Her Brother's Best Friend - Aching Hearts Series #2

Unfading Emotions

Hello! Here's my new attempt at a story. I hope you'll give it a shot and enjoy it :)

If you do like it,please vote and comment :) I'll be very much happy to read every single opinion :)

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"I started missing you as soon as we said goodbye."

CHAPTER 1 - UNFADING EMOTIONS

You're fat. Fat. Fat. Fat. Emily said to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.  Fat. Fat. Fat. Her mind chanted relentlessly.

The last place she'd ever want to be is was a dressing room, but because the party for her mother's promotion was nearing, she'd had no other choice.

Emily hated parties, even formal ones. Why did they force her to attend? It'd be so much better to be left in peace. She'd lock herself in her room, reading while listening to music, or just having a marathon of her favorite shows. Or why not, rewatching some old volleyball matches, to reminisce the good times, when there was some sort of light in her life.

It seemed all so distant. And yet only four years had passed. Four years. From the summer before her freshman year to this one, which signed her last year not just in school, but also in that horrible town.

She felt inadequate, out of place. Anywhere she went, she felt the same, so the answer was clear: she didn't belong. Not to that town in any case. There was nothing of that town that relieved her, if anything, everything bore a pitiful memory of the joyous past that was gone forever.

Leaving volleyball had drained out her life, it'd deprived her whole existence of a purpose, and no matter how much she tried, Emily hadn't been able to find a new one. Or maybe she hadn't tried at all. Maybe being forced to give up volleyball due to that horrendous injury had been a sign. A sign aimed at telling her, quite simply, that she didn't belong. That there was no purpose whatsoever to her life, and the people in her life, one in particular, had noticed that way before her.

It didn't help that the injury had been mostly her fault. She'd overstressed her bones, till they'd cracked: one ace too many, and her knee had given up. Farewell to professional volleyball.

Ironic. Emily said another farewell four years ago. And some would say it was that specific goodbye to shut down the light in her eyes.

Emily sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. It was all forgotten. Everything was fine. After all, those weird emotions she'd felt years ago were misplaced and foolish. It was better they'd faded.

Emily pressed her eyelids, trying not to think of that person. A second brother. At least that he should have been, but he never was. He was so different from Jason, who was always so chilly. But he ... no, he was the kindest person she'd ever met.

Every year, however, when the summer bonfire arrived, the pain roared stronger. She felt always gloomier. That bonfire meant so many things altogether, from the actual end of the warm season, to the kick start to every sport, volleyball included. Normally she'd be retiring with her team, to get ready for the tournament that was to start, but no ... she hadn't beeing doing that since five years already.

The bonfire signed the end and the beginning of so many things. Hopefully this year it'd be better. Be it only because it was the last one. Then college would call. Finally. Years ago she'd have thought about trying to enter a good volleyball team, but ... well, those times were gone. Now there was to decide what would her major be. A decision that was tougher than ever for someone like Emily who felt so absolutely inapt.