Thank you for all the support! It means a lot ?.
Emily Pov
We make it inside the cafeteria to see Spencer, Aria, and Hanna occupying our usual table. I'm still distracted by the heat of Ali's breath on my skin and I bump into her as she stops at our table.
She turns around and looks at me before saying "seriously, Em what could possibly have you so distracted?" She ends with a smirk that only I could see. I try to respond but no words make their way out of my mouth. She gives me another smirk before sitting down in her seat which happened to be right across from mine. I sigh and take my seat.
It isn't until I sit down that I realize that Ali and I already had plates of food waiting for us. It was something we all did when the other was running late… even Ali. I still look over and give them all a grateful smile before tucking into my meal.
"Hey, what took you guys so long." Hanna says stealing one of my fries though I know she already had some of her own. I gave her a mock glare though I couldn't help but smile at her when smiled back and took another fry.
"Just had a question for my teacher after class. Ali saw me on her way to the cafeteria and waited for me." I say as casually as possible. Though I can't help the quick flick of my eyes as they travel over to Ali, landing on the small curvature of her luscious lips. I clear my throat and take a sip of my water before changing the subject to something that wouldn't make me wish I was kissing Alison right now.
Lowering my voice I whisper across to Aria "So, how's it going with Mr. Fitz?" She smiled. A radiant smile that she only got when talking about Mr. Fitz. I am still unsure about this relationship. I know he's 20, making him only 4 years older but he's still older and Aria's our little munchkin and I don't want to see her get hurt.
"Ezra" she starts making a point to his first name, to which I can only roll my eyes and nod "is doing really well, we both are. He's taking me to a poetry club this Saturday in the city." She ends with a soft smile.
"How's he liking his new job?" Spencer asks between bites of her salad.
"He loves it!" Aria responds excitedly. After their relationship started to become more serious Mr. Fi- Ezra quit his position at the school and started interning at a publishing company.
"I should've known by the streaks in your hair when I met you that you'd be the most rebellious of all Aria." Alison chuckled melodiously. Aria could only smirk in response.
"Spence?" Alison said. Though no real question was asked we all knew her well enough at the point to understand what she wanted to know.
"Toby is good. We are good" Spencer said as if she was giving an interview on diplomatic affairs. We all raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to whine before breaking. Spencer tried to have a tough exterior and out of all of us she was the closest to Ali in that regard, but she could never keep it up around us. However, around her family her mask matched Alison's perfectly.
"Fine. He's amazing. He's so thoughtful and caring and smart. He's unlike anyone I've ever met." She ends softly. Her eyes on the table reliving a memory only she could see. Ali nodded as if that's what she expected. She wasn't happy about it, but Spencer wouldn't budge and neither would Toby. He didn't like Alison and he wasn't afraid of her, despite her best attempts. He was also my best guy friend and maybe I used my puppy dog eyes on her after everyone left to get her to agree.
"He's starting his own business with construction. He's good, like amazing at it!" Spencer said with a proud smirk.
"How about I get our parents to allow him to build the gazebo on the land between our houses. Our parents have been talking about it forever." Alison said simply. Spencer could only look over at her in shock and reply "You'd do that". No need asking how Alison could make their parents agree. We all knew she had her ways not that she'd tell us if we'd ask.
"Of course, what are friends for?" Alison replied leaning over the table with a smile to squeeze Spencer's hand. I think it was moments like this which reminded the rest of the girls why they were friends with Alison, even when she didn't seem to want them.
Straightening herself back into her chair she looked over at her next target "Hanna?". Though Hanna seemed to shrink down in her chair a bit and said "Sean hasn't called since our date. I overheard a couple of his friends saying he could do better. Their right…"
Aria immediately wrapped her arm around Hanna as did I, making a love filled Hanna sandwich.
"Well, he's obviously an idiot! Any guy would be lucky to have you." I say almost crushing Hanna, though I still see tears forming in her eyes and the look of disbelief. I'm not sure what it is about seeing my friends hurt that makes me so bold. Maybe it's just in my genes. There's a reason everyone called my mother Mama Fields.
I gently let go of Hanna and looked around the cafeteria before finding my target. A guy sitting alone. He was attractive and just what I needed right now. I got up before anyone could question my actions and walked over to him.
