma made sure to praise her quick changing skills when she entered the cool car. As they pulled out, Manny noticed her friends focused face.
"Emm, is there something wrong? You seem, distant?" Emma sighed and looked at her friend quickly, deciding that this was the best time to tell her about Peter's impending visit.
"Everything's fine Manny, its just, I talked to Peter yesterday and he's coming up to tour the school and I don't know, I was just thinking about high school, and how I haven't really changed at all." Emma let the words slip out of her mouth faster then she intended. She didn't have to look at her best friend face to know she was shocked. I mean she would be too, if someone who framed her ex suddenly came back into her life.
"He's coming up…? What the hell Emma? Come on he framed Sean and got him thrown in jail!" Manny was practically yelling at the driver, but Emma had expected this. She wasn't going to cry, just explain.
"Look Manny, he's sorry, and wants to be friends. I have in no way forgiven him for what he did to Sean, but I'm going to be civil towards him. I'm taking the high road here." She glanced at her friend, who was taking all she had just said in, and then she smiled as her friend nodded. Her friend broke out in a wide smile, "and you say you haven't changed since high school. If you had that choice in high school, you would have hit him."
They both entered the shop, and separated. Manny found a nice quiet booth in the back while Emma went to get some coffee. While she was ordering, she couldn't help but notice a guy in the back was staring at her. She turned towards him, trying to see if she knew him, but he turned his head quickly. She rolled her eyes at his childish behavior, picked up her coffee and went to Manny. As she was walking back, she saw the man's face. There was no way. It was Chester.
Chester, the boy who had moved in next to her the year before she had met Peter. Perfect. She sighed and made her way over to Manny, and told her quietly. Manny grabbed her coffee and strode out, not wanting to see her old crush. She smiled lightly, and looked back at him as they left, making eye contact. Her heart skipped and her face became red, he got cuter.
Emma thought about him the whole way back to the dorms. They had spent the summer together, as friends, even though she definitely had a little thing for him. But by the end of summer he had to move to the states. She had no idea why, but she remembered the night before he moved. She had snuck over, and they were sitting together on his roof. He told her he was going to miss her the most. She had cried a little bit, but then he had kissed her. It had been a perfect night.
She sighed contently at the distant memory and how it had paved the way for a dramatic yet fantastic year. Manny turned to her as she parked in the school lot. "So Emma, do you think you're ready to see Peter again? I mean, what are you going to say to him?" Emma's eyes widened. She had totally forgotten about him.
Manny laughed at her friends scared reaction, she had obviously paid no mind to the impending visit from her ex. Emma looked over to her friend, pleading her to help her. Manny sighed, and let a small smile out.
"Fine, I'll help you. But if you are going to see him again, you got to look hot!"
Emma eyed her friend as if she had grown another head. Looking hot for Peter hadn't been apart of her life since high school, so why did it have to be apart of it now? Manny sighed, her naïve, sad friend.
"Em, if you're going to see your ex, on purpose, then you have to make sure you look hot, so he knows what he's missing."
Manny's words made sense to her, strangely. She sighed and agreed to her friends will, letting Manuela Santos take over her wardrobe. This was going to be hard to explain to Kelly. She relaxed on her bed and let Manny get to work, sitting and thinking about her day, and more importantly, the two boys that suddenly made their way into her life again.