"No."

"Emma, come on, it will be fun."

"I said no."

"And why not?" Will demanded to know. "Come on, if Gilbert picked me because I'm a virgin then surely you can help me get one up on him. Please help."

"How many times do I have to say no?" Emma wondered.

"The only time a girl has moaned no to me has been in bed," Jay piped up as they all sat in the cafeteria together. Emma had to resist the urge which came over her to roll her eyes as she heard Jay speak. Neil was sat opposite them, a book open in front of him as he tried hopelessly to revise for a mock exam that afternoon.

"Well, considering you've never had a girl in your bed, I find that hard to believe," Emma spoke back. She took a second to pick at her chips as Jay watched her, his gaze wide and intent on her. They'd been back at school for three days since the weekend, and not once had she mentioned what had happened during the night out in London.

Jay had tried to forget about it. He had tried to push Emma's drunken antics from his brain. It had been difficult and there had been times when he watched her and wished she didn't fancy that prick of a friend. She hadn't spoken to Simon since that morning either. He had told them all what had happened, trying to gain advice. Jay hadn't been able to resist smirking as he heard how Simon had rejected Emma.

"I'd have you in my bed," Jay told her. "We could contest that statement."

"Can we get back onto the point?" Will wondered, his voice curt and taut. "I need volunteers for the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. It's important. My old babysitter is going to be there."

"And?" Jay wondered.

"And she's fit," he said back. "Mature...older...beautiful..."

"I think you're in love, Will," Emma said, popping another chip into her mouth as Jay watched her, the motion seeming somewhat seductive.

"Speaking of love," Neil said, picking his gaze up. "Have you spoken to Simon yet?"

"No," Emma curtly replied. "I don't intend to. I know that things are awkward, and I'm sorry for that. I don't want you to pick between us."

"You'd win," Jay said. "Your tits would, anyway."

"Brilliant," Emma complained, noting Simon stood in the queue to buy food. Carli was stood to his side, laughing at whatever he was saying before resting her hand on his arm.

"Look, talk to him," Will urged her. "We know that his hair makes it difficult, but you need to talk with him."

"I don't want to," Emma replied in a mumble like a five year old child. She picked up her tray and moved her chair under the table. She balanced her satchel on her shoulder before looking the three boys. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?" Will wondered.

"I have a Geography mock exam later," Emma lied, knowing full well that none of them took Geography. "Good luck with D of E, Will."

"I need more than luck," Will scoffed.

Simon turned around as Carli left him, his gaze focused on her before he saw Emma move towards the bin. He inhaled sharply, remembering Will's advice before he moved across to her.

"Alright?"

Emma whirled around, her hair flying behind her shoulder as she looked at Simon. She eyed him with discontent before placing her rubbish in the bin and resting her tray on top.

"Yeah," she replied numbly. "You?"

"Good," Simon said, looking to the ground for a moment. He looked back up at her as he juggled his tray and backpack. "Look," he said, biting the bullet to try and make it up to her. "The dinner lady gave me too many chips. Do you want to share?"

"I already had some," Emma replied. "Besides, I need to revise for a Geography mock."

"Oh," Simon said. "I was just talking to Carli. She never mentioned a mock exam."

"Of course," Emma said; her hand on her strap to her satchel before she looked to the sky. "Carli again."

"No," Simon said with haste. "I didn't mean that...so...well...please, I don't want to argue with you, Em."

"I don't know what else we can do, Simon," Emma said. "I can't change what happened the other day."

"Did you mean what you said?" Simon asked quickly. "Emma...did you mean that you...well..."

"Yeah," Emma said with a shrug. "But what does it matter? You'll never get over Carli, will you? You'll always be hers. That's the annoying part, Simon."

"Can we just be friends?"

"Yeah," Emma agreed limply. Friends were better than not friends, or so she supposed. "Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you later."

Simon couldn't say anything else as she rushed off to hide in the library.

...

"No," Emma said as she sat at the kitchen table. Gilbert was stood by the counter, filling up the kettle as his daughter looked over her work. She was reading all about the effects of Longshore drift for her AS exams. She needed something to do to get her mind off of Simon and Jay. "I'm fine with water."

"Coffee is full of caffeine, Emma," Gilbert told her, filling his cup with coffee granules. "One day you will see that you can't live without it, especially when you have to control an entire sixth form."

"Then you can get addicted to it," Emma replied to her father. "Anyway, I'm fine sitting her with water and trying to learn this."

"Is it something to do with those friends of yours? Those moronic friends who you insist on hanging around with."

"No," Emma lied. "Speaking of them..." she trailed off, pointing her pen at her father as she spoke. "You don't need to taunt Will over being a virgin. You know that it isn't something to be ashamed of."

"Taunting the boy is much more fun than you can even imagine," Gilbert said to her. "Besides, for a boy to be a virgin at his age...well...it isn't considered something completely normal."

"For a boy not to be a virgin then he normally needs a girl," Emma replied to her father as he poured the water, shaking his head as he turned back to his daughter.

"I want to know nothing of your sex life," he warned his daughter, sipping on the coffee to make sure it wasn't strong. "Although I do hope that it is non-existent. You're my daughter and you're not supposed to date until you're twenty five."

"You let me date Pearce."

"And look how that turned out," Gilbert snorted, shaking his head back and forth. "William McKenzie deserves a good taunt every now and then. It helps to keep me sane."

