Prose Scene 28

Emma was pissed. She brought Alex home from school, and they’d been there less than ten minutes and he was already up in his room, recording something for Zoe. He promised her he would do them later in the evenings, and he broke that promise. He’s never broken a promise to her before, and yet, when she confronted him about it, he acted like nothing was wrong and then unceremoniously kicked her out of his room. What is wrong with him?

She was about halfway down the stairs when she heard the crash and then the scream. All anger suddenly forgotten, she ran back to his room as quickly as she could. Alex was bent double, cradling his broken left wrist, his eyes watering in pain. He yelled at her to turn off the recording when she tried to help him up, and then it was another fifteen minutes before they could even find Rachel to go with them to the Emergency Room. Alex kept insisting that he’d be fine, but Emma knows he hides things when they might inconvenience someone so she insisted anyway.

Sitting in the waiting room by herself while Rachel and Alex go for the x-rays is the worst. All she can do is sit and stew. She wonders for the millionth time how she missed the fact that he was still writing to Zoe for so long. If she had just noticed sooner… and now, even though they’re spending more time together than they have since before high school, she feels like she’s losing him. Not as a boyfriend, since she never had that – she never even thought she wanted it – but as a friend. He had always been there for her, even when she hadn’t returned the favor.

Her eyes begin to prickle as she thinks over the last few years. She’s done some pretty horrible things. She doesn’t even know why he’s stuck with her for so long. Ashamed as she was that it took her ex knocking Alex down and breaking his wrists for her to figure it out, she thought it meant she’d get a second chance. Except the more time she spends with him, the more she feels like he’s not even giving her that.

The sadness quickly turns back to frustration and anger, mostly with herself. Alex is so good to her. How could she throw it away so easily, without even noticing? If only there was a way to…

She pauses, sitting up very straight. If she could get rid of Zoe, just for a little bit, then he would get a chance to notice that she’s changed. He’s so busy now with school, and his continuing obligation to write to Zoe, that he just hasn’t had time! And he probably would like having the time – by the time she realized how terribly she’d been treating him, he’d already been writing to Zoe for a few months, and probably, being the absolutely sweet boy that he is, he felt too bad to break it off. So, all Emma has to do is make Zoe stop writing for a few weeks. He doesn’t even have to know why, he’s not the type to worry, at least about strangers. And really, she’ll be doing him a favor right?

Relieved, she begins to plot exactly how to put her plan into action. But first? She’s gonna need to get her hands on those letters.

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