At Beverly High Emberly and Spencer were walking down the hallway side by side after just leaving one of their classes. Emberly was listening as Spencer filled her in about a tape he found of his Dad playing football. 

"You should have seen him, baby. It was like the other team was in slow motion." Spencer tells her.

"You didn't know your dad was good?" Emberly asks.

Even though Spencer's dad had been gone for a while, usually other people would always tell the kid the things their parents did. But if it wasn't brought up she could understand why because Spencer's dad was a sensitive topic, and he wasn't brought most of the time.

"I didn't know he was great. Nobody told me. Back in Crenshaw, everybody talked about Billy Baker 'cause he made it to the NFL. But watching that game, my pops was the best player on that field." Spencer explains.

"Well like they say like father like son." Emberly responds. 

"I wish people would stop saying that." Spencer sighs.

"All I'm saying it sounds like maybe you got some of that talent from him," Emberly faces her boyfriends, "Not that he deserves credit or anything. Because I mean everything you done you done it yourself without him." Emberly speaks causing Spencer to chuckle feeling better.

"What's up, Spence?" JJ approaches the couple, him and Spencer dapping each other. "I heard Vegas all over your ass about that essay."

"He's just messing with me 'cause I'm on the football team." Spencer tells him.

"I'm on the team." JJ states.

"Who's your essay on?" Spencer asks.

"Dwayne Johnson." JJ answers before walking past the couple.

Emberly and Spencer looked at each other a frown on bit of their face confused before looking back to JJ.

"The Rock?" Spencer asks.

"Taught me everything I know." JJ replies.

"And what exactly do you know?" Emberly questions raising her brow.

She was shocked to hear that JJ passed.. He was the definition of life of the party. She saw him party than he ever did school work. She wasn't judging but it was really surprising to hear that he did work and actually passed and Spencer didn't. 

"I know I don't have to rewrite my paper, so Vega must have liked it. Hey, let me know if you need any help." JJ says and with that he turns around walking away on his way.

Spencer looks at Emberly. "The Rock? Dwayne Johnson?" He says not wondering how JJ passed writing his essay on Dwayne when he didn't even past for writing his paper on Prime Time.

"I know." Emberly nods her head grabbing his shoulder turning him around and pulling him with her so they could get to their next class.

"The Rock."

***

Hours later when school was over, the couple came back to Emberly's house she could help Spencer with his paper that he still hadn't written yet.  When they arrived at her house no one was home per usual so Spencer headed up to her room to get started on his essay while Emberly went downstairs and grabbed them some snacks. 

"Okay, I have Cheetos, Sprite, and Skittles." Emberly announced entering her room the hands full on snacks as she walked over to her bed putting the snacks down. "I would have brought real food but my Mom hasn't had the chance to grocery shopping." Emberly sits on the bed with Spencer on the other side.

"The Bakers are having their weekly family bonding barbecue, so I'll get some ribs when I get back." Spencer tells her.

"Ok." Emberly looks down at the journal that was on the bed which only had two words written on it. Spencer James. "Paper's due tomorrow, you know?"

"Yep."

"You any closer to an answer?" Emberly asks.

"It seems like every question I have, I realize I ain't got the answers." Spencer replies.

"Who does?" Emberly asks.

"Maybe my mom." Spencer says.

"I have million questions I want ask my Dad, but he's not here and I know they'll never be answered. But despite that I still know how he influenced me. Remember, the essay's about you, Spencer." Emberly explains.

"You think I could read your essay? I mean it might help me figure out what to write." Spencer says.

She paused for a second shaking her head, "Um, I'm not sure. I'm just not really ready to show it to anyone yet. It's kind of personal."

"Too personal for me? I thought you trusted me with stuff like that." Spencer says with a soft chuckle at the end.

"I do trust you. It's just... I'm not ready to share it yet. What's next you gonna ask to read diary next?" Emberly asks.

Not letting Spencer read her essay had nothing to do about trust. She trusted Spencer, it was more so of an issue with herself. There was just some things she wanted to keep to herself and wasn't ready to share yet. 

"No. Ok, I get it. You ain't got to show me everything. I'll figure it out." Spencer says standing up from the bed grabbing his backpack from the floor.

"OK, your leaving now?" Emberly asks upset as she stood p as well. 

