The Book of Emma Brown

Chapter 8

What's that beeping? Am I in the hospital? Wait, no that's just my alarm. Emma peaked open an eye at the source of the blaring noise. Her phone across the room was buzzing on her window sill and was about to tumble to the wood floor. She threw off the covers and slowly descended down the white painted ladder. The first marks of the sun dripped through her window and created light shadows on her floor. Emma numbly made her way to her phone and tapped the screen. The annoying sound ceased and Emma sighed. She adjusted her overly long and baggy T-Shirt that she had slept in. She needed to change. And shower. Not in that order. Emma's mind attempted to configure today's events as she opened the closet door.

The long body spread across the floor made her gasp dramatically and stumble backward. She tripped over her own feet and landed hard on the floor with a THUD.

"Emma!" Alex stood up quickly but groggily from the uncomfortable position in the closet and ran over to her. His hair was unusually floppy.

"Emma? Are you okay?!" Her mother echoed from downstairs.

"Yes, mom! I just tripped!" Emma's raspy voice strained to shout to her mother. There was a pause as the two of them waited for her mother's reply, but none came. "Sorry, I forgot you were in there," Emma whispered apologetically and then sighed a laugh. Her bum was hurting immensely and felt quite concerning as Alex helped lift her up.

She rubbed her head and there was an awkward silence. Alex went back to the closet and got his glasses from the corner. He lifted up the hem of his shirt and wiped the dust off of the glass. Emma glanced away at the peak of his Calvin Klein's just above his pant line.

"I'm gonna grab a shower." She said and moved around him to her closet. She picked out a plain outfit for herself since she oddly didn't feel like wearing a dress and then picked out some clothes for Alex.

"Here, this is the biggest one I've got." She threw him an oversized graphic tee. He fumbled to catch it, and then looked at the print.

"'I survived Rip Ride Rocket'?" He looked at her quizzically and she laughed.

"I hate roller coasters so Dad bought me a shirt after I went on it." She bundled up all her clothes in her arms and began to walk to the door. "Hey, so what's the plan for today?" she toned her voice down so her parents wouldn't think she was talking to herself.

"Well," Alex thought. "You'll go to school as normal. The date is on Friday, which means we have a couple days to prepare. And we need to prepare. Maybe I can go shopping today and get some new clothes and other supplies for us?"

"Ok, what else?"

"When you come home, we can pick out an outfit for Friday, practice some things and wah-la! Bob's your uncle."

"Uh, wait. Practice what?"

"Like what David might say and how you should act on a date. From what I remember you've never actually been on a proper date." Alex grinned slyly and Emma's face grew red as roses.

She looked down and mumbled. "Guess not."

"Hey," Alex walked closer to her. "It's ok. I'm going to make your first date perfect."

Emma looked up at him. She smiled awkwardly and then reached for the door. "Thanks." She said quietly and continued down the hall to the bathroom.

After a quick shower and changing, she prettied herself up for school. Her exposed shoulders felt free in the dull pastel pink shirt she was wearing, and her jeans cut tight around her thighs. She added a cute necklace of a bird to tie the outfit off. Then pulled her hair back into messy space buns.

She returned to the room only to find that her phone screamed she was late. Emma cursed and gathered her things together while thinking out loud to Alex.

"Ok, I'll be back at 2:20. Don't let my mom hear you AT ALL. She'll kill both of us. Oh! You need money for the mall.  Here's a 50." Emma had reached into a small box stored on the bottom shelf of her desk and pulled out the cash. She now extended her hand to Alex who took the money slowly.

"That's way too much."

"It's for both of us you dingus. Just give me back any extra." She had finished gathering her things and had headed to the door one last time that morning. "Oh! You know how to get to the mall right?"

"Yep! It's in the Lone Angel square. On Hamilton street." Alex stood a little higher as he recalled the address.

"Yeah, how do you-"

"Remember, I read it in this book..."

"Oh, right."

There was a brief moment of silence before her mother shouted from downstairs, "EMMA! You're going to be late!"

"Coming Mom!" Emma gave a quick wave goodbye to Alex and flung open the door.

I'm really leaving a boy unattended, who claims he's in a book, in my room. This isn't going to end well!  Emma thought before walking out her front door to school.