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Emmy
Oliver Price. Oliver. Fucking. Price! is here...standing in front of me. It’s like watching a train wreck. You wanna look away but just can't help but watch the disaster unfold.
I just stand there. Wide-eyed. Frozen in place. His baby blues mirroring mine. “Emmy,” he whispers. I remain silent. All I can do is blink, feeling numb as my brain tries to process what the fuck is going on.
A million rapid fire questions go off in my head. What the hell is he doing here? How long has he been here? Is this where he’s been for the past three years? I thought he was in juvie?
Oliver looks really different now. The once dirty blonde hair he had as a child is now a deep dark brown. Short on the sides, while the top is longer and tousled back. The skinny boy I grew up with is now toned as fuck. Tattoos cover his arms and neck and I'm sure, if I lifted his shirt, I'd find a six pack covered in them too.
"Mr. Price,” says Mr. Tucker from inside his office. His voice snaps me out of my frozen state and back to reality. “What are you doing out of class?" he asks.
Oliver takes a moment to answer. “Sorry, Sir. Bathroom break,” he replies, never taking his wide eyes off me.
This can not be happening right now. I need to get away from him and fast. Heart pounding, I bend over to grab my bag and flee into the office. I'd have to deal with this later because there is no way my brain can process this right now.
SITTING IN A CHAIR in Mr. Tucker's office, I try to listen as he explains some more of the rules. “No going into the opposite gender’s dorm after curfew. Curfew is 9 pm on school nights and 11 pm on the weekend. No phones during school hours. No drinking, drugs, or fighting. No leaving the school grounds without a teacher or guard.”
Okay, I get it. For the next two years, we are gonna be treated like dumb ass kids who can't do shit all for themselves. Maybe if the adults did their jobs in the first place none of us would be here, needing to be consistently monitored. I roll my eyes in my mind.
"You are allowed to go down to the lake during free periods and weekends as we have the guards patrol that area as well,” he says as he gathers some papers and hands them to me. “Here is your class schedule, room key, and school debit card. You will get a weekly allowance of 100 dollars to be spent on things you need. You will get your first month’s allowance as a lump sum so you can go and get all the items you need. Please note that the internet is monitored and we check your phone call logs, as it is a condition of everyone's probation.”
The door behind me opens and the secretary pokes her head through. “Sorry to bother you, Sir, but Miss Ross is here to show Miss Knox to her room.”
He gives her a smile. “Wonderful. Thank you, Shelly, we will be right out.”
When we head back to the main part of the office, bubblegum pink hair catches my attention. A short girl stands facing the main office door with her back to me. She looks to be about 5’3", just like me. My eyes can't help but roam over her backside. Even though I have never dated anyone, I'm attracted to both genders. I feel my cheeks blush when I can't seem to take my eyes off of her butt. It’s just so round and perky in her leggings. I mean, who doesn’t appreciate a nice butt sometimes?
“Miss Ross, I'd like to introduce you to our new student and your new roommate, Miss Amelia Knox,” Mr. Tucker says, causing me to snap my eyes up so that they are level with hers to avoid looking like a perv. She turns around to face us and my breath hitches. Now that I can really get a good look at her, I know it’s lust at first sight. If I was a cartoon character, hearts would be popping out of my eyes right now. My mouth parts slightly as I hold back a small gasp. She is absolutely stunning. Freckles sprinkle her perky nose and under her bright green eyes. A rose gold tank top clings tightly to her chest, showing the tops of her breasts. Her black leggings show her perfectly shaped hips and toned thighs.
She holds out her hand to me. “Hello, I'm Charlotte but everyone calls me Charlie,” she says with a bright flirty smile. Her voice makes my stomach flutter. Closing my mouth and regaining my composure, I take her soft hand in mine.
“I'm Amelia but I go by Emmy,” I say in a small, shy voice. Where the heck did that come from? I'm not a shy person. I don't do quiet and I'm never this nervous. “It’s very nice to meet you,” I continue. Ugh, why am I making this so awkward?
