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Emma plopped down into her chair in the backstage dressing room. At last, it was Saturday. She started to reminisce on all of the events that happened in just the past few weeks. Her life had changed so much, and she had Will to thank for that. He made her feel beautiful, confident, and encouraged her every step of the way through overcoming her stage fright. She was a little nervous, but with Will by her side, she knew that she'd be fine tonight out there on that stage.
She looked at herself in the mirror and felt truly happy to see the girl staring back.
Emma smoothed down her silk royal blue A-line dress and grabbed some bronzer from the make-up counter she was sitting at and applied some to her collar bone. Her eyes were popping with new eyeliner and her hair was curled with a little bit in the center pulled back into a bobby pin. She reached for the red bow lying on the table when someone snatched it up.
"Need a little help?"
She smiled at Will in the mirror and quickly turned around noticing the flowers in his hands.
"Oh Will, orchids are my favorite!" as he held them out she took them from him and smelled them, flashing him a wide smile.
"I thought you could use some for the big show, being the leading lady and all…"
She thanked Will and got up to give him a hug. He was surprised but he accepted the hug, pulling her tightly to him and wrapped his arms all the way around her body. They fit nicely.
He took in her scent, she always smelled so clean and fruity like strawberries or cherries. They had hugged a little too long, when Emma finally pulled away.
"You better get changed for your first performance out there! You're going to do amazing tonight!"
His whole face was lit up with excitement. She loved when his passion came out and she could just see it beaming on his face.
"Thanks, that means a lot to me. Oh here,"
He moved behind her to put the bow in. He gently pulled at the bobby pin to replace it with the bow and reveled in the feel of her soft hair in his hands. His hands moved down slightly lingering on her neck and shoulders before he took them away.
"There, it's perfect. You look… just, beautiful, Em."
His voice cracked at the end, and all Emma could do was look at him. How had she gotten so lucky to even have a friend like Will? She started to wish she had talked to him all those times at the pool sooner…
"Oh! I—I also wanted to talk to you about something."
"Mm, what?" Emma replied, turning around to slip on her heels.
"Well, you know, I talked to Terri about all of this stuff that happened and…she, she just thinks it was all a big misunderstanding and, well she told me she really wants to apologize to you for making you feel cornered. She wants to make things right and start over."
He was careful with his words about Terri, he didn't want Emma to freak out on him now and had told Terri to wait until after but she insisted on seeing her before to make things right.
"Oh—oh, Um,…you know, I just don't know, this seems…not like Terri. Are you sure she said she wants to talk to me?" Emma pointed to herself in disbelief. What could Terri possibly want…she certainly wasn't going to apologize, was she?
"Yes, she definitely wants to see you. Em, don't worry. Everything's working out for the good. C'mon, she's waiting by the entrance of the stage.."
Will scooted her along, he was eager for them to work things out…the quicker they made up and became better friends, the more he could see Emma in the long run.
It was the perfect idea.
Emma didn't understand why he was being so pushy and she was growing more nervous by the second. She felt Will's hands slip away from her arms that had moved her towards the stairwell.
"What're you—"
"I've gotta get in costume, you go on, you can watch me from the back after Terri patches things up."
"O—Oh, ok…Yeah, alright. Good luck, Will." She gave him a look of earnest care and love.
"You too," he winked and then she was alone.
Terri waited at the door anxiously for Emma. It was just between the two of them. She didn't need the cheerios around to do this job.
Emma finally reached the bottom step and saw her standing there with her arms crossed…she didn't really look apologetic.
"Hey Bambi, don't you just look cute as button tonight with your little 6 year old bow and everything…" she let out a laugh.
"What do you want Terri?"
"Well, I'm feeling like we need to have another chat…it doesn't seem like you're really getting the message."
She sounded cold and rude, like she was patronizing Emma.
"Wh—What message? I… Will and I are friends, nothing more."
