The Secrets That Tore Us Apart

6

Put your index finger and your thumb in front of you, like an L.

Now put them closer together.

Closer.

Closer.

That was how close Emma was to actually meeting up with Jack to talk. She thought that he probably had his reasons for disappearing. Maybe he was scared of hurting her feelings, which he had ended up doing anyways. Or he just saw Jasmine in a whole new light and 'pang', he was sold. Emma thought to herself that she deserved to know.

That was until Stephanie approached her.

"Emma, hi!"

Stephanie was a cheerleader and she was on the swim team. She used to be friends with the school's mean girl Evelyn, but when Evelyn moved Stephanie had turned out to be quite a nice person. 

Now Stephanie was stood in front of Emma. Her golden locks were gathered in a high pony tail and her tight dress showed every girl why the boys were longing for her and not them. Her blue eyes met Emma's brown ones and she gave Emma a sad smile. Emma wondered why.

"I was so sad to hear that you and Jack broke up" she said. "You two were such a cute couple. And he is such a catch. Nice, hot, sweet. He's got the whole package. And the things he can do to you and make you feel..." she wandered off. Emma didn't really follow her.

"Sorry, what?" Emma asked.

"I met Jack at summer camp right after the two of you had broken up. We talked, laughed and then we went back to his cottage and...you know" 

Emma knew. 

She felt the tears threaten. She felt her disappointment in Jack rise. 

So there were two now.

Stephanie and Jasmine.

Had Jack left Emma without an explanation so that he could be with other girls? In plural.

"Words have it that Jack has slept with lots of girls during the summer. Some of them were on camp and you know that nerdy girl a year below us...what's her name again?" Stephanie thought to herself. "Oh, Emily! Her cousin Ashley said that Jack slept with her too"

Emma was at a loss of words. She just stared at Stephanie. 

What the heck was going on?

Emma went inside a bathroom stall and tried to get her breathing in control. But she failed. Hot tears made their way down her face and she had a hard time breathing. She sat down on the toilet and grabbed the full roll of toilet paper. The bell rang but Emma did not care. When the bell rang for the second time, Emma grabbed her things. Instead of going to her next class, she went to her locker and grabbed her bag.

Emma left the school building without looking back.

When Emma got home she made herself a big mug of her favorite tea and got her covers and blankets out of her bed and placed herself along with everything on the couch in front of her favorite movie.

Emma woke up, not having realized that she fell asleep. The movie was over and the TV had shut itself off. She looked at her phone and noticed that she had many missed calls and texts. A few from Hannah, many from Jack and two from her mum. She texted her mum, saying that she hadn't felt well, so she had left school. And since Emma was the type of person who never faked being sick, her mum responded saying that it was okay and that she would contact Emma's school. 

Emma also texted Hannah, telling her that she hadn't been feeling well so she had gone home. When Hannah asked if Emma wanted her to come over, Emma said no. 

Jack's texts wondered were she was and when she would come. 

Emma did not respond to him.