"If I wanted to go out then I would have said," Emma assured her father as she sat on the sofa for the second day in a row. The summer holidays had begun and a weekend had passed. She'd heard nothing from any of her friends. Will had walked her home after her argument with Jay and Simon, but she hadn't seen him since.

Her father had come in on the Tuesday morning to see his daughter still dressed in her pyjamas and watching daytime TV. He stood by the door to the living room, his hand holding the frame as he sighed, shaking his head back and forth as he watched her. He was struggling to believe how antisocial his daughter truly was.

"You do need to get out, Emma," Gilbert urged her. "I can expel Simon if it would help?"

"No," Emma said, a smile on her face as she did so. "I think it may make some kind of sense, but what does it matter? I'm going to have to see his face again one day."

"No one warned me about love sick teenagers when I signed up to become a dad."

"You didn't sign up," Emma reminded him. "Mum always told me that I was a mistake."

"Yes," Gilbert contemplated. "She wasn't wrong about that. She was wrong about most things, but not that."

Emma said nothing as she flicked channels once more, doing her best to find something interesting to watch for an hour or two. Gilbert shook his head and checked his wallet was in his pocket before speaking;

"I'm going out for the day. I have a course in Fulham. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll try not to eat my body weight in ice cream," she promised her dad.

"You won't," he assured her. "You ate it all last night."

"Damn," Emma complained as Gilbert grabbed his briefcase.

"Be good!" he yelled to her.

Emma flounced back on the sofa before turning the TV off. She couldn't spend time in the house alone; she feared she may go mad if she did. She stood up with haste, moving up the steps to her bedroom to change into a summer dress. She grabbed her ballet pumps and left the house, knowing who she had to talk to.

...

Jay sat on his bed for the second day. His parents were both at work and so he was home alone. He had done nothing for the past two days but stay in his room, only surfacing for food. He almost didn't move when he heard the doorbell ring. He was pretty sure it would only be someone trying to sell something.

But then the ringing became persistent.

"Alright," Jay snapped, moving from his bed. "Bloody hell, I'm coming."

He moved down the stairs, zipping up his yellow jacket as he pulled the door open and saw Emma stood on his doorstep. He took a moment to look at her with wide eyes, noting how she looked quite radiant. Jay had to admit that he had seen Emma in a different light ever since that night out in London. He looked over her shoulder to see Will and Neil stood there.

His thoughts of a fuelled day of sex died then and there.

"Hey," Emma said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Did you fancy coming out for the day?"

"And doing what?" Jay wondered. "Hanging around parks with little children?"

"Um, no," Will answered back. "I have my Frisbee. Unless you want to be with little children, in which case you're welcome to do that. However, I will warn you that it is illegal."

Emma rolled her eyes as she looked at Jay, a small smile on her face as she did so. "So? Do you want to come?"

"I guess I have nothing better to do," Jay complained, grabbing his keys and slamming the door shut. He tucked his hands into his pockets as he walked besides Emma, leaving Neil and Will to speak about the concept of Frisbee together.

"Are we inviting Simon?" Jay wondered.

"Will text him," Emma muttered. "He's meeting us at the park."

"Great," Jay complained. "I guess we can expect another telling off."

Emma looked over to him, wondering what she should say about the other night. She didn't know how to tell Jay that she didn't like him in that way. She didn't want to lead him on. It wasn't fair on him.

"Look," Emma whispered, "the other night..."

"I guessed that you didn't want to talk about it," Jay told her. "I mean, you didn't call...text...facebook...bebo..."

"You still use bebo?" Emma wondered, her brow arched.

"No," Jay said, his voice low as he did so. He looked back at her, his face one with a smirk as she laughed at him, bumping his shoulder as she rolled her eyes.

"Bebo," she whispered. "Honestly, Jay."

"So, I do get it, Em," he assured her. "I just wish that I didn't. Simon-"

"-He isn't worth it," Emma agreed before Jay could say anything. "It doesn't change anything though, Jay. Besides, you deserve someone better."

"And with bigger tits," Jay clarified. She slapped him across the arm and fell into a gentle conversation with him.

The four of them arrived at the park, spotting Simon's yellow car parked at the back of it. He was stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting for them all to arrive.

"You do know that a Frisbee is for dogs, don't you?" Simon checked as they took the path into the park.

"Then you should be excellent at it," Jay commented. "You whine like a little bitch."

"Ha," Neil barked out a laugh, turning to look at Simon, "because a bitch is a dog."

"Is it?" Simon wondered, his voice sarcastic. "Thanks for clearing that up, Neil."

"No problem." Neil said as Will threw the Frisbee and Neil chased after it.

Simon did his best to avoid talking with Jay and Emma for the entire morning, choosing to ignore the pair of them. He didn't know what to say to them. He knew that he had been rude when he had seen them. He didn't know why. He assumed it was because he had broken up with Carli. She'd got back together with Tom. If only Tom knew how lucky he was.

