It Was Always You

Emi It’s been almost ten years since I’ve lived in this town permanently. I moved back to spend time with my father, and the local high school I graduated from had a teaching position open in my field, so I applied and came back home. Today is my first day on the job, and it is teacher in-service. It’s a day of getting to know each other and getting updates about the upcoming year. It’s my least favorite day of the year especially when I'm new. “Now on to my favorite part of all this, introducing new staff.” Ms. Smith is the school principal, and while she seems better than the one, I had when I was here, she is still a little too optimistic for me. “When I call your name, come up here and tell us your full name, where you grew up, and where you just came from.” Unfortunately, she went in alphabetical order, which gave me the number two spot for introducing myself. “Hi, everyone. As you already know, my name is...” As I was looking through the teaching staff, my eyes caught the o

Emi “This is a cute place, Emi.” “Thanks. Dad kept telling me it was too small.” “Nope, it's just right for you.” Alyssa has always understood me; she never tries to talk me out of something, which could either be good or bad. I bought many things that I didn’t need because she encouraged me. “So, you and Jake?” “Yup, it just started, so don't ask me what's going on because I don't know.” It didn't surprise me when I found out Alyssa and Jake were dating, they always got along, and we're always flirting. They both thought I would have an issue with it because of the history that Jake and I have, but I really couldn’t care less. If they’re happy, I’m good. “Knock, knock; we have food and beer.” “It's about time I'm starving, and it's Chinese! You're the best, Tyson.” Alyssa didn't wait for anyone before she started digging in; I always loved how comfortable she was with herself and didn't care about gaining or losing weight. “How does it feel to be back?” Tyson ask

Emi “The good news is that there is nothing structurally wrong with your eye. The bad news is that it will probably look worse tomorrow. Is it causing you any pain?” “Nothing I can’t ignore.” “Good, I’m going to prescribe you some eye drops that’ll number you for a bit if it gets too bad. The swelling should continue to go down, but ice it for a few minutes every couple of hours.” “Thank you.” I am happy the doctor confirmed that there was no damage to my eye. It was embarrassing enough to get punched. Since I have the day off, I promised my dad I would see him and Jane for a while. Jane is Jake’s mom and my stepmother. When they first started dating, I was upset because of the history Jake and I have, but I quickly saw how happy she made my dad and got over it because he deserves to be happy after everything that he has been through. The good thing about being out while everyone is working is the lack of traffic, so I made it to my dad’s house quickly. The house I grew

Emi When Jack left, I called Alyssa, but she didn't answer, so I called Jake and asked him to have a late dinner with me. I didn't get to eat much of my food earlier because of the argument Jack and Lauren were having and I was starving. I was relieved when Jake said he was free and would even pick me up. “What the fuck happened to your face?” “I tried to break up a fight at work and got punched; I would prefer not to talk about my eye. I have other things to tell you.” “Fair enough. Where do you want to go?” “Any place open that has food and beer.” “I know just the place.” It didn’t take me long to realize he was taking us to Pat’s Bar and Grill. It’s his favorite place to eat and never misses an opportunity to eat there. As soon as I walked in, I saw Tyson and Jack sitting at a corner table, and I didn’t want to sit anywhere near Jack while I had this conversation with Jake. “Let’s sit over here.” I quickly pulled him over to a table near the door. “Ok, start spilling befo

JackI was hoping to surprise Remi by showing up early and didn’t consider that she may have been feeling sick from the alcohol she had last night. I look like a douche, and I can’t blame her for being annoyed.I was hoping the food would help my cause by making her feel better, and it seemed to have worked.“Can I have five more minutes so I can straighten my hair?”“I think it looks good, but if you want to straighten it, I can wait.”I honestly thought she was beautiful; she always has been. I remember the first time I saw her when we were six. I told mom Remi was beautiful and that I hated Tyson for taking her away from me. He stole her attention from me that day, or at least I thought he did. I can’t believe it turned into twenty years of bickering and jealousy.“All done. So where are we going?”“I’ll give you two hints. You used to love it when you were younger, and it was the first time you saw me punch Ty in the face.”She let out a gasp, followed by laughter.“The ar