Sworn by Emma Knight

thought he was different. He was so sweet to her and so kind, she didn’t believe Emily. And even if Emily had been right, that Rob was a player, Rachel figured that maybe he had changed. Regardless, she knew she was going to have to think twice about things before she shared every little detail with Emily.
    Rachel changed her clothes and headed outside to the garage. Her mom and dad were both out there emptying boxes and organizing things. They were very focused, listening to Billy Joel on the stereo system.
    Her mom put a few boxes aside for Rachel to sort through, and she got right to work. The boxes were a mess: full of cables, wires, nick-knacks, clothes, rags, parts to things she could not identify.
    It took Rachel most of the day to sort through the boxes. It was exhausting work, and she only stopped for about a half hour to eat a sandwich and run upstairs to check her phone.
    By the end of the day, Rachel’s back was hurting and her stomach was grumbling. It was nearing dinnertime and she was ready to call it quits on the garage project.
     She headed inside. As she walked upstairs, she heard loud music coming out of her sister’s room. She went over and knocked on Sarah’s door, excited that she was back from her weekend with Gary. Even though the two weren’t the best of friends, Rachel did miss Sarah when she was gone: especially this weekend, because she had been grounded.
    “Who is it?” Rachel heard Sarah yell from inside her bedroom.
    “It’s Rachel,” Rachel shouted so Sarah could hear her over her music.
    She heard Sarah turn down her music.
    “Come in,” Sarah said softly.
    As Rachel opened the door she was surprised at what she saw. Sarah was taking down all her pictures of her and Gary. She had also torn down all the letters and cards he had wrote her.
    “What’s going on?”
    “Gary wants to take a break,” Sarah said wiping a tear from her eye.
    “What?” Rachel asked. “Are you serious?”
    “Yeah. He said it’s too much with his school work and he wants to enjoy his freshman year at Skidmore without having to worry about me,” Sarah said.
    “I’m sorry, Sarah,” Rachel said. “He will realize what he’s lost, don’t worry.”
    Rachel couldn’t believe what she just heard. Sarah and Gary had been together for years now, and were even talking about marriage. What could have gone wrong?
    Rachel waited for Sarah to ask her how her weekend was, but she was too absorbed in the emotions of her breakup to talk about anything else.
    Rachel walked through their bathroom and back into her bedroom and walked over to her window. She peered out, thinking about Sarah, and then thinking about Rob. She so desperately wanted to tell her sister about him: but she knew tonight wasn’t a good time.
    As she looked out the window, she wondered what their second date would be like, and if tomorrow would be the day of her first true kiss.
     

 
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Rachel woke up bright and early Monday morning, eager for her day at school and, more importantly, her second date with Rob. She had been looking forward to this day ever since Saturday night. She couldn’t get him out of her mind: it was all Rachel could think about.
    As Rachel walked into Mr. Allen’s class that Monday morning, she was excited. Not only would she see Emily, she would also see Rob.
    Rachel saw Emily take her sweater off the seat next to hers. Rachel walked over and sat down. The two chatted about the rest of their weekend, and then class started. Rachel looked around but did not see Rob. She hoped that he was not sick, and that their date would still be on after school.
    Twenty minutes later in walked Rob. He walked right by Rachel without looking at her. Rachel didn’t know what to make of it. She thought that maybe he didn’t see her. Rachel sat there, hoping that Rob would try and get her attention; she wanted him to acknowledge her, but the class went on and he did not.
    At the end of class, Rachel got up