"I don't want you to go," I whispered to Emerald. It was January 2nd, and I could tell that she was going to be leaving. She was more tense, agitated, and clingy. Having her always there next to me, with her arms around me, her head on my shoulder, or in my lap, or all of her snuggled up next to me, it was amazing.

I'd fallen in love with her. Maybe when I first laid eyes on her in the store, when I decided to have her come home with me. I could probably get over her relatively easily. I didn't know her too well, and I hadn't known her for too long, but really. I didn't want to let her go. I didn't want to have to let her go.

"I couldn't stay," Emerald whispered back, her breath dancing around my neck. I noticed she didn't say that she didn't want to stay, but that she couldn't. I knew I shouldn't press. But I couldn't help it.

"But you could. You don't have to go."

"Yes," her voice was softer, "I do." My arms tightened around her before I realized that I wanted them to, and she took a shuddering breath in response. "Please don't," she added as I was about to ask why. From her soft and defeated voice, I could tell she was trying not to cry, that she was trying to sound stronger than she felt.

So I didn't say anything.

Emerald brushed the tears from my face as I cried, and whispered soothing sounds of understanding. I fell asleep that night with a sense of foreboding, a sense something bad would happen, and so I held my love tightly. It didn't help.

She was gone when I awoke.

So I went back to sleep.

XxX

My parents came home the next day to find me lying on the couch. I was just...lying there. I yelled out to them in acknowledgment that I was there, but I didn't get up. I didn't want to.

"Are you all right?" my mother asked me later that day. I'd gotten off the couch and moved to the dining room where we were eating ordered out pizza.

"Of course," I replied, forcing a smile in her direction. My parents both exchanged a glance, but didn't press me any further.

School started again the next day. Dutifully, I got up early, and started my normal school-day routine. The day moved slowly, despite being able to see everyone from school again. I acted excited to see them, trying to make them think I missed them as much as they did me. But I hadn't missed them, because Emerald had been there.

Somehow, when everyone asked me what I did over the break, I managed to lie and just tell them I did nothing. I wanted to talk about Emerald, to tell everyone about her, but at the same time, I didn't want to have to share her. And it seemed like that's what talking about her would do--force me to share her with everyone else.

School passed. The days turned into one week, then two, then a few months. Some went by slowly, some quickly. But they passed, and it was once again summer vacation. On the last day of school, I laughed with my 'friends' as we walked out of the building, sharing promises to call each other and keep in touch over the summer while we all knew we wouldn't do it.

"Who's that?" one of my friends asked after we made the promises. She pointed her finger over to one of the telephone poles near the school, and so we all looked over to see who she meant, curious. It couldn't have been someone from the school--we knew all the faces of the students--or a parent of one of the students--we knew all of their faces, too.

My breath caught in my chest as I realized who it was. Emerald. She looked much like she did when I first saw her, in clothes that were old and worn, and a dirt in various places. She was scanning the crowd, frowning, like she was trying to find someone. In my mind, I hoped that it was me.

"She's an old friend of mine," I said to my friends. "I gotta go talk to her. Have a great summer!" I waved at them, then started off towards Emerald, resisting the urge to run and instead walked, just a little faster than normal. She spotted me as I got closer, and grinned. "Hey," I said when I stopped in front of her a few seconds later.

"Hey back."

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't keep the amazement out of my voice or the smile off my face, and I knew she noticed.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and...I had to come see you. I, um, I missed you," her voice got quieter as she spoke this, and she turned her head to look at our feet. "I had to see you again..."

"...You are going to do more than just see me again, right?" This got her to look up at me. "Come stay with me," I pleaded. "My parents won't mind, and they aren't home often, and I don't like you living in the streets. I don't want you to leave again." The last came out as a whisper, though I'd tried not to let it. Emerald smiled at me, though, and lifted her arms as if to hug me before returning them to her sides without having touched me at all.

"Everyone's watching," she said by way of explanation. I looked behind me, and realized that she was right. So, I grinned, and turned back to Emerald. "...Why are you looking at me like that."

"Might as well give them something to look at, right?" She looked at me in amazement for a second before I put my hands on her waist and pulled her against me, kissing her. Her arms came to rest on my back and stayed after we pulled apart a few seconds later.

"I love you, you know," she told me. Her strange green eyes sparkled as she grinned.

"I love you, too. Now, we should probably get out of here and back to my house. You need a shower." To prove my point, I wrinkled my nose. She laughed and punched me lightly before putting her arm around my waist and walking beside me as I led her to my car.

XxX

A/N:: And that, lovely readers, is the end. Merry Christmas, Joyful New Year, Happy Birthday, whatever.

Leave a review before you click out of here, for reviews fill me with joy and inflate my ego.
Oh, and before I forget, this is only up now because of my lovely friend, Ess. So be happy, Ess, 'cause this'll be here for you to read whenever you get back from your vacation.

Opal