A/N: Hi guys! Here's that Extras story I was telling you about. Hope you all enjoy it!

Dislcaimer: I don't own the Uglies series or any of the characters! I only own my OCs.

Chapter One

Climbing the Ladder

Dear Emi,

Congratulations on making the top 25! You're a big shot now. I can't wait to see you at the Thousand Faces party next week. Enjoy the fame; I hope you have fun!

Love Always,

Nana Love

Hovercams were following Emi around everywhere. She sighed and tried to shoo away a few of them with hand gestures, but it wasn't working very well. Even with her gigantic reputation bubble protecting her, the insistent cameras were still a nuisance. As she made her way to her house, she wondered how in the world people like Nana Love and Aya Fuse survived going out like this. Being the 23rd most famous person in the city was tiring enough, she couldn't imagine being the 2nd or 3rd.

Emi had started staying inside a lot more since she reached the top 25. The paparazzi were just too much to handle, and it didn't help her constantly irritated mood at all. She tried to avoid going out unless she absolutely had to, but Emi found that staying inside wasn't too thrilling either.

She heard a faint PING coming from her right hand, and looked down at her interface ring. The ping was from her best friend, Hana.

Can I come up to your suite, Emi? It read. Emi smiled, Hana was always looking for an excuse to come and visit her. She didn't blame her, the place was amazing. She'd moved in about a year ago, after making the top 1000.

She pressed a button on her interface ring and made a call to Hana. She heard her friend's exasperated voice answer after only one ring.

"Emi! Did you get my ping?" she asked.

"Yep! Sure, you can come over. I'm not there right now, but I will be in about 2 minutes." Emi answered.

"Oh, okay! I guess I'll be there in a few, then."

"See you later,"

"Bye!"

Emi hung up and walked up the stairs of the apartment building, if you could call it that. She pressed her hand against the DNA reader; a feature that she didn't really care for. What was the point? Nobody was going to try and break into her house. And if they did, there were plenty of other security measures on the place that it'd be near impossible.

After the door identified who she was, the room welcomed her. She plopped down on her soft bed, waiting for Hana to arrive. Only a few minutes later, she heard a knock on her door and got up to answer it.

When she opened the door, it wasn't Hana who stood there. It was someone else.

"Hi," the girl said. "I'm sorry, but I think this is yours. It was delivered to my door instead of yours. You see, I'm in Suite 234, I think they misread the 243…"

"Aya Fuse?" Emi stared at the third most famous person in the city that was standing in her doorway, talking to her as if she were her equal.

"Uh, yeah." she said, feeling embarrassed at how surprised the stranger was to see her.

"Oh gosh, sorry. I just never thought that a person like you would ever come to my doorstep. Thanks for bringing the package," Emi said, taking it from Aya's outstretched arms.

"No problem. What's your name? Obviously you already know mine," Aya asked, smiling.

"Emi Closse," Emi answered.

"Well, nice to meet you, Emi! I'll guess I'll see you around," Aya waved and walked back down the hall to her own Suite.

Half a second later, Emi heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and a familiar voice.

"Aw, come on, Jazz, you have to behave at Emi's. I know she doesn't like you very much, but you have to be nice!" Emi watched as Hana skipped happily up to her. "Hey Em!" she smiled.

"Aw, Hana! You've got to be kidding me. Why'd you have to bring Jazzer?" she asked, looking at Hana's fuzzy companion with dislike.

"He wanted to come! Really, Emi! You and I both owe our fame to him, and you know it," Hana said, letting the ferret climb up her arm. Emi sighed.

It was true. Hana was about the only person Emi knew that had a pet. Well, she was the only person. That is, until Emi had decided to kick a story about domesticating animals. That story was a big hit, and it was Jazzer the ferret that had finally put Emi up to number 23.

"I guess so. Here, come in," Emi opened the front door wider and the two of them (plus Jazzer) went inside.

Hana took a seat on her favorite blue spinny chair while Emi sat on her bed again, staring out the window. The view was beautiful; you could see the entire city.

"So, what are you going to wear the Thousand Faces party next week?" Hana asked excitedly. It was going to be her first time going, and she was extremely psyched. After Emi's pet story had kicked, it'd bumped Hana up into the top thousand. She was currently number 562.

"What?" Emi had forgotten all about the huge party happening the next week. "Oh my God! I completely forgot about that," she said.

"You forgot?! Emi! You can't just forget about the biggest party of the year!" Hana shouted in surprise.

"Hey, calm down, Hana! It just never crossed my mind, okay? I've been so preoccupied with other things lately," she said. Jazzer climbed into Emi's lap and curled up into