Tutoring

12

Tuesday morning, Emma gets out of the car and is greeted by a pointing Noah.

"A dress."

"It is. You wanted me to wear one."

"Beautiful."

"Thank you, kind sir."

They chuckle and she takes his hand, both walking in the school doors. They make it a few feet from his locker when the boys spot them and cover their eyes.

"We're blind." Jacob sings.

"She's blinding." Logan continues.

"Fucking morons." Emma smiles.

They smile and take their hands down and wave at the two. Noah goes to his locker with Emma hurrying to stand beside him.

"Hey, Emma." Sarah greets with a fake smile.

"Hi."

"You look different."

"I know. Still me, though, so..."

"I don't think the dress fits you."

"I think it fits perfectly fine. It's cute. Noah likes it. Even his friends do."

"Hoe."

"Not. They've become my friends while I have one boyfriend. I am not a hoe for accepting compliments."

Sarah scoffs and walks away, all of them smiling as they watch her walk.

"When was I not allowed to wear what I want anymore?"

"When you started dating me." Noah states.

"Oh, well, they can all fuck themselves."

Emma holds up the middle fingers at literally nothing with wide eyes for a few seconds before going back to normal and facing Noah, making them all just laugh.

"That was so random." Jacob states, making her laugh.

"I am random. And now, I must go to my locker. I shall see you all at lunch."

"Bye, goddess." Noah smirks.

"Oh, damn." She turns to him. "Wow. That was nice of you."

"I think you broke her." Nathan nods.

"I'ma go before you guys can make fun of me more. Bye, bub."

"Bye, Em."

Emma chuckles and walks away while Jacob takes her place and they stare at Noah with wide eyes.

"Lucky bitch." Shawn says.

"I know, right?" Noah scrunches up his nose.

"Seriously, though, how did people not see that before?" Jacob asks.

"Including us." Nathan agrees.

"You guys are making such a big deal about it." Noah states.

"It's confusing." Shawn debates.

"Well, yeah."

"It seems like you're only noticing this now." Logan states.

"What made you want to date her if you're only noticing it now?" Jacob asks.

"You want me to get all sappy?"

"Why not?" Nathan shrugs.

He secretly gets his phone out to record him and show it to Emma at lunch.

"Okay. Fine. Very smart and kind. She's obviously funny. And I saw how beautiful she is. The quiet girl, I guess, is so much more than people think."

Yeah. Fake.

Noah shrugs and closes his locker while they just look at him with amused smiles.

"Quit. Go away. Leave me alone."

Noah shoos them away, making them laugh. Nathan goes to the video and shows the other three who just smile and laugh.

-

"Hey, Emma."

"Yes, Nathan?"

"Come here, I wanna show you something."

Emma gives him a suspicious look before standing and moving to the other side of the table beside him.

"Listen."

He hands her his phone and she puts the speaker to her ear as he presses play. She smiles and looks at Noah who sits confused.

"What's that?" He asks.

"Send this to me."

The boys laugh and Nathan takes his phone back. They all got her number at the mall and this is the perfect opportunity to use it.

"What?" Noah asks as she sits beside him.

Emma gets a notification and shows Noah, making him glare at Nathan and hide behind his fists with his elbows on the table, smiling shyly at Emma.

She doesn't say anything, just smiles at him and turns away as he silently threatens the boys who hold back laughs.

Emma looks towards the door and sees teachers standing there with a box of cookies, one handing them to the others.

"I want a damn cookie."

"Oh, yeah. Me, too." Noah sighs.

"Oh, shit." Emma smiles as the teachers wave her over.

Emma stands and hurries over.

"She gonna get a cookie?" Shawn asks.

Emma smiles and pretends to not want one as to be respectful, but the teachers hand her six cookies for her and the boys. She laughs and happily takes them to the table.

"I got y'all cookies."

"Oh, sweet." Logan smiles.

She hands one to each of them and sits down with a smile.

"I love being the favorite."

"Works out for all of us." Noah chuckles.

"It's great."