Perry Connor sat in his private karaoke booth, surrounded by his usual gang of delinquents. His face was twisted in a smug grin as the alcohol continued to flow freely among his group. The tension in the air was palpable, but Perry's mind was far from worry. He was completely fixated on one thing—revenge.
He hadn't forgotten the embarrassment he suffered earlier in the day. The way Emmett and his group had humiliated him in class, the way Larissa's eyes had seen him reduced to a fool—it had all cut him deeper than he wanted to admit. He needed to restore his image, especially in front of Larissa. And he had just the plan to do it.
Greg, one of Perry's lackeys, leaned in with a nervous expression. "Perry, man... are you sure about this? Setting fire to the door of Emmett's karaoke booth? It's just... it's going a bit too far, don't you think?"
Perry's cold eyes flicked over to Greg, the smile on his lips never faltering. "Too far?" he repeated mockingly. "You think what they did to me in class earlier wasn't too far? They humiliated me, Greg. They made me look like a fool in front of Larissa. Now it's my turn to show them what happens when you cross me."
Carl, another one of Perry's goons, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Dude, there are emergency exits in the booths, right? No one's gonna get hurt, right?"
"Of course there are exits, you idiot," Perry snapped. "No one's getting hurt. This isn't about that. This is about making Emmett look like the coward he is. I want him running out of that booth, screaming like a little girl while everyone laughs at him."
Greg exchanged a look with Carl but said nothing further. It was clear Perry wasn't going to budge. He had already made up his mind, and they knew better than to argue with him when he was this determined.
"Now go light that fire," Perry ordered, handing Carl the lighter with a twisted grin.
Back in Emmett's karaoke booth, the atmosphere was lighthearted and carefree, though the tension between Emmett and Larissa was growing by the second. Larissa, having found renewed confidence after Emmett defended her earlier, was now making her feelings abundantly clear—though perhaps a bit too clear for Emmett's liking.
As the music played, Larissa scooted closer to Emmett on the couch, her fingers brushing against his arm as she leaned in, giving him a shy smile. "Emmett," she whispered, her voice soft and sweet, "you've been really amazing tonight. You know, I've always felt... close to you."
Emmett, feeling his pulse quicken, gave her a nervous smile. He subtly shifted away from her, trying to put a little more space between them. "Uh, yeah, Larissa, we've always been close, right? Just... friends and all."
But Larissa wasn't backing down. Her hand rested on his thigh now, her touch light but unmistakable. "Friends?" she echoed softly, her eyes locking with his. "I was hoping maybe we could be more than that..."
Emmett swallowed hard, his mind racing. He didn't want to hurt Larissa's feelings, but this was getting way too close for comfort. He glanced over at Valerie, who was lounging on the other side of the room, watching the whole interaction unfold with an amused grin on her face.
Before Emmett could respond, Larissa leaned in even closer, her breath warm against his neck as she whispered, "You don't have to pretend anymore, Emmett. I can see how you look at me..."
"Larissa," Emmett stammered, inching away from her again. "I, uh, think maybe we're misunderstanding each other—"
"Come on, Em," Larissa cooed, her hand sliding a little higher up his leg. "You don't have to be shy with me."
"You have clearly had too much to drink…." normally Larissa was a shy girl, never would he have imagined that she would be this forward when drinking.
Emmett's heart pounded in his chest, and he glanced at Valerie again, hoping for some kind of rescue. But Valerie just smirked, clearly enjoying the show.
Feeling trapped, Emmett did the only thing he could think of—he stood up, breaking free from Larissa's touch. "Uh, Larissa, maybe you should, uh... go freshen up or something? You know, take a break?"
Larissa blinked, momentarily thrown off by his sudden movement. "Oh... uh, okay," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I'll be right back."
As soon as Larissa left the booth, Emmett let out a long breath, rubbing his temples. "I swear, I'm gonna lose it..."
Valerie, still lounging casually, finally burst into laughter. "You're such a moron, Emmett!"
"What?!" Emmett snapped, turning to face her with an exasperated look. "You saw what was happening! She's all over me! Why didn't you help?"
"Help?" Valerie laughed harder, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why the hell would I help? You've got a pretty girl practically throwing herself at you, and you're acting like it's the end of the world."
