EMMA

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Emma was sitting under her usual tree in front of the school building, a book in her lap, staring at a really black beetle. It had been the first day of school after the summer vacation, and she, along with her best friend Penny had decided to celebrate the beginning of their senior year by drinking...boba tea!

She had been waiting for Penny over there for over an hour, and had no way of calling her, because her stupid best friend's mobile was switched off. At least that was what the lady in the mobile told her when she tried to call Penny at least a thousand times.

She knew she should get up and go home, there was no use sitting there any longer. Penny would call her later, she was sure of it.

But she just didn't want to. She wanted to sit under the maple tree all day, staring at the orange, red and yellow leaves fall all around, knowing that new ones will grow soon, change colour, and fall down yet again. She never understood this circle of life. Why did old things have to leave our lives and new ones enter, even if we were happy with the old things and did not really need change?

She felt sad that it was those beautiful leaves' destiny to eventually fall from the tree. Why couldn't they stay there forever?

She thought of herself. She had only one friend, Penny. And Penny had only one friend, Emma. This had been the since middle school, when Chloe had tried to force Penny to go slap Emma, but Penny slapped Chloe instead. Thus, Penny got weeded out of the "popular" group, and Emma got a new, actually just 'a' best friend. This had never changed, and she never wanted it to change.

She had always been ignored, laughed at, teased. She had been called an outsider, a loner, the seventh wheel. But Penny had always made her feel that she belonged. And she loved her for that.

But she had to admit it to herself that a small part of her wished that she had more friends so that she didn't have to wait for Penny everyday, and go home and do nothing if Penny was unavailable. Just like that particular moment.

A part of her mind told her to step out of the small wall she had made around herself and have a little more fun. Go to cafes, movies, parties, games with a big group of friends. But she knew no one would take her in. She would always be an outsider, but she knew that she would have Penny beside her, and that's all she ever needed. Nevertheless, she was anxious to see how the senior year would turn out for her. She hoped it would be an eventful year, with new memories, and new friends.

But all these thoughts pushed themselves out of her mind when the gate of the building in front of her opened and he walked out.

Will.

He was wearing a dusty white t-shirt, his hair ruffled, as if he had just woken up after a long nap. He did not really notice her and stretched, his midrib being exposed.

Emma could feel her cheeks burning as she continued staring at him even though her mind was screaming at her to look away.

He suddenly did seem to notice her and started walking towards her. Was he coming to talk to her? Oh no that would be a disaster. Whenever he was near her, she would become a bundle off nerves.

Nobody knew that she liked Will, not even Penny. He was just so...amazing. She could not really explain why she liked him. Not because of his money, or looks. Okay, maybe looks were a bonus point. He was just so sweet, so talented.

He climbed down the last stair and took a step in her direction when Chloe burst out the building ran down the steps and wrapped her arms around him.

Emma felt like somebody had punched her in the gut.

She knew Will was dating Chloe but this sight, of them together, was painful.

So she got up, dusted her jeans and walked towards her car in the school parking lot.

MATT

"Wait for your turn, you hog!", Matt yelled at Hannah, who was about to grab the pancake kept on the plate on the table, "It's Erica's!"

"But Erica's in the bathroom. You'll make another one till she comes out", Hannah said, running a hand through her golden hair. All the Lewis kids had it, along with sea green eyes, except Matt's youngest brother David who had grey eyes. And attracted all the little girls at kindergarten.

Matt was the second-oldest sibling in a family with seven children. The oldest...let's not talk about her now. Hannah was next in line, just a year younger than Matt. Next were the twins, Quinn and Derek, both fifteen year-olds, alike yet completely different in their own ways. Then there was Matt's favourite (don't tell the others) Erica, who had just turned eight. And the last was David, the most adorable five-year-old in the town.

"I promised her the first pancake", said Matt, "because she's my favourite. And you, stop being a sixteen-year-old baby."

"But I'm really hungry", said Hannah, pulling out her phone. There it was again. Matt had been counting the seconds before Hannah would pull her phone out again. It was twelve.

"Become my favourite and then we'll see", Matt, spreading batter on the pan. He just loved hearing the first soft sizzle that the batter made when in touched the hot pan. And that small first wisp of steam that came out. Just noticing the small things made him feel fancy.

