My mind was playing tricks on me again, making me see things that I want to see, but are practically impossible. This isn't the first time I'm dreaming or imagining her but how real it feels, is kind of concerning.

I saw her turn, and my heart literally skipped a beat. When her eyes landed on me, I was sure, this isn't just my imagination. She was, in fact, real and standing right in front of me. She plastered a sickly sweet smile and that's when I snapped out of my trance.

"Miles..." The word slipped out on it's own accord and at that moment, I swear I saw almost a thousand emotions flash through her eyes.

At that moment, I realised the gravity of the situation. The cafeteria was silent, while people looked at us, wide eyed, which included my friends, and I think I heard Cole mutter an 'I knew it' under his breath.

Her eyes widened in shock as she froze and her smile fell, looking at me in disbelief.

'What? She wasn't expecting to be recognised?'

Everyone looked shocked as if they just learnt her identity.

My eyes widened at the thought.

No one knew who she was. I wouldn't have recognised her if I was in their place either. But I'm not. I know her. Her eyes.

I could recognise those eyes in the crowd of a million.

The nagging voice that came from somewhere close to me stopped, as everyone switched between looking at me and her.

It was the most cliche moment of my life, as I felt the time stop. As if, it was just the two of us in the cafeteria and I looked at her, really looked at her.

No wonder no one, even from our friends, could recognise her. Who stood before me was a lot different from the Emily we remember and I can't stress this fact enough that she looked gorgeous.

Her hair framed her face in soft waves as they shone in the many shades of brown, that I did not know even existed, making her look like a goddess. All those years of torture, due to the braces clearly blessed us both, as her pearly whites hid behind her plump lips. She ditched her glasses, and I almost wanted to bend down to thank her for that, because her eyes now had no barrier and they sparkled like an ocean during a sunset.

My eyes travelled south on their own accord and I almost gasp. She definitely worked out for being so toned. Her white shorts left her long legs on display while the pink top stuck to her highlighting her curves, making me feel all kinds of things.

Her eyes shifted emotions from shocked to anger as she snapped out of her trance, clearly irritated.

'What did you even expect? Her, to run into your arms? Yeah, leave that for the dreams buddy.'

Ouch?

"So much for a no-drama day." She groaned, rolling her eyes, as she scans the room full of people, literally looking at her in disbelief.

I was about to tell them off, when she focused her gaze, squared her shoulders and walked towards Jennie, who I forgot was standing next to me.

Emily stopped inches away from her, looking at her in the eye. They were the same height because Jennie was wearing heels, while Emily was clearly taller.

Another girl, I didn't know rushed near the two, almost in alarm, as if someone might get... hurt?

At that moment, looking at the two, I saw how much a person can change in the span of three years.

Jennie was one of the bullies who tormented Emily along with her goons. Emily was never the one to speak, she kept her head down and just waited till they were done and I, well, there wasn't much I could've done back then, even if she asked me to.

But now, I see a completely different Emily, my Miles nonetheless.

'Mine? Really? Did she even spare you a glance?'

I really enjoy hurting myself, apparently.

She stood face to face with Jennie, whose face was red, for some reason, with a blank face but eyes, that held rage.

"Just so we're clear, you don't own the school." She said in a smooth voice that almost made me shiver. Damn you, hormones. "At least, not anymore." She finished with a smirk.

***

I slumped down on a seat at the table staring at nothing in particular, while the rest of the cafeteria went back to being loud, obviously gossipping about whatever teen fiction drama, our school life has turned into.

After the threats were made by Emily, she walked out of the cafeteria along with the other new girl that I don't know. Followed by a very high pitched scream from Jennie, who stomped her feet in frustration, being the mature adult she is, and ran out along with her minions.

"Do you think he'll make it." Said an annoying voice from somewhere beside me.

"He's not sick, you idiot." Definitely Cole.

"I don't know about the sick part though, he's almost turning green." Was Perri always this stupid? Yeah well, she's dating Logan after all.

"Guys give him time. That's a lot of information to take in, in the span of two minutes." Mia is literally the only sane one among us. "All his hormones that went haywire need time to chill." I take that back, they are all idiots.

"Stop talking about me, as if I'm not here." I finally said looking at each one of them.

"Are you, though? Here? Cuz you've been staring at a very boring stain on the table for the last five minutes." Perri said, looking concerned.

"And y'all thought I was crazy, I told you she looked familiar but nooo please feel free to ignore the smart guy and call our childhood friend, Asparagus." Cole snapped, pointing at everyone like a lunatic.

"Asparagus?" I asked feeling out of the loop. In my defence, I woke up late and didn't bother to hurry to any classes before lunch because well, I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary to happen.

'Well, clearly you were wrong.'