She gives my hand a little squeeze before letting go. “And it's very nice to meet you, Emmy,” she says with a wink and a sexy giggle. This time, the flutters go right to my lower belly. Is she flirting with me? I really hope so.
“Oh, Emmy, before you go,” Mr. Tucker says, causing me to reluctantly take my eyes off of Charlie. “I forgot to mention something very important. I know it's hard for you young people to keep your hormones in check and your hands to yourselves. Let’s be real. It happens and teachers can't be everywhere all the time. So, if you are going to be sexually active, please see the school nurse for the proper precautions,'’ he says.
My eyes go wide as I stare at Mr. Tucker in disbelief. Did he really just say that? Heat makes its way up my neck and cheeks. “Oh my god,” I groan to myself and close my eyes. I’m so embarrassed and I wish I were anywhere but here right now. Charlie starts laughing. I didn't know my cheeks could turn an even brighter shade of red.
Grabbing my hand, Charlie drags me out of the office, saving me from this horrifying situation. “Don't worry, Mr. T. I'll take really good care of her,'' she calls back over her shoulder, then turns to me and winks. A timid smile takes over my face. Well, my life’s about to get way more interesting.
CHARLIE STARTS GIVING me the tour as we head in the direction of the girls’ dorm. I follow behind her as I drag my suitcase. “This is the main hall. Most of these doors are classrooms. There’s a set of bathrooms over there,” she says, pointing behind us in the direction of the two doors, one labeled Women’s and the other Men’s.
“Behind this door is the dining hall,” she says, pointing to the door next to us.“The food isn’t too bad. The gym is in the building right outside the doors at the end of the hall. There’s also a swimming pool in the same building. It’s mostly for swim class, but you can ask for permission if you want to use it for exercise.”
Charlie is talking a mile a minute. I try to keep up with what she is saying, but I am constantly getting distracted by her pink painted lips and bright green eyes.
We get to the end of the hall and start heading up the stairs as she explains the different floors. “Each floor has its own staircase. They think it will keep us from sneaking onto each other’s floor after curfew, but it doesn't. The boys still find their way in here,” she says with a giggle, nudging me playfully with her elbow. “There is an emergency door that leads to their stairs, but an alarm goes off when it's opened. Found that out at three in the morning when one of the girls tried to go see her boyfriend.” She lets out a laugh. “There are six rooms on each floor. Four people to a room. Except ours is smaller and only fits three. But that's okay because we get our own walk-in closet!” she says excitedly.
“The school is mostly made up of students from 11th and 12th grade but there are some 9th and 10th graders. They kinda throw them in the same class but with different levels of work. The ages range from 15 to 19. Most students are required to repeat whatever grade they just finished depending on their school marks.” She turns to look at me. “What grade are you going to be in?” she asks. We’ve reached the top of the stairs and turn down the hall to the dorm rooms.
“Umm, I'm guessing 11th grade. I just finished that grade but the judge told me I'd be repeating it. It makes sense because my grades were pretty shitty,” I say, huffing out a little laugh.
She smiles at my answer. “Looks like we will be in the same classes then.”
I smile back at her. “Having a friend in class will definitely make it suck less,” I say. And getting to spend most of the day with her? Yeah, I'm not complaining.
"Here's our room," she says, stopping in front of a door with the number 6. Unlocking the door, we step in and I take a look around. It’s bigger than both my rooms back home. But it looks cozy with an old victorian vibe. Two wooden framed beds sit on each side of the window on the far side of the room and another next to the door. At the foot of each bed are dressers against the wall. The wall next to the door has a big mirror and under the mirror is a table cluttered with beauty products.
“This is my bed,” Charlie says, pointing to the bed with the bright pink bed set on the right side of the window. “That's Felicity’s,” she points to the bed next to the door with the lavender bed set. “She’s our other roommate - you'll meet her when we head down to the dining hall for lunch.”
“I'm guessing this is mine?” I ask, walking over to the bed with the plain white bed set on the other side of the window. I place my backpack on the bed and the suitcase next to it on the floor.
