Embracing Emma (Companion to Brisé) (8 page)

The lights dim, and the spotlight shines on the stage. I know we are getting a reprieve. Homecoming court is being crowned and after we can sneak out. Students push their way to the front, hoping for a piece of the action. I’m just fine making room for them, pushing us farther into the recesses. The crowning causes pandemonium to erupt, and it’s like nobody heard the different announcements that littered the school all day. It’s not a surprise so the deafness that I’m treated to isn’t at all understandable. Emma is laughing at my facial expression.

“Did they miss the fliers all over school, the announcement broadcasted, and everyone repeating the winners today?”

“Every royal court needs its fans.”

“Overkill.”

“No shit.”

All the noise dies down, and the royalty take the dance floor. Ems and Holly tell us they are going to the bathroom, and Andy and I walk into the hallway to wait for them. I’m getting restless and want to escape the hubbub, whisk her off, and keep us cocooned until this year is over. It’s sad I’m looking forward to college and a few hours distance from her rather than enduring ruthless high school games.

The dance floor is crowded as we head back in, and I think this is the perfect moment to make our escape. “Can we leave?”

“We haven’t danced yet.” Her pouty lips will be my undoing.

I sigh and relent. This is a damn dance after all. She and Holly hit the dance floor, and I make sure to keep her in my line of sight. They jump around and shake their asses to whatever song is playing. The music slows, and she crooks her finger at me, beckoning me to her. I laugh and make my way to her; I always will. “Can I have this dance?” Her batting her eyelashes at me is definitely over the top, but the sultry tone of her voice overrides any cheesiness.

“I’d be honored.” I bow to her. Her giggles hit me in my chest, and I feel it expand to the point of bursting. I pull her to my body, not leaving an inch existing, every point of our bodies connected. I revel in the feel of her; her soft and gentle soul is a paradox to her feisty and fiery attitude. All uniquely her. “What song is this?”

She shakes her head; it drives her nuts that I’m not a music guru. “Big & Rich ‘Lost in this Moment.’” Her head rests against my heart, her eyes close, and serenity has never looked so inviting. The words to this song are the perfect vision of my future. Every scenario in life I picture her, my future isn’t my own.

It’s ours.

Together.

As the dance ends, I notice the football team heading towards us. I tense, and Ems rubs my back. “It’s inevitable.” I hear the sarcasm in her voice, and it’s like walking a tightrope without a net. One misstep and everything ends. Football or Emma . . . there isn’t a choice there, but I want both. “Did you hear, QB? The scouts from UGA and GSU are here. They are watching us tomorrow.”

“Really?” The nerves take root in my stomach. This is what I want.

“Most of us can get a spot with the team at GSU. It’d be great to keep playing as a team.” Seth’s tone holds a hint of warning.

“Yeah, but UGA would be a dream,” I remind him. Who wouldn’t want to play for an SEC team? GSU is nothing to snub your nose at, but I know Emma will end up at UGA.

“You’d probably get the minority scholarship, huh?” Brian’s comment makes everyone laugh.

“Excuse me?” Emma is worked up.

“You know…he isn’t American…and his dads.”

“You’re a dipshit. He’s as American as you and I. He was born in a different country, big deal. Having ‘
dads’
doesn’t make you a minority. Just lucky.” She turns back to me. “I’m ready.” I know if we don’t make an escape, it will get pretty ugly.

“See y’all later.” I high five them and follow her path to the door.

She spins on me by the truck. “See y’all later? That’s what you say as they just hurled insults at you? You’re unbelievable.”

“Anyone different is a threat to them, Ems. It’s just the way they are.”

“If you say that one more time as a way to excuse their behavior, I’m going to knock you on your ass.” I try to hide my smirk because that visual is hilarious. “Knock it off, this isn’t funny. What makes someone different? The girls they fuck sure don’t have the same hair color as them. Their eyes are different. Oh, and they have vaginas. That’s a big difference.”