"But you wish it was more…don't you? You just dream about stealing my boyfriend from me and kissing him and singing…oh I don't know, Endless Love together?"
"How—how do you know about that?"
"Well how else would I know? I told you before and I'll say it again…Will tells me everything." She snapped at her, emphasis added to the word 'everything'.
"No—No, No. He doesn't. Will has a good heart, you're just lying to make me stay away from him. Will is so much better than you, Terri. He deserves a lot better."
Terri sighed in annoyance at Emma's attempt to fight back.
"Alright, I didn't want to have to say this but looks like I'm going to have to…you know why he 'cares' for you Emma…you're a charity case. He's a man, and when he sees a vulnerable, babbling little thing, he acts on it. I, being President of the Celibacy Club, haven't given into his ways….so we've been fighting a lot. And, clearly he thinks he can get you in bed in a heartbeat so he picked you for the duet, he built up your confidence a little, he wanted you to feel like you mattered to him, just long enough so he could get into your pants. And you've ate every single thing he's said up. The fake apologies, the compliments…"
Emma held back the tears and bit her lip in frustration almost causing it to bleed.
"STOP! Just—just stop it already! I'm sick of you trying to mess up our friendship. We have something you and Will are never going to have. He built up my confidence by pushing me to do things I'd never try without him…he didn't just buy me a nice dinner and say I was 'hot'. And when…when he touched his hand to my face to wipe away the tears that you and your friends brought on, he told me that I mattered to him. He cares about what's in my heart, not just what's under my bra like he does with you—"
"That's it you little bitch,"
And in one quick motion Terri pulled the carton of milk from her purse and walked up to Emma shoving it at her nose then poured it all down her dress as droplets of dairy flicked across her new shoes.
The last time Emma had ever been so close to dairy was that day at the dairy farm…she slowly peered down in horror at her dress. She was soaked in smelly, vile milk. Emma wanted to vomit. The smells….the cold liquid…it gave her goose bumps and then she suddenly felt very light headed.
Terri looked at her in shock. Emma was paler than usual, her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head…she didn't realize it was that horrifying. Ethan wasn't kidding about her having fainting spells for years after the incident.
But it was too late to feel sorry, she told herself. Emma had gotten herself to this spot she was at now. So Terri did what she had planned on doing before she walked away…
"Goodbye Emma, oh—before I forget. You'll really have to thank Will for sending you down here to speak with me. He knew you'd just give into his charm and do anything for him like you always do, it was all his idea. He just figured you were too smart to meet with me again on your own terms."
And suddenly Emma was alone again for the second time tonight and all she wanted to do was run. Run away from this school and all of the people inside it, especially Will. It all made sense now why he was so eager to get her to see Terri and then just run off. The flowers, the hug, the lingering fingers through her hair and onto her neck…it was all just setting her up to do as he said. Again.
Emma was so overwhelmed with the anger brimming inside of her that she just took off running.
As the drama with Terri and Emma had been playing out, Will was performing his first number on stage with a couple of the guys performing "Sexy Back". He was so excited for Emma to see his performance and the dance he had been working on for weeks.
Throughout the song he kept looking out into the audience searching for red hair, at the end of the number he lingered a little longer on the stage with the guys just looking…
Where the heck is she? I'd been doing those damn hip hop moves for weeks to show her…
They finally rushed off stage and Will headed down the stairs to search for Emma. He almost slipped on a spot and squatted down to get a better look.
"What the…hell…is this, milk?" he thought he was alone but questioned it out loud anyway.
"Yeah, that's some milk on the floor man." One of the guys from Glee, Kameron, piped up walking towards Will.
"—Oh hey Kam. Hey—have you seen Emma anywhere by chance?"
Kameron just looked at him with a solemn look shadowed across his face.
"Man, Will…I—I got some bad news for ya. Emma…she ran off, probably home. I was headed upstairs to get into costume when I saw it."
"Wha…what did you see Kameron?"
