Emma spent a few more hours with Jason and Mark before she told them she had to go home for dinner. Kathryn had insisted that Emma be home for dinner every night that week. Emma wasn’t looking forward to the scene that was likely to occur when she got home and had to face Morgan but there was no way she could avoid that. Mark volunteered to walk Emma out to her car, which was a little unusual but Emma had wanted to talk to him alone anyways so she didn’t argue.
Emma and Mark didn’t talk as they walked to her car. Emma kept thinking about how Mark had reacted when he saw her black eye and a traitorous part of her mind pointed out that guys only do that when they really care about the girl. Maybe he didn’t just see her as a friend…
“Why did you attack Jason when you saw my black eye?” Emma asked abruptly.
Mark shrugged. “You’re the closest thing I have to a little sister.” He said simply. “When a guy brings you back to me with a black eye I get a little over protective.”
She was right, he didn’t think of her as a friend. He thought of her as a little sister. Emma’s heart sank.
“Just a little?” Emma asked dryly as they reached her car.
“Yeah.” Mark said with a grin. He reached out with one of his giant hands and rubbed the top of her head, turning her hair into a mess. “Your face looks bad enough as it is, with an ugly bruise you’re just a lost cause.”
“Hey!” Emma squealed, ducking from beneath his hand. “Not the hair!”
Emma ran a few steps away from him, finger combing her hair back into place while she glared at him. “You can say I’m a lost cause but we both know I’m the better looking one of the two of us.” She said, giving him her best stuck up Morgan look.
Mark laughed. “Lies.” He said. Emma stuck her tongue out at him and dug her keys out of her purse. “Drive straight home.” Mark ordered. “Don’t stop anywhere.”
Emma rolled her eyes and opened her door, pausing to look back at Mark. “You know saying that makes me want to find someplace to stop at, just because you told me not to.”
“Emma.” Mark said, his voice completely serious. “Drive straight home. I’m going to call you in ten minutes to make sure you got there.”
“Alright fine, I’ll go straight home.” Emma said, annoyance dripping from her voice. “But for the record, I think you are taking this whole protective role a little far.”
Mark chuckled. “As long as you go straight home that’s fine.”
When Emma got into the car Mark tapped on her window so she rolled it down.
“Yes daddy, I promise I’ll drive safely and wear a seat belt.” She said sarcastically.
Mark reached in and flicked her on the ear, startling a yelp from her.
“Go home after school tomorrow.” He said. “You’ll have a surprise for you.”
Emma’s eyes lit up. “A surprise?” She asked excitedly. “What is it?”
“Go home tomorrow and you’ll find out.” Mark said with a wink. He patted the top of her car and stepped back so she could drive away.
Pulling up at the house after school the next day Emma walked inside, noticing that nobody’s cars were there. She must have beat Morgan home and Kathryn was probably out running errands. Emma wandered inside and checked to see if there were any packages for her lying around. Nothing. Emma sighed. Maybe Mark had just told her to go home to get her out of his hair. She could see him doing something like that. Wandering over to the kitchen Emma had just stuck her head in the fridge to see if she could find something to eat for an after school snack when someone rang the doorbell.
Emma looked curiously at the door. No one else was home so who would be coming over? Emma walked to the front door and slowly opened it.
“Emma!” Amy said cheerfully. “Great, you’re home!”
“Oh, hey Amy.” Emma said, opening the door wider and stepping back. Amy came bouncing through the door with a package in her hands, looking more excited than Emma had ever seen her. “I didn’t know you were coming over.” Emma said.
“That’s because it was a surprise.” Amy said with a big grin. “Well, actually it’s part of the surprise, I haven’t told you the other part yet.”
Emma eyed her suspiciously. “There’s another part to this surprise?” she asked.
Amy nodded emphatically. “Yep!” She said. “We’re going shopping!!!” Amy bounced up and down, clapping her hands excitedly.
“Shopping?” Emma asked, her voice incredulous.
“Yes!” Amy was practically glowing with excitement. “We’re driving to the city and we’re spending the night shopping! Oh, by the way this is for you.” Amy handed the package to Emma.
“Who’s it from?” Emma asked, taking the package.
“I don’t know.” Amy shrugged. “It doesn’t say on the front. But we are going shopping tonight and we are going to get you an entirely new wardrobe because…” Amy paused and looked Emma up and down. “Well sweetie, you really need clothes that fit. You look like a homeless person.”
Emma tugged at her shirt self-consciously. “No, I don’t.” she said in a pouty voice.
“Yes, you really do.” Amy said, nodding her head sadly. “But don’t worry, after tonight you will have a whole new wardrobe that actually fits you! Now grab your things because we need to leave if we want to get there on time.” Amy said briskly.
“Get there on time? You mean we’re on a schedule?” Emma asked as Amy herded her towards her bedroom.
“Of course!” Amy exclaimed. “What do you think I’ve been doing all day? I’ve been busy planning this out so we can get the most accomplished in the time we have. We only have one night after all. That’s a lot of shopping to cram into just a few hours.”
“Oh no.” Emma dropped her head forward and groaned.
“Hush, you’re going to love it.” Amy chided her, shooing Emma upstairs. “And even if you don’t you’re going to thank me tomorrow when you have all your new amazing clothes to wear. Now go get your purse!”
Before she went back downstairs Emma dropped the package on her desk to open when she got home. Ten minutes later Emma was sitting in Amy’s car listening to Amy gush about how much fun they were going to have as they drove towards the city.
While Amy and Emma drove south Mark and Jason were north of the town, just approaching the cabin Loraine had told them about. The mountains were only a thirty-minute drive from Riverdale but the boys had decided to park their car at the base of the mountains and hike the rest of the way. As Mark and Jason crept through the forest keeping an eye out for anyone patrolling the woods Mark’s phone vibrated. Mark pulled out his phone and laughed quietly when he saw the text Emma had sent him. I hate you. Was all the text message said.
“Was that from Emma?” Jason asked quietly, coming up next to him.
Mark nodded and slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Yeah, Amy has picked her up.” He said.
“Did she tell you she hated you?” Jason asked, looking at Mark’s phone curiously.
“Oh yeah.” Mark replied with a smile. He refocused on their surroundings then, pointing towards a break in the trees thirty yards from them. “That’s the clearing where the cabin should be.” He said. “I think we should both circle around the perimeter and check for guards, we can meet up on the other side and decide where to go from there.”
“If there are guards should we avoid them or neutralize them?” Jason asked, his manner cool and professional.
“Avoid them, this is just a recon mission.” Mark said.
Jason nodded and the two boys separated, Mark circling the clearing to the left and Jason circling to the right.