Emerson Jenkins

Rivulets of rain descended the window of my dormitory. Most classes had been canceled today because of the storm. I had spent half of my day locked away with Cal who hadn't left my side since we found out today was a free day. He lay on my bed, half of his body against the headboard and the other on the soft mattress. With his arm behind his head, he scrolled mindlessly on his phone.

One of my professors loved giving quizzes every week so I had opted for studying for it. Plus, there wasn't much we could do here. "I'm bored," Cal finally said after surprisingly being mute for a while. If Cal is quiet, it should worry you. He's a chatterbox who never doesn't have anything to say. With me though, he's not afraid to just be quiet. We bring that part out of each other. A calmness. "Wanna cuddle?"

His words catch my attention and I turn to face him instead of the pouring rain. He has the biggest grin on his face. "No, thank you," I said.

Callum frowned, standing up and walking over to sit on the edge of my desk. "Oh c'mon, you used to love when we cuddled," he told me.

I place my hand on top of his and make a consoling face. "It was only because I couldn't sleep without being held. Honestly, it could've been Rowan and I would have felt the same way about it," I shrugged.

He gasps like I just stabbed him in the back, moving his hand from underneath mine. "So you're saying our cuddling meant nothing to you?" A smile tugs at my lips. He's so dramatic.

"Sorry, Cal. But I appreciate you for taking that role. You saw me at my ugliest," I admit to him, even though I'm sure he already knows.

He makes a serious face and stares at me for a long while before saying, "No, I think you always look that ugly." Cal smiles slowly as I push him away. He laughs at his unfunny joke and returns to my bed, plopping down on his belly. "I'm serious, Emmy. We need to do something fun tonight. It's Friday, we don't have class tomorrow after all."

I tap my pen against the wooden desk. What does he suggest we do? You can't do much at Havenpoint for fun. We could always sneak off campus but we only do that on special occasions like the first day of class. "Like?" I question.

Cal looked off into the distance like he was trying to come up with something. He snaps his fingers. "Oh! Let's have that threesome me, you and Mina have been planning for years! The rain will make it sexier." He smirks.

I roll my eyes so hard they might stay in the back of my head. "We haven't planned anything and Mina wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. Or me." Cal is the one rolling his eyes now.

"Yeah, she's too obsessed with K-"

"Shush! That name isn't meant to be whispered around here anymore," I reminded Cal. He shook his head at my words. "Plus, she is not obsessed with that person. Mina's an independent bad bitch who doesn't need anyone." My words are true. I wish I could be like her but deep down, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm too soft.

Mina is soft but she's more independent than I've ever been. I strive to carry myself with as much confidence as my best friend does. Maybe one day.

"Well, that bad bitch needs to instill her perception into you. What happened to my Emmy who would stomp on girls' throats all the time and not take shit from anyone?" Cal questioned.

A smile curved at my lips. "I'm still that way. Haven't you noticed?" I was more of a bitch now than ever before so I'm a bit confused by his words.

"No. Back then you were a confident bitch. Now you're just a sad bitch. Two different kinds of bitches." He holds up two fingers and I tilt my head at him. As much as I want to say 'that's not true', he's kind of right. My bitchiness these past couple of months has come from a place of hurt not malice. Not saying I was a total bitch back then because I really wasn't. Only when necessary.

But it's always been difficult for me to deal with my emotions correctly. Anger, sadness, frustration. It's hard for me to be openly emotional with others so I hide how I'm feeling. Only Mina and Callum know how sensitive I really am. Sadly, Kai too but that's because, at one point, we were just as close as Mina and I.

The only difference is that he doesn't see that side of me anymore. Not since he decided to drop my ass a couple of months ago. Now, we're more like acquaintances than actual friends. Losing our friendship hurt me way more than I'd ever admit. Kai was like a brother to me and Mina. We were the two he was most protective over. I knew I could count on him whenever I needed a save.

Callum is the one who does that for me now. I'm grateful for him because he saved me when I was almost drowning. Now, we're inseparable. He's someone who needs to be by my side constantly and if he's not, nothing feels the same. The same goes for Mina. She's my number one girl.

Callum holds himself up with his elbows, on his belly facing me. "I thought you were over that. Over him. It doesn't really seem like that, Emmy. You haven't been...you. Not since April," he added whenever I didn't reply. His words make me stiffen. I don't want to talk about him.

He shouldn't even be a thought in my head anymore but holding so much resentment for ruining my life keeps him there. If he hadn't left me so broken and ruined my friendships then maybe, maybe I would still be okay. Still, be the Emmy I know my friends miss. Every day I wake up wanting and trying to be her but it doesn't feel right.