She walks over and sits on my bed. “Yeah, it's kinda boring. But we can get you something better in town next weekend. They let you go into town your first week here so that you can get things you need,” she says.
I nod my head. “Cool, I've never really had a chance to pick out stuff like this for myself. Might be fun.”
“Hell yeah, it will,” she declares with a big smile. “I'll ask Mr. Tucker if we can go together. I'll have your side of the room just the way you want it by the end of the weekend.” I smile at her perky personality. I'm glad that she wants to help me out. I can see us becoming good friends.
We spend the next half hour going over my class schedule and who my teachers are for each subject. Classes started a week ago, so I am not too far behind. The four main subjects, Math with Mr. Trainer, English with Mr. Luckson, Science with Mrs. Grey and Social Studies with Mr. Brooks, are five days a week, while Gym with Mr. Grear, Art with Mrs. Williams and Music with Mrs. McDonald are only twice a week.
After that, we sit on my bed and talk. I am captivated by her cute facial expressions as she speaks. The more we talk, the more my attraction for her grows into something more. I am definitely starting to get a crush on this girl. I just hope my feelings don't make this roommate situation uncomfortable.
She tells me a bit about herself. We like a lot of the same things. Same music, same shows. Even the same movie genres. She likes camping. I’ve never been camping but I do like to hike. She’s funny and just so happens to curse like a sailor, just as much as I do. Definitely my kind of woman.
By lunchtime, my face hurts from smiling and laughing so much. I can't remember a time where I've done both in so long. I feel like Charlie is going to make this place a little more bearable.
HEADING INTO THE DINING hall with Charlie, I take a look around.
This is nothing like a high school cafeteria. It’s pretty much a giant dining room with ten tables that seat six people each.
On the left side of the room, students line up next to a big window that looks into the kitchen as they wait to get their lunch. Tables with pre-made food and snacks along the same wall.
I check out the other students, there doesn't appear to be too many. None of them pay me any attention, as if new students are not a surprising event. The fact that no one cares that I'm here makes me feel better. No attention on me or being singled out.
Charlie leads us over to a table in the far left corner, where a girl with long raven black hair is sitting. Her back is to us as she plays on her phone. She looks up from her phone as we take a seat across from her.
“Amelia, meet Felicity. She's our other roommate. Lissy, this is Emmy," Charlie introduces.
I give Felicity a small friendly smile and wave. She’s really pretty. Not stop my heart kind of pretty like Charlie is, though that could just be my crush talking. Nonetheless, Felicity is still really attractive.
Her long hair hangs in waves down her back, and her hazel eyes sparkle as her small dainty lips hold a smile. Her makeup looks like it was done by a professional. She looks like the popular girl from the movies, but luckily she isn’t giving off any bitchy vibes.
"Hey,” she says. “I was starting to wonder if it was just gonna be me and Charlie for the year. Then I heard there was a new girl coming, and I kinda guessed we would be getting a new roommate, seeing how we have the only free bed left in the girls’ dorm.”
“Well, I hope you don't mind being stuck with me?” I say with a smile, leaning back into my chair.
“Nah,” she shakes her head. “As long as you don't snore, I don't think we will have any problems,” she says in a playful tone.
My laugh turns into a snort as I shake my head. “Nope, no snoring here,” I say, then tilt my head to the side in a thinking manner. “Although, I don't really know for sure because I would be asleep, and I've never had anyone around to tell me if I do or not,” I say back.
Felicity laughs. “Fair point”.
We get up to grab some food before heading back to the table.
Oliver
AMELIA KNOX IS HERE. At my school. Why the fuck is she here? I can't deny a part of me is happy to see her. She’s changed so much over the past few years. She still has her long brown hair and wire-framed glasses, but she looks more like a gorgeous woman now than the beautiful young girl I left behind. She’s still wearing the black leather jacket and dark grey jeans she had on earlier. She looks even better than I remembered her. I can't take my eyes off her.
She's sitting on the other side of the dining hall with Charlie and Felicity, smiling at the easy banter between them. Every time her whole face lights up, a pang of jealousy hits. I don't like someone else making her smile. It should be me, only me. I used to make her smile like that, but then I had to go and fuck it all up.
