Something Great

Emma’s P.O.V.

Looking in the mirror, my black eye and fat lip shown through and they were the only things I could focus on. Finally, I pulled myself away from the mirror and searched for a pair of sunglasses to cover up my black and purple eye. Eleanor stayed the night and barged into my room. “Emma, you can’t hide in your room forever! You look fine,” she said pulling me out into the kitchen. Quickly, I put on my glasses but it didn’t even matter because no one was there. “Coralie’s coming over, we’re going shopping.” If there was something I hated more, it would be shopping. I mean it wasn’t the worst thing but it gets agitating after a while and I don’t even know how long I’m going to hold up with the thrashing headache.

“Can we get breakfast first?” I asked, hearing my stomach growl. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning,” I groaned. Coralie showed up with some bagels and they both rushed me into the car so they could get their shopping day going.


While Coralie and Eleanor were in the dressing room, trying on loads of clothes, I listened to the numerous voicemails I got from my dad and Riley. My dad just talked about how much he missed me and how I should take a weekend to come home for a little. Riley’s was more shocking and gave me a sort of relief, he was coming home early so he’d be home by Monday. I had only one more song to write but I figured if I had a brainstorm like I did the other day, it’d be done in no time. And the more time I leave to spend with Riley the less time I had to think about Harry. As sad as it sounds, I couldn’t help but pray to God it would allow me to get over Harry completely. For those beautiful two weeks with Riley, it actually helped but once I saw them I guess it triggered something. And if I want to seize the black eyes and fat lips, I had to stop getting so caught up in Harry’s relationship and focus on mine. “Emma?!” Coralie snapped her fingers in front of my face.

“Huh?” She snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her wearing a form fitting dress that made her look gorgeous.

“How do I look? Should I buy it?” She asked as she modeled it in the mirror. Her hand reached down for the tag and her face immediately saddened. “Never mind, it’s completely out of my price range.” Coralie was tight on money, as she worked in a small coffee shop that rarely had business. Also, all her money goes towards fashion school. It was sad because she absolutely loved shopping but also hated it because she could never afford anything.

“Coralie, I’ll get it for you.” Another thing she hated was when I offered to pay for things she couldn’t afford.

“No, Emma. Maybe a few more paychecks and then I’ll come back.”

“Why can’t I just buy it now and you can pay me back?” I asked trying to salvage some of her dignity that she so desperately wants to keep. It’d be so much easier if she just let me buy it for her but nothing’s ever easy.

“It’s fine, Em. Why don’t you buy something?” She asked. “I mean I’m sure Riley goes to tons of parties where people are dressed up. And I don’t think that your casual jeans and your tees are going to do it.”

“You know, I never really thought of that.”

“Has he invited you to any fancy parties yet?” Eleanor joined in on the conversation.

“Not yet, I mean I don’t think I’m going to buy myself a dress until he actually starts asking me to places like that. It has only been 2 weeks,” I mentioned.

“You’re so lucky, you have an older boyfriend who’s Australian and also beautiful and rich and smart…jeez I could make a long list of his amazing qualities.” Coralie gushed. I think that she’s more in love my relationship than I am. Riley did have a number of remarkable qualities that any girl would be proud of. “I bet he’s an amazing kisser,” Coralie’s eyes closed and I pushed her.

“He is,” I confessed along with a slight blush.

“So is he…you know…sex material?” Eleanor quietly asked. All three of us laughed at where this conversation was heading. “I mean is he worth your first time? He’s older so he probably knows what he’s doing if you know what I mean,” she nudged me and gave a wink.

“An experienced man is what you have,” Coralie stated.

“I don’t know, it’s only been 2 weeks.” I mentioned.

“Well we’re just glad you’re happy,” they both agreed. Which is what I was, happy. Right? I just wish Riley would come back home so I could wrap my brain around only him and not Harry.



