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54 - Emmy

Dedicated to B00kL05er!  Sorry for the wait guys.  I've been working like crazy lately so I haven't had the time to write.  Enjoy :)

Tanya agrees to meet me in a café just around the corner from Alex's uni flat. I'm only sitting alone for a few minutes when I spot her crossing the road opposite from my seat at a table for two near the window.  It's the first time I've seen her in casual wear instead of a skirt suit.  She's dressed in pale blue jeans and a green woolly jumper and she offers me a friendly smile as she walks through the door, spotting me immediately.

I reply with an awkward wave that gets intercepted by an old man who, rather confusedly, waves back.

"Hi, Emmy," Tanya says when she reaches me.  She sets her bag on the floor and sits down in her chair, letting out a happy sigh.  "You look nice."  It's the sound my mum makes when she realises me and Tabs have gone another day without blowing up the house while she's at work.

I'm guessing that nice means not all red eyed and tear soaked but I look down at my plain white t-shirt and grey jeans with a smile anyway.  I'm actually wearing Alex's clothes, my rushed packing consisting of a few pairs of underwear, a bra and a t-shirt.

"Thanks.  So do you."

She grins. "I thought I'd dress down for this meeting."

The fact that she's called this a meeting seems to start up nerves that send my legs jittering up and down on the spot.  Tanya seems to notice.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Hot chocolate please," I reply.

She nods. "Won't be a sec."

I watch as she heads to the counter before I look around at the café.   Most of the tables are full.  The place is quaint and cosy, a lot of wood and ornate decorations.  It's warm, the steam from the coffee machines fogging the inside of the windows.  There are framed quotes above most of the outer tables that are up against red wallpapered walls.  The one nearest to me says, 'Follow your heart' and the one next to that, 'Follow your dreams'.  I stare into space as I consider whether I'm following any of that advice until the sound of china clanking against the wood of the table breaks me out of my thoughts.

"I got you marshmallows, too," Tanya says as she gets comfy in her seat.

I smile a thanks.  "Thank you for coming to see me."

She waves a hand like the pleasure is all hers. "I wanted to see if you were okay."  Her smile falters a little and she tuts, shaking her head.  "Sam hates himself for what he said to you."

I nod meekly.  "I've heard."

"It's true.  He really didn't mean to say those things, I know he didn't.  He's not been himself these last days.  He really misses you."

My heart flutters.  "I miss him too."  Feeling my cheeks heat at my confession, I'm quick to carry on.  "I miss being with the band."

Tanya takes a sip of her drink, surveying me with her big brown eyes.  "I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if you didn't come back.  You've worked so hard over the past couple of weeks.  It would be a shame to let it all go to waste over a misunderstanding."

"I'm not quitting," I say resolutely, to which I get a grin.  "I just think I need some time to be me again.  I've been trying really hard with everything.  Learning to sing right, trying to get Sam to like me,  and then being overwhelmed when I realised he does like me."

"He really does," Tanya replies.  "You do him good.  Sometimes he's too uptight for a twenty-one year old.  I know he misses his parents and I think he thinks it's his responsibility to make sure that Ollie stays on the right track.  Not that he's got anything to worry about.  Ollie's a good kid."