Chapter One "Damn car." Emma said kicking "why.... why..... why?" she asked banging her head on the window. "This is the worst possible day ever." she said looking up at the rain flalling. Realizing Emma had locked her keys in her car only made things worse. She stood with her head against the car door letting the rain roll down her body. It was middle November and the cool wind made her body shiver. Only she couldn't tell if it was the wind or the events that played over in her mind from hours earlier. Tonight could only be added to her "book of problems" she thought. You'd think being rid of a guy like lucas would make her life eaiser, happier, and most of all guilt free, but the truth was she really was inlove with him and had been since she was 16. "Do you need some help?" a voice from behind her said. Not eing sure Emma really heard someone she didn't move for fear of being attacked or something to that effect. "Umm... are you okay?" the voice said touching her shoulder. Emma jumped at the touch. "I'm sorry i didn't mean to stardle you. I just thought you might need some help." He said backing up. "No i'm fine. I think i'm just gonna walk home." she said turning around. "It's pouring." "No! really?" she said covering her mouth "Well uh..." he said hanging his head. " I know it's raining I just thought you might need some help." he said starting to walk away. "No wait." she said catching up to him."i'm sorry it's just one of those days ya know?" she said now feeling embaressed. He just looked at her. "I locked my keys in my car and my cell." "Do you wanna ride?" He said simply. "I'm not suppose to get in a car with someone i don't know." "I'm Justin." he said holding out his hand. "Emma." she said shaking his extended hand. "Now can we please get out of the rain." "Yeah sorry." she said following him Getting in she remembered her mom always telling her not to getin a car with a stranger. They might hurt or kill you she would say, but right now being dead was better then where she was. "Where do you live?" he asked starting the car. "Umm... The Hills. On Peach Tree Lane." "I live up that way." He said turning down the music that filled his car." Sorry bout that, I like my music loud." Emma smiled and turned to look out the window as they pulled away. Chit chatting was not what she wanted to do at the moment. Her dinner out had been shot to hell. Her fiance had broken everything off, and now she was having to listen to coldplay and some man off the street talk about how he liked his music. Half way home she realized tears were running down her face. She had no way of knowing how long she had been crying. She couldn't remember starting. When had she become such a basketcase. She wiped her tears and turned away from the window. "Do you mind changing that cd?" she said looking at him "You don't like coldplay?" he asked "No the music's fine. It's just kind of depressing right now." Noticeing that she had been crying he voluntearaly turned off the radio. The silence was defening. Maybe she just shouldn't have said anything. "Are you gonna be able to get into your house without a key?" He asked looking at her. "I have a roommate." she said looking away from him "Oh okay." "Shes probably asleep though." "Here." he said reaching for his phone from the console. "Call, wake her up." Taking the phone from his hand she called April her roommate. "Hey i need you to unlock the front door I locked my keys in my car." she said looking out the window again. " I'm not with Lucas...No it's a long story I'll tell you tomorrow.... i just got a ride.... no i'm fine... I gotta go okay... alright bye...."... "Thanks" she said handing him the phone " No problem" Looking out the window more thoughts of Lucas rushed through her mind. It all was starting to give her a headache. "Jerk." "Excuse me?" Justin said looking her way "Nothing... Nothing.." Stripping herself of her wet clothes, drying off and climbing into bed she dreaded the sleep that was ahead. Knowing only nightmares would cloud her dreams. "Hey man where you been all night." Trace asked "I had a date." Justin said with a grin "Oh yeah." Trace said wiggling his eyebrows "No man, no." He said losing his grin "It was terrible." "She left." "Left?" Trace said with a confused look "Yeah. Her phone rang, she said she had to go and left." "Weird." "Yeah, but it's fine cause she was boring as hell, but i met a girl in the parking lot." Justin said now wiggling his own eyebrows. "She left her keys in her car so i took her home." "Oh yeah. Was she as boring as the first?" "No, but something was off." "Well did you get her number?" "I didn't wanna bother her. She said she was having a bad day so i don't know." "Well, thats to bad." "Yeah but i know where she lives." "Even better, but what excuse are you gonna use to go over there." "This." Justin said lifting her purse. "Dude did you take that?" Trace said laughing. "No man i'm not that desperate." "Oh... well let me know how that works out for ya. I'm going to sleep." "Yeah, see you tomorrow." "So when are you gonna start telling me about what happened with Lucas last night." April asked as she walked into the kitchen to find Emma sitting at the table looking out the window aimlessly. "Huh?" Emma asked turning around. "You, Lucas, last night any of that ring a bell." "Oh yeah, it was nothing." "Nothing my ass. I can tell from the redness in your eyes that it was something." She said sitting across from her "The weddings off." Emma said looking up. "Off? oh, Emma was it that bad?" She asked in disbelife. "Yeah." She said getting up." Look just when i think i couldn't possibly cry anymore." She said wiping away a tear. "Listen." April said getting up. "Maybe it's good you guys take a break." "OH there's break about it." "What are you saying?" "It's over forever." "Forever? That's a really big word." "Well, when your boyfriend tells you he's been screwing some 18 year old, and that he's inlove with her then you tell me how big a word forever is." Emma said walking out of the kitchen. "18?" April asked herself outloud. Wiping away the rest of her tears Emma went to answer her front door. "Is there something i can help you with?" Emma asked "You don't remember me do you?" "Should i?" "I gave you a ride home last night." "Oh, it's you." She said leaning on the door. "Please don't