Razorblade Kisses(6)
“The least he could do,” Emery agreed. “How do you know each other?”
“We live in the same neighborhood and my dad had to handle some issues for him a while back. We got together then.”
“Arrested and broke up with your boyfriend. That’s a rough Sunday.”
“I should say so...” Rachel mumbled.
They sat there, neither speaking for a few minutes. Eventually Rachel awkwardly got up and walked down to sit right next to Emery.
“How do you know Chandler?” Rachel asked.
“We live in the same neighborhood, too.” She shrugged.
“You go to Dunwoody?” Rachel looked at the door as it opened and a guy around the same age as them was pushed in.
“Nope, Perimeter Catholic. You?”
“Dunwoody. My dad thinks I need a lesson after being kicked out of Atlanta Christian.”
“Why’d you get kicked out?”
“Ugh.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “I streaked during homecoming my freshman year. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. Undoubtedly it is. Never get drunk and naked then run on a football field,” she advised. “You will be tackled.” Her entire body shook as she relived the tackles that had landed her a couple of broken ribs and expulsion from school.
“Seriously?” Emery raised an eyebrow.
“Seriously. I still have a scar on my back.”
Emery never talked to anyone. She tried to stay away from all people for fear the tatters of her reality would fall from her mouth, but sitting here in this room with this girl…she felt something she’d never allowed herself to experience. It was a want—no, a need—to be near someone, anyone, that treated her like a person. It scared her. She clamped her mouth shut.
“You going to get killed at home?”
Emery nodded.
“You scared?”
She felt her resolve crack. “Something like that.”
“Maybe I can get my dad to represent you and get you out the same time as me.” Rachel leaned awkwardly back in the chair, her face hopeful. “Maybe your parents won’t have to know.”
Relief pushed through her walls, knocking them down completely. “You’d do that?”
“Sure! I mean, you’d have to pay him at some point.”
“Right, of course,” Emery replied, staring at the beige wall.
“Emery?”
“Yeah?” She looked over at Rachel.
“Do you believe in the click?” Rachel’s face didn’t reflect the precarious situation the two girls found themselves in, but was rather full of joy.
“Like you meet a guy and you know if you’re going to love him or not?” Her nose itched; she blew air out of her mouth trying to relieve it. When that didn’t work, she moved her nose awkwardly in a vain attempt to ease some of the itch. “No.”
“Your nose itch?”
“Unbearably.”
Rachel leaned her left shoulder toward Emery. “Here, rub it on my shirt.”
“What?”
“For real. What do I care? We’re about to go to jail and get strip searched.”
“Oh, fuck,” Emery blurted, not really thinking about that part of her reality yet.
“Oh yeah, it’s the real deal. Hope you’re comfortable with everyone seeing all your goods.”
Emery froze in terror. How would she get through that? She couldn’t let anyone touch her.
Rachel noticing her demeanor and wiggled her shoulder at her again. “Do it.”
Emery leaned into this strange girl whom she’d felt an instant connection with and rubbed her nose on her shoulder. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Rachel straightened back up. “And no, I’m not talking about love. I’m talking about a click. Where you meet someone right away and know that person is going to mean something to you—lover, friend, whatever. You click.”
“Oh...” No, she didn’t believe in the click; she didn’t have any friends or lovers to click with. She didn’t allow herself to speak to anyone long enough to see if there was a click or not.
“So, you believe it or what?” Rachel’s eyes were wide and Emery felt entranced by them.
“I don’t know. I mean, I guess it could happen.”
“Oh, it’s happening.” Rachel nodded, serious.
“What?”
“We clicked. I heard it. You’ll be important to me. I hope you’re not gay, because I don’t swing that way, so we must be friends. Immediately,” Rachel rattled on. “You gay?”
“No.” Emery smiled despite herself. “Would it matter?”
“No.” Rachel shrugged and bumped Emery’s left side with her shoulder. “I can’t wait to see where this friendship is going to go.”