"Hi, ma-ca- may I sit here?" I fumble through. Well my boldness can only go so far. He simply nods his head to the empty seat across from him. I take a seat and look over his shoulder to where the girls are looking at me as if I lost my mind. I return my gaze to the stranger only to find him looking right back at me. Right, I probably seem really weird right now. Fuck.
Clearing my throat, I raise my hand and say "Hi. I'm Emily." He stares at my hand for a minute. A complete sixty seconds. Sixty seconds I kept my hand in the air like an idiot, before a gentle palm rested itself on my own.
"Caleb." He said before letting my hand go. He looked like he was going to leave so I grabbed his hand again to pull him back.
I felt an intense stare and saw Alison looking at me, arms crossed and eyes angry, but I couldn't focus on that right now.
"Look, I-I-I know this may seem crazy, but I need you!" So say in a quick whisper. He only raises his eyebrow at me and it takes me a second to realize how that sounded. I blush and immediately blush and look down at the table.
"I mean I don't need you!" He just continues to stare at me.
"I mean-" I take a deep breath and continue "you're my friend's type and I usually don't come over to strange guys and ask them things-" at this he raises his eyebrow questioning that last statement.
"So, you're here for your friend?" He says making sure to exaggerate the word friend.
"Yes, that blonde over there!" I say pointing at our table, which made my friends look at me even more strangely. Well, at least Hanna isn't crying anymore, I think as I see her over Spencer's shoulder. Now she's just looking at me as if I've lost my shit.
"She looks angry." He says. I'm confused until I realize he's talking about Alison. I reply a little too rapidly and forcefully "NO not her." I clear my voice as he looks like he's going to leave again "The other one." I say pointing more clearly at Hanna.
"Oh, dimples." He says with a soft smile. I can only respond "What?"
He turns back to me and says "Dimples." At my still confused look he continues "I started here yesterday. I bumped into her and after ripping me a new one she helped me find all my classes. It was apparently her civic duty to make sure I didn't bump into anyone else. She has a beautiful smile.`` He ends with a soft smile of his own.
I could not believe my luck!
"Tell her!" I smile a little too widely, judging by the wariness that's making its way into his eyes. Tampering down my excitement I continue "Some guy told her she wasn't good enough and she is better than good! She's amazing. She's funny and caring and pretty…" I taper off, not sure why I was sharing this with a stranger. Well, technically, he's not a stranger anymore he's Caleb… Hanna's going to murder me. She will let me say goodbye to my family and then she's going to kill me and bury me under the school.
I'm startled out of my thoughts by him getting up and leaving. He must see the desperate look in my eye because he points to a folded sheet of paper and says "Give that to her and don't read it." Before turning and walking out of the cafeteria. I take the paper and head back to my own table where 3 pairs of questioning eyes and 1 pair of angry eyes greet me.
"Em, are you okay?" Aria asks as soon as I sit down. I just nod before handing over the note to Hanna. She says "What the fuck is going on Em?" before taking and reading the note.
Fuck! I probably should've read it to make sure he didn't say anything weird. Well I guess no weirder than some girl coming up to you to ask you to ask her friend out.
"Wh-who wrote this?" Hanna said with tears in her eyes. Alison grabs the paper out of her hands and starts to read it. Fuck.
"ImsosorryHannaIjustgotsoangryandthenyourtearsandthenIsawaguywhoIthoughtwasyourtype…Please don't kill me." I finish after my garbled sentence is over.
"Did you read it?" Hanna asked.
"No, he said it was private." I say giving a much calmer Alison a look to which she rolled her eyes and handed Hanna back the paper.
"Emily Catherine Fields, you went over to a strange guy and told him to ask me out! Here, read it!" She hands me the paper without looking at me. Fuck this is bad. Spencer and Aria look at each other before making their way behind me to read over my shoulder.
Dear Dimples,
You know your friend is crazy right? She's currently looking down at the table as if it's going to kill her. With that being said, she came over here to ask me to ask you out. Have a feeling you have no idea that this is happening, but I happen to remember you saying that it was your duty to make sure I didn't walk into any more girls. Well, how are you going to do that from all the way over there unless you have this 555-216-2120. The fate of girls all over the world is in your hands. Besides, I only crashed because I was too busy looking at this beautiful girl with the greatest pair of dimples I've ever seen. But, seriously, no pressure. Your friend seems insane and maybe this isn't something you want, so feel free to use or throw this paper out. No hard, hard feelings.
