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| The Boy Who Wasn't Real |
Ian finally gets the chance to speak with Emily at the hospital. What she tells him about a boy named Jordan reveals a cruel deception—and the events that left her feeling completely alone.
Episode 13 | The Boy Who Wasn't Real
“I can’t stay,” Riley said. “I’m still on the clock.”
“I understand. Thanks for calling me.”
“I figured you’d want to know.”
“I did.”
Riley stopped outside a room.
“She’s in there. Her mother’s with her.”
Ian looked through the small window in the door. Emily was sitting up in bed. Her mother sat beside her.
He took a breath and knocked.
Emily’s mother looked toward the door as Ian stepped inside.
“Mrs. Chester?”
She stood immediately.
“Yes?”
“I’m Ian Smart. I came to see Emily.”
Her eyes moved over the Napoleon costume before returning to his face.
“You go to Northview?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mrs. Chester stepped closer to the door.
“I don’t think Emily needs any visitors right now.”
“Mom.”
Emily’s voice was quiet.
Her mother turned around.
“It’s okay. I know him.”
Mrs. Chester looked back at Ian.
“He’s the one I told you about,” Emily said.
Something in her mother’s expression softened.
“Ian?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Emily looked at her mother. “Can he stay for a few minutes?”
“Honey, you’ve been through enough tonight.”
“I know.”
Her mother hesitated.
“Please, Mom. I want to talk to him.”
Mrs. Chester looked at her daughter for a long moment.
“All right.”
She picked up her purse from the chair and walked toward the door.
As she passed Ian, she stopped.
“Five minutes. She needs her rest.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mrs. Chester left the room and closed the door.
Ian turned toward Emily.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Emily looked him up and down.
Despite everything, the corner of her mouth lifted.
“You actually wore it.”
Ian looked down at his Napoleon costume.
“Unfortunately.”
Emily gave a small laugh.
Ian smiled, relieved to hear it.
He pulled the chair closer to her bed and sat down.
“How are you?”
Emily stared at the blanket covering her legs. “I don’t know.”
Ian nodded.
A few seconds passed.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said.
“For what?”
“I ruined your night.”
Ian frowned. “Emily, you didn’t ruin anything.”
“You were going to the dance with Fiona. You’ve been talking about it forever.”
“The dance doesn’t matter.”
“It mattered before.”
Ian knew exactly what she meant.
He lowered his eyes. “When you came to my house, I should’ve listened to you.”
Emily shook her head. “You didn’t know what I’d do. I didn’t even know until…” her voice trailed off.
“I told you I didn’t have time,” Ian said. “But I knew something was wrong.”
Emily didn't answer.
Ian leaned forward.
“You said it was happening again.”
Emily looked at him.
“What did you mean?”
Her eyes dropped back to the blanket as she nervously ran her hand over it. “I shouldn’t have come to your house.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“I just didn’t know where else to go.”
“You can talk to me; you know that,” Ian said. “Was it the girls you told me about?”
Emily was quiet for a moment.
Then she took a shaky breath. “There’s this boy.”
Ian waited.
“At least...I thought there was.”
“What do you mean?”
Emily rubbed her hands together.
“A few weeks ago, I got a message from a boy at school. He said he’d seen me around and wanted to get to know me.”
“Who?”
Emily hesitated.
“His name was Jordan.”
Ian frowned. “Jordan who?”
“That’s the thing. I didn’t think Jordan existed.”
Ian stared at her.
Emily looked away.
“He messaged me every day. At first, I barely answered him. I thought somebody was messing with me.”
“Why?”
She blushed. “Because boys don’t have interest in me.”
“But he knew things about school. Teachers. People I knew. He even knew what happened in chemistry class one day. After a while, I thought he had to be real.”
“So you started talking to him.”
“He was nice to me, Ian. He listened. When I had a bad day, he wanted to know why. When those girls bothered me, he told me not to listen to them.”
Ian shook his head slowly.
“Sounds harmless.”
“Then I found out the truth.”
“What did you find out?”
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
Ian sat forward. “What happened?”
“They sent me a link.”
“Who sent you a link?”
“Those girls sent me a link to a page.”
Emily wiped her cheek. “They posted our messages.”
Ian's expression changed.
“What?”
“Not all of them. Just the ones they knew would embarrass me.”
“Emily...”
“There were things I told him because I thought I could trust him. Things about school. About how lonely I felt. About them.”
Her voice cracked. “They put it online.”
Ian stared at her. “And people started sharing it.”
Ian looked away for a moment, his jaw tightening. “Do you know for sure those girls did it?”
Emily shook her head.
“No. That's why nobody can do anything. The account is gone. The page disappeared. They said there’s no proof.”
“But you know.”
“I know.”
“How?”
Emily looked at him.
“Because there was something I told Jordan that I never told anybody else.”
Ian waited.
“One of those girls said it to me today.”
The room went quiet.
“She walked right past me and whispered it in my ear.”
Ian stared at her.
“And then she laughed.”
“The most important thing is that you’re alright,” Ian said. “I was praying that the Lord would pull you through and he did.”
Emily nodded.
Ian leaned forward.
“As for those girls, I don't know what's going to happen. But I do know God hasn't forgotten about you. He'll work this out.”
“How do you know?”
“Because He brought you through tonight. And you're still here.”
Emily looked down at her hands.
“It doesn't feel like He's here.”
“I know it may seem that way,” Ian said. “But God hasn't forgotten about you, Emily. He loves you, even when it doesn't feel like it.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
🔄 Previous Episode 11: The Price of the Costume
🔙 Next Episode 14: What Gabby Overheard
While Ian remains at the hospital with Emily, Fiona calls Gabrielle to explain why they never made it to the dance. But before Gabrielle and Lee leave to join their friends, an overheard conversation in the girls' restroom reveals something neither of them expected: Emily was telling the truth.
Note: The story above is a work of fiction created for inspirational purposes. Any resemblance to actual individuals or events is purely coincidental.
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The story doesn’t end here. Follow Ian Smart and his friends as they navigate high school, friendships, family, choices, and faith in the Growing Up Smart series. Visit the Growing Up Smart Series Page »
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