Emma and Killian were inseparable since they were kids and their friendship grew with them, the one never being seen without the other despite the objections of their parents. Killian spent the majority of his time at her house as his father constantly worked, and Emma seemed to always know how much he longed for that father-son relationship. Since he’s always around my dad. Killian was the one person who knew her faults, her strengths, her weaknesses, her favourite colour, how to tell when she was lying... everything that a best friend should know about the other. No argument was really ever too big to get between them, which was a rarity in the world surrounding them now. In fact, it was so rare that her parents often reminded her to hold onto that friendship in the years that were sure to come, and never allow anything or anyone to rip them apart.
David Nolan had accepted a job offer that was on the other side of the country. It required them to move almost immediately after her freshman year in high school began, which left Emma feeling defeated by the news that she would be leaving her best friend behind in the small Maine town. The year had already started out being a confusing and stressful time as her feelings for Killian moved from being strictly platonic to something more, but the feeling of leaving all of that behind... of what could have been⎯⎯⎯ it made her feel nothing but anger and regret for not acting sooner. He probably views me as a friend anyway. She thought, I’m probably not missing out on anything. As boxes grew in quantity around her room and the house, it also lead to her final day of classes with Killian, their final outing to the docks they spent the majority of their time at. He was her best friend..., someone she was starting to develop feelings for. This isn’t fair.
Emma spent her years in high school on the other side of the country and struggled in her studies and creating friendships. A few nice people came and went but no concrete friendships were created, nothing that would make her truly happy to wake up and want to attend classes. In Maine, Emma longed to see Killian and some of her other friends, but the adjustment now was a hurdle she couldn’t seem to climb over without help. Her parents could see the light they loved about her gone, which was a feeling David was also experiencing in his own life. The job he left Maine for was proving to be stressful on him, which was affecting his health far too much that concerned his family. Was moving back to Maine a possibility? Could he get his old job back but with a raise where could make a decent living while supporting his family? After weeks of counter offers being made, Emma couldn’t believe the news that they were moving back home. She was able to finish her senior year alongside her friends, alongside Killian. Emma couldn’t be happier.
That summer also lead to Emma wanting to confess her feelings after holding onto them for over 3 years. Each time Emma opened her mouth to bring those words to fruition, she always went onto a completely different topic. He’s probably not interested in me. She thought, again. Why risk getting hurt?It was a never-ending discussion she had with herself. Emma wanted to spend their summer before college without her memories turning into negative ones. It’s what lead Emma into meeting Neal Cassidy at a local diner and immediately the two had chemistry, which provided Emma with an outlet to try and “forget” about Killian. While Emma focused on building a friendship with Neal over the first semester, the second lead to the two being inseparable as a relationship formed that summer and lasted well into the start of their senior year.
With one month of their senior year behind them, they were already preparing for one of the first exams. Emma and Neal meeting up with Killian at the local diner ended up being a tradition. It was home to numerous study sessions, laughs, and thought provoking discussions with the trio. It also provided Emma with some form of security, her thoughts about Neal’s odd behavior never coming to mind when Killian was a source of laughter for them. The last six months took an odd turn for Emma once Neal’s schedule piled up with more studies and work. For awhile she thought he was saving on possibly proposing the following semester once they graduated, but the signs she dropped to confirm that theory never went over well. He always made some excuse for being late to their dates, for having to cancel plans last minute... Something didn’t seem right and Emma loved him, never wanting to question his motives and risk being wrong.
“You two need to stop acting like children.” Emma laughed as she brought the straw to her lips, sipping her soda while moving closer to Neal. His arm had been around her for the majority of their dinner despite wanting to run away whenever they brought up one of her many embarrassing moments.
“What?” Neal asked with a smirk on his face as the playfulness of his tone fell past his lips. “We can’t help but talk about what happened in class last semester when you’re around, Em.”
“Neal!” Emma laughed, “The fact that you two are so close because you poke fun at me for something I said MONTHS ago is getting kind of old, don’t you think?”
“Not really.” He replied, “You’re quite the comedian, Em.”
Emma laughed before taking a bite of her meal while looking up at Killian. “You started this. I hate you.”
Neal smiled to himself before looking at the clock, his eyes glancing at his phone to a text message Emma couldn’t seem to make out. “I have to go.”
“You just got here, Neal... Again?” Neal took another bite of his food before throwing a few bucks on the table to pay for it, not bothering to put enough money down to pay for Emma’s. “I’m sorry, babe. I have to get to my other job.”
Emma sighed, nodding. “I.. I understand. I love you..” When Neal said goodbye and stood up, Emma reached over to give him a kiss goodbye where she was met with complete abandonment as Neal left the diner. She sat in her seat looking hurt while a single tear fell down her cheek. Emma didn’t want Killian to see her upset and so she brought her hand up to dry her cheeks before turning to face Killian. “H.. he’s working a lot. He says he has a lot.. a lot of bills to pay.” Her eyes then diverted to the cash Neal had left, clenching her lips together in anger knowing that the amount near his plate was just enough to cover his own meal.