Looking forward to possibly crashing into you again'
Caleb
P.S. Seriously though you may need to get your friend some help!
I look back at Hanna with a huge smile on my face only to see her smiling back at me.
"Are you gonna message him?" I ask.
"You know he's right and you're insane. Like you need to be in a mental sanctuary." Hanna finishes taking the paper back. "But I should probably apologize to him for my crazy friend." She finishes with a smile.
"Mental asylum." Spencer corrects going back to her seat.
"What?" Hanna asks.
"It's called an asylum for the mentally ill or an institution. Not a sanctuary Hanna."
Before the conversation could continue we were approached by one Noel Khan. He greeted the rest of us with a nod before gazing at Alison with a smug look on his face.
"Hey Alison," He said, smiling at her.
"Hey Noel, to whom do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Alison replied in a flirty tone which immediately caused the walls of my heart to crack.
"You owe your beautiful self and if you say yes you can have all the pleasure you want." He pulls an empty chair over and sits right next to Alison. The absolute fucking nerve.
"I was wondering if you would accompany me to my party on Saturday. That is if the infamous Alison DiLaurentis is actually without plans." He ended with a smirk that made me want to strangle him and kick him until he isn't able to have children. Wow, when did I get so violent? When you saw the way guys looked at Alison…
Alison paused and after what felt like century's she looked up at me with a look I can only describe as guilty before turning to Noel with a flirty smile of her own and saying "I would love to go with you Noel. Pick me up at my house at 8." Noel just nodded and smiled before walking away. Table was quiet though all I could hear was the shattering sound of my heart crumbling around me. I look up to Alison only to notice she's avoiding my gaze. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered my things.
"Where are you going?" Hanna asked.
"I just remembered that Coach Fulton wanted me to meet with her before the end of lunch to go over some things for the game tomorrow." I placed a gentle hand on Hanna and said "You should text him." before turning. A hand grabs me and turns me around. "Are you sure?" Hanna asks again. I can only nod, not completely trusting my voice. I give her a brief hug and smile before I leave the cafeteria, and make my way to the natatorium, which I knew would be empty at this time. It always is.
Once I'm inside I make my way towards the pool, I take off my shoes and socks and allow my feet to submerge under the cool water. Thankfully, my shorts allow me the freedom to do so. I kick at the water displacing it. Causing the once smooth surface to bubble. Not unlike what I was currently feeling.
She's been on dates. A lot of dates, but I seemingly forget every time. She's not mine. We're like two skipping pebbles skimming over water. Close, but not close enough. Giving hints of submerging, but as I feel my motion stop and drown into the dark abyss I see her. Still moving along without me. Why did I have to love her? But not loving Alison means never meeting her and I can't imagine a world without her in my life, even if it's painful having her here.
Flashback
It was my twelfth birthday. The candles had been blown out, the presents given, and laughter had by all. It was bedtime and the girls were sleeping over. Already fast asleep. All except Alison. My eyes meet hers and she nods her head towards the door. I smile in response and we quietly exit my room. I feel a slight tug on my arms as she pulls along with her down the hallway. "Alison, where are we going?" only to receive a whispered "shhh" and a smile in response. I couldn't help the goofy grin that made its way on my face.
I love all my friends, especially Hanna whom I've known since I was 4, but I love Alison in a way I've never experienced. It terrifies and leaves me breathless at the same time like floating in the middle of the ocean only to look over and see a sparkling beach waiting in the distance. I was snapped out of my thoughts as Alison guided us down the stairs. She made a stop by the linen closet and pulled out the picnic blanket we had used earlier that day. She then pulled me towards the back door and into the backyard. She looked around until she saw a relatively isolated area and pulled me towards it. She let go of me, I missed the warmth of her hand immediately, and started to spread out the blanket. Once she was all done she sat down on the blanket, looked up at me and patted the space next to her. I sat down next to her and turned towards her and asked "Alison what are we doing out here?"
She just laid down and pointed to the sky. I looked up and gasped in awe at all the stars. I looked back at Alison and saw she wore a similar expression on her own face. Making myself comfortable I lie down next to her so that our arms are touching, which sends a jolt I can't quite explain through me and look back up at the sky. I never realized how beautiful Rosewood was. Though as I turned my head to gaze on the starlit visage of Alison, I felt my breath catch in my throat because while the stars may have glittered beautifully in the sky Alison easily outshone them. Her eyes…her smile.
