All Chapters of Emma & Connor: Chapter 11 - Chapter 12

Emma’s POVSaturday evening arrived faster than I was ready for.I’d spent half the morning pretending I wasn’t nervous, cleaning my room and helping Dad fix the porch light, but by 6:00 p.m. I was standing in front of the mirror, staring at three different outfit options.Julie’s words from earlier in the week echoed in my head — “Guys like him don’t date girls like us.”I told myself I didn’t care. I told myself it was just a movie. But my heart had other ideas — beating way too fast as I slipped into a soft blue dress that used to belong to Mom. It wasn’t fancy, but it made me feel… like her. Confident, kind, and quietly brave.I brushed my hair down and added a touch of lip gloss. My hands trembled slightly, which made me laugh at myself. “It’s just Connor,” I muttered. “You’ve talked to him a hundred times.”Still, this was different.By the time headlights swept across our driveway, I nearly jumped. My dad called from the kitchen, “You going out, Em?”“Yeah,” I said, grabbing my