Emma's POV
After Chase and Jessica had their big blow out, my life somewhat changed.
The evil pumpkin who used to bully Lily and I suddenly turned our ally. Rumors even had it that their fight was over Lily and I.
I didn't know what to make of it, but it was glaring that they were no longer on good terms, and it was a good thing, kinda.
We still had Chase's attention, just not in the way we were used to. Lily was beginning to get worried, but I was long worried.
He had even begun to act nice to my mom and his dad, and he was home more frequently.
The upcoming senior trip seemed to take everyone's mind away from the existing beef, and I liked it.
Lily and I were already talking about all the funny outfits we'd buy. We were going for DIFFERENT.
She had also begun to feel bold enough to start sleeping over at times. I was happy to have someone I could really talk to in Mark's house.
"So are you gonna come later this evening? Let's go shopping in that boutique you mentioned." I asked her as she dropped me off. I had somehow managed to bribe my chauffeur into not coming to get me. Lily got to sneak one of her parents' cars, and we were riding it for the week.
"Yeah." She said, "Let me just get out of this fucking uniform. I'll see you in…an hour?"
"An hour is fine." I replied and jumped out of the car.
Lily rode away, and I was already giddy thinking about our first shopping spree together.
I hopped into the house and Grayson, Chase's friend, was just driving out.
I had mastered the art of acting like I didn't see, so I put it to use.
Both when Grayson drove past me, and when I walked past Chase.
I ran up to my room and shut the room behind me.
Mark had given me one of his cards the previous day, so I was really in there.
It was my first shopping spree. My excitement was so off the roof that it infected Lily who was a professional shopper in her rights.
"Who's there?" I asked after hearing a knock on my door. Whoever it was was interrupting
"Open up." It sounded like Chase and it was definitely him.
I sucked up all the oxygen in the room in annoyance and unlocked my door.
He twisted the handle open and flung the door wide.
I was grateful to not have been in the way.
"I heard you're going shopping." He said.
Who the fuck told him?! Oh well, everyone was. Besides, I was using his dads card.
"Yeah. Anything wrong with that?" I asked, arms akimbo.
"Never said so, dummy. Can I tag along?" He asked, staring straight into my soul.
"Go ask 'Dummy'. He or she is not here." I slammed the door in his face and bounced back on my bed.
I fucking hated his guts. Seeing him was triggering. He brought out the worst in me. I so fucking hated the sight of him.
"It's rude to keep a gentleman waiting, you know." He flung the door back open.
"As much as I hate to see you, there's someone who hates it more, and she's the one I'm going shopping with." I replied to him, smiling very menacingly.
Chase's eyes had begun to wonder, which I found strange.
Sometimes, he even talked to me without looking at me. He always made me feel like a bag of potatoes and even called me one.
"Oh. Yeah. That's fine. Lily said Grayson and I could drive behind." He said.
I was shocked. How did Lily have such an arrangement and not tell me.
He laughed at the look I had on my face.
I hated Lily for one second. Why did she make me a fool to this fool?!
"Whatever. Just so far I'm not in the same space as you. Now take two steps back, and put my door in a position where you won't be able to see from the other side." I said.
"Alright, Missy." He replied and walked out immediately.
Lily!!!!!
I called her immediately.
"Hey. I'm sure you're ready to scream my head off and have it for dinner, but please just hear me out." She said immediately she picked it.
"Alright." Something about how she said it was so funny. I forgot all I even wanted to say to her. "I'm listening." I said.
"Good." I almost heard her swallow saliva over the phone. "There's no reason. It was Grayson. He said he likes me!!!" She screeched so hard on the phone I felt I would go deaf.
"Are you fucking mad?" I asked her.
"Don't judge me. You would take him too if he offered." My Lily sounded like a professional whore.
"Well I wouldn't take him, but I also won't judge. I just want to be sure you know what you're doing." I replied to her.
"I did. Until I remembered that he was definitely going to bring Chase along, and now I Google searching 'cute ways to cancel a shopping date with a boy you like who's coming with a fucking cunt'. Even Google is clueless." We both laughed.
Things were taking very funny turns, and while it was uncomfortable, it was exciting.
"I don't look forward to seeing you in twenty minutes." I said sarcastically before hanging up to get dressed.
Part of me still wished it was a prank, but it wasn't.
Grayson really arrived at the same time as Lily. Matter of fact, I think they raced down together.
"So they really are coming?" I sighed as I got into Lily's car, with Chase and Grayson being us.
"Yeah." She gave me puppy eyes, so I had no choice.
As I predicted, they had some get or something, and so they raced each other on the free road. I tried as much as I could to keep my eyes off them, but it was impossible.
Grayson and Lily were even exchanging looks.
"How long has this god forsaken relationship been building?"I asked Lily.
"He texted me only a week ago." She said,
"Ugh. No wonder the weather got colder. Hell probably froze over already." Lily kept laughing like a lovestruck fool, and I confirmed my worst suspicions.
We soon got there and I couldn't wait to get back home already. So much for my first shopping spree.
Grayson and Lily linked arms, leaving Chase and I tagging behind like two plus ones.
"Do you fancy?" He asked, offering his hand. Chase was suggesting we link arms like Gray as Lily. I was melting inside.
"Fuck no." I said and walked off.
Having rejected Chase, I felt on top of the world.
The sudden lack of hostility was still jarring, but I was going to get back at him while I could, as much as I could.
"What are you guys getting?" Chase asked. None of us answered.
None of us answered. I saw Gray change his stance, feel uncomfortable.
"Uhm. What are we buying?" He repeated.
"Any and everything that catches our fancy." Lily answered him with exaggerated interest.
I saw her game and played along.
"Yeah. I need some pants, bags, hot beach wear, a hat, sunshades, sunscreen, and maybe a few jewelry to go with." I said, with as much enthusiasm.
Gray smiled at us both awkwardly and soon led Lily to the pants arena, leaving the devil and I tagging along again.
I didn't know for how long I could keep up.
Then I saw my worst nightmare. Jessica with one of her cronies.
"Oh fuck." I said, wearing my shades back.
I said it louder than I planned to, and so all of them looked in the direction I was looking.
Chase sucked his teeth and just kept on checking out his stuff.