Pen and paper

Tring, Tring—the old wired phone on the table rang, cutting through the early evening quiet. Emma, still tangled up in the day’s events, jumped slightly. **Oh no, it must be Alan. I hope he’s not mad at me for running off like that.** She picked up the receiver and softened her voice, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Emma! It’s Izabel.”

Emma blinked. **Izabel?** That wasn’t who she expected.

“Sorry about today,” Izabel continued, her voice almost too cheerful, “Michael and I totally interrupted your love conversation with Alan.”

Emma’s face turned beet red. **Love conversation?** She nearly choked on the words, but somehow managed to keep her cool. No way was she going to let Izabel or Michael think they had figured out her and Alan’s relationship—especially since even she wasn’t sure what it was at this point. Were they just close friends? Was there something more? The 90s were complicated like that. Nothing was ever said outright, and feelings were wrapped in layers of unspoken tension. **Close friends… that does sound like a couple, though. Ugh!**

“Oh, that’s alright,” Emma replied, forcing a laugh.

Izabel sighed with relief. “Phew! Glad to hear it. Well, see you at school!” And just like that, Izabel hung up.

Emma stared at the receiver, her thoughts still tangled. *Why does she care so much?* she thought, feeling a knot form in her stomach. *And what was with the ‘love conversation’ comment?* Before she could wrap her head around it, the phone rang again.

*Okay, this has to be Alan now,* Emma thought, feeling her heart race. She quickly picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hey, Emma, it’s Izabel again.”

Emma froze. **What now?**

“I’m really sorry to bother you again, but… could you do me a huge favor?” Izabel’s voice had dropped from cheerful to hesitant, as if she were walking on eggshells.

“Uh, sure, what is it?” Emma replied, trying to hide her confusion.

“I was wondering… if you could join the cheerleading squad for me. Please?” Izabel’s words rushed out in a blur, like she was trying to escape the awkwardness. “Okay, thanks! See you tomorrow!” And without giving Emma time to respond, Izabel hung up *again*.

Emma stood frozen, staring at the phone like it had grown horns. **What the heck just happened?** Join the cheerleading squad? **Me?** She wasn’t exactly the pom-poms-and-cheers type.

“What?!” she finally screamed, throwing herself back onto her bed. *Why did Izabel ask me to do that?* It made no sense. Was she being set up? Was this some kind of high school prank? Her mind spun with possibilities, none of them good.

And then, the phone rang for a third time. Emma glared at it like it was personally out to get her. She picked up the receiver, her voice cold. “Hello?”

There was a pause on the other end. “Uh… Emma? Why do you sound so angry?”

**Alan.** Emma’s anger fizzled out immediately, replaced by a flush of embarrassment. *Why does this always happen when it’s him?*

“Oh… sorry, Alan,” Emma muttered. “It’s just… Izabel called me twice, and on the second call, she asked me to join the cheerleading team.”

“What?” Alan’s voice sounded incredulous. “No, absolutely not. You’re **not** doing that favor, Emma, understand? And by the way, I’m still mad at you for breaking our promise.”

Emma’s heart sank. **Mad? At me?** Alan never got mad at her, not like this. Sure, they’d had their squabbles in junior high, but this was different. This felt serious.

“Wait… what promise?” Emma asked, her voice faltering.

Alan’s tone darkened. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow. We’ll talk then.” And with that, he hung up.

Emma stared at the phone, her heart racing. Alan had never sounded so… angry. **What did I do wrong?** Tears welled up in her eyes as the thought of losing him—a friend she had always been able to rely on—suddenly seemed all too real. She didn’t eat dinner that night, unable to shake the feeling of dread.

The next morning, Emma left her house early, long before school started. She needed to clear her head. As she walked through a small park near her neighborhood, she noticed a garden full of blooming roses. Their beauty did little to ease her worry. **Why did Alan react that way? And what’s going on with Izabel?**

She was so lost in thought, she didn’t hear Alan approaching until he was right behind her.

“Emma!”

She turned, startled. Alan was looking at her with concern. “Did you eat breakfast?” he asked, his voice soft.

Emma, still reeling from the previous night, replied sharply, “No.” She turned away, too angry and confused to deal with him right now.

Alan frowned, clearly hurt by her tone. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. “What, are you ignoring me now?” His voice rose slightly, but when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes, his frustration crumbled.

“Emma… why are you crying?” His tone softened, and he reached out, gently wiping a tear from her cheek. “I care about you. You know that, right?”

“Then why did you yell at me yesterday?” she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

Alan sighed, looking away for a moment. “Because… I thought you didn’t take the same exam as me. I thought we were in different classes.”

Emma’s brow furrowed. “But I did take the exam.”

“Yeah, well… turns out my dad changed my course without telling me,” Alan explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I didn’t notice until later. I was just mad at the whole situation, and I took it out on you.”

Emma stared at him, the puzzle pieces finally clicking into place. **So that’s why he freaked out.**

Alan continued, his voice softer now. “And I had to join the sports team, so when you mentioned the cheerleading thing, I guess… I got a little protective.”

Emma blinked. “Protective?”

Alan smirked. “Yeah. You’re my girl, after all. I’m not letting everyone see you in a cheerleader outfit.”

Emma’s face went red again. “Wait… your *girl*?” she stammered, feeling her heart race.

Alan grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Go look it up in the dictionary if you’re confused.”

“Alan!” Emma protested, feeling flustered.

But Alan’s expression turned serious, and he took her hand in his. “I’m not joking, Emma. You’re my girlfriend. Officially.”

Emma’s heart flipped, and for a moment, she could only stare at him, dumbfounded. **Girlfriend?**

But before she could process the warmth spreading through her chest, a thought popped into her head. **Wait… what about Izabel’s weird favor?** Something still didn’t add up, and Emma was determined to figure out what exactly was going on.

And so, with a new sense of determination, she smiled up at Alan, though her mind was already racing toward her next move.

As Emma and Alan sat across from each other in the cafeteria, the warm sunlight streaming in through the windows, they shared a quiet, loving glance. Emma couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat. *I can’t believe I’m Alan’s girlfriend...* Her face flushed—*blush, blush*—as the thought sent a wave of warmth over her.

Emma tried to focus on her lunch, but her mind kept drifting back to Alan. She couldn’t resist the small smile tugging at her lips, and for a moment, her thoughts took a whimsical turn. *Maybe one day, I’ll start my own cosmetic company...* The idea felt so grand, so full of possibility, that she grinned a little wider, caught up in the fantasy of it all.

Just then, she glanced up and noticed Alan looking at her. His hand rested casually on his chin, his eyes studying her with a mix of amusement and affection. The way he tilted his head made her feel like the center of his world.

“Ugh!” Emma blurted out in surprise, snapping back to reality. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but the sudden rush of emotions, combined with Alan’s intense gaze, overwhelmed her.

Alan’s smirk grew, his eyes twinkling as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. “What’s up?” he asked teasingly, still leaning forward, completely relaxed.

Emma quickly tried to cover her reaction, her cheeks deepening in color. “Uh, nothing! Just… thinking. You know, big thoughts.” She waved her hand awkwardly, hoping he wouldn’t pry any further.

Alan raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her excuse. “Big thoughts, huh? Like starting your own company or something?” His voice was light, teasing, but there was an underlying sincerity that made Emma blush even more.

She bit her lip, embarrassed but also a little excited. *How does he always know what I’m thinking?*

“Well, maybe,” she mumbled, her eyes dropping to her plate. “It’s just a silly idea.”

Alan leaned in a little closer, his voice softer now. “Nothing silly about that, Emma. You could do anything.”

His words caught her off guard, making her blush all over again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***