To My Dearest Nicole: The Pages Of You Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Me and Emma

Read chapter 2 of To My Dearest Nicole: The Pages Of You by Sora Aishi on NovelPedia.

“Psst!” A voice called out. “Nicole!” I turned around to see who it was. But before I could, an arm suddenly wrapped around me in an embrace. “…Emma?…” I silently guessed. She smelled like sun lotion and johnson's baby powder, if you know what it smells like, you know how it smells like. Her chin rested lightly on my shoulder, but I felt the weight of something else, like she’d been holding back tears. “Did you think you could avoid me all day?” she mumbled into my neck. I didn’t answer right away. I wasn’t avoiding her. Not really. …Right? “N-no? I just didn’t see yo-” She cuts me off. “You’re so mean! I’ve missed you, yet you forgot about me!” Emma pouted. “im sorry?…” I said hesitantly. She pulled away just enough to look at me, arms still looped lazily around my shoulders. Her eyes were a little shiny, like she might’ve actually cried if I brushed her off. “Do you even know how boring school is without you?” she added, softer this time. I wanted to say something comforting, something normal. But my throat tightened "But school just starte-" I replied back "Still!" She cuts me off again "its just a matter of expression!" She said while she sat on my desk "What?..." "Nevermind" Amma said abit annoyed "im just glad you're doing well..." She lets go off me and twirls around with a bright smile radiating like a summer sun. "Lets have fun again, ok?" Emma sat down infront of me and fiddled with the pen on my desk, twirling it between her fingers like nothing just happened. “So,” she said, tapping it against her chin, “do we still sit together in homeroom or did you abandon me for new friends?” “No- I mean, yes- I mean, I didn’t abandon you!” I panickly replied. She grinned. “Good. Then I’m stealing your snacks later!" The voice of a teacher rang overhead, snapping the moment in half. We both flinched. “Young miss.” I looked up, startled. The teacher stood in the doorway, arms crossed, brow raised. “Take your seat, class starts in one minute.” Emma stuck out her tongue and rolled off my desk with a groan. “Rude,” she whispered. But her smile was back. Emma slid into her seat beside mine like nothing had happened. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop glancing at her. Had I really been avoiding her…? The classroom buzzed as more students filtered in. Chairs scraped. Bags hit the floor. Pens clicked in anxious fingers. But Emma just hummed some song I didn’t know, resting her cheek on her palm as if the whole world made sense. The bell rang. And I sat up a little straighter, telling myself to focus, but all I could feel was the lingering warmth where she’d hugged me. I bit the inside of my cheek. Maybe I was just... afraid. Of what I’d say. Of what I couldn’t. The bell rang again. First period faded, second came and went. I nodded through the day like a puppet with a weak string. The teachers spoke, my pen moved, but I couldn’t remember anything they said. I kept feeling like I was forgetting something. Or someone... "Nicole! Snap out of it!" A voice suddenly called out I snapped back and looked up, it was just emma "Geez, are you sure you are ok?" She asked with her hand on her hip "ive been calling your name for a hot minute now! Class is already over so pack your stuff!" she said with a smile I blinked. The classroom was half empty now, students already filing out into the hallway. Emma stood there waiting, her bag slung lazily over one shoulder. “Yeah… sorry...” I mumbled, reaching for my things. She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you're not sick or something?” “No no, I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach. “Just… tired, I guess.” Emma didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push it either. She just nodded slowly, then turned on her heel. “Come on, before the hallways get full of sweaty freshmen.” As Emma skipped off toward her seat, I lingered just a little longer, my hand brushing the edge of my desk. I don’t know why I turned my head, but something tugged at me. A flicker at the edge of my vision. At the f