34 Chapter 34 (1/2)
After school that day, Wyatt goes to work at Savvy Threads, as Jackson and Emma go back to the dorm. ”I'm never going to get used to this” Emma says.
”To what?” Jackson asks, laying down on his bed.
”Having to share a room with you” Emma says.
”You're telling me...” Jackson retorts. ”Your presence really brings the average height down by a few pegs. You're so short that I keep forgetting that you're an adult...”.
”Oh, I will end you” Emma growls.
”I'm just kidding... geez” Jackson says.
”Anyways...” Emma says as she sits on Wyatt's bed, ”it used to feel so quiet while Wyatt was gone. Now it somehow feels... even more quiet. It's like it's become more awkward to... exist because you're here”.
”Not my fault” Jackson says. ”We don't have anything to talk about, unless you want me to continue reminding you of how short you are”.
”Can you at least pretend to give a shit?” Emma asks.
”Look...” Jackson says as he sits up, ”as much as I didn't want friends at the start of the school year, I still somehow became friends with a certain group of misfit morons. Of course I give a shit, but not everyone constantly expresses that sort of emotion”.
”Great...” Emma says sarcastically. ”Real assuring”.
”What? You want me to pretend to have an actual interest in people?” Jackson asks. ”I said I give a shit, not I want to know everything you're thinking... isn't that Wyatt's job or something?”.
Emma sighs and says ”You really do make everything more difficult, Jackson. Then again, I guess we could've been stuck with worse. The day they moved someone else into our dorm, they could've just as easily thrown someone who openly hates laibah. So I guess being stuck with the likes of you isn't that bad, in retrospect”.
”Hey, thanks for the compliment” Jackson replies sarcastically. ”Now do me a favor and keep your face sucking with Wyatt to a minimum”.
”Admit it” Emma says as she stands up and faces Jackson, ”the reason your so discontent of Wyatt and I, is because you're still bummed out about Aeris”.
”I never said that” Jackson says.
”You've also never said the reverse” Emma declares.
”Yeah, so?” Jackson asks. ”You really want me to say it out loud?”.
”We're friends, aren't we?” Emma asks as she crosses her arms. ”We're supposed to help each other at least a little bit...”.
”Fine!” Jackson says as he sits up on his bed. ”Yeah, I miss being around Aeris. Truth is, it really bums me out that we came to such an awkward situation. I don't even know if I'd want to consider getting back with her, even if I could. But at the same time, I also wish it never came to an end. You happy?”.
”So why don't you tell her that?” Emma asks.
”Because” Jackson says as he lays back down.
”You're scared?” Emma asks. ”Aren't you two the ones who told me to be more honest with Wyatt?”.
”I feel like everyone has told you that at least once” Jackson says. ”It's kinda obvious, when the problem seemed to stack up so poorly”.
”Right, but what's stopping you?” Emma asks.
”Probably the fact that it sends the wrong message” Jackson says. ”Let me reword this so even someone as socially inept as you can understand clearly. I do not want to think about getting back together. I do not know if that's something I'd want to do. However, and I hope you're still following me here, I wish it were a little... well-”.
”Easier to face her?” Emma interrupts. ”Yeah, I've got the memo”.
”Then why bother asking a stupid question, you nerd?” Jackson asks.
”Because” Emma speaks up, ”your miserable ass is making the general atmosphere of this dorm gloomier!”.
”Doesn't sound like my problem” Jackson says.
”I will drag you out of here by the ear, you... tall, loud mouthed, piece of shit asshole!” Emma says. ”Stop being so miserable! You can clarify it as much as you want with her about not getting back together, but it's going to continue being this awkward between you two if you don't do something!”.
Jackson freezes in surprise. ”I didn't... think you'd ever... have the guts to say something like that” he says.
”Yeah, well... it's what friends do!” Emma shouts. ”Sometimes you've gotta console them, sometimes you've gotta... kick the shit out of them until they realize where they went wrong!”.
”I get it, I get it!” Jackson says. ”Stop yelling before people start figuring out that Wyatt and I are hiding you in here... geez. Look, I'll make you a deal. You calm your happy ass down, and I'll EVENTUALLY talk to Aeris. Sound like a deal?”.
”One week from tomorrow” Emma says.
”Excuse me?” Jackson asks.
”You have until the Friday after tomorrow” Emma says. ”If you don't do something about this gloomy atmosphere by then, I'll... I'll”.
”You'll what?” Jackson asks.
”I'll hit you with a wooden plank, or... I dunno!” Emma says.
”And this is your idea of helping?” Jackson asks.
”What else am I supposed to do?” Emma asks.
”You have a lot of pent up anger and aggression, don't you?” Jackson asks.
”I have my reasons...” Emma says.
”You're a psychopath...” Jackson says.
”I am not!” Emma shouts. ”I've just... been through some things. I think I have a right to be angry”.
”Like what?” Jackson asks.
”Oh, so now you give a shit?” Emma asks.
”On second though, keep your secrets” Jackson says. ”I have no need to... play these games with you”.
”Yeah, that's none of your business anyways” Emma says.
”Does Wyatt know?” Jackson asks.
”Of course Wyatt knows” Emma says. She pauses for a moment and thinks before she continues to say ”I've told him about everything... my family, my friends... how they betrayed me. All of it”.
”And yet, he's still here...” Jackson says.
”What are you getting at?” Emma asks.
”I mean, I'm surprised” Jackson says. ”I always thought all humans are just so shallow. I halfway expected Wyatt to just... leave one day after learning enough about you. I guess I was wrong”.
”And what makes you think that?” Emma asks. ”Wyatt isn't-”.
”Isn't that type of person, yeah yeah, skip the touchy feely bullshit please?” Jackson interrupts. ”My point is... when I was in high school, I had some friends. Human friends. We were all really close for the longest time, until one of them found out I was a laibah. Long story short, skipping all of the dry and sappy crap, they chose their human friends over me. Some of them abandoned me the moment they found out, but some of them... well, some of them stuck around for a little while until they realized that being around laibah leaves a bad impression of you. Once they discovered that the other humans won't like them anymore, if they stuck around me, they immediately left too. So, I'm sorry if I just made an educated guess here, but I was wrong and I get it”.
”Well... you're not the only one” Emma says. ”I was scared for the same reason, so I can't really blame you”.
”Yeah well, sucks to suck, right?” Jackson asks.
”What does that even mean?” Emma asks.
”What I mean is, we were both wrong” Jackson says. ”But at the same time, it's a good thing we were both wrong. After all is said and done, we still have our group of friends”.
”Even after you went and messed everything up” Emma says. ”Don't think I've already forgotten about how you're the one that told Wyatt about me!”.
”Wyatt already knew” Jackson says.
”What?” Emma asks.
”That's what he said” Jackson says. ”He already knew, but wanted to wait for you to talk about it, or some cheesy crap like that”.
”I guess that explains why he was so calm when he approached me...” Emma says.