"Because it is the end of the world!" Emmett exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I don't want this, Val! Larissa's sweet, yeah, but I can't deal with her feelings like this. She's got these expectations, and I don't want to hurt her... but I'm not into her like that!"
Valerie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still giggling. "Oh, come on, Em. So what if she's got feelings for you? You've got girls swooning over you left and right. I thought you'd be used to it by now."
Emmett groaned, flopping down onto the couch. "This is different. It's Larissa. She's a friend. And you keep pushing her toward me! Why are you always on her side, Val? Why do you keep doing this?"
Valerie's laughter slowly faded, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean, her side? I thought I was your wingman. I mean, isn't that what a good wingman does? Helps you score?"
"Score?!" Emmett gaped at her in disbelief. "Is that what you think this is about? Val, I don't need help 'scoring.' I need you to stop setting me up for disaster!"
Valerie blinked, her expression shifting from amusement to confusion. "Wait... you seriously don't want to sleep with Larissa?"
"NO!" Emmett practically shouted, his face flushing with frustration. "Why do you always think I'm out here trying to hook up with girls?"
Valerie stared at him, the realization dawning on her face. "Oh... I guess I never really thought about it like that."
"Yeah, no kidding," Emmett muttered, shaking his head. "You keep pushing me into these situations, and I'm just trying to survive here."
Valerie frowned, leaning forward on the couch. "I wasn't trying to make things worse for you, Em. I thought I was helping. You know, giving you a little... nudge."
"Well, stop nudging," Emmett said, sighing. "I need a break from all the nudging."
Valerie smirked again, though there was a softer edge to her voice now. "Alright, alright. I'll lay off. But you gotta admit, it's kinda funny watching you squirm."
Emmett rolled his eyes. "Yeah, hilarious."
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Larissa stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her hands were trembling, and her heart was pounding in her chest. She had tried so hard to be confident, to show Emmett how much she cared... but he had pushed her away.
Sabrina, standing nearby, glanced over at her friend with a sympathetic look. "You okay?"
Larissa took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Yeah... I'm fine. I just... I don't know what to do, Sabrina. Emmett's been acting so weird lately. One minute he's all protective, and the next he's pushing me away."
Sabrina shrugged. "Maybe he's just not ready for something serious."
Larissa bit her lip, her eyes filling with uncertainty. "But what if... what if he doesn't feel the same way about me? What if I've been reading everything wrong?"
Sabrina walked over and placed a comforting hand on Larissa's shoulder. "Look, you've known Emmett for a long time. He cares about you—that much is obvious. Maybe he's just scared of messing things up between you two. Give him some time."
Larissa nodded, though her heart still felt heavy. She stared at her reflection for a moment longer before straightening her posture. "You're right. I just need to keep trying. I won't give up on him."
Back in the karaoke booth, the tension between Emmett and Valerie had mostly settled, though there was still a lingering awkwardness in the air.
"Hey, for what it's worth," Valerie said, leaning back on the couch with a more serious expression, "I didn't mean to make things harder for you. I just thought... I don't know, that maybe you needed a little push."
Emmett glanced over at her, his frustration fading slightly. "I know you mean well, Val. But I can handle my own messes, okay?"
Valerie grinned, her playful attitude returning. "Alright, I'll stop playing matchmaker. But seriously, Em... you're a good guy. Don't beat yourself up over this."
Before Emmett could respond, one of their friends suddenly sat up, sniffing the air. "Hey... does anyone else smell smoke?"
Emmett frowned, looking around. "Smoke? What are you talking about?"
The group fell silent, and within seconds, the faint scent of smoke became unmistakable. It was coming from outside the door.
Suddenly, a flicker of orange light appeared at the bottom of the door, and Emmett's heart dropped. "Holy shit! The door's on fire!"
Panic erupted in the room as everyone jumped to their feet, eyes wide with fear. The flames were spreading fast, and in the tight, confined space of the booth, the smoke was already starting to thicken.
"Emergency exit!" Someone shouted, pointing toward the far side of the room. "There's a way out through the back!"
Emmett grabbed his coat, the heat from the flames pressing against his back as they rushed toward the exit.
Unknown to him, Valerie was in a panic and hadn't moved at all, she was reminiscing about the past when she and Mirabelle almost died in the fire that claimed Mirabelle's Father.