An ex-couples rivalry for the spot as student body president becomes even more convoluted when two new, unexpected candidates enter the race. Chloe and Preston team up, each vowing to get one member kicked from the competition-- but when they both e...
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"So if you do end up needing a new hobby, maybe you should pick up psychology," Emily broke the silence that had settled between us as I pulled up to a red light. I grinned at the comment, looking over at her as she continued. "You know, therapy, counseling, that sort of thing."
"Ha-ha," I enunciated sarcastically, pressing on the gas and continuing the drive to the restaurant. I didn't want to go anywhere too fancy (especially since I'd be using my emergencies-only credit card due to the lack of money in my wallet), so I decided on a casual sit down restaurant that Coach Hoult had taken the wrestling team to a few times.
"I'm only half joking," Emily said, looking out at the dark evening. It wasn't even seven yet but the sun was long gone, a clear sign of the nearing winter. "As much as I try not to talk about myself, somehow you keep getting me to."
"Why don't you want to talk about yourself?" I questioned, adjusting to the new tone of the conversation. Things were lighter now, but they were still intense— part of me wondered if anything with Emily wouldn't be.
"Okay, well you're gonna have to be more discreet about it than that," she joked, the two of us laughing. Soon I was turning into the parking lot of the restaurant, which was empty enough for me to find a nearby spot.
The brown building was surrounded by a brick pathway leading to the other nearby shops, their matching green awnings lit up by the nearby streetlamps. It was a quainter side of town, although not as fancy as what I assumed Emily was used to.
We headed out of the car and into the building with a brief conversation about the food and how I'd been there before with the team. She hugged herself, making it obvious that the dress and its half sleeves weren't doing much to protect her from the crisp evening. My mind flashed with the want to slip my arm around her waist, to pull her close and let my hands warm the exposed skin. Instead I opened the door for her, following her inside and greeting the host before letting him escort us to our booth.
We sat across from each other in the plush leather seats, the material matching Emily's red lipstick. She gazed down at the menu, flipping through the pages, seeming oblivious to my lingering stare.
Our waitress came and introduced herself, taking our drink orders to the kitchen as we continued to pour over our menus. It wasn't long before she came back to take our orders, promising the food would be out soon.
I swirled the black straw that sat in my soda, watching it push through the ice and wondering what to say.
"I meant to ask the other day," Emily began, taking a sip of water in between the sentence, "how your wrestling meet went. You said it was the last one for now, right?"
"Yeah." I nodded, thinking back to the text I'd sent explaining why I couldn't meet after school. "It was good— kind of weird, I guess. None of us really want to admit that it might be over, especially not Coach. But who knows, maybe the budget will work out."
