There have been a lot of strange things happening lately here in Rosewood Falls, and some residents have slowly come to realize that maybe they aren't so unrelated. The slow arrivals of newcomers to town over the last few months have raised a few ey...
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"Hey, Jer- picked up some of your favorites after swim practice today," Emily said through a forced cheerful tone as she walked up behind Jeremy, who was now sitting on a park bench reading a book, with an armful of greasy fast food delivery bags. It had been a week since she had last spoken to Jeremy. A week since Bonnie had come back into town, kissed her and ruined her relationship with Jeremy, probably for good.
Jeremy looked up begrudgingly from his textbook. He hadn't figured out a time to talk to Emily about the kiss. He just couldn't shake the feeling of seeing the two of them, Bonnie and Emily, together like that every time that he looked at Emily. Sure, he knew what he was getting himself into when he decided to start dating her, but he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit selfish. Bonnie left Emily. She doesn't get to be the one to keep her for herself and then just leave when it is convenient for her, making Jeremy the one to take care of an upset Emily.
"What's this?" Jeremy muttered in a monotone voice, barely looking up from his 'fake reading.'
"Come on, Jeremy." Emily replied as she took her hand and moved the book downwards and away from Jeremy's face, "You expect me to believe that you care about school work all of a sudden now? Please, just talk to me. We can always talk to each other about anything you and I - I..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Jeremy stood up and started to walk away from Emily angrily, but then stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her, "What do you want to talk about, Em? You like Bonnie. Bonnie's back in town. So just be with her! I have nothing else to say to you!"
Dropping the bags of food on the ground, Emily's eyes widened as she ran after Jeremy, "Do you think this is easy for me? I didn't ask for Bonnie to kiss me! I didn't ask her to come back to Rosewood Falls! I came to the dance solely because you asked me out and I wanted to go with you, Jeremy! I still like you, a lot actually, and now everything's messed up and I don't know what to do. You knew all about this, Jere. You knew what you were getting yourself into!"
Jeremy rolled his eyes, "You're right, Em, I did know what I was getting myself into. I just don't know what you want anymore. Do you want to be with me or Bonnie? Because I don't want to get stuck in the middle of you two anymore. I'm not going to be your second choice, Em. I'm just not, okay?,"
Emily began to frustratingly choke back her tears, "I don't ... know... I don't know... what I want anymore!"
Biting his lip slightly, Jeremy couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt after looking at Emily's distressed face. He could tell that this whole situation was going to be hard on her but he had to do what felt right for him at this moment.
Walking towards a crying Emily, Jeremy looked directly into her eyes, "Well call or come talk to me when you do figure it out, okay Em?" he said with a serious expression on his face.
Emily nodded. She couldn't even think of anything to say back to Jeremy. No comforting or reassuring words. Suddenly, reaching out towards Jeremy, she pulled him close and hugged him tightly to her, she didn't need a boyfriend at that moment, she needed a friend.
For a split second, Jeremy let himself be that person for her at that moment, but then pulled away about a second later, "I'll see you around, Emily," he whispered and walked away.
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"Hurry up, Lockwood! Before someone sees us." Mona whispered in her usual bossy tone of voice as they approached the front door of her house. This was only the third "secret" date that they had this week and she was determined to keep it that way considering how quickly news traveled in a small town like Rosewood Falls. She didn't know what her friends or the people at school would think about her dating the class d-bag, rich boy Tyler Lockwood. However, after seeing him in action at the Halloween Dance, something had come over Mona. She couldn't help but marvel over Tyler's fearlessness and bravery and how, despite his snarky, hard exterior, he would do anything for his friends, just like Mona.
"Oh, forgot how much I like a woman in charge," Tyler mumbled back as he raised his eyebrows at Mona's commanding presence.
"Well you better get used to it. I'm not like one of your usual bimbos that are always drooling over you in class." Mona snapped back in a semi-flirtatious, threatening tone.
"Hm, jealous much, Vanderwaal?" Tyler sneered, as he touched the bottom of her back lightly as they made their way up Mona's front porch steps.
Mona turned around, "Now you know me better than that, Tyler." Mona replied with a mischievous grin on her face that almost matched Tyler's, she couldn't help but to feel a fluttering sensation in her stomach every time she looked at his cheeky expression.
"I think I'm beginning to figure you out even more," Tyler whispered as he motioned towards Mona's hands, as he looked into her deep brown eyes, he tried to fight the urge to kiss her right there and then, "I had a fun time with you tonight though."
Highly perceptive of her surroundings, Mona looked down at his hands and smiled, "Not to make this too much of a corny moment, but I did too," she replied as she lightly held on to both of Tyler's hands, "I have to say, these dates have been going surprisingly well."
Tyler smirked, "So were allowed to call these dates now? Wow, guess we're moving past 'first base' then."
Mona rolled her eyes, "Oh shut it, Lockwood, you know what I mean." She muttered back as she took one of her hands and playfully shoved him aback, "I mean, you've definitely exceeded my expectations."
"Hm, glad I've surpassed the Vanderwaal high level of approval then," Tyler whispered as he let out a small laugh and moved his face closer to Mona's, "Do I get some sort of prize now or something?"
Mona looked back up at Tyler, "I think you can probably guess," she whispered back to him. As both of their intense brown eyes matched one another, they froze. Although neither of them could read each other's minds, they both felt the same fluttering sensations in their stomachs as they stared into each other's eyes. Without thinking, Tyler leaned in and kissed Mona. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Mona could feel herself falling wholeheartedly for Tyler's advances. After years of endless masked flirtatious taunting, neither of them could believe that they were standing in this very position today. It may sound cheesy, but, it looked as if they had finally found each other's matches.
Pulling herself away, Mona and Tyler kept their foreheads together, Tyler's arms around Mona's small waist and Mona's arms latched around Tyler's neck, "See you back at the salt mines tomorrow then, Lockwood?" she said as she began to turn away.
Tyler held on to Mona's hand and smiled, "As long as I'm with you then I'm good." he replied.
Looking back towards Tyler, Mona smiled back, not a snarky smile, but an actual, genuine smile. Closing the door behind her, she bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling like a teenage schoolgirl. This was it, she couldn't believe it, she was falling for Tyler. Big time.
