Chapter Text
It dawned on Elle slowly as they’re relationship changed from simply studying to sharing more of their lives with each other. Emmett practically became a staple in her life from that first day of tutoring. He came over everyday after classes to help her study, quizzing her on her readings and explaining concepts when they went over her head. Soon after that, they were taking breaks and watching movies together, walking Bruiser together, eating dinner together.
Emmett told her a little about his mom and how he wanted to own his own practice someday. Elle explained to him the infinite responsibilities she had had as president of the Delta Nu sorority house. How taking care of the girls had filled her time after class as she watched out for them all. Emmett listened to her. He always did.
It took two months of seeing each other day in and day out for Elle to realize: not only was he a great friend, he was probably the closest friend she’d ever had. Somehow he understood her in a way her sorority friends hadn’t. He knew when to push her and when to back off. When to help her and when to let her struggle. And she knew he’d always be there for her.
She was musing over all this as she stole one of his dumplings from him. They were sitting cross legged on the floor of her dorm, cartons of Chinese food all around them.
“Hey!” He complained as she munched on the steamed dough. (She had made him get the steamed ones for health when she realized how much fried food he ate.)
“Oh come on. You’ve got plenty,” Elle responded.
“And now I have one less!” he said.
She reached over with her chopsticks and stole another one. He looked at her incredulous.
“What’s a little sharing between best friends?” And she popped the dumpling in her mouth.
His eyes widened. “Best..friends?”
“Well we are friends, aren’t we?” Elle asked nonchalantly. She moved her General Tso’s around with her chopsticks, waiting for his answer.
“I uh, yeah. Yeah we are.” Emmett stared straight ahead, processing this.
“And I think you’re the closest friend I’ve ever had,” Elle said, trying to keep her tone light.
He looked over at her. “What about those sorority friends you’re always talking about?”
“Oh, they’re good friends,” Elle said. “But I don’t think they ever understood me like you do. Not all of me, anyway.”
He watched her for a second. They sat in silence, then she leaned over and started to steal another dumpling. He caught her chopsticks in his. “Ah ah!” he said. “You’re just trying to sweet talk me to get to my dumplings.”
Elle grinned. “Is it working?”
Emmett looked at her grinning face. He couldn’t help smiling back. He shook his head. “Here,” he said, offering her his carton.
“Really?” Her eyes widened.
He held his hand out for the General Tso’s. “What’s a little sharing between best friends?” he quoted back at her.
She beamed at him and handed her Chinese food over, taking his.
“Although next time if you want dumplings, you should order them,” Emmett groused.
“But I just want a few!”
They argued over the advantages and disadvantages of food portions, it eventually turning into a lesson on personal property from Emmett. Finally stuffed, they slid the cartons aside. Emmett groaned, patting his full stomach.
“We should have a secret handshake,” Elle suddenly said.
“A secret handshake?” Emmett looked over at her.
Her eyes were sparkling in excitement. “Yes. One for just the two of us.”
“Isn’t that like…for ten year olds?” Emmett said. He sounded doubtful but she could tell he was secretly interested.
“It’s good enough for the Freemasons and they’re a respectable society. We had something like it for Delta Nus.”
Emmett turned thoughtful.
“Come on! It’ll be fun,” she said, clapping her hands together. “A best friend handshake!”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “All right, how do we do this?”
“Yes! Okay, what if we start out like this?”
They worked on the ins and outs of several handshakes before deciding a shorter one would be more practical. Emmett was getting into it.
“What if we end on this?” he asked, his hands going into a curling ‘c’ shape.
“C? For class or Callahan?”
“No! These are bunny ears. Like when I first found you on the park bench.” He wiggled his two fingers.
She laughed. “Emmett, I hate to break it to you, but those are not bunny ears.”
“What’re you talking about?” He frowned, looking at his two fingers. He showed her again, twitching each finger up and down. “Bunny ears,” he presented.
“Emmett, these are bunny ears.” She held two fingers up straight in the air.
He scoffed. “I don’t think so. They have to curl.” He wiggled his fingers again.
“Bunny’s ears don’t curl!”
“Uh yes they do. They flop,” he said adamantly.
“Look, I don’t know what bunnies you’re looking at, but they don’t curl. They stick up straight.”
He looked at her, his face a picture of disbelief.
“That’s why in photos you do this to give someone bunny ears!” Elle said, shoving her two fingers forward.
“Yeah,” Emmett nodded. “Bunny ears.” And he thrust his curling fingers forward.
“You don’t…that’s not..” Elle said.
“Look that’s the peace sign,” Emmett argued, pointing at her hand. He pointed back at his. “These? Bunny ears.”
“Well, it’s also the peace sign, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Uh yeah it does. It can’t be both.” And Emmett hopped his fingers around as if they were a bunny.
Elle laughed in disbelief. She couldn’t believe they were arguing over this. “Look, rabbit’s ears are straight.”
“They’re straight and then they flop.”
“Have you really been going through life doing curved bunny ears?”
“Uh, the right way? Yes,” Emmett said, nodding ferociously.
“Okay, we’re going to the internet to solve this.” Elle pulled out her MacBook and began searching for pictures of bunnies.
He settled next to her. “You’re just going to be proven wrong.”
The page loaded and she pointed to several pictures of rabbits with straight ears. “Ha, then what is this?! Straight ears. They stand up.”
“But it’s iconic for them to flop over. Look up cartoon rabbits,” Emmett said, crossing his arms.
She typed it in and he immediately pointed to the fourth image. “See! Flop.”
“But look at all these others!” Elle said, referencing the straight eared bunnies on the page.
Emmett was not to be deterred. He had her look up several famous bunnies from Bugs Bunny (straight) to the Energizer Bunny (also straight) to Roger Rabbit (folded, ha!).
“So they’re mostly straight,” Elle finally said.
Emmett sighed, recrossing his arms. “Fine! Mostly.” She heard him mutter under his breath “still think it’s iconic”.
Elle smiled at him. Sometimes he was so adorable.
“So we end on this then?” Emmett said, holding out two straight bunny ears.
Her smile grew. Referencing the night they both started down this path of friendship was brilliant. “Honestly?” she started. “Let’s do your bunny ears.”
“After all that?” Emmett said, raising his eyebrows.
“I think they’re cuter,” Elle said, shrugging. She couldn’t tell him she thought he was cute.
They turned to each other and performed their secret handshake, finally ending on curled bunny ears.
“It’s perfect,” she said, laughing.
He laughed along with her. “Well, that’s my first secret handshake.”
“I’m honored to be your first,” Elle said.
A blush dusted the tops of his cheeks. He scratched the back of his neck. “It’s probably late. I should go.”
Elle looked over at the time. It was nearing eleven thirty. She wished he lived here in the dorms. Then it would be even easier to see him. As it was, it would take him thirty minutes to get back to his apartment.
Emmett began packing up his things. She began clearing the cartons of food away. He approached the door and she followed him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked, knowing she would.
“Bright and early for Callahan’s class,” he said with a smile. “Get a good night’s rest.”
“You too,” Elle said.
Emmett grinned and extended his hand. She grinned back and they performed their new secret handshake. He twitched his bunny ears at her.
“See you tomorrow, little Miss Woods comma Elle,” he smiled at her.
She laughed and smiled back at him. “See you tomorrow,” she said, a warm feeling in her chest.
He disappeared down the hall and Elle softly closed the door. The warm feeling stayed with her the rest of the night as she got ready for bed. It was nice to have a best friend, she thought.