A moment later, Derek strolled in casually, grabbed the pancake in one hand and stuffed almost half of it in his mouth. Then he turned and grinned at Matt, with his mouth full of pancake. 

Yup his siblings had no boundaries. No that he cared. Well, he did. He did not show it. Did not want to be compared to Mom.

"Hey!", Hannah shouted, "Not fair!"

"You snooze you lose", said Derek, simply.

Hannah looked at her phone again. Meanwhile, Matt placed the second pancake on the table, and Hannah did not notice it, being too into her phone.

Quinn slid down the stairs, ran to the table, and like her twin, she grabbed the steaming hot pancake in one hand, and stuffed more than half of it in her mouth.

"That was mine!", said Hannah, her face turning red.

"Too bad", Quinn said, high-fiving Derek. They were so alike, it was getting irritating.

Hannah pointed at Matt's phone, "Hey look, Penny texted you."

Matt left the pancake on the stove and picked his phone up, then frowned. The only text he had gotten was from the cell company. He glared at Hannah, then at the pancake which was burning on the stove.

"That pancake's yours, remember?", he said, with a grin. Realization dawned on Hannah's face and she ran to the kitchen counter and turned the stove off.

Then she looked at Matt, "I have something which can help you with Penny", she said.

"I'm listening", Matt said.

Hannah opened Penny's Instagram profile and pointed at a picture where she was posing with her friend Emma. Hannah pointed at Emma, then explained her plan to Matt. When she finished, Matt just shook his head, "That's a terrible idea."

"It's an idea which might work", said Hannah.

"I'll think about it", said Matt, staring at the picture, "But she has to agree to it too, you know?"

"You are Matt, you are my brother, you have inherited my 'Greek Goddess' looks, girls will fall at your feet for such an opportunity", Hannah said, not being subtle at all.

"That's not how 'inheriting stuff' works," Matt said. He didn't know if he was correct or not.

Hannah rolled her eyes at him, "Even though I hate to admit this, but", she paused and made a gesture of throwing up, "you are serious eye-candy. You tell me, how many girls asked you out today?"

Ugh, did Hannah just say that? 

But Matt recalled his day at school. In the morning, that red-haired girl had asked him out for coffee. Then after basketball practice, this other blonde asked him out. Huh, why did they do that, if they knew he was gonna say no?

"Two", he said to Hannah.

It was extremely flattering, but Matt was one of those hopeless romantic bozos who knew that if he wanted to be with someone, it had to be the one. Or at least close to her.

"And yesterday?", Hannah asked.

Matt thought for a moment, "Four", he said finally.

Hannah gave him that know-it-all look of hers that he hated, "See, exactly what I'm talking about. Almost every girl in your grade has asked you out."

"Well, she has not. What if she's not like the others?", Matt asked.

" I'm pretty sure she's not. So turn on the charm. But, I have to tell you something", said Hannah," I like Emma more. Why don't you go for her?" 

Matt just shook his head, "You should really get a life."

Hannah grinned, "But I'm too busy interfering with yours."

He had seen Emma at almost every basketball practice, just sitting on the bleachers and doing her homework. Waiting for Penny. And he would be lying if he said he never thought about just going and talking to her. But she gave out the stay-the-fuck-away-from-me vibes. Well, half the guys on the team were extreme perverts so well...

She took her pancake and went into the living room with the twins, "We're watching Gilmore Girls!", Derek called.

As soon as they left, Erica and David came into the kitchen.

Erica climbed onto the kitchen table and whispered in his ear, "Did they take the bait?"

Matt smiled,"Where did you learn that?"

Erica grinned, showing her half broken teeth, "Quinn was watching this show where they caught fish from the sea and cooked it alive!"

Matt frowned. He had to tell Mom about the shows that Quinn watched.

He picked Erica up and put her on the chair, next to where David, his five year old brother was sitting.

"Here come the triple C pancakes", said Matt, putting two plates in front of them.

"Triple C?", asked David, with a thumb in his mouth.

"Chocolate Chip and Caramel, dummy", said Erica, taking a big bite.

David took a bite of his pancake too, then smiled, a look of complete satisfaction on his face, which Matt's heart ache with warmth as he said, "Yummy!"

Matt ruffled his golden brown hair, "I only make the best for you two", he said, then put his fist towards them. They smiled and touched their own fists to his.

"Triple C", they whispered together, then giggled.

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