Crying, was a topic on which people have countless points of views on. Considering that he had been told many different things throughout his years of living about one's view on the subject, only a few stuck with him. His eldest brother said it was unmanly, father said it was often frowned upon for boys his age, and mother said men simply do not cry. Though his brother was only a few years younger than his eldest, Jonathan told him quite the opposite. "Crying makes you human,"

So the day Nathaniel's gentle smile was wiped clean off his face and Michelle no longer considered it funny to press her calloused knuckles harshly against one's jaw, Emmett allowed himself to cry. He remembered it clearly. The morning of the infamous incident of the dreaded day of November Fifth was bitter. The air nipping at Nathaniel's rosy cheeks and Michelle's red nose as they stared at Nathaniel's little sister being carried away. Emmett simply stood beside the two with tears rolling down his cheeks in heavy streams.

"The tree house," Nathaniel had murmured into the phone that night. "We weren't allowed to go near it due to the storm Emmett. Why did she go near it?"

Emmett said nothing as he laid in bed and he listened closely to the soft sobs from the other end. What was he supposed to say to his friend anyway? Sorry? Sorry doesn't bring back a loved one, Caleb had told him when grandma had passed. Apologizing was just something one would do when they didn't know what else to say. Not that Emmett knew what to say but sorry would certainly make it worse.

Being young Emmett didn't understand why Nathaniel became sour and rude. Michelle stayed the same, only hiding behind a mask for the first few years, before becoming alright. He supposed it was his friend's way of coping. But months turned into years and by the time they were in Junior high, Nathaniel was as cold and distant as ever.

Sure he and Emmett were close as well as Michelle. They spoke often, joked even though Nathaniel rarely cracked a smile only keeping his face twisted in a scowl and hung out outside of school. But Nathaniel was suffering silently in a pit of his own self-made destruction. Which was eating him alive and Emmett knew that, oh he knew it very well, but never knew quite how to fix it. "He just needs a friend," Michelle said one day. She was splayed across Emmett's couch with an arm thrown lazily over her face. The summer heat seemed to be coming from the depths of hell and the girl had claimed it was slowly killing her. "And while I am obviously the cool one out of our trio, you're the one he needs the most. I suppose you're sort of like the awesome leader."

So Emmett did just that. He was a shoulder to cry on when Nathaniel's father packed his bags and left, leaving his mother with him. He picked him up off the ground when he got too baked and broke his mother's window. Emmett had helped him fix it only scolding him once for making the dumb decision of stealing buying weed anyway. "Shut up Newsberry," Nathaniel had grumbled when Emmett had him lean against him. Emmett simply shot him a look. Growing up with Nathaniel, he knew arguing got one nowhere. But at least he had convinced the boy to stray away from the illegal stuff, so Emmett supposed he was doing one thing right.

"Ever think about it?" Michelle murmured, pulling Emmett out of his train of thought. He turned his head to gaze at the girl who was sipping on a smoothie as she pulled into the old driveway of Nathaniel's rundown home. Emmett used to gaze at the cracked windows and overgrown weed in disgust. Constantly offering to possibly mow their lawn, only to be shut down by a drunk Ms.Jovovich. Like Nathaniel arguing with the woman got one nowhere. Michelle turned her head to look at him with an arched brow.

"About what?" Emmett asked, tilting his head to the side and squinting. Michelle scoffed and turned the car off. She pulled on her pastel coat over her bare, tanned arms and tied her hair up before answering his question.

"Unless you forgot about how we met and when you were the biggest weirdo to ever step foot on the face of the Earth," She began and looked at him with a wicked look. The look she often gave him when she wanted to talk serious a look that was unfortunately very familiar. There was a time where Emmett would shudder at it but it had simply became apart of his friend and wasn’t a thing to be unused to anymore. "I think you know very well what I am talking about Emmett. The reason Mary Anne y'know."

Emmett sucked in a breath and cast his gaze downwards. Growing up Caleb told him about the fallen kingdom and the queens and kings before bed. Creating vivid images as he spoke and telling long tales that never failed to amaze his younger brother. Emmett remembered the day he met Michelle, Nathaniel and Mary Anne who was attached to Nathaniel's side with those too wide of eyes that held so much innocence. He was holding the picture book Caleb had made for him on his sixth birthday that was full of the stories he had told him. Caleb always dreamt of writing children's books so to say the book was perfect was an understatement. It was gorgeous and the characters leaped off the pages with each word.

The four quickly bonded over the stories that captured their interest the second their eyes laid on the book. "What's that?" Nathaniel had asked in a soft voice, he was a gentle soul back then. Emmett never even heard him even raise his voice back then, simpler times. When the sandy blonde handed the book over to the dark haired boy something seemed to click in Mary Anne.

Every time Emmett stepped foot into the house, she'd ask about the queens and kings. Emmett would only smile and tell her what he always said. It became a routine. If only Mary Anne wasn't so imaginative. "Yes, I know very well," Emmett whispered quietly. Michelle wrapped her pinky around his, a thing she did often whenever she needed to put her friends at ease.

Emmett exhaled deeply, running his thumb over the familiar touch. His eyes fluttered shut as they sat there in silence for a moment. The only thing heard was their breathing and the god forsaken sound of the engine. Michelle’s car was old and the skin crawling noises it made didn’t hide the fact at all. Nonetheless Emmett’s friend loved the car dearly, claiming it to be her baby.