She was sure many other students didn't want to share their papers. Other people don't mind sharing their paper. She was one of the people who didn't want to share but it was no reason to get mad.

"Hey, I'm not mad. I'm just late for the barbecue." Spencer says pressing a quick kiss to her lips before he made his way to the door, walking out. "I'll call you later." He says before he walked out her room.

Emberly starred at her door. She couldn't tell if he was actually still mad or wasn't. It seemed like he was with they way he left so quickly but then again she still wasn't sure. 

Emberly sat back on the bed looking down at all the snacks. She shrugged reaching and grabbing a bag of Cheetos and opening them. "More for me I guess." 

***

About an hour later after leaving Ember'y house the James boy returned and found himself in the kitchen having a conversation with Everly. 

He stopped by the Bakers for dinner, but not really eating much there and after talking with Grandpa Willy he went home trying to get answers from his mom but not getting anything he came back here to Emberly's. The one place that made him feel better.

Instead of finding Em again, he saw Everly and somehow they were now talking about what happened earlier between him and Em. 

"Em's a difficult one when it comes to her feelings, you should know that." Everly tells Spence after he had just filled her in about earlier.

"Yeah." Spencer nods. 

"Her not showing you the essay is less about trust and more about her and her feelings. Emberly's never been good with feelings. And no not saying she emotionless, but when it comes down to her feelings she doesn't do good with them but I mean does anyone ever do good with keeping their emotions in check?" Everly asks causing Spencer to chuckle a bit. "She's changing though. You change her, in a good way. She's slowly opening up and that's hard for her to do but with you she is. Just give her a little time, she'll come around to opening up fully." 

"Who knew you could be such a good therapist?" Spencer jokes.

"Right? Put this on my college application and I could really take this on as a full on job." Everly laughs.

Walking downstairs was Emberly after just trying to write a song. After Spencer left she finished some of the snacks but then got bored and decided to write and now she heading downstairs because she had heard voices.

She had gotten hungry again which is why she was coming downstairs to get more snacks when she heard voices and she was going to see who it was. When she made it downstairs she headed towards the kitchen where she heard the voices. She saw Spencer and Everly but they didn't notice her at first until she spoke up. 

"Hey." Emberly  spoke getting their attention as they turned to her.

"Hi." Everly responds. 

"I'm not sure if I should be worried that my sister and boyfriend or talking or glad?" Emberly asks watching as Spencer and Everly face changed, mortified at what Emberly was implying.

"I'm joking." Emberly laughs. "Carry on." She began walking away from the kitchen walking through the living room.

"Hey, Em wait up." Spencer spoke getting out his seat following after her.

"What's up?" Emberly pauses facing him.

"I just want to say I'm sorry." Spencer apologizes.

"Spence, you don't have to-" Emberly starts.

"Yes, I do. Look it wasn't cool of me to assume I could read it, and I know it wasn't easy for you write about your dad. Your not ready to share those feelings. I respect that, and I shouldn't have left it like that. Look, I told you I'm a work in progress, but I really am sorry, Ok?" Spencer says.

Emberly nodded her head. She was glad to know Spencer understood and wasn't mad at her. Spencer was a work in progress but so was she. They both had things they needed fixing on and they could both help each other.

"When I am ready just know you'll be the first person to know. Can I show you something?" Emberly asks.

"Yeah." Spencer says.

Emberly grabbed his hand leading him behind her out the living room down another hallway stopping at a door at the end of the hallway. She let go of his hand pushing open the door entering the office.
 
"What's this?" Spencer asks.

"This is all of my Dad thins. When he died we moved all his things into here. Pictures, videos, awards, songs and everything. No one really comes in here a lot. But once in a while I do. I work on songs. It might seem kinda creepy but it does bring me comfort. " Emberly says walking over behind the table pulling a lid off the box that was on the table.

"Why you showing me this?" Spencer asks.

"My dad wasn't the best dad, but he wasn't the absolute worst. And even though he's not here anymore, l like knowing he was great at something. Just like how your Dad isn't around anymore but you found out he was great at football and maybe someday you'll be glad to know that about him. Emberly explains.  

"Em!" Everly yelled. 

"I swear she always find a way to interrupt out  moment." Spencer jokes causing Emberly laughed.

