All Chapters of Emma & Connor: Chapter 11 - Chapter 13

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

By Tuesday afternoon, Manatee High felt louder than usual. Maybe it was the way everyone buzzed with the kind of energy that meant a break was close. The long weekend was coming, and most people already had plans. Emma didn’t—at least not yet.The bell rang for lunch, and Emma followed the usual crowd to the cafeteria. She spotted Connor sitting at their usual table with Ethan, Liam, and Chelsea. Ethan was talking fast, excitement written all over his face, while Connor laughed at something Chelsea said.Emma slid her tray onto the table just as Ethan turned toward her. “Perfect timing, Emma,” he said, grinning. “I was just telling everyone about my birthday plan.”“Birthday plan?” she asked, opening her water bottle.“Yeah! My eighteenth,” Ethan said proudly. “My parents are letting me use our cabin by the lake for the long weekend. There is no school on Thursday, Friday, or Monday. We’re all going up Thursday morning and coming back Monday afternoon like 12:00 or 1:00—bonfire, food,