"Do you think about it though?" Michelle asked once more breaking the silence. Her eyes softened as she awaited his answer patiently. Emmett looked at her and shook his head. Michelle had opened her mouth to speak when the loud sound of a screen door slamming shut startled her.

Emmett's eyes shot up to see Nathaniel walk towards them. His hands shoved into the pants he was wearing, face twisted into an all to familiar scowl and hair messy. Nathaniel was handsome young man. With smooth, brown skin and a strong jaw. Hair that was in tight curls and narrowed hazel eyes. The septum nose piercing completing his overall intimidating look. Emmett looked over his outfit and smiled widely to himself. He was known for his sweaters this particular one reading; “Give Me Some Coffee” and paired with some black jeans.

Michelle smiled quickly and unlocked the door, rolling down the window and poking her head out. "Hey grumpy," She chirped. "Get out of the wrong side of the bed?"

Nathaniel scoffed and opened the door to the back seat. "I always get out of the wrong side of the bed," He grunted, flinging his bag carelessly on the other side of him as he sat down. "I'm beginning to think maybe it's the right side of the bed. I like to believe it brings out my true colors."

“Which are?” Emmett questioned, stealing Michelle’s drink and sipping it. He dodged the girl’s hands as she batted at him for it. A grin on his lips.

Nathaniel sighed dramatically as he picked at a scab on his hand. “Hardcore jerkiness.” He replied.

Michelle hummed in response and pulled out of the driveway. "If you say so Nathan," She spoke and grinned at him from the rear view mirror. Nathaniel's mouth twitched at the nickname. Emmett turned and held out his fist which Nathaniel pressed his knuckles against before relaxing in his seat.

"Turn on some music, not that crap you listen to," Nathaniel said, closing his striking grey eyes and ducking his head. He was not sleeping, merely thinking. He did that often when in the car with the other two in the mornings. Emmett liked to think it let the boy process things.

Michelle obliged and blasted classical music as the drove out of Nathaniel's small, gravel driveway. Emmett drummed his fingers on the fabric of his jeans as he gazed out the window. The soft tapping of Michelle's digits against the steering wheel, the huffs of Nathaniel breathing harshly through his nose whenever he thought of something he found amusing and the sound of violins playing in unison putting him at ease as they drove to school.

“Heyo!” Benjamin called out, thick British accent catching the group's attention from the crowded lunchroom. The boy had moved into the small town of Queens the previous summer. Michelle had met him first at a nearby 7/11 and quickly labeled him as ‘Cute boy with nice hair.’ The two hit it off quickly and soon Benjamin was dragged into their small group. Emmett waved at the boy as he strode towards them.

Benjamin fixed his glasses when he stopped in front of them a dorky grin on his face. “What are you so happy about Davies?” Nathaniel questioned. He arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

“It’s a lovely day,” Benjamin replied, nudging Michelle with his shoulder in a greeting. The burnette ruffled his hair in response. Emmett nodded.

“He’s right,” He said softly, reaching out and fixing his friend’s collar. For one who was fond of collared shirts Benjamin surely didn’t know how to wear one successfully. “The sun is out and Nathaniel doesn’t look so dead today.”

The taller male beside him grumbled and flipped Emmett the bird. The sandy blonde responded with a innocent smile before continuing to make Benjamin look more presentable.

“He’s like a mother,” Michelle breathed into Nathaniel’s ear. In fifth grade the boy would’ve flushed, the two had a serious relationship of two weeks before deciding dating the other was ‘gross’. Now though Nathaniel merely smirked and punched Michelle in the shoulder.

Benjamin gazed at the two with that sly grin that never seemed to leave his face. “I was thinking, since it’s such a gorgeous day out and I’m with you beautiful people most of it,” he sniffed before continuing. “Let’s go to my house and watch those god awful romantic movies.”

Emmett frowned, he was rather fond of those movies. The people in it usually had the chemistry he often wished to have with somebody. “I wouldn’t say awful,” Emmett said. Michelle and Nathaniel gave him a look, Benjamin simply continued smiling.

At the beginning of Sophomore year Nathaniel had commented on how it made him look like a child predator. Emmett would’ve slapped him on the back of the head for it if it wasn’t for the laugh erupting from Benjamin’s mouth. The British male was just a cheerful guy and no insult even from Emmett’s best friend could bring him down. Emmett envied the people who could do that.

“Oh right,” Benjamin said, pulling his bag over his shoulder at the sound of the bell ringing. “My apologies dude.” Emmett waved him off and followed the group down the hall of their school.

Michelle had her pinky linked with Nathaniel, murmuring things that made him smile from ear to ear. Emmett envied that too, instead of making the boy smile he was the one to get him off the ground, clean him off and help him get his head straight. Michelle made him let loose. Benjamin bumped shoulders with his and gazed down at him. Benjamin was rather tall, of course only an inch smaller than Nathaniel. But Nathaniel was giant so no wonder there and only a handful of inches taller then Emmett. Then again everyone was taller than Emmett.

“You alright?” Benjamin questioned, although smiling his eyes hinted at concern. Emmett smiled. Now the boy was by no means sad with his life. He lived his with brother considering his parents decided to move elsewhere after Caleb graduated. He was friends with amazing people and sometimes he thought he was chipping away at Nathaniel. That he was getting his old friend back. Life was great. He just wished he could do more.

“Perfectly fine,” Emmett responded.