Not knowing what I was feeling or why I turned my gaze back to the sky trying to swallow whatever that was without making Alison aware of the inner turmoil I was having over…well her. But what did it mean? Why did she make me feel like this? I pose my answer to the stars hoping they'd respond. I didn't hear anything but I did see something that resonated with me deeply. Two stars.
One was bright, red, and flaring. Strongly showcasing its colors. While the one, right next to it shined blue, though not as predominantly as the red, but not meekly either.
"You know" I started off as Alison turned to face me giving me her full attention. "You see those two stars." I pointed, making it easier for her to spot them. She nodded "They kind of remind me of you and me." She furrowed her brow in confusion so I continued "I mean look at the red one glowing as if the only star in the sky, but not so much as to completely conceal the blue one next to it who is glowing brightly, but allowing the red star to show the world how beautiful it is. You, like the red star shine so bright that anyone next to you gets to experience some of that glow, yet never outshine you. I, on the other hand, am like the blue star. I shine brightly, but never enough to outdo you because I want the world to see just how amazing you are." I said the final sentence looking straight into her eyes.
She was quiet for a while. Just staring at me with her big blue eyes. "Alison are you ok?" I asked worried I may have freaked her out, but she just smiled that radiant smile of hers and nodded before laying back down. I followed her example hoping I didn't go too far. Just as I thought this I felt a peck on my check and looked over at Alison.
"Don't ever change Em. No matter what. Promise me." She said with a pleading voice. Though why she was pleading I wasn't sure.
"I promise." I said looking her straight in the eyes. Unable to deny her anything even on my own birthday. She smiled again and kissed my check once more before standing and walking towards the door. "Come on Em, we should get some sleep." She called over before disappearing into the house leaving me outside feeling as though my world had shifted in a way I couldn't quite comprehend.
End of Flashback
Love. I think to myself as I come out of my memory. I couldn't have possibly known it then, but I was in love. Falling before I even knew what it meant to jump. It was the best and worst moment of my life.
The bell rings signaling the end of the period. I shake my feet to dry them as much as possible before putting my socks and shoes back on. I grab my stuff pausing to look at my phone. I see a couple missed messages from Aria, Hanna, and Spencer… none from Alison. I try not to think about it as I make my way to my last class of the day. English with Mrs. Montgomery. Aria was horrified when she found out but luckily had adjusted and even liked having her mom around.
I walked into the room and saw none of the girls were there yet. I give Mrs. Montgomery a small smile, which she returned and made my way to my seat… right next to Alison's. Sitting anywhere else would be a blatant sign that something was wrong and I just don't have it in me to deal with that.
The girls arrive and greet me, though Alison just sits in her chair on her phone waiting for Mrs. Montgomery to begin. Never once looking over at me. So we're playing the ignore game. Fine. I clench my jaw and zone out for the rest of the class.
The bell rings signaling the end of class. "I want a paper describing the darkness in man's heart. Whether it was derived due to the stay on the Island or was it an entity we are all born with. The paper is due next Friday. So don't wait until the last minute to get started. I don't want any excuses." Mrs. Montgomery finishes looking at Kevin.
"What? My sister really ate my homework!" He replies to the laughter of everyone in the class. We pack our bags and get ready to leave. Alison wasn't looking at me and could tell that the girls were starting to notice. I adjust my bag on my shoulder and say "Alright guys I have to get to practice."
That seems to get Alison's attention but I'm already turning away.
"Wait Em." Hanna calls out. I turn to see all of their eyes on me. Though I make a point to look at everyone but her. "Before you go I just wanted to tell you we're having a sleepover at my place tonight."
"Hanna, I don't-." I started, but quickly ended as a pout began to make its way onto her face. I sigh, "Fine, I'll come after practice." She jumped up and down before hugging me. I smiled at her childish behavior and continued, "I'll see you guys later." Playfully shoving Hanna off of me I walk out the room without sparing a look at Alison only to realize that I doomed myself to an entire night of torture seeing as Alison would be spending the night as well. Maybe my mom will say I can't go. I'll text her after practice.
"You've worked hard Emily, I know I never do this, but you deserve a break!" My mom replies back.
Well fuck.
