the whistle echoed throughout the air and signaled the beginning of the soccer game,
though y/n hurried to shy away from it.
she found refuge from the p.e game in the shelves of the library,
and prayed that whoever ruled above would help her to escape detention for skipping class.
when she found a book that was well enough to occupy her,
she leaned against the shelf and sat on the floor.
the quiet, stillness of the school library had become a second home to y/n.
though it smelled faintly of sweaty teens,
there was no masking the smell of book pages.
and y/n loved it.
there was nothing greater than losing yourself in a great book.
and as her nose became buried into it,
she found herself oblivious to the librarian standing before her.
"skipping gym again?"
y/n flinched and looked up at the woman with a sheepish smile.
"guilty."
"oh, y/n. you remind me a lot of my younger self, you know? gym was just as intolerable then as it is now."
"tell me about it. especially the type of people it creates. god, i hate jocks."
y/n and the school librarian shared a quick laugh before she warned y/n of letting this become a habit.
but they both knew y/n had become much too accustomed to the library during gym time to end it now.
and back to her book she went.
but it wasn't long before the traveling, deep voices of the students around her grew louder.
a boy turned the corner and stumbled upon y/n,
making him chuckle.
"you know they make tables for you to sit and read at, right?"
y/n looked up to meet emmett cullen,
and nodded.
"i'm well aware."
though she had a slight issue with the adrenaline, sports junkies of the school,
emmett cullen was exempt from that list.
he was kind and didn't bother y/n as much as his friends did.
"then...why sit on the floor in the back like this?"
"it's peaceful. why-why are you here?"
"actually, y/n, i was looking for you."
she placed a bookmark into her page and got to her feet to meet him,
though the height difference was substantial.
"twenty dollars for a two page essay, forty for anything four pages and up. projects are-"
"woah, woah. relax, would you? i don't need you to do my work for me. i was hoping you'd want to get out of here with me."
she stood a little straighter at the words and crossed her arms suspiciously.
"why?"
"well, you hate gym class and i hate school in general so...why not leave and have our own fun?"
"gross, emmett if you're trying to hook u-"
"y/n, you think too much. did you know?"
she couldn't help but let a small laugh escape past her lips,
"then what do you have in mind?"
"...i was hoping you'd fill in the blanks for me."
"sounds like you're trying to get me out of here and kill me."
emmett's eyes flashed for a minute and though y/n would've usually tucked herself away from a look so intent,
she only found herself drawn in a little more to this mystery of emmett cullen.
"though, i suppose death is better than gym class. i'll only go on one condition."
"anything."
she walked past him to a shelf of the library,
and pulled back a book to hand to him.
"you read this."
"any reason why?"
y/n shrugged,
"it's my favorite."
emmett nodded then with a chuckle,
looked back up to her.
"is this your way of saying we're best friends?"
emmett asked teasingly.
y/n snickered and rolled her eyes,
"shut up. let's go."
y/n and emmett found themselves in an old theater that resided in a small corner of forks,
leaving them to watch old black and white movies that neither of them had any particular interest in.
emmett only wanted to have y/n to himself,
in a place where they could exist as one with no interruptions.
"you know, y/n, physical exercise is important to a developing teenage body. skipping gym class is only harming your physique,"
emmett joked while placing popcorn in his mouth.
y/n laughed,
"doubt it. the best muscle exercise is the one in here."
y/n tapped her index finger to emmett's temple to indicate where his mind laid.
the wave of the sweet, warm blood from her wrist found itself filling his lungs and his throat began to burn white-hot.
he swallowed the urge as best he could,
and closed his eyes in the process to regain his composure.
y/n drew her hand back,
"i'm-i'm sorry. i wasn't trying to say you're stupid or anything because i know you're not. i know you're, like, incredibly intelligent i was just-"
emmett interrupted her with a chuckle,
"you're fine, y/n. don't apologize, it's not your fault."
"did i say something wrong?"
he opened his eyes to meet hers,
where they remained wide and pooling with worry.
the sight sent his still heart wringing in guilt.
"no, no. not at all. i'm sorry for freaking you out. are you okay?"
she smiled that beautiful smile emmett had grown to adore,
"of course. are you?"
"never better."
he threw a few pieces of popcorn at her and laughed as they lost themselves in her hair and in her clothes.
when their laughs died down,
and the movie ended,
y/n felt as though she didn't want to move.
it was odd,
but y/n didn't want to leave this moment with emmett.
she began to wish it'd last forever.
which prompted her next question,
"why me?"
emmett turned his head to her with eyebrows furrowed in confusion,
"what do you mean?"
