Emily's Seams

I tried to forget the time I saw Julia with him. I had come to Julia’s school to drop off a paper she’d forgotten and the school secretary told me that Julia had just finished gym. The gym was empty except for Mr. Greene and Julia, off in a corner. His hands were all over her as they kissed. I felt like I was going to be sick. I bent over and took a few deep breaths to keep from passing out. When I looked up again, Julia was gone and Mr. Greene was heading back to his office. My rage clouded my thoughts. If I’d been smart, I would have called the cops right then. Instead, I went to the gym teacher’s office.

“Mr. Greene?”

He turned around and smiled when he saw me. Looked like any other high school gym teacher. Kind of athletic but gaining enough middle age chub over it all to make him only a poor reflection of what he once was. And my sister, my beautiful and popular sister, had fallen for it.

“You’re Ms. Cameron, right? Julia’s sister. Yes, I remember you from parent-teacher interview night.” He raced towards me with his hand out.

I took a step back and threw my arms out in front of me. “Keep your fucking hands away from me and from Julia.”

He straightened at that. His mouth opened and closed a few times but if he had said something, I didn’t hear it.

“You piece of shit! She’s fifteen! What the fuck is the matter with you?”

“Emily?” I whirled at the sound of her voice. I hadn’t even heard the door open.

Julia stood there. Her hair was wet, probably just came from the showers. No makeup, in a baggy sweatshirt and pants. She was still beautiful. Her big blue eyes were pleading with me.

“Julia, get out of here. I’ll come get you in a second.”

“Emily, wait.” She came in and closed the office door behind her. “He didn’t do anything.”

And that was too much for me. She was lying for this piece of crap. “Julia, I saw you!”

Her cheeks went bright red. I could almost hear the thought of so much for that approach whiz through her mind. “What I meant was, I went after him.”

“Julia, you’re a kid! I don’t care if you danced around naked in front of him, it’s fucking sick what he’s doing!”

“Emily, we’re in love.”

Now that stopped me for a second. I spun around and looked at him, cowering in the corner. “You told a fifteen year old that you loved her? When were you planning on bringing her home to the wife? Don’t you have a kid?”

“Emily! Stop it! We were gonna wait until I was done high school. For me! I don’t need the reputation of being a home wrecking slut for my last two years of school!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Julia was not stupid but right then I would have put Mr. Puggums’ IQ ahead of hers. “So what, you guys will just keep fucking in his office until then?” I turned back to him. “Are you going to give up sticking it to your wife until then or fuck them both?”

“Emily! Don’t do this! Stay out of it!” I could hear from her voice that she was near tears.

I pulled her close and wrapped my arms around her. “You’re so much better than this, Julia.” I took a step back and held her face in my hands. “He will never, ever deserve you.”

A few tears fell down her red cheeks. “Just don’t say anything, please? Don’t call anyone.”

The regret I have for my next words stays with me like a bad ache. Always there. Not strong enough to kill me. Not weak enough to let me live in peace. “Okay. I won’t. Not even Jude.”

She laughed a little. “Especially not her.”

I nodded. “Come on. Let’s go.”

I should’ve admitted it to myself that this wasn’t over when she twisted her head around as we left Mr. Greene’s office to look at him. But I was pathetic. I was weak. I wanted to believe that this was all a mistake and that she would actually move on now that I knew about it. I told myself that the thrill of sneaking around wasn’t there anymore. That she didn’t need him anymore.

I may have been wrong about her, but I wasn’t about him. He didn’t need her anymore. The stakes had gotten too high.