Rumor Has It (Rumor Has It #1)(3)

Chapter 2





Emma





I have a decision to make. Either go with my nearly worn out Converse Chucks or the scuffed-up Doc Martens. Today I feel like doing a throwback to the goth look. Black net stockings, a dark purple skirt that goes down just above my knees, and my favorite Star Wars shirt that has the original movie poster. Sure, it'll be a little chilly outside, but I'm going to be inside most of the day anyway.

I slather on the eyeliner and apply the darkest, reddest, lipstick I have. Okay, I do dab a bit of glitter on my cheeks, but I love that stuff. Now, it's about deciding what shoes to wear. The boots would make the outfit, but my Chucks are so comfy. I hear Jen's horn, honking outside.

Deciding on the boots, I quickly slip them on and grab my backpack, leaving the house. “Bye, Mom!” I yell, without waiting for a reply.

Running out to Jen’s Corolla, I fling my backpack in the backseat.

“Hey,” she says, pulling out on to the road.

"Ugh!" I groan, already feeling the uncomfortableness of the boots. "I should've gone with my Chucks."

Jen glances down at my feet. “Are those Doc Martens?” I nod. “You’re so crazy. You’re gonna be stuck in those things all day.”

“It went with the outfit.” I pull out my phone and start scrolling through Instagram.

“Emma, I’ll never understand you.”

"What?"

“If you were like me–”

"Yeah, because we all want to be Jennifer Harris." I tease her, twirling my hair with a finger while making my voice super high. ‘Hi, I'm Jen. I love sunflowers and macchiatos."

“Bitch.” She laughs.

“Right back atchya.”

“Anyways, if you were like me, or any other girl, I could understand your statement. Like this morning, it took me ten minutes to decide if I wanted to go with my pink top or that lime green one.”

“Glad you chose the pink one, it’s cute.”

She looks back down at my boots. “But you don’t have a typical attire. You dress based on who knows what, which is something I’ll never understand.”

“That’s not true. I just like to be random when it comes to clothes.”

“Tell me one thing that’s not random about you.”

“My Star Wars and Harry Potter shirts.”

She nods, pulling to a stop sign. “Okay, I’ll give you that.” She looks over at my phone. “Oh, did you text back Homework Stranger last night?”

I let out a scoff. I still don't understand why Jen egged me on to reply to whoever texted me. We just finished watching a rom-com movie on Netflix, when I received the text message. Other than being my best friend for the past four years, Jen indulged me in my movie watching habits. She put up with my nerdy choices, like Marvel movies or Harry Potter, but we're both rom-com fans. Right before the credits started rolling was when I got the text.

"No." I return my attention to my phone.

“Why not? We probably know who it is; you should’ve asked.”

“Jen, why? I’ve got enough friends. I don’t need to go making new friends with a complete stranger.”

"News flash, Emma. Everyone is a complete stranger until you become friends. That's how it works."

“Whatever. You know what I mean. I still can’t believe I texted him for so long.”

“So, you think it’s a guy?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug.

I really don’t. And I didn’t think about it much after she left either. Whoever it was needed the homework assignment, which I know there’s no way they’re going to be able to get done before class today. Those five chapters took me all weekend. Sure, I went to the art store with Jen on Saturday, but still.

“You should text them. See if they finished.”

“No.” I give her a confused look. “Why would I do that?”

"I don't know. Who knows, maybe it's someone who's even in the class with you." She pulls into the student parking lot, and once she parks, she turns and stares at me.

“What?” I keep my eyes locked on my phone, now scrolling through Twitter.

“Text, text, text,” she says, starting to pound the steering wheel lightly. “Text. Text. Text.”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying in the morning.”

“Only when I don’t get my macchiato.” She gives me an obnoxious smile. Raising my phone, I quickly turn and take a picture. “Hey, what was that?”

“Snapchat.” I laugh, as I grab my bag and leave the car, captioning the picture with ‘Without Starbucks, Jen’s a freak ;P’ and add it to my story. I know she’s going to yell at me when she sees it later.

Despite my best efforts, I can't help but look around Mr. Hilton's calculus class, as I walk into the room. It's my first class of the day, so if Mystery Texter did complete the assignment, he or she would probably look somewhat sleepless right about now. Taking my seat, I scan the room, trying to be as subtle as I can about it. Ethan, who sits across from me, quirks an eyebrow.

“What’s up?” he asks.

“Hmm? Oh, nothing.” I straighten back up in my seat.