"Don't be cruel," Emma warned her father. "Anyway, go and watch TV and leave me alone. I have revision to do."

"That's what I like to hear," Gilbert spoke before leaving her alone.

Emma smirked in disbelief before she saw her phone flash with a text message. She picked it up, reading that it was from Simon and her eyes widened. Did he have a death wish? Apparently he was parked right outside her house.

"Emma!" Gilbert called out. "What is Cooper's yellow shit car doing here?"

"No idea," Emma said, moving to the door and picking her keys up from the sideboard. "I'll go and find out."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't," he warned her as she slammed the door and let him be. She folded her arms, completely wishing that she had remembered her jacket as she opened the passenger side door to Simon's car.

"What are you doing here?" Emma snapped. "You know that my dad dislikes you already."

"I need to talk to you. I've had to spend tonight listening to my dad demand my laptop to watch porn because my parents are going through a rough spot. I've endured last night working in an old people's home with Neil...and Jay is treating me like shit for some reason."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Emma wondered.

"Because...well...I know that things aren't right with us...and I need you to know what I feel."

"I think I know," Emma assured him.

"Just get in. I'll take you for a drive thru."

"I have to revise, Simon, but-"

"-Please," he pleaded with her.

She groaned but did as he had asked, sliding into the car and turning the heating up as Simon began to drive. He drove slowly to the nearest McDonalds, ordering her chicken nuggets and she looked to him, wondering how he knew they were her favourites. Parking in the back of the car park, he dug into his fries and handed Emma her food.

"What's happening with your parents?" Emma dared to ask.

"They're arguing," Simone complained to her. "They're always arguing. I think they'll be fine in the end though."

"I hope so," Emma said for Simon's sake. "And how is Will and the D of E scheme?"

"I think he's gone mad," Simon informed her. "We put hair removal cream in his pants today, so when he goes on his date he'll be hairless."

"That's cruel," Emma said, trying to hold back a laugh as she ate a chicken nugget and Simon chewed on a fry, looking across to her with a smile.

"But funny," he pushed and she finally burst out into full on laughter, doubling over as Simon watched her, unable to stop himself from laughing with her.

"Quite funny," she nodded in agreement with that. "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

"Us," Simon said. "I know that I shouldn't have been that harsh on you that morning. I just...I didn't want you to be with Jay."

"Why?"

"He's really not good enough for you," Simon told her straight out.

"And who are you to say that?" Emma wondered. "You're lusting after Carli, Simon. You're lusting after a girl who doesn't want you."

"But...one day...I know that we will be together. It has to happen, Emma. I love her."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You don't know what love is, Simon. We're teenagers. We have no idea what love is."

"But I am sure about Carli," he told her. "She's perfect."

"But uninterested," Emma said.

"You're not."

Emma could say nothing to that, knowing full well that she still did care for Simon. She cared for him more than she cared to admit.

"And I do care for you, Em," Simon said. "You're pretty, clever and...well...intelligent...and beautiful..."

"You're repeating yourself."

"Oh, yeah, right," Simon numbly said, coming to realise that. "But, the thing is, Emma...I don't want to hurt you. I do care for you, and I was...well...I felt something when I saw you all over Jay...but..."

"I'm not Carli," she finished the conversation for him, dropping her hand to her lap as she said the words. She didn't know they would hurt so much. She never thought any of this possible.

"No," Simon said, chewing a chip. "And you deserve someone's...well...someone who will love you like I love Carli."

"Hmm," Emma agreed numbly, chewing on the fast food with haste. She said nothing as she felt Simon rest his hand on her arm, trying to appease her.

"I still want to be your friend, Em," Simon said. "You're the only intelligent one out of us."

"Will is pretty clever."

"Not as easy to be around," Simon replied, finishing his chips. "So can we just try and put this behind us? I want it to be how it was."

"What else is there to do?" Emma wondered; finishing her nuggets and dropping the box to her lap before Simon started the car up.

"God," Simon drawled out, "I'm so happy we sorted that out. Carli likes you, you know? She says you're clever and kind. Maybe you can be friends in the future...maybe you can even..."

Emma stopped listening to Simon's ramblings as he drove her back home, bidding her goodnight before she went back into the house. She slammed the door shut, leaning against it as she felt tears prick at her eyes. Carli would always hold Simon's affection. She would always be the one who Simon wanted, regardless of how much Emma cared for him.

"Emma," Gilbert's voice entered the hall as he moved from the living room. "Where have you been? You left your phone here."

"Simon...he...well..." Emma said, running a hand under her nose before a tear moved down her cheek.

Gilbert took a moment to arch a brow, wondering what to do with his crying daughter.

"No," Gilbert said. "Did he hurt you?"

"No!" Emma snapped. "Well...not...like that...but he..."

"Oh Emma," Gilbert complained. "Everyone knows Cooper is in love with that blonde girl. Don't tell me you like him. You're far too clever for him. Besides, why would you want to go out with someone who drives a yellow piece of shit?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking her head as she smiled to her dad.

"See," Gilbert said, "you don't need him. You don't need anyone until you're twenty five."

"Maybe not," Emma agreed weakly, moving to climb the stairs. "Thanks for the pep talk, dad."

"Anytime," Gilbert spoke, "and Cooper best watch out. He'll be having months of detention if he comes anywhere near me."

...

A/N: I haven't updated this in so long! Recently gained some inspiration so I hope the chapter wasn't too bad. If you've come back to read this, then thank you very much!