“You know what they’re referencing.”

“Do you know how stupid that sounds? What constitutes a difference? We all bleed the same color, get dressed the same way. We are all human. Hair color, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation…those aren’t the same as different.”

“You’re preaching to the choir.”

“Am I? Why doesn’t this bother you?”

“It does. We just deal with it differently. Nothing I say will make a difference.”

“Not to them but for someone it may. To me it will.”

“You go into confrontation head-first, battle-ready. I avoid it. That makes us different.”

“You’re a dipshit, too. Our
personalities
are different. WE.ARE.NOT.” Her breath is releasing in staccato pants, and I know this conversation needs to end.

“This gets us nowhere. Let’s go.” I open the door for her.

“That’s your solution to everything. Don’t deal with it. Pretty soon all the shit you sweep under the rug is going to trip you, and when you fall flat on your face, who do you think is going to pick you up? Them? Doubtful. I sure hope you don’t push everyone that cares about you away before then.”

Terror. Sheer fear freezes me. Would she leave me over this? It doesn’t concern her or me for that matter. They’re words. Plain and simple. And they only have as much power as you give them. “You give them too much power.”

“You don’t give yourself enough.” She reaches for the door, and I have to jump out of the way so my head doesn’t get slammed in it. I’m back walking that tightrope, and it’s quite shaky. Each step shakes us more and more.

Chapter Nine

Emma

Watching him play today made me fall in love with his sport. Brett and James beam with pride, smiles spread wide as his teammates hoist their QB up and the crowd erupts in cheers. State Champions. They had an undefeated season, and more scouts were here today watching.

“His skills single-handedly won this game,” James tells anyone listening to him.

“That’s my man.” I’m just as boastful.

I watch the men descend on him, the different college shirts announcing who is approaching him—Purdue, UGA, GSU, Vanderbilt, Stanford. I bite my cheek to quell the nausea, thinking of how far three of those schools are. I know he will have different offers come in the week following, but selfishly I want him at UGA for distance, but that’s so unfair. His passion needs to be exploited, and he should pick whichever school will nurture that, where he will benefit the most.

“Why do you look like you’re going to lose your cookies all over these nice people?” My nana brushes my windblown hair out of my face.

“Am I that obvious?”

“Just to me. I know you.” She taps her finger against my nose. “Let’s go down and find a spot off to the side so you can see that young man and tell this old woman what’s bothering you.”

I feel silly, this is a big deal for him, and I’m having a mini pity-party. Nana tells everyone that we are going down to avoid the crowds when the stands empty. Our feet have barely hit the sidewalk, and she’s demanding answers. “Talk, baby girl.”

“All those schools will want him. I know it. Some of them are just so far.”

“But some of them aren’t.”

“I want him to go, Nana. I want him to succeed, but I don’t want to be without him.”

“Emma, you have two more years in school. You weren’t going to be with him every day anyway.”

“I would have had weekends.”

“Not during the season if he plays. And you still might, there hasn’t been a decision made.”

“I just need to fake it until I make it. Smile and let him choose.”

“No, you need to be honest. That’s all he wants.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve tanned both of your hides at one point or another. I’m pretty sure that makes me an expert on what you both need. Besides, I had this dilemma with your parents. Your daddy wanted your mom’s dreams to come true, willing to sacrifice his own.”

“I don’t want that.”

“Let me finish. I was going to say it wasn’t a sacrifice. When you love someone, his or her happiness is your reason. If you change your dreams or alter schools; it’s not a sacrifice. It’s a path towards a future together. You don’t get the time you want together, it’s fine because it’s setting you up to being able to spend all your time together when those years are over. What I’m saying is that if he is five hours away or fifteen it won’t matter because his end goal is you. Marriage. Kids. House. All of it but only with you.”

“Nana, I’m sixteen, and he’s just turned nineteen. I think we’re a bit young for all this.”