They went on to tell me how Dylan thought it would be a smart move to hit on the new girl. Dylan had the audacity to look disappointed that the story Emily fed him wasn't real.

The fact that Emily stood up to Jennie because she was troubling Mia, warmed my heart. Out of what I've heard from all of them, she doesn't seem to hold a grudge against anyone. She greeted everyone with genuine smiles that instantly made everyone trust her. Apparently, it was right before I entered, when the actual chaos began.

"So basically, you guys' childhood friend is back in town? That's it? That is what all of this drama is about?" Logan spoke after Perri was done explaining to him what happened.

"She wasn't just our friend, we were a family." Dylan said draping his arm over Mia, while she ducked her head hiding her blush, but I caught it.

"Yeah, we used to do everything together." Mia continued.

"We used to go on picnics every month." Perri sighed, smiling.

"We were joint to the hip, specially Ryder and Em. They were inseparable." Cole laughed, making all of us smile at the memories.

"Well, if it was such a fairy tale, why'd she leave?" Logan asked looking around the table. "What? No way. You don't know?"

Silence spread at the table as the smile that crept on everyone's face, dropped.

I frowned as unwanted memories flashed before me.

"Also, you guys did not recognise your supposed best friend, who was a part of your family?" He continued, laughing as if it was the funniest joke he's cracked. "I feel like a movie I was watching, just ended before a climax, without any context."

'Why's this asshole here, again? I could easily punch him into oblivion.'

I shook my head before that suggestion took over me, for Perri's sake.

I noticed Dylan and Cole glaring daggers at him as well, when the bell for the next class rang, signalling us to move our asses.

Perri noticing the tension between us and hurried Logan towards their next class.

Dylan, Cole and I decided to ditch whatever class we had and head to the storeroom. It was basically a small room built behind the school, which wasn't used anymore. This has been our hangout spot for years. Since me and Miles stumbled across it when we were running from a bunch of bullies.

"So..."

"Here we go" I sigh as Cole and Dylan sling their arms over my shoulder, somewhat struggling because I'm an inch or so taller than them.

"No seriously, what even happened in there? My brain hasn't processed it completely." Dylan said in exasperation.

Cole looked at him for about 5 seconds and kept a hand on his shoulder before shaking his head. "It's gonna be okay brother." He said slowly.

"I'm not stupid." Dylan deadpanned, swatting Cole hand away from him.

"But seriously, think about it. What would be the headline of the gossip column in our school newspaper?" He gave us a far off look as if giving a presentation in mid air.

"The return of the school nerd, after three years."

"She's not a nerd." I say getting defensive.

"Well, not anymore." Dylan turned giving me an alarmed look. "Like, did you look at her? She could make models, jobless."

I clenched my jaw.

"Hey hey, he's kidding, man. You know she's like a sister to us." Cole said noticing the change in my mood. Dylan smirked at that.

"Still a simp, I see. Just wanted to check." He laughed. "If only you'd have confessed while she was still here." He sang.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed today?" I say with clenched teeth. Dylan just chuckled and threw himself on one of the beanbags that we brought in here.

Yup. We've modified this place a little.

"What Logan said was actually right. We couldn't recognise her-"

"You couldn't recognise her." I spoke making Cole glare at me.

"You've been in love with her for almost a decade man. You are insane. That doesn't count. We were her friends too, it's a fact that she has changed. A lot." He continues and we've all settled by now. "And it's not just about a nerd being back, hot as ever." He threw a pointed look at Dylan. "She's... Changed. Like you did, just to a greater extent." He said looking at me with a knowing look.

"Then there's also the mystery of why she left." Dylan said munching on potato chips, which God knows where he found.

"Well there's only one way to find out. " Cole smiled, looking at the both of us.

I gave him a confused look and he sighed. "We ask her. She's our friend, isn't she?" He looked at us as if he's saying the most obvious thing in the world. "The fact that she even spoke to this ass in the first place means she wanted to."

"But she also didn't want to be recognised." I interject. "Did you forget the part where she made you call her by the name of a vegetable?"

"But she was nice to us, she could have ignored us like she did with everyone else. She might have become bold and hot but on the inside, she's still the Emily who enjoyed my homemade sandwiches." Dylan said smiling. "We're, technically, the only ones here, whom she knows well enough to trust." He finished while Cole and I gaped at him.

Yeah we're not used to, him making sense, at all.

"Anyway... What's the deal with this Brocolli girl?" I asked as I remember Dylan calling the other girl Brocolli.

Cole and Dylan exchanged glances as they frowned.

"We never got her name. What the fuck?" Dylan shouted running his hand over his face while I just shook my head at these idiots, I call friends.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Emily being back. I've waited for her for years, even when my friends told me it was about time I moved on, I never did. I couldn't.

I know I have a lot of making up to do but I'm ready for that. I won't lose her, again.