"I'm over him, Cal. Trust me. All the love I had for him changed into hatred. Each day after he left, the more and more I disliked him and the thought of him. The only reason I'm still like this is because he fucked my soul up. Made it black and cold and bitter. That's why I was such a bitch to Brooks," I admit. My face heats from anger. The thought of him.

My best friend stands up and walks over to me, bending down to be at a better height. He rests his arms on his thighs and looks up at me. "You're not any of those things, Emmy. Stop stooping yourself to his pedestal, alright? Plus, Brooks has the balls to handle a bit of attitude. You weren't a bitch." He tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.

Cal is only this soft and calm with me. I've never actually seen him stand still when others are around. But he's most especially like this whenever I'm down cause like I said, he's my rock. My shoulder to cry on. I jump out and wrap my arms around his neck in a hug. "A hug?!" he teases, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I've been waiting for this since I got back."

I laugh and smack his shoulder as I pull back. He has a boyish grin on his face. It's funny how I only believe things when they come out of certain people's mouths. If anyone else would have told me those words, my reaction wouldn't have been the same. My mood wouldn't have flipped so easily.

"You're such a sap."

He blinks, lips in a straight line. "Am not."

"You are! Especially for-"

Callum grabs the back of my head with one hand and covers my mouth with his free one. "Uh-uh. We're not doing this. Not today, Emerson Jenkins. I know I'm your best friend but don't underestimate me. I'll seek revenge on you." He pulls his hand away from my mouth. "And by seek revenge on you I mean tell Brooks you think he's a cracking lad."

I make a face and shove him backward causing him to fall on his ass. "Ow."

"I don't think Brooks is anything. He's just him. He's Brooks. Nothing special at all," I state but even I know it's a lie. We may not know each other well but as much as I've tried to dislike him, it's impossible. Why does he have to be likable? The thought of his boyish grin and golden retriever personality comes to my head. He's like Cal but a little calmer.

There's also something about him that I want to figure out. I don't know what it is yet but there's something. "He's actually a good time, Emmy. The other day he was telling me about all the shenanigans he got up to back in California. America sounds mad. We should definitely visit." His eyes light up as my face stays straight hiding any and all reaction.

"Did you forget I'm from there, idiot?"

Cal frowns. "That's right. I've seemed to claim you as an English girl. We should go to your homeland together! I've always wanted to go to New York."

His words bring a discomforting feeling with them. Every time I hear the name of my hometown, I'm thrown back there. Back to hell. To others, New York might sound like one of the best places to visit in America. To me, it's my own personal nightmare. It's where I lost a part of myself. I feel like a guest there despite living in New York my whole life. Maybe it just wasn't meant for me. My life went in this direction for a reason.

"Two words, Cal. Hell. No. We'll stay in London and visit your mom and dad. I miss her shepherd's pie you'd always bring me," I told him. He rubs his belly like he's thinking about it now. "Mums Shepard pie is proper good, innit?" Cal agreed.

Unlike me, he doesn't have a terrible relationship with his parents. They aren't extremely close but they don't hate his guts either. He's closer to his brother younger Brandon whom I met a couple of months ago when Cal's parents picked him up from Havenpoint. Just like the rest of our friends, Callum spends his time off at home. He lives about an hour away from HP so not too far like the rest of our gang.

I smile and stand. "Yes. Maybe I can come home with you this winter. You can show me around London. I've never seen it only our small part here around Haven. Pleaseee," I beg Cal. He's sitting on the edge of my bed now so I walk over to him and squeeze his hands.

He looks up at me and narrows his eyes into slits. "Fine. I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind. I was so worried about leaving you here during the summer, she asked if I wanted to bring you with me." My eyes light up at his words. Cal was weary to leave me here but it wasn't going to be for long. School would resume in about a month.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Also, Mina's going to be so jealous." Cal laughs. "We're going to have so much fun. I'll take you to all the tourist spots and the locals around the flat. Imani can also come with us." His eyes light up even more at that. "Brum is a bit far but she can stay with me for a couple of days too. Then I'll have my two favorite girls with me."

I smile and pinch his cheek like he always does to me. Cal may be all brawn, sunshine, and funny with everyone else but with me, he's empathetic, calm, and caring. Being his best friend gives me the best of both worlds because Cal would never be this away around the other boys. They'd probably laugh in his face if they saw the way he acted around me.

"I'll mark my calendar," I assure him.

He smiled. "Now, why don't you call up Mina?" Callum looked out the window which still displayed the heavy rain pour. "It's still the perfect weather for a threesome."

Oh boy.