"i mean...you're emmet cullen. there's so many girls at school that would better fit you. yet, you chose me to come out here with you. even though we've only ever talked once or twice, and i mean small conversation too."
"chose you?"
emmett couldn't help but quietly chuckle at the blush across her cheeks,
and the surprised, embarrassed look on her face.
"oh my god. you're right. you didn't choose me for anything. this literally meant nothing. it was just a fun day to get out. that's all. i'm so sorry."
"y/n...you're so high strung. don't know if you know. if i'm honest, though, i like you. you're not like anyone else i've met. i didn't choose you, it just happened. you smiled at me one day, and ever since i haven't been able to forget it."
y/n nudged him playfully,
"you stalked me, didn't you?"
"oh, yeah, definitely. i know everything about you."
the two continued with the jokes at emmett's expense,
but he decided it was worth it if it meant seeing her so happy.
emmett laid himself in bed that night,
staring at the ceiling with a smile stretched across his lips.
after weeks of dreaming and fantasizing,
he had finally had the courage to take y/n out.
and it had been one of the best days in his life.
many years of living,
yet the day with her was nothing short of blissful.
he had gained control of himself and knew he'd never hurt y/n,
because she was entirely too perfect to prey on.
and emmett loved her company.
becoming bored of lying there and thinking,
he pulled out y/n's favorite book and began reading.
he had never been much of a reader,
but if meant being able to converse with y/n further,
it was worth it.
so there emmett laid,
reading the night away while y/n rested just a few miles away,
dreaming sweet dreams of emmett cullen.
***
"pretty good book. you've got great taste,"
emmett spoke while sitting next to y/n on the floor of the library.
taken by surprise,
she let out a soft laugh.
"wow."
"what? didn't think i'd read it?"
"that, and i didn't think you'd see me again."
"why's that?"
y/n shrugged and let out a sheepish laugh,
"i-i don't know."
"i like spending time with you. you and i have actual conversations. very refreshing."
"mhm, very."
another day spent at the theater,
and another day spent basking in the company of one another.
emmett realized just how long he had been waiting to feel like this.
even though his heart remained immobile in the core of his body,
he felt as though it beat rapidly when y/n was around.
he was rampant with enamor,
and he had y/n to thank for bringing him back to life.
***
after weeks of spending time with one another,
y/n had been forced to go to gym class after being caught skipping.
so there she stood awkwardly,
pacing and trying to find something useful to do.
soon emmett came from behind her and wrapped an arm around her,
moving her out of the way from a stray ball that was sure to have given her a concussion of some sort.
once she realized what was happening,
she turned to face him,
"thank you."
"of course. would hate to see that great, big brain of yours become bruised up any."
y/n laughed and pushed him,
though he didn't move an inch.
his arm remained wrapped around her waist,
and she stood still to his embrace.
"come on. be on my team."
"your team? with-with all of them? you want me to embarrass myself?"
he shrugged,
"maybe."
"ha, ha."
emmett chuckled and began moving her to where him and his team stood to play their game of badminton.
"just stand in the back, okay?"
y/n nodded and stood nervously in the back behind emmett,
looking down at her shoes in hopes of time passing by her.
"y/n! get it!"
emmett soon called out.
y/n looked up and found the birdie drawing closer to her.
she swung the racquet through the air and sent it over the net,
where the opposing team was too stunned to retaliate.
emmett's team had won the game.
"you did it!"
emmett cheered and picked her by her waist,
spinning their bodies around in triumph.
their celebration had lasted long enough to leave them being the only two in the gym,
giving him the opportunity to kiss her freely.
the kiss was full of vehemence,
and though emmett's body burned with carnal desire,
he fought back and became prisoner to her lips and the sweet taste of them.
y/n quickly pulled back and swayed left to right,
and fell limp in emmett's arms.
"y/n? y/n?"
he asked with worry coating his tone.
she smiled weakly and let her hand fall to his cheek,
"too...too much adrenaline."
he chuckled and helped her to a free bleacher,
ignoring the dismissal bell that echoed throughout the gym.
"you were pretty good today, y/n. i knew you had it in you."
"right! i'm fit mentally and physically."
"i know!"
she smiled and leaned against his shoulder,
waiting to regain the strength in her legs.
"theater today?"
he asked,
lacing their fingers as one.
"mm, let's go on an actual date."
"i'm yours for the night, y/n."
even though the two seemed to be polar opposites from afar,
deep down it looked as though their souls were cut from the same cloth.
emmett and y/n were meant to find their way to one another,
and they were elated to know it had been in this lifetime.
there was never a dull day,
and y/n's fantasy storybooks had finally come to life.
