✓ 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, charlie conway

08 | get in, loser, we're going to L.A.!

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜
chapter eight: get in, loser, we're going to L.A.!

tw(s): isolation and overall feeling burnt out.

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

EMMA IS CURLED up on a wooden bench in front of Mickey's Diner. Her nose is stuck in a vintage copy of The Bell Jar. She knows that she totally disappeared on her friends. She just needs some time to herself. Life has just been frustrating her recently, and she doesn't have the heart to take it out on her friends. So she's been screaming into her pillow and talking to herself late at night because she's the only one who understands. Her friends love the generous Emma, the Emma who shows up on each and every one of their doorsteps on Christmas day with homemade sugar cookies in a festive pastry tin, the Emma that spoils you and buys you your entire birthday list because she had the time. But what will they say about the Emma who stays in bed all day, doing nothing but reading and looking out the window with matted and greasy hair? What will they say about the Emma who doesn't have the energy to pick up the phone, or the Emma who doesn't have them for dinner and a showing of The Outsiders anymore?

When a black limo stops in front of her, Emma is shaken out of her thoughts. The backseat door opens to reveal Bombay and a man she doesn't recognize. The sunroof also pops open and Jesse and Connie's faces appear.

"Get in, Emma," Bombay says. "We're going to play hockey for Team USA!"

"Yeah, Emma, get in! Where have you been? I've missed you so much," Connie says happily.

"Oh, I've just been...around," Emma says quietly. She feels all the more guilty when she realizes how much they've missed her.

"Yeah, well, not around enough for us to see you," Jesse says. "Come in and give us hugs!"

Emma purses her lips and considers it for a moment before sticking her bookmark in between the pages, snapping it shut, and going to join her friends. When they see her, the car erupts with a loud chant of "Hart, Hart, Hart!"

She smiles, but Charlie notices it doesn't quite reach her eyes. His eyes meet with hers for a few seconds over Goldberg's head, and his breath catches in his throat. A light, barely noticeable flutter overtakes Emma's stomach. Emma hasn't seen Charlie in a while. She's missed him, kind of.

There are a lot of things that have changed between them, and what with not seeing him all summer, it's hard to transition naturally, if it makes sense. They used to exchange playful banter, well, playful on Emma's end, and borderline hateful on Charlie's. But now, since they agreed to be friends, where do they go? How do they act? And Emma curses herself for adding one more factor into the mix that just overcomplicates things. After the playoffs, Emma had given Charlie a kiss on the cheek. She wasn't even sure herself if she meant it to be romantic or platonic, so how was Charlie supposed to know? Did he get the wrong idea?

"Em, where have you been, seriously?" Adam asks, noticing the vacancy in her eyes. "I came over once on a Saturday and your mom said you weren't there."

"Yeah, what have you been doing?" Averman chimes in. "I haven't eaten at your house in forever."

Emma's lips twist and she looks down at her lap. The Ducks frown and share looks. This attitude isn't like Emma. She's usually bursting with energy and happiness, so seeing her so downcast is out of character, for sure.