As Theo pulled the car into the driveway of her childhood home, a sense of nostalgia washed over Mirabelle as she gazed at the familiar street. It had been years since she'd lived in this neighborhood. Back when they were kids, she, Valerie, and Emmett had all been neighbors. Those were simpler times, filled with endless afternoons spent playing together in the yard and running around the cul-de-sac without a care in the world.
But things had changed. After the fire that destroyed her family's home a few years ago, they had moved just a few streets away. It wasn't far, but it felt like a world apart. She glanced over at Theo as he parked the car. He gave her a quick smile, oblivious to the memories swirling in her head.
As they stepped out of the car, Mirabelle's eyes immediately found Emmett and Valerie standing outside Theo's house, waiting for them. The sight of Emmett made her heart flutter for a brief second, but she pushed the feeling down. She was supposed to be over this, or at least pretending to be. Valerie was standing next to him, arms crossed and looking as impatient as ever.
"Well, if it isn't the dynamic duo," Emmett called out, grinning as Theo and Mirabelle approached. "Took you long enough. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about us."
"Hardly," Mirabelle shot back, smiling despite herself. "We can't get rid of you two that easily."
Valerie rolled her eyes, her tone playful but tinged with impatience. "We've been standing here for ages. What, did you stop to make out in the car or something?"
Theo chuckled, placing a hand on Mirabelle's back as they approached. "If we did, it's none of your business."
"Please," Emmett cut in with a smirk, "no one wants to picture that."
Valerie nudged him, teasing. "You're just jealous, Em. Maybe one day you'll find someone who'll make out with you in the car too."
"Oh, I'm holding out hope," Emmett replied, giving Mirabelle a sly look that made her cheeks warm. She quickly turned away, hoping no one noticed the slight blush creeping up her neck.
Theo glanced at his watch and sighed. "Alright, time to get going. I've got work at the station soon, so let's drop you all off at Waterford."
Mirabelle slid into the front seat while Emmett and Valerie piled into the back. The drive was familiar and quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Mirabelle stared out the window, thinking back to those childhood days when everything had seemed so simple, when the only thing that mattered was who could run the fastest or win the most games.
But now? Now everything was more complicated. Especially with Emmett.
Theo pulled up outside the gates of Waterford University, the towering buildings casting long shadows as students streamed in and out of the main entrance. Emmett and Valerie hopped out of the car, laughing about something Mirabelle couldn't quite catch. She lingered for a moment, watching them, before turning to Theo.
"See you later?" she asked.
"Of course," Theo smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. It was a familiar gesture, one that Mirabelle barely registered anymore. She gave him a quick smile in return, but as she stepped away, her thoughts were already elsewhere.
As soon as she parted ways with Emmett and Valerie, Mirabelle headed toward the opposite direction to her own class. Being a year older meant her courses were different, and part of her was grateful for the space. It gave her time to think, to distance herself from Emmett and the increasingly complicated feelings swirling inside her. She needed that distance right now, especially after everything that had happened.
Theo drove off, his police badge glinting from the rearview mirror as the car disappeared down the road.
Meanwhile, inside Waterford University, Emmett and Valerie were walking down the hall toward their first class of the day. They passed groups of students chatting in clusters, some already slumped over in exhaustion, coffee cups clutched tightly in their hands. But as they reached the classroom, something was immediately off.
Larissa was sitting alone.
Normally, she would sit with the rest of their friends, chatting and laughing as they waited for class to start. But today, she was hunched over her notebook, her body language screaming discomfort. Valerie shot Emmett a look, her brow furrowed.
"You think she's still upset about last night?" Valerie asked in a low voice.
Emmett shrugged, though he felt a knot of guilt twist in his gut. "Probably. I'll try talking to her, but... I don't know."
Valerie patted him on the back. "Good luck with that, Romeo."
Emmett approached Larissa slowly, his hands shoved into his pockets. "Hey, Larissa," he greeted softly, but she didn't look up. She continued to stare at her notebook, her fingers gripping the pen a little too tightly.
"I—" Emmett started, but Larissa's shoulders tensed, and she shifted in her seat, turning slightly away from him. It was clear she didn't want to talk. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Alright, well, if you want to talk, I'm here. You know that, right?"
Larissa didn't respond. Emmett glanced back at Valerie, who gave him a sympathetic smile but shook her head as if to say, Don't push it. Taking the hint, he walked away and headed over to Sebastian, who was lounging in his usual spot near the back of the classroom.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Emmett sat down. "Striking out with the ladies again?"
