28 Chapter 28 (1/2)
The next morning, Wyatt and Emma go back up to Savvy Threads again to see if Matilda's boss was there. When they get there, Matilda says ”Oh, Dylan! It's the one I was telling you about!”.
”He's here so early?” Dylan asks as he comes out from the back of the store.
”Is it... too early to be here?” Wyatt asks.
”No no no no no, it's fine!” Dylan says. ”Come, we'll speak in private about a job position”.
As Wyatt and Dylan move to the back of the store, Emma and Matilda were left alone at the front. ”So, Emma” Matilda says, ”anything new happening lately?”.
”Well, I've met a couple rather... interesting people the other day” Emma says. ”One of them was one of Wyatt's childhood friends. I didn't realize he went to our school until recently. He's a laibah, but he's also really... loud. Or maybe... careless?”.
”Who else did you meet?” Matilda asks.
”Wyatt's brother” Emma says.
”First his old friend and now his brother?” Matilda asks. ”Did you guys go meet his family or something?”.
”N-no! Nothing like that” Emma says. ”One goes to our school and the other came to visit”.
”Are they nice people?” Matilda asks.
”Nice is one word...” Emma says. ”'More like overly-friendly and eccentric. I don't think I'd be able to stick around his brother for long periods of time though. Too loud and energetic... he makes me anxious”.
Matilda laughs and says ”I guess that's why most people are hesitant to let their lovers meet their family! Most of the time, people tend to not get along with each other's family”.
”Oh... it's not like that” Emma says. ”They're nice but they make me nervous”.
”Why is that?” Matilda asks.
Emma thinks about some of the things Kemal was talking about, like Emma being his future sister in law. ”N-no reason in particular” Emma says.
”Child, you're a bad liar” Matilda says. ”Come on, out with it”.
”No, I'd rather not” Emma says.
Suddenly, the door opens and Emily walks inside. ”What are we talking about?” Emily asks as she rubs her eyes.
”Finally wake up?” Matilda asks.
”Yeah, something like that” Emily says, then yawns. ”What's up, Emma?”.
”Nothing much...” Emma says.
”Emma met Wyatt's brother” Matilda says.
”Oh, really?” Emily asks. ”Cool...”.
”She's also not telling me about it” Matilda says. ”You know how I am when people try to hide something from me like that”.
”Can we drop it?” Emma asks.
”Why?” Emily asks. ”Is he an asshole?”.
”No, he's a nice guy” Emma says. ”But he's just too loud”.
”Ah, well there's the problem” Emily says.
”You girls are picky about the silliest things” Matilda says.
”I already told you” Emma says. ”I don't hate his brother, I just don't think I could be in the same room as him for long periods of time!”.
”Are you breaking up or something?”
Emily asks.
”What!?” Emma asks. ”No! Absolutely not!”.
”See?” Emily asks. ”Problem solved”.
”Emily, dear” Matilda says, ”I'm not asking in order to solve a problem. I'm asking because I'm curious”.
”Then stop being curious” Emily says. ”Another problem solved”.
”Pfft- ha ha ha!” Emma starts laughing.
”You girls have no class” Matilda says with a soft laugh.
”You don't need class when you plan on living a quiet life” Emily says.
”A quiet life is one thing” Matilda says, ”but sleeping all of the time when you don't have anything to do and don't want to help out at the store is another”.
”Hey, any time is bed time when you're depressed” Emily says with a shrug.
”Girl, you need a new perspective in life...” Matilda says with a worried face.
After about half an hour, Wyatt comes out from the back of the store. ”So?” Emma asks.
”Dylan says I can start working here next week!” Wyatt says. ”I can work here as Matilda's assistant”.
”Too bad you can't work here full time” Matilda says. ”We need another person to help run the store. It's just me and Dylan here for now. Oh, and Emily here”.
”Hooray...” Emily says with a sarcastic tone.
”And now I can keep my eye on you” Matilda says to Wyatt.
”Okay... but why?” Wyatt asks.
”Just in case I need to” Matilda says.
”You worry too much” Wyatt says.
