Five Times

Part 9-Emma

      Emma hated Chemistry. It wasn't the fact that she was bad at it or anything, she did okay in it. But Chemistry just happened to be the one class were she was the most noticed, apparently. She drummed her foot against the stool as Kevin and Shelby passed out lab papers. As expected, he passed right by her table. Emma sighed and raised her hand. "You forgot me, Jones."
He looked at her and snickered.
"Oh sorry, Emma. I just didn't want to get too close to you and catch your homo disease."
A**hole. She muttered as she caught the paper in her hand.
The class laughed along with Kevin, and even Mrs. Ryder was smiling. Sometimes, Emma really hated this town.
        "Now, if you all will read your manuals, you'll see that I have assigned a class-long experiment. Using your knowledge of heat, protons, different substances, atoms, and physical and chemical changes, you all will have to successfully melt a piece of peanut brittle into peanut butter. You will have to log your before and after observations, how long it took you to succeed, as well as a brain dump. This will be with partners—"
The class cheered.
"That I will choose."
They groaned.
Mrs. Ryder only smiled and began to read off names.
"Kaylee and Kevin. Mackenzie and Nick. Abby and Olivia. Heidi and Fiona..."
Emma zoned out. She'd never cared about partners, and she certainly didn't now that no one wanted to be hers.
"...Alyssa and Emma."
She snapped out of her stupor. What the hell? Her, Emma Nolan, be partnered with perfect popular cheerleader Alyssa Greene? Emma looked down as she realized people were staring back and forth between her and Alyssa. She saw Kaylee grab Alyssa's hand.
"Um, Mrs. Ryder? Alyssa can work with Kevin and I. Emma doesn't need a partner."
"Yeah, it's fine, I'll be fine." Emma muttered.
"No."
         Everyone, including Emma, looked at Alyssa.
"What?" Kaylee hissed. Alyssa snatched her hand away from Kaylee.
"No. I can work with Emma, I don't mind."
"Are you sure?" Mrs. Ryder asked, squinting at her list in confusion. "I can have a group of three."
Alyssa looked up defiantly. "I want to."
D*mn. Emma has known Alyssa was better than the rest of the people in Edgewater, but she didn't know Alyssa was this perfect.
She strode over to Emma's table and slammed down her books. Emma swore she heard the girl whisper Ignore them. Everyone continued to stare at them.
"Well?" Mrs. Ryder snapped. "Get to work! You have forty five minutes."
       Alyssa Greene was even more beautiful up close than from a distance. Her skin glowed and was the color of a rosewood guitar. Her dark hair was voluminous and shiny, like a shampoo commercial. She was wearing a simple white blouse and jeans, but the outfit seemed made just for her. Suddenly Emma blinked. She realized that Alyssa was looking at her earnestly.
"What?"
"I asked if you could double check that we have everything."
"Oh, right. Sorry."
For some reason, Emma felt giddy and nervous around Alyssa Greene. Even if she was looking at her from across the room. Emma felt this way ever since the night of the eighth grade formal.
       She grabbed a pair of safety goggles and adjusted them against her glasses. "Let's see. Paper and pencil, check. Proper lab safety, uh," Emma paused to put on a lab coat. "check.
"Bunsen burner, check. Peanut brittle, check."
Alyssa nooded. "Okay."
"You know, you really didn't have to work with me." Emma said.
Alyssa looked at her. "I wanted too Emma, okay? Not everybody here hates you."
She turned back to the burner and held the brittle in one hand and fidled with the burner with her other hand. She held the brittle in the flame. "Is this good?"
Emma squinted.
"No, that's way too high. If you have it that hot, the brittle will—"
BANG!
"—explode."
            Peanut brittle was everywhere. Some was splattered on the table, other pieces on the walls, and Emma and Alyssa were covered in the half melted goop. Alyssa grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."
Emma groaned. "Alyssa!" Then suddenly she burst into laughter. Alyssa joined in too, and soon both girls were doubled over, tears pooling out of their eyes. "G-g-god—I'm so sorry." Alyssa guffawed, struggling to stand up.
"It's—f-fine." Emma wheezed. "I should—have b-b-been—paying at-tension." She stood up and took a deep breath. "Your shirt's ruined." Emma noted.
Alyssa glanced down and shrugged. "It's fine. I mean, my mom will be pissed, but I really don't care." Suddenly she froze. "What are you doing?"
Now Emma froze. "Um, I was—there was, th-th-there is some in your h-hair, and I was was trying to remove it." She stuttered.
"Oh." Alyssa paused, then reached towards Emma's own hair. "There's some in yours too." The moment was broken by the sound of footsteps and a disgruntled throat clearance.
              "Emma—" Mrs. Ryder started, but Alyssa cut her off. "It was my fault, ma'am. I should have been more careful."
Emma felt the sudden need to protect Alyssa from the blame. "It was my fault, Mrs. Ryder, I should have paid closer attention." The two bantered back forth, each trying to take the blame, but Mrs. Ryder stopped them.
"Well, whoever's fault this is, you are both still getting zeroes. Clean this up, now." She walked off with pursed lips, muttering under her breath. Alyssa just looked at Emma and laughed once again.
             Emma had never enjoyed a day at school so much, but as she watched Alyssa Greene walk off after class, that changed. The nasty comments, the notes left in her locker, the worsening fights at home, none of that mattered. There was a silver lining in life, Emma thought. Grandma was right. All of it was bearable, because Emma Nolan was in love with Alyssa Greene.