25 Chapter 25 (1/2)

As Wyatt runs into the forest, with a heavy heart, he tried to think of all the things he could say to Emma. However, when he finally reaches her, every word seems to slip his mind. As he approaches the clearing, he sees Emma crouched in front of two hand carved gravestones. There was her old house, or what's left of it, in the middle of the clearing, the pond now almost clear of flower petals for the flowers on the trees have finally all fallen for the winter, and Emma, sitting alone and silent. As Wyatt begins to take a step towards Emma to talk, Emma was the first one to speak up. ”You must think I'm just a liar, don't you?” She asks.

”Emma, I-” Wyatt says.

”Well, it's true” Emma says. ”I'm a liar... I'm a laibah, and I'm an idiot”.

”Emma, you're not-” Wyatt says.

”Then what am I!?” Emma yells. Wyatt freezes for a moment. After a long pause, Emma says ”I didn't want to tell you, because I knew... that it'd end up like-”.

”Like what?” Wyatt asks. ”Like this? Or was it just that you're afraid I'm just like the other humans in class?”. Emma lowers her head in defeat, then slowly nods her head. ”Look” Wyatt says as he slowly walks towards Emma, ”I get it. I don't blame you, really. I should've let you know... let you know that... I already knew you were a laibah”. Emma looks behind herself, at Wyatt, tears still in her eyes. ”I wanted... to wait for you to be comfortable enough to talk to me about it” Wyatt says. ”I realize now I should've spoken up sooner”.

”How long...?” Emma asks.

”I... didn't know for very long” Wyatt says. ”But regardless, do you really think I'd just leave you like that? Do you think I'd just... throw you out like that and leave you alone again?”. Emma's bottom lip begins to twitch and tears started rolling down her face faster. Wyatt sits next to Emma and pulls out the photo he got from Matilda. ”Look” he says, ”some of us humans... we don't care about what the others think about laibah. Me, Matilda, all of our friends at school... we care about you because you're still you. You see that girl in the picture?”. Emma sniffles as she nods her head. ”That girl is important to someone” Wyatt says. ”That someone even gave her a ring and a promise to never leave her side”. Emma looks down at her own hand with the ring still on it, as Wyatt says ”and that someone isn't going back on their word now”.

”B-b-but what about-” Emma begins to say.

”What about it?” Wyatt asks. ”Worse things have happened. I want to go back to days like we had when we took this picture together. Do you think you'd be alright doing that?”.

Emma sniffles again and says ”Why must I be so cursed that I can't even have the simple things in life? All I've ever wanted was to live a normal life, with a family and someone by my side... b-but I can't seem to even have that... D-do you think you could still say 'it' to me, even though I'm a laibah?”.

”It?” Wyatt asks.

”Those same three words?” Emma asks.

”I want tacos?” Wyatt jokes.

”Now's not the time for being silly...” Emma says.

”Come back home?” Wyatt teases.

”I mean it” Emma says, her voice slowly changing from sad to angry.

”One more chance?” Wyatt teases.

”Argh- I mean it!” Emma says. ”Can you, or can you not say it to me any-”.

”See?” Wyatt says with a soft laugh, ”there's a voice that's more comfortable to hear! You know I don't like hearing you sound sad”.

”Wyatt!” Emma starts to pout.

”Emma...” Wyatt says.

”What...?” Emma says, looking away from Wyatt and crossing her arms.

”I love you” Wyatt says. ”If I didn't, I wouldn't come after you. You know that”. After a short pause, Wyatt asks ”Think you can tell me your full story?”. Wyatt looks around the clearing and says ”I think I can piece together why you don't have a home... but I want to know what all happened”.

”Why would you want to know about that...?” Emma says, burying her face into her knees.

”Because I'm an idiot and I care” Wyatt says. ”Why else? I want you to know that no matter what, I'm not abandoning you”.

Emma thinks for a couple minutes, then finally, tells Wyatt the story of how her house burned down. She explained how she found her father dead, and how her mother died in front of her. Emma spent hours trying to tell her story, trying to hold back tears but failing to prevent herself from stopping and crying every so often. After Emma finally finished her story, Wyatt was at a loss for words. When Wyatt finally noticed the world around him, he noticed the sun had already went down and it was night time. ”Do you wanna go back home?” Wyatt asks.