Only two more days until Riley comes home, I thought to myself. My notebook was laid out on the kitchen counter and there were papers everywhere. And only one more song to write, I thought again. I chewed on the bottom of my pen and searched the room for words. Nothing was giving me anything until he walked into the room. Suddenly, the urge to write came over me because that’s the affect Harry had on me. “Hey, whatcha up to?” He asked, chugging a water bottle and I could feel myself doing as I wished I wouldn’t. My eyes couldn’t leave him, they were glued but once he looked I quickly looked down.

“Uh, just trying to finish up my last song but I can’t find the words. All I have so far is:

Well, I met you at the blood bank
We were looking at the bags
Wondering if any of the colors
Matched any of the names we knew on the tags” I read aloud.

Harry spit his water all over the kitchen and choked. “What the hell?” I asked, pulling my papers away from him so he wouldn’t get any of them wet.

“You just told me your lyrics...” He said pointing at my notebook. And that’s when it hit me, I had just read my lyrics out loud to Harry. There was nothing I wanted to do more than find the nearest bridge and leap off of it. My lyrics were basically my journal and I didn’t want anyone that I knew to know them beforehand.

“Do me a favor and pretend like you did not hear that!” I was about to close my notebook but Harry’s hand slid onto the page not allowing me to do so.

“No, no. Emma those were good. I wanna hear more,” he pushed open the notebook and sat down across from me waiting.

“That’s all I had for that song because I can’t think of anything else,” I pouted.

“Need help? I mean I’m no you but I can pull a few words out here and there. I did help write my own album,” he gloated jokingly. “Come on, it’ll be fun.” I let out a sigh and allowed him to help me with the song.

“Okay,” I breathed.



After bringing out my guitar and Harry sand along with me, we pulled together what I would say was one of the best songs on my song list. “This is amazing – that was amazing. Thank you so much for helping me,” I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed as tight as possible. “Thank you.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. I actually had a good time helping you,” he wrapped his large arms around me. “You’re an amazing writer, Em.” Harry whispered into my hair. “I’m really proud of you.” Once those words left his mouth I could feel the warm surge rush in throughout my body. So as fast as possible, I finished the hug and gave him a smile although on the inside I was not happy. I wasn’t not happy with Harry but I wasn’t happy with myself. How could I allow myself to keep falling for him, everything he did just made me feel a certain way that no one else could make me feel. Wishing Riley could give me the same feeling was foolish of me but it was all I had left. Obviously, Harry wasn’t leaving Cara for me no matter how much I wanted him to. Only two more days until Riley comes home, I thought to myself over and over again. Only two more days and then I can get Harry off my mind.




Later that night, I was sitting in my room on my bed with my back up against the headboard. The notebook on the end of my bed was laying there and for about an hour now, I’ve been staring it down. Hoping that the song Harry and I wrote would just disappear. Because now, not only did that song mean a lot to just me…it meant a lot to the both of us, together. And I know that every time I would listen to this song, Harry would come to my mind and I would want him over and over again. The notebook was so aggravating to look at, I wanted to throw it out the window but it was too late now. I wish the song wasn’t so magnificently beautiful in so many ways and-Finally I cut myself off of my thoughts and grabbed the notebook. My hands were moving before my mind, landing on the page where Harry and I spent so many hours on. I traced my fingers over the words he and I wrote, his handwriting completely different from mine.

“Blood Bank”
Well, I met you at the blood bank
We were looking at the bags
Wondering if any of the colors
Matched ant of the names we knew on the tags

You said, see look that’s yours
Stacked on top with your brother’s
See how they resemble one another
Even in their plastic little covers.

And I said I know it well
That secret that you knew but don’t know how to tell
It fucks with your honor and it teases your head
But you know that it’s good girl
‘Cause it’s running you with red

Then the snow started falling
We were stuck out in your car
You were rubbing both my hands
Chewing on a candy bar

You said, ain’t this just like the present
To be showing up like this?
As a moon waned to crescent
We started to kiss

And I said I know it well
That secret that we know that we don’t how to tell
I’m in love with your honor, I’m in love with your cheeks
What’s that noise up the stairs, babe?
Is that Christmas morning creaks?

And I know it well, I know it well
And in know it well, I know it
And I know it, I know it
And I know it, I know it

Notes