“Honey, I had this pegged fifteen years ago. Mark my words, you’ll be together. You two aren’t a ‘in the moment’ couple; y’all are for a lifetime. You fell in love with your best friend, many different times and in different ways. Life is like an atlas, but with you two, all roads lead back to each other.”

“Did you get into Mom’s wine before the game?”

“Young lady when you are my age you will realize it’s undignified to day drink.”

I stare at her knowing there is something to be learned from this life lesson, but I know her well enough she will leave it to me to figure out. “Okay, Nana.”

“Did you hear anything I said?”

“Yes.”

“Then unscrew that face. Your man is coming over here, and as much as it pains me with you young people, I know the game of cat and mouse is going to begin. You’ll pretend nothing is wrong, in turn you’ll put doubts in his mind by not being upset with the prospect of him going so far away. That will cause a rift, and then I’ll have to step in and fix it. Y’all exhaust me.” She huffs and spins on her feet, meeting Will she embraces him, graces him with her smile and a few words. He chuckles at whatever advice she embarks. His eyes meet mine, and if there were anything blocking his path to me, it would be knocked over with his determination.

His strides eat up the space. His hands grasp my waist, lifting me over his head. I look down at the shine in his eyes, the sweat covering his face, soaking his hair. The white of his teeth stands out against his tanned complexion. The muscles bunch in his arms as he suspends me in the air over him. It’s all mesmerizing. I close my eyes, committing it to memory. “Ems, open your eyes.”

“Give me a minute.”

“What are you doing?”

“Memorizing this memory. This is the way you should always look.”

“How’s that?”

“Happy. Carefree. In love with life.”

“As long as you’re in my arms, that’s how I’ll look.”

“I love you.” His eyes bulge. He places my feet on the ground and immediately sweeps me up, spinning me in circles. His head is thrown back, and the smile still hasn’t disappeared.

All of a sudden he stops and his mouth dips to my ear. “I love you, Emma. I wish I could tell you how much.” I clutch his face hard, bring his lips to my mouth, and show the entire fucking school staring at us that he is mine. I call dibs on him, and I will embrace every touchdown pass, field goal, interception, fumble . . . that’s all I know. I will handle everything life throws at us for this feeling. I don’t care that I’m a teenager, I don’t care I said the three words first. Rules be damned because in love there are no rules. No expectations. No right or wrong when you find it.

There is a roadmap to follow, and I intend to take every highway, backstreet, bridge, and tunnel to reach our destination. “I see you decided to take my advice.” Nana and her damn blue hair.

“I said what was important,” I tell her but never take my eyes off Will.

“You get your brains from my side of the family.” My shoulders shake, finally I can’t hold it in, and in the comfort and strength of his arms, I let go and laugh.

“Thanks for the DNA, Nana.”

“That’s not all I gave you. Beauty, brains, attitude. But your driving skills, those are from your mom’s side of the family.”

“Not a word about my driving skills.”

“I know dear, that garage corner must have shifted in the middle of the night and damaged your bumper. And the mailbox. When did they put those in the middle of the road?”

Will can’t help his laughter; my driving is a huge point of contention with us. He won’t get in the car with me behind the wheel. “Nana, I do know where she got her smart mouth.”

“Young man, that’s a gift not to be taken lightly. Don’t make fun.”

“Never. I use to think it was uniquely her, but I’m guessing I was wrong.”

I squirm in his arms until my feet are planted firmly on the ground. Mocking an aggravated stance, hands fisted on my hips, toe pointed out, I say, “I’m right here. Quit talking about me like I can’t hear you.”

We all laugh because this is the normal. Nana, Will, me, causing havoc with our parents a short distance behind us, shaking their heads clueless as to what is being said but knowing we are up to no good. I look past Will and see my dad is holding my mom close, or she is holding him back . . . I didn’t take him into consideration with my PDA a few minutes ago. Brett and James holding hands, looking at their son like he hung the moon.