”I always want to go back” Emma says. ”But I don't have a home anymore”.

”No, I-” Wyatt says then pauses. ”I mean, you have a home, and I want you to come back... will you come back home with me?”.

Emma looks up at Wyatt and asks ”You don't hate me?”.

”Of course I don't” Wyatt says. ”Didn't I already tell you that? Come on, let's go back”.

After Wyatt and Emma sneak back into the dorm, they both sat on Wyatt's bed. There was a long period of silence before Emma suddenly grabbed onto Wyatt. ”A-are you alright?” Wyatt asks.

”I... I think I will be” Emma says. ”Hey, Wyatt?” Emma asks.

”Yeah?” Wyatt says.

”Is this why you had Matilda take that awful photo of us?” Emma asks.

”Oh...” Wyatt says, ”no. I was actually planning on putting the picture in a frame and giving it to you for your birthday. I thought it'd be a good present because it's a reminder of the good times... I-I mean you did say, after some point, that you already had the things in life that you wanted, so I thought-”.

”Thank you” Emma says.

Suddenly the door to the dorm opens up. ”Why are you hiding a girl in our room?” Jackson asks as he stands in the doorway.

”Jackson?” Wyatt asks.

Jackson looks down at Emma and says ”So you came back after all...”. Jackson walks over towards the two of them and sits down on the floor. ”Look... I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done... well, any of the things I did this week. So, Emma, I'm sorry I sold you out... and Wyatt, I'm sorry I was being kind of a dick to you”.

”Y-Yeah” Wyatt says, ”apology accepted... but... what do you mean by 'our' room?”.

Jackson sighs and says ”The whole school basically knows by now that I've admitted to being a laibah. The principal said he refuses to just kick me out of the school for something so stupid, but my previous roommate complained about sharing a room with a laibah... so he moved me here. I honestly didn't expect to be stuck with you, so I'm about as surprised as you are”.

”D-does this mean Jackson is staying with us?” Emma asks, suddenly seeming shy and nervous again.

”Staying?” Jackson asks. ”... wait, have you been living together this whole time?”. Suddenly Jackson begins to laugh and says ”I guess that makes sense. After all, Emma is homeless isn't she?”.

”I don't... remember telling you that” Emma says.

”Aeris pretty much summed it all up” Jackson says.

”Speaking of Aeris” Wyatt says, ”what were you guys talking about before? I know it seemed to really make you mad, and I'm sorry if I was intruding, but...”.

”We broke up” Jackson says.

”Wait, really?” Wyatt asks.

”Yep” Jackson says. ”So what about you two?”.

Wyatt looks down at Emma and says ”You still haven't given me a solid answer yet. Do you still want to-”.

”Of course I do, you idiot” Emma interrupts.

”Well, all's well that ends well, I guess” Jackson says. ”At least one of us had our shit together”.

”Oh shit!” Wyatt says as he suddenly comes to a realization.

”What is it now?” Jackson says. ”Can't you ever just let a moment die down?”.

”I didn't show up to work!” Wyatt says. ”Oh crap... I'm so fired”.

”Oh... yeah that's a bad” Jackson says. ”Guess I spoke too soon”.

”T-they'll understand, won't they?” Emma asks.

”I doubt it” Wyatt says, ”but here's to hoping”.

”Yeah... anyways” Jackson says as he transforms into his half form. His brown fox ears stuck out suddenly and his brow tail stuck out from the top of his pants, only covered partially by his shirt. ”I'm calling it a night” Jackson says, stretching out on the floor. ”It has been a terrible day”.

”Aren't you gonna use the bed?” Wyatt asks. ”The floor isn't exactly comfortable”.

”Isn't Emma using that bed?” Jackson asks. ”Or are you guys sharing a bed now?”. Emma and Wyatt remained silent, then Jackson says ”Figured... Aeris has probably been giving you guys weird ideas”. Jackson then jumps up to the top bunk bed and says ”First come, first served”.

”By the way, Emma” Wyatt asks, ”is it uncomfortable for you to stay in your human form like that?”.

”I'm used to it” Emma says.