As I walked through the front door of our home, I couldn't help but notice Emily standing in the entrance hall with a boy I recognized from her class - Jeffrey. He was lingering by the door, seemingly about to leave, but as soon as he saw me, his demeanor changed. He flashed a bright smile and took a step forward, trying to appear friendly and casual.
"Hey, what's up?" he said, his voice dripping with feigned nonchalance. "I didn't know you were going to be here."
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his sudden interest in talking to me. We had never exchanged a word at school, and I found it odd that he was now trying to act like we were old friends. I studied him for a moment, taking in his appearance. He was taller than me, with messy brown hair and a scattering of acne across his forehead.
"Just getting home," I replied curtly, my tone neutral. I didn't want to encourage him, but I also didn't want to be rude. I dropped my backpack on the floor and leaned against the wall, eyeing him warily.
Emily, who had been watching the exchange with interest, chimed in. "Yeah, Jeffrey was just stopping by to study for our math test," she said, her voice light and airy. She was standing with her arms crossed, a smile playing on her lips.
I nodded, my eyes flicking between Emily and Jeffrey. I didn't believe them for a second. There was something fishy about this whole situation. I could tell they were trying to hide something, but I didn't know what.
"Okay, cool," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, I'll let you two get back to your studying then."
Jeffrey laughed, a little too loudly, and clapped me on the back. "Yeah, thanks, man. We'll catch up later."
I nodded, my poker face still firmly in place, and walked past them into the house. I could feel their eyes on me, but I didn't turn around. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing I was bothered by their little charade.
As I walked into the kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder what was really going on between Emily and Jeffrey. And why was he trying so hard to be friendly with me all of a sudden? I shook my head, pushing the thoughts aside. I had more important things to worry about.
I grabbed a glass of water from the fridge and sat down at the table, my eyes fixed on the wall. I could hear Emily and Jeffrey murmuring in the entrance hall, their voices hushed. I wondered what they were talking about, and whether I would ever find out.
As I lay on my bed, lost in thought, I heard the door creak open without a knock. I didn't flinch, knowing it was Emily who had entered my room without permission. She walked in with an air of confidence, as if she had every right to be there, her footsteps echoing through the room.
"Hey, I know what you're thinking," she said, her voice dripping with a hint of defensiveness, her words hanging in the air like a challenge.
I raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Oh yeah? What am I thinking?" I replied, my voice laced with a hint of sarcasm.
Emily walked closer, her eyes fixed on mine, her gaze piercing. "You're thinking something's going on between me and Jeffrey, but there's not," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush.
I shrugged, my expression neutral, my shoulders barely rising off the bed. "I didn't say anything," I replied, my voice flat, my tone uninterested.
Emily sighed, her shoulders sagging, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Come on, don't play dumb," she said, her voice laced with frustration. "I know you're wondering what's going on."
I turned onto my side, propping myself up with a pillow, my eyes fixed on her. "Even if I was, which I'm not, it's none of my business," I replied, my voice calm, my tone detached.
Emily's eyes narrowed, her face scrunched up in frustration. "You're not even going to ask me what's going on?" she asked, her voice rising.
I shook my head, my voice laced with indifference. "Nope. Like I said, it's none of my business," I replied, my eyes fixed on the wall, my gaze drifting off.
Emily huffed, her face reddening, her eyes flashing with anger. "Fine," she spat, her voice venomous. "But know this - there's nothing going on between me and Jeffrey. We're just friends."
I raised an eyebrow, my expression skeptical, my eyes fixed on her. "Save it, Emily," I replied, my voice laced with disbelief. "I don't care either way."
Emily's face reddened further, her eyes blazing with anger. "You're so infuriating sometimes!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the walls.
I shrugged, my voice calm. "I'm just not interested in your drama, Emily," I replied, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, my gaze drifting off.
With that, Emily stormed out of my room, slamming the door behind her, the sound echoing through the hallway. I let out a sigh, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, my mind wandering off. I knew she was hiding something, but I didn't care enough to press the issue.
As we sat down to eat dinner, the atmosphere was tense. Mom and George were sitting side by side, trying to appear like the perfect couple, while Emily sat beside me, attempting to make small talk. But I was having none of it. I was still reeling from the earlier encounter with Emily and Jeffrey, and I didn't feel like pretending to be happy.
George, always trying to be the comedian, started telling a joke. "Hey, why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself?" he asked, grinning at us like a fool.
Mom played along, "I don't know, why?"
George chuckled, "Because it was two-tired!" He laughed at his own joke, clearly pleased with himself.
Emily groaned, "Dad, that's so cheesy." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
I just rolled my eyes, not even bothering to acknowledge the joke. I didn't find it funny, and I didn't want to encourage George's silly behavior.
Mom tried to engage me in conversation, "Hey, sweetie, how was your day?" She asked, her voice dripping with false concern.
I shrugged, "It was fine." I didn't elaborate, didn't want to get drawn into a conversation.
George jumped in, "Hey, that's great! I had a fantastic day too. I closed a huge deal at work." He beamed with pride, clearly expecting us to be impressed.
Emily chimed in, "Yeah, Dad's a real rockstar." She smiled at George, playing along with his fantasy.
I remained silent, not interested in their banter. I didn't care about George's deal, didn't care about his fake smile.
Mom tried again, "So, what did you do today?" She asked, her voice a little more insistent.
I sighed, "I just hung out with A friend in class." I lied. I didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to relive the awkward encounter.
George's face lit up, "Oh, that's great! I'm sure you two had a blast." He was oblivious to my discomfort, oblivious to the tension in the room.
I didn't respond, just continued eating my dinner in silence.
The rest of the meal was a blur of forced conversation and awkward silences. I was relieved when it was finally over.
As we finished up, George said, "Well, that was a great dinner. Let's do it again soon." He smiled at us, clearly pleased with himself.
Emily agreed, "Yeah, that sounds like fun." She smiled back at George, playing along with his fantasy.
Mom smiled, "I'll start planning something for next week." She nodded at George, clearly in agreement.
I just got up and left the table, not bothering to say anything. I couldn't wait to get out of there and away from their fake happiness.