Nadine took her pencil and wrote just below it:Yes!
Emma sank deeper into her chair, not feeling like paying attention as Professor Goddard went through different slides,alternating between long monotone descriptions of each photograph and student questions. Normally, Emma had her hand raised to participate, but today she just stared at the clock until class finally ended and everyone began filing out.
Nadine stood too, already talking as she shoved her laptop into her bag. “I haven’t even told you about Thanksgiving yet! It was so weird. I mean, it was the first Thanksgiving I haven’t spent with Marty since ninth grade! And then Nana decided to announce that she never liked him anyway, and…” Her voice faded when she looked down and found that Emma hadn’t moved from her seat. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I just… I need to talk to you,” Emma replied, her attention on her notebook.
“Right.” Nadine sat back down. “Is it about Marty?”
Emma blinked. “What?”
“I just mean, do you think I should have invited him to Thanksgiving?”
“Um…” Emma murmured. “No.”
“Good. I think you’re right. I need to focus on my life here, don’t you think?”
“Yes. Probably,” she said without any confidence.
“Nana always says when one door closes, another one always opens; it’s the hallways that can get your knickers in a twist.” Emma nodded, trying to follow Nadine’s train of thought as she continued. “But I feel like I’m in this exciting, multi-colored hallway and all these doors are about to burst wide open, you know?”
Nadine watched her, waiting for a response.
Emma looked down at her hands in her lap. “Nadine, I have to talk to you about something.”
“Is everything okay?”
“It’s about Zane. He’s… he’s not the guy we thought he was,”Emma said carefully. “I’m so sorry… I really believed he liked you, and he did! But… well, it turns out he liked us both.”
“What?” Nadine’s face skewed with confusion.
Emma took a deep breath. “He made a move on me in the cab ride home after karaoke.”
“He made a move on you?” Nadine murmured.
“It was awful and aggressive and…” Emma squeezed her eyes together like it might help dispel the memory. “He’s an asshole. A really bad guy. All he wanted was a quick fuck… with either one of us, apparently.”
“Oh my God.” Nadine stared at the far wall for a moment. “Did he… did he hurt you?”
“No! Well, he almost did, but I… I punched him.”
“You… punched him?” Nadine turned to Emma. “Really? You don’t seem like a punching type of person.”
“Exactly! It’s not something I’d like to make a habit!”
“Are you okay?”
Emma sighed. “It’s not about me, Nadine. I’m just so sorry. I feel like I pushed him on you. He seemed… well, he turned out to not be what he seemed.”
“Oh, it’s not your fault, Emma. Zane was out of my league anyway.” Nadine offered a weak shrug. She was trying to put on a brave front, but Emma could see how her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, how she couldn’t meet her eyes.
“You’re insane, Nadine,” she said, dipping her head down to meet her friend’s downcast gaze. “He is so far below you it’s not even funny. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.”
Nadine smiled meekly. “I can’t believe you punched him.”
“Neither can I,” Emma said, laughing dryly. Then she leaned over and grabbed her friend’s hand. “You’re amazing. And there are so many great guys in this city. We’ve only just started!”
“I’m so lucky to have you,” Nadine whispered, then leaned forward and embraced Emma. After a long moment she leaned back and sighed. “Should we go get a coffee at another cafe and never go to Zane’s dumb place again?”