"…Emma and, and your girl Terri. They started arguing and—and then Terri called her a bitch and whipped out a jug of milk. She poured it all over her man. It was…horrible. I wanted to stop it but—I don't know, I just couldn't move. I'm sorry, Will. I should've done something…"
Will couldn't believe it. Kameron Jones, one of the best running backs in the state, infamous for picking on Emma, felt sorry for her. He'd come up with the name "Bambi" and "Ginger pygmy". He never broke a sweat making her feel bad but he looked pretty messed up right now.
Will had never seen him look so upset before.
"It's..it's alright Kameron. Just—which way did she go?"
He pointed out the doors headed for the outdoor lunchroom area. Just as he started to take off running, he was pulled back.
"Kameron, I oh—Terri!"
"Hey honey, I've been—"
"Get your manipulative, cold hands OFF of me."
She was stunned, what had gotten into him. Nobody had seen what happened so it couldn't be…
"Will…what are—"
He pushed her hands off of his chest almost using enough force to push her down and balled his fists up.
"I'm just so…so angry. I can't even look at you." He barely got the words out through a clenched jaw.
She looked up to call out to him but the door at the end of the hallway had already flew open and was now closing shut.
He just hoped with all his might that she was still at the school…she had to be, he needed to see her more than ever right now.
He took a deep breathe when he finally saw that glimpse of red hair. There she was sitting faced away on one of the benched seats at a lone lunch table.
Will approached her with caution. He had finally caught on to just everything Terri was capable of and figured she had spat more lies at Emma's fragile heart. He could hear her sobbing and sniffing back tears as she was wiping at her dress with Clorox wipes. Her shoes were sitting next to her covered in milk and one looked like it had broken in the heel.
It was now or never.
"Em…Emma, it's me."
Emma suddenly stopped crying. She didn't move to face him, but her head popped up and she sat the wipes down on the bench.
"I'm—" she cleared her throat trying desperately to be strong.
She tried again, "I'm… done with Glee."
At least she hadn't run off yet, he thought to himself.
"Why are you quitting?"
She ignored his question and continued.
"I'm done with Glee and I'm done with you. Whatever speech or moves you were going to try to do on me, just save it. I don't care anymore, I don't care…about you."
"Please…please don't talk like that Emma." His heart was slowly breaking but he kept moving towards her at a slow, quiet pace.
When she didn't respond for a minute, he moved closer.
"Do you remember what you said to me the first time you met me? Emma, do you?"
She sat there still and didn't respond again.
"Well you just said, 'hi Will, would you like a strawberry?' And you smiled up at me, just standing there looking at me with those big brown eyes…"
He inched closer and closer standing about 8 feet away from her still.
"…I didn't reply at first. I didn't even know you knew my name but here you were giving me fruit on a hot, miserably slow day at the pool."
Emma sat there listening to him still faced away from his view squinting her eyes in confusion. She didn't know where he was even going with this.
"And eventually, I looked down at you and you were still waiting patiently. I couldn't help but take one. They looked so clean and…and plump."
Emma was sick of these games and she finally twirled around to see him painfully close, standing only a foot or two from her.
"Where exactly are you going with this?" she stared at him with intent anger.
"You didn't even know who I was…and…and yet you offered me something. Because that's who YOU are. You've been giving and giving since I first met you and you do it with others too… and those kids, the ones you invest in at the community center, you give to them to by listening. But you know when you give back the most, where your smile shines the brightest? When you're confident and singing your heart out…"
Emma didn't understand why he was saying all of these things and she didn't want to hear anymore of his speech. She figured he was just trying to get her to perform so he didn't look like a fool.
"I'm leaving,"
Will closed the distance between them and finally made contact, putting his hand on her shoulder lightly. He was relieved when she didn't push it away. Emma was too stunned to move.
"Will…please just stop. Please, if you have any ounce of caring for me you'll just leave me alone."
"No, no…I'm not going to do that."