”That's what old people do” Matilda says.
A few days later, on Wednesday of December 11th 2019, Emily comes up to Wyatt's dorm and knocks on the door. When Wyatt answers the door, Emily says ”I'm bored and Matilda doesn't want me sleeping in too late”.
”I'm here too!” Jessica says as she pokes her head into the dorm room.
”Great, the circus is in town” Jackson says.
”Still being a miserable twat?” Emily asks. ”How long is it going to take you to realize that's why Aeris left you in the first place?”.
”Bite me” Jackson says.
”Bite me?” Emily asks. ”What are we, seven years old?”.
”Why are you two even here to begin with?” Jackson asks.
”Well, we've got a lot of free time until the next semester starts” Emily says, ”so Jessica and I were wondering if any of you guys wanna hang out to pass the time”.
”Sure” Emma says.
”I've got time to kill” Wyatt says.
”What are girls doing in the boys dorm?” Darren asks as he approaches the group.
”We got permission to talk to people, but not go in any of the dorms” Emily says.
”Well, count me out of your plans” Jackson says.
”Gladly” Emily says with a stern look.
”Oh come on, Jack!” Darren says. ”Aren't you supposed to be the third wheel of this relationship?”.
”Third wheel?” Jackson asks. ”The hell are you on about?”.
”Come on, Jackson” Jessica says. ”It'll be better than laying in bed all day”.
”I would like to disagree” Jackson says.
”We can go get Aeris to join us too!” Jessica says. ”We'll have Aeris with us!”.
Jackson freezes for a moment, then says ”That sounds like incentive to not join you guys”.
”You two really need to talk it out” Emily says. ”Your constant moping is getting real tiresome”.
”I'm not moping” Jackson says. ”This is what I always do”.
”Is that how you've become an asshole?” Emily asks.
”Look who's talking” Jackson says. ”I'm not the only one who's bitter all the time”.
”I'm not bitter!” Emily says. ”I just can't be nice to stupid people!”.
”If I may...” Darren says, interrupting, ”why not try just talking to this... Aeris person and see if you can work things out? Think of it like this, if you want things to work out between you two in hopes of getting back together, then you taking the initiative to be the first one to talk it out would show her that you're not as bad of a person as they once thought. If you simply want to prove them wrong, then prove it by being the guy they didn't expect you to be”.
Jackson was silent for a minute, thinking about what Darren had said. ”I guess you've got me there” Jackson says. ”Alright, fine. But only because I got a good enough laugh from you guys embarrassing Emma and Wyatt last weekend”.
”What happened?” Jessica asks.
”That's the spirit!” Darren says.
”Oh, I get it. I'm being ignored again” Jessica says.
”So, to Aeris's house?” Jessica asks.
”Wait... do any of you even know where that is?” Jackson asks.
”N-no... do you?” Jessica asks.
Jackson sighs and says ”So you guys needed me so you could include Aeris? Lucky for you, I do know”.
The group walks for a while. About two miles south of the town, they found a house in the large clearing, far away from the forest. ”This is it” Jackson says. ”Who wants to knock?”. As Jackson turns to look at everybody, everybody else was looking at him. ”Alright, fine” Jackson says. Jackson walks up to the front door and knocks. After a few seconds of waiting, Aeris answers the door. As soon as Jackson raises his hand and begins to speak, Aeris closes the door. ”Well, I tried” Jackson says, then starts walking away.
”Oh no you don't” Emma says as she pushes him back up to the door. ”You've gotten to laugh and Wyatt and I, so now you've got to do what you came here for!”.
”And who's gonna make me, shorty?” Jackson teases.
Emma's fox ears pop out of her head as her face shows a stern and angry expression. ”I believe shorty is gonna make you if you say that one more time” Emily says.
”Geez” Jackson says as he turns around to face the door. Jackson then mumbles under his breath ”Short girl; short temper, I guess”.
”I heard that!” Emma yells.
”Why does her ears have purple fur on the tips?” Darren asks, confused.
”Shh” Jackson says, ”shut up for a minute”.