"Not funny," Emmett muttered, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "She's just... dealing with stuff. You know how it is."
Sebastian leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "Yeah, well, maybe she'll come around. You're a good guy, Em. Even if you're a clueless idiot half the time."
"Gee, thanks," Emmett replied dryly, but he appreciated the attempt at support.
Meanwhile, Valerie had taken a seat beside Larissa. She leaned in, her voice soft but persistent. "Hey, Larissa. You alright?"
Larissa hesitated, her eyes darting toward the door as if looking for an escape. "I'm fine," she mumbled, but the shakiness in her voice betrayed her.
Valerie wasn't buying it. "You don't look fine."
Before Larissa could respond, the door swung open, and Perry Connor strutted in like he owned the place. His eyes immediately landed on Larissa, and his face lit up with that all-too-familiar smirk that made Valerie want to punch him in the face.
"Hey, Larissa!" Perry greeted, his voice loud and overly enthusiastic. He slid into the seat beside her without waiting for an invitation, leaning far too close for comfort. "How's it going? You're looking good today."
Larissa visibly stiffened, her face paling as Perry leaned even closer, oblivious to her discomfort. Valerie's eyes narrowed, her hand tightening into a fist beneath the desk. She shifted in her seat, trying to place herself between Perry and Larissa, but Perry wasn't taking the hint.
"So," Perry continued, ignoring Valerie's presence entirely, "I was thinking we could grab lunch later. My treat, of course. There's this great place downtown that I'm sure you'd love."
Larissa mumbled something, her voice barely audible, but Perry either didn't hear her or didn't care.
Valerie couldn't take it anymore. "Hey," she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through Perry's monologue. "She's not interested."
Perry gave her a condescending smile. "Why don't you let Larissa speak for herself?"
"I don't need to," Valerie shot back, her eyes blazing. "I can see she's uncomfortable, and you're not taking the hint. Back off."
Emmett, who had been watching from across the room, saw the tension escalating and decided he'd had enough. Pushing himself up from his seat, he strode over to where Larissa was sitting, his expression darkening as he approached.
Without a word, he reached down, gently grabbed Larissa's hand, and pulled her up from her seat. "Come on," he said quietly, his grip firm but careful. "You don't have to deal with this."
Perry, sensing the situation slipping out of his control, stood up and reached for Larissa's arm. "Hey, what the hell, man? You can't just—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Valerie stuck her foot out, tripping Perry and sending him sprawling face-first onto the floor. The entire class erupted into laughter as Perry flailed, trying to regain his dignity. His face turned a deep shade of red, and he glared up at Emmett and Valerie, his eyes blazing with embarrassment.
"Oops," Valerie said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "Sorry, Perry. Guess you just weren't watching where you were going."
Emmett couldn't help but smirk as he led Larissa away, her hand still in his. Perry glared at them from the floor, but he was too humiliated to do anything about it. "You can't ever have her, Perry," Emmett said over his shoulder, his voice cold and final. "Larissa's my friend, and I'm not going to let her be with a scumbag like you who thinks he can buy his way through life."
Perry's face twisted in rage, but before he could say anything, Sebastian, sitting nearby, chimed in. "Better luck next time, Perry. Maybe you should try talking to someone who's actually interested in you. Oh wait... there's no one."
The class broke into another round of laughter, and Perry, his face red with anger and humiliation, stormed out of the room without another word.
As Emmett, Larissa, and Valerie returned to where Sebastian and the others were sitting, Valerie couldn't resist teasing Emmett. "So, Em, what was that about? Getting all protective of Larissa like that. Were you jealous?"
Larissa's eyes widened slightly, her cheeks flushing as she glanced at Emmett, clearly waiting for his response. She looked at him with a mix of hope and nervousness, as if she was holding her breath, waiting for what he would say.
Emmett, sensing the tension in the air, played it off with a grin, though he could feel the weight of Larissa's gaze on him. "Jealous? Nah," he said with a casual shrug, though there was a teasing glint in his eyes. "I just don't like scumbags like Perry. Someone's gotta look out for Larissa."
Larissa's face fell slightly, though she tried to hide it. Valerie, noticing the shift in her expression, shot Emmett a look that said you idiot, but Emmett was already too busy high-fiving Sebastian to notice.
As the laughter died down and the class finally started, Larissa settled into the seat beside Valerie, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She couldn't help but wonder what Emmett had really meant by his words. Was he just being a good friend, or was there something more?
But as the professor began to speak, she pushed those thoughts aside for now. There would be time to figure that out later. Right now, she just wanted to survive the rest of the day.