And then Simon watched Emma as she ran around and challenged Will. He couldn't help but find her attractive. He honestly did. He just didn't love her. But Carli didn't love him. She didn't even want him. Why shouldn't Simon have Emma? She wanted him.

He wondered if he would ever get her alone. The moment only came when she fell to a heap on the floor, her ankle twisting underneath her. She yelled out in pain as the four boys came flocking.

"It's twisted," Will said. "You need to ice it."

"Do you see any ice here?" Jay snapped back. "I'll take her home."

"How?" Simon wondered.

"I'll carry her."

"I have a car," Simon said. "I'll take her home."

"No. I can manage."

"You're not that fit."

"Are you implying she's fat?"

"No. I'm implying you're weak."

"At least I don't spike my hair like a girl."

"At least I-"

"-Shut up!" Emma snapped at both of them. "Simon, just drive me home."

Simon looked triumphant as Neil helped to pick Emma up and she hobbled back to his car. She sat in the passenger seat as Will walked to the driver's door to speak with Simon.

"Don't mess with her mind," Will warned him. "She only organised this day so that you could get back onto speaking terms with each other."

"I'm hardly going to analysis her, am I?" Simon replied. "She's not going to have a mental breakdown."

Simon sat down in the driver's seat and started his car up. He reversed slowly before driving down the busy roads due to road works.

"I'm sorry," Simon blurted out as he sat in the rows of cars.

Emma turned her gaze towards him, her expression patient.

"I didn't mean to yell at you the other night. I just...Jay? Really, Em? I know you don't like him."

"How do you know?" Emma wondered. He kept quiet, not too sure what he should tell her. "Oh, that's right, you think I am hung up over you. Do you think I'm the Simon to your Carli?"

"What?" Simon wondered from her. "Look, I'm just saying that I think I was annoyed when I saw you with Jay."

"Why?" Emma wondered. "You're hardly concerned over my reputation, are you?"

"No," Simon replied. "I am concerned over how I felt."

Emma's eyes widened as she heard him speak that. He pulled the handbrake up and shrugged; the motion nonchalant as Emma continued to stare at him.

"I don't know," Simon admitted. "I mean, I do love Carli, but she doesn't love me. She never has...and she probably never will..."

"We've only been telling you that for months on end," Emma rolled her eyes. "Look, you need time to understand how it is you feel."

Simon moved again, almost stalling the car as he drove with haste to make the traffic light.

"Do I need time?" Simon wondered. "I mean, you're pretty, Emma...and clever...and-"

"-I'm a rebound," Emma said, remembering what he said as they pulled up to her house. Simon helped her out the car, his arm around her waist as she rested her own hand on his shoulder, steadying herself as her face came close to his. Simon placed his other hand on her waist, making sure she was upright as his eyes searched hers and she looked back at him.

"How can Carli be so blind?" Emma whispered to him. "How can you care for her when she treats you like crap?"

Simon gulped for a moment, shrugging against her as he did so.

"Look," Emma said, patting his chest. "You need time, Simon. I'm not going to be second best to you...not because of Carli...just like I can't allow that to happen to Jay."

Simon said nothing and helped her to get inside. He looked around her freezer for a bag of peas. She sat in the kitchen as Simon pulled out another chair to elevate her leg and rest the peas against her ankle.

"Is your dad out?" Simon asked her, becoming terrified at the prospect of Gilbert walking in.

"Yeah, he's on a course," Emma nodded. "He's not going to come back and kill you."

"Good," Simon said, his pulse racing as he thought of he wanted to do. He'd thought about it since he walked her in from his car. He moved quickly, his lips suddenly pressing against Emma's. She jumped for a moment; her eyes open wide as Simon moved his mouth against hers, his hands holding her waist delicately.

Simon closed his eyes, doing his best not to think of Carli. He found it surprisingly easy not to if he had to be honest. Emma draped her arms around his neck as he pulled back for a moment. She caught her breath as Simon remained stood where he was.

"God," Emma whispered.

"Yeah," Simon agreed with her, standing tall once more.

Emma felt her cheeks flush as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "Look...we need...well...that was random, Si."

"I wanted to do it," Simon shrugged back. "You know...to see how it felt..."

"And?" Emma wondered.

"It was nice," Simon said, unable to do anything as Emma nodded.

"We can't rush this, Si," she urged him. "I mean...we still need time..."

"Yeah," Simon agreed, grabbing his car keys. "I should leave then, shouldn't I? We need time to process that...you need time...I need time...luckily we have a lot of it."

Emma couldn't move as she watched Simon move to the door. She looked down the hall, calling after him to ask why he had acted in that way. If only she knew it was just to hide the ache in his pants.

...

A/N: Thanks to all reading and following! Do let me know what you think!