sound so enthused." "No, i'm sorry." She said waving her hand "Yesterday's just a day i wish i could forget. i mean like i said it was just a really bad day." "Yeah your telling me." He said lifting her bag into eyesight. "Oh my god." She said stepping outside. "Did i leave that in your car?" "Sure did." "That goes to show you how out of it i was. I hadn't even noticed." "Yeah well um...." Justin said putting his hands in his back pocket nervously "Yeah?" Emma asked "You wanna go get a cup of coffee or something? If your not busy or anything." "Well actually i was about to go get that care of mine." "Well go get a cup with me and i'll take you to get your car." "Oh no i don't want you to go out of your way anymore then you have." "Consider it a honor." "An honor." She said stepping back into her house. "Yeah well something like that." Grabbing her jacket and stepping back outside Emma followed Justin to his car. "So starbucks okay with you?" He asked while getting in his car. "Yeah that's great." "So tell me Emma why such a bad day?" "Umm... just various things all day. Nothing fit right, bad hair, stuff like that ya know." "Yeah I"ve had those days." "Well anyway Justin, Tell me about you." "Me.. well let's see where should I start?" "God don't you have a big head." "I was joking. just joking." He said laughing Emma caught herself laughing along with heim. She immedatly stopped. "Is something wrong." Justin asked noticeing her abrupt stop in laughing. "Umm no. You were saying?" "You really don't know?" "Should I know something?" she said giving him a weird look. "No sorry." He said parking the car. "How bout i just tell you all about me inside." He said slipping on his shades, hat and getting out of the car. "Nice look." Emma said getting out "Hey!" Justin said offensively with a smirk. "Joking. Just joking." Emma said mimicking him. After helping Emma with her chair he asked what he could get her. "Just a regular coffee." She replied. "Okay be right back." he said walking to the counter. Whlie Emma waited for him to return she let her thoughts return to Lucas. She was determinded to get over this and quick. How could she have been so blind to his little game. How would she ever truely be able to love someone again. But she would put it in god's hands and have faith that he knew what he was doing. Besides her mom always told her that love was always right in front of you especially when she least expected it. If not on que Justin showed up in front of her at that very moment holding two cups of coffee. What a sign this could be she thought. "Are you still with us?" Justin asked sitting down "Umm.. yeah.. i was just thinking." "I noticed you do that a lot." "What can i say? i like to think." she said taking her coffee from him. "Thanks for this" she said gesturing to the cup. "It's not a problem." he said pausing for a moment. " So you like to think a lot..... what else should i know about you?" "Well... - hey weren't we suppose to talk about you?" She said glaring at him "I've lead quite a boring life." "Fine fine... what part of my life would you like me to start with?" "How bout the very begining." he said with a challenging look. "The begining? would could be here all day." "Well just give me the biggest events." "Starting with the begining? Geez... i havent' tought about my childhood since..." She stopped looking away... "well for a long time." "There's that look again." Justin said with a smile.. Turning to look back at him she realized what a wonderful smile he had. Why hadn't some girl snatched him up already. There had to be a flaw with this guy somewhere, but so far she hadn't seen one thing out of the normal. "God you really do drift off." He said now laughing "Sorry..." Emma said blushing "you must think i'm some freak.." "No... i really don't know what to think of you. Mostly because i don't know anything about you." "Oh right... so i was born in November...er this month... " "So your birthday is coming up?" Justin asked cutting her off.... "No it was about a week ago." "Oh.." He said looking disappointed "Anyway.. as i was saying" she said with a smile. " i was born in November... the 10th.. which makes me 21 this year. I guess i could say my childhood was a good one. I'm an only child so what can i say? i did everything by myself." "That must have sucked." "No.. not really. i never had to share anything. I was spoiled." She said with and evil grin. "But... my parents taught me well... the only thing is i'm still really spoiled. I was a pretty shy kid in school... made good grades... i was.... THE perfect child." she said now letting her self really laugh. As did justin. So they talked and Emma told him of every scratch and bruise she could think of. Because to her they were all big events in her life. "Oh my god... look at me i've been talking for an hour straight." She said looking at her watch "Is this the right time?" Justin said now looking at his own watch "11:00 yeah.. it's the right time." she said giving him a funny look " is something wrong?" "I'm only about 30 minutes late for the biggest meeting of my life." He said getting up and pulling on his jacket "Oh... well we barly got through Junior high... i knew i was talking to much why didn't you stop me?" She said pulling on her own jacket now. "No, no, no... " he said stopping her.. "I had a great time. i really did. I just have something i have to do today." He said looking into her eyes. "Ummm yeah... me-... me too.." she felt her knees go weak. First his eyes now the smile. "Ok so let me get you to your car." He said leading her out. "yeah okay." "So like i said earlier i did have a good time i'm glad you decided to go with me." he said to her as she got of his car "Yeah me too..." She said looking back through the window.. "But your late remember you better go. I'd hate for you to get fired on my account." "Oh i won't.. trust me, but i better run." "OKay.." Couldn't he see her stalling. She was afarid to let him out of her sight. This was the first pearson in a long time that made her smile like she had been smiling all morning. "Well.. bye." He said "Bye." She said backing away from his car. She watched him speed off and realized she would probably never find or talk to this man again. "why didn't i get his number or something." she said outloud to herself. " i'm such and idiot."