Emma finally stood up and turned to face him but she looked past him in sadness. He wanted nothing more than to just pull her face into his hands and kiss her until he saw her smile again. He tried to get her to meet his eyes but she wouldn't do it. He looked at her face and it seemed hollowed, empty, and he begged to fill it.
Emma sighed and figured she had to talk eventually.
"…This was honestly all an act, just admit it. The secrets you told me, the flowers tonight, saying that I was beautiful to you, tying my lucky bow in my hair and lingering…y—your hands on my neck…it was all leading up to nothing just so I could fall for…for Terri's and your headgames."
"Emma, please …please let me explain." Will knew it was risky but he grabbed her hands in his and pleaded with his eyes. She stared at his shirt for a moment and he thought she was going to look up but then she looked down at her shoes quickly. She just stood there, unsure of what to do now.
Emma knew she shouldn't let him explain, she should just run and not let him back into her life, ever. But some part of her heart deep down still believed all the things Will was doing for her and trying to fix things now was because he cared about her.
"First of all, I had no idea what Terri was planning and honestly, Em I just thought that she wanted to patch things up and try to grow to understand me more. NEVER, on my life would I go along with what she did tonight….I—I care about you so much, that—that seeing you like this now is killing me. It's killing me because I care for you so much that if given a choice, I would choose you over Terri."
Will knew he was saying too much but these feelings had been bottling up for the past two years and it was time to get them out in the open. He had to open up to Emma if he was going to ever expect the same from her. She still wasn't looking at him but seemed affected by his words, listening intently, so he continued,
"You're an amazing person, really. I envy you for your courage, your determination, your intellect. It all makes you beautiful. Your complete selflessness, eve—even the way you always wipe door handles before you touch them…maybe people find you doing that quirky or weird, but that's one of the things I love most about you."
Emma stood there holding his hands in complete shock. She didn't mean to, but she grasped his hands a little tighter at the word 'love'.
"You are the most honest and impartial person I know. You're truly a beautiful girl Emma, even though you sometimes hide behind a fear on the outside, what's on the inside is probably the strongest heart and intelligence I've ever seen in my life…I'm telling you none of this is OR ever was an act."
She couldn't believe it, she hadn't forgotten to breath…
He stood there worried that he'd overwhelmed her and tried to save the situation.
"So…what do you say we get this show on the road? I mean…you can go onstage in the dress you've got on… but I know we've got extras in the stage closet—and they're cleaned every week. What do you say?"
Emma finally tilted her head up to meet his eyes since the accident had occurred and what she was frightening and comforting at the same time. Those green eyes were full of honest and compassion. He wasn't faking any of it, and she let out a little smile at him. He smiled back instantly with the light reaching into his eyes.
She took a deep breath and finally spoke,
"Ok Will, let's do this."
He let out a nervous laugh and then couldn't stand it any longer. He reached out to hug her pulling her into his arms in excitement and spun around as her feet flew off the ground.
Emma closed her eyes and couldn't help but smell him and take in the warmth and closeness they were sharing. He finally pulled back but they were still holding one another.
Will looked into those eyes and knew that he never wanted to see any sadness in them again. If given a lifetime, he would make sure those eyes only showed joy and happiness.
Still holding her in his arms as they looked at each other, he was consumed by emotions and leaned in kissing her softly on the cheek.
Emma savored in the feel of lips on her skin. She closed her eyes momentarily, thinking of how far they'd come.
Will pulled back with the biggest grin on his face and Emma shared a similar one. For once, she didn't even care about the germs, even though the mouth is very dirty and germ-filled, because with Will…it didn't matter.
She wanted him to do more things to her, even if they were unsanitary. She looked down bashfully, realizing her face probably showed every thought she was thinking.
He blushed when he realized the affect he had on her from just a kiss on the cheek.
"Ready, Cinderella?" He winked at her jokingly.
She winked back at him, "let's duet."
