Emerson

Chapter 24.

Emerson's POV

Saint drives us to school as usual. Griffin sits in the front seat with him already talking our ears off. Valencia sits next to me in matching silence. 

Since her living with us, I've talked less. She's included in meal time and occasionally in hangouts we have where I had been talking. Something about her makes talking seem harder. It's like I can't move my mouth versus not wanting to. 

I've started to hang out more with her at school though. I sit with her and her friend Markus during lunch to avoid sitting with Griffin and his friends. 

Markus is a very animated person I've learned. He's always talking to us despite neither of us giving him a response. Valencia occasionally speaks up but she remains quiet while I of course stay silent sometimes nodding or writing down an answer to his random questions. 

We reach the school and all take our individual paths away from each other. I head to my first class, sit down in the back, and wait for the bell to ring. The bell rings echoing off the walls following the scrambles of people heading for their class. 

We're sat in class while our teacher takes painfully slow attendance. She calls out the name looking for the student. She gets interrupted by a knock on her door. She opens the door letting a boy come in followed by the counselor. 

Ms. Davis and the counselor whisper to each other looking at the new boy before Ms. Davis nods. She shuts the door and looks at all of us. 

"Well everyone we have a new student today." She motions for the boy to introduce himself. He has black hair and holds his backpack on one shoulder looking bored out of his mind. He doesn't look fully white almost Hispanic but I'm not sure. 

"I'm James Garcia." He says looking at us with no emotion hinted anywhere.  

"Well, James why don't you sit down there in the back with Emerson." Ms. Davis tells him pointing to me, where the only empty desks are anyway. He walks back and sits next to me staring forward. 

She gets on with the lesson drowning for the next hour about themes. When the bell rings kids hurry out bumping into each other. I wait back for a second not wanting to get trampled. I head to my second class which so happens to have James in it as well. He gets put next to me since I try to sit alone, it was going fine until now. 

We remain in silence neither acknowledging each other as another class goes by. My third hour is James free. I head to the fourth period as the bell rings. 

God school is so boring. It takes so damn long to get through only so parents can go to work. I really wish I go home or have a car to hide out in. Wonder if Reece would buy me a car for my birthday? He has the money. 

I sit down only waiting for a few seconds before Valencia gets there. She sits down wordlessly. Class begins, and I'm sitting through the lecture until a paper lands on my desk. I look at it and see Valencia's handwriting staring at me. 

I'm going over to Markus' house after school. Can you tell your dad?

I pull out my phone under my desk hiding my texting. I text Reece letting him know. He doesn't respond but he usually doesn't since he's at work. 

After the bell rings I walk with Valencia to our lunch table. Markus comes over with James trailing behind him. 

"Hey guys, so this is James he just moved here. He's gonna eat lunch with us." Markus says as he sits down.

"Hello," Valencia speaks up softly before continuing to eat her lunch.

"Hey," He says before eating and scrolling on his phone. 

"James this is Valencia and this is Emerson. They're both quiet but Emerson doesn't talk so don't take it personally." Markus tells him. Markus ends the introduction and tells Valencia all about his day and how his teacher was in his last class since he was trying to get to know James. 

"Can you believe him? Just because he can't make friends doesn't mean I can't." He looks at Valencia who nods in agreement supporting him. She moves a strand of raven hair behind her ear she nods. She occasionally has to push her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. 

"Are we still on for tonight?" Markus asks her. 

"Yeah, I had Emerson tell Reece." She nods telling her friend. 

"Who's Reece?" James talks for the first time since he sat down. 

"Emerson's dad. Valencia is staying with him for the time being." Markus is quick to explain being just vague enough to not make Valencia uncomfortable. I see her tense up a little at the mention of her living situation. 

I hear her at night sometimes moving around, most likely from nightmares. Sometimes I'll look over to see her staring off at a wall jumping when she gets drawn back to the real world. 

It's strange being around someone who has the same fears as I do. The unavoidable fear of something bad happening, the nightmares that plague you 24 hours a day. Everything that stems from your sole providers being your worst nightmare.