Not a single day goes by without me feeling regret about that. What I did to her was one of the worst things someone could do to another person, let alone their best friend. Someone they loved. No, love. Because I've been madly in love with that girl since the first moment I laid eyes on her. Even after these past few years apart, nothing’s changed. Her face still consumes my mind. She’s my first thought when I wake up and my last one before I close my eyes at night.
My food sits in front of me, untouched. I'm too distracted by my girl to eat. Yes, my girl because she is. She always has been, she just doesn’t know it yet. That will change.
I’m sitting at the head of the table with Ben on my left and Talon on my right. They’re arguing about something stupid like they always do. Talon loves to pick little fights with Ben, just to get him going. It’s a daily ritual for them.
Talon starts waving his hand in front of my face. “Earth to Oliver,” he says.
I turn my eyes to his, giving him a pissed off glare. “What?” I snap, turning my eyes back to Emmy, afraid that if I look away for too long, she'll be gone.
“I asked if the party is still on for next Friday night?” he repeats with a puzzled look on his face.
“What are you looking at?” he asks as he follows my line of vision to Emmy. “Ahh. I see the new girl’s caught your eye,” he looks back at me with a confused look. “Why the hell are you looking at that girl like you wanna bend her over the table and fuck her? What about Emmy?”
I turn to look at him. “That is Emmy,” I say with a blank look on my face. His eyes go wide as he looks at Emmy and back to me.
“No way! You’re fucking with me, right?” he asks. Ben’s head snaps up from the book that he always carries around at the mention of Emmy’s name. He looks at me with surprise, then to Emmy and back to me.
“Is that really her?” he asks with a lifted eyebrow.
“Yes, that's really her!” I give him an are you kidding me look. It may have been a few years, but I’ll always be able to recognize her. “I don't know why she's here," I huff. But I need to know. "I need you guys to find out. I can almost guarantee she won't talk to me. Not after everything that happened. But I have to know what kinda shit she's gotten herself into, what exactly got her sent here. I need to know if she's okay.”
Talon nods his head, leaning back into his chair. “Yeah man, of course. We'll do what we can.”
Nodding back, I look over at Ben. His attention isn’t on me. His eyes are glued to Emmy. I look at him, baffled. No girl in the three years I've been here has EVER captured Ben’s eye. Yet, he’s looking at MY girl like she holds all the answers to the universe or something. I don't think I like it.
“After hearing you talk about her, nonstop like an overly obsessed stalker, it’s nice to put a face to her name. And I gotta say, dude, she’s fine as hell,” Talon says as he looks at her like she is his next meal. Fuck that!
One second I’m sitting in my chair and the next I am over the table grabbing him by the shirt. “Don't talk about her like that! Don't even look at her,” I hiss through clenched teeth. “You're looking at her like she's one of your whores of the week. Don’t even fucking think about it!”
Talon raises his hands in surrender. “Chill, Stalker Boy, I didn't mean anything by it. She’s yours and no one would dare take what's Oliver Price’s. Right, Ben?” I look over at Ben waiting for his answer. He gives me a hesitant nod, glances over at Emmy, and goes back to reading his book.
Letting go of Talon, I sit back down. A laugh catches my attention and my eyes snap back over to Emmy. She and Charlie are laughing about something as Charlie puts her hand on Emmy’s for a moment, before she takes it away to play with the ends of her hair. She’s flirting with Emmy. You have gotta be kidding me!
“I need some air,” I say with irritation, standing up and pushing my chair back to leave. The guys nod in understanding and say goodbye. As I walk towards the door, I pass the girls’ table and I take a peek at Emmy. She turns her head and our eyes connect. For a moment I see something hopeful, but it quickly changes to hate as she turns back to the girls like I don't even exist. It fucking crushes my heart but I deserved that. Turning back in the direction I was headed, I leave the dining hall and walk out the side door that leads to the back of the school and out to the lake. I end up skipping the rest of my classes for the day.