(I am a bad person. SO sorry!)

To her mortification, Emmeline heard herself beginning to make those pathetic little animal noises associated with the most undignified sort of crying. She knew she seemed like an idiot, and later on she would be perfectly humiliated by her behaviour, but for the moment it seemed the only appropriate thing to do.

"Oh, Grady...It isn't your fault...You didn't do it..." Without her approval, Emmeline found her skinny arms around her friend's neck, clinging to him like a lifesaver in the middle of the ocean. Well. This was just getting more and more undignified.

Between great sobbing gasps, she was able to stammer out a few pitiful words of gratitude. "Th-thank you...G-g-grady...For...b-being so ni...nice..."

Sometime, a little voice at the back of her head mused, she would have to give him a proper thank you. Now was not the time.