"I'll go see what she wants." Emberly says walking out of the room heading back into the living room area where Everly was seated at the counter, her phone in her hand. "Yes?" 

"I was asking if you wanted pizza. I don't want anything here at the house, so I'm going to order pizza." Everly says. 

"I though you didn't like pizza, you know from all the calories you gain from it?" Emberly reminds her of the words she once spoke before.

"Well, I don't care anymore. And I'm hungry." Everly says.

"Pepperoni and beef." Emberly tells her heading back to Spencer.

"You want veggies?"

"No!" Emberly yelled. Everly knew she didn't eat veggie on her pizza. Last time to mess with Em, Everly one time did order veggies on her pizza. The worst pizza she ever had. 

When Emberly returned to the office she noticed Spencer looking down at a journal in his hands reading through it. She froze when she saw which journal he was reading. 

"Hey." Emberly says getting his attention.

"Hey." Spencer says glancing up at her.

"What are you doing?" Emberly asks walking into the room keeping her eyes on the journal in his hands. 

"Found this. Looks like it's a book of songs, I think." Spencer says. 

"Did I say you could read that?" Emberly asks grabbing almost snatching the journal out his hand, and closing it.

"I'm sorry. I just assumed that-" Spencer began to apologize.

"Don't assume. Not in here." Emberly says putting the journal back inside the box, putting the lid on the box and walking out the room. She didn't mean to sound so rude about it or mean but that journal was very important to her and no one ever saw it.

***

The next day in the classroom of Mr. Vega's class Emberly was seated at her desk looking down at a piece of paper drawing doodles on the paper as she waited for the class to end. 

"All right. Have a good weekend, everybody." Mr. Vega says walking over towards her desk stopping.  "Amazing work on your essay, Emberly. Your father gave you a gift." Mr. Vega hands her back her essay.

"Thank you." Emberly gave a small smile as she grabbed her paper flipping it over and looking at the top which had an A+ on it. 

She smiled happily with the grade she had gotten. Now that the class was over Emberly began gathering all her things placing them in her bag before she stood up leaving out the classroom. 

As Emberly rounded the corner of the hallway her name was being called. 

"Hey, Emberly"

She turned around watching as Spencer slightly jogged catching up to her and walking on the side of her.

"Hey, Spence." Emberly says coming to stop and turning around to face him. "Listen, about last night, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. When I saw you reading the journal... I don't know I got scared."

The journal she had in there that she caught Spencer reading wasn't one her dad things but, her's. The last time she was in there was when she couldn't find any inspiration and being in there always made her feel closer to her dad. She completely forgot to grab it out of there and didn't notice she left it in there until last night when she Spencer reading it. 

"Those are your songs you wrote." Spencer says. 

Emberly starred at Spencer surprised that he had figured out it was her's. God, Wait, does that mean he knew the songs she wrote about him were about him? If he did that's a little embarrassing.

"Mr. Vega was right, your father gave you a gift." Spencer tells her.

He knew Emberly wrote and sung her own songs. Sometimes she did tell him and let him listen to them but there was some she kept to herself. Some one of the few he read in the journal he had never heard them but they were beautiful. He always tried to persuade her to do something with her music. He believed if she did she would be amazing.

***

After school was over Emberly found herself in the room with all her dad things. She stood behind the desk grabbing a black cassette tape out of the box, looking at it. She stepped from behind the desk walking over to the TV in the room, she got down on her knee putting the tape in. 

She fully sat down the floor as the tape began to play on the TV showing her Dad seated playing the piano. The tape seconds later flipped to another scene showing him in the studio in the booth singing. 

Emberly softly smiled as her eyes began to tear up. 

 While she did often come in here for inspiration she also made sure she didn't come in here a lot. All of these things in here were just another reminder that he was gone. For her essay her dad wasn't her greatest influence, it was the music. Music was her greatest influence. 

It was the gift that her Dad gave her. It was where she could express her true feelings without the fear of being judged, scared or embarrassed. It just allowed her to be her. And while she did find it sad she couldn't share that gift with him himself she could carry it on moving forward. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE-
So just going to decided to publish back all chapters, even though their not all edited yet. There are new readers and re-readers and I already have picture broken out and I feel bad that some can't read it yet because I decided to unpublish all chapters on this book when it's already a finished book. Warning up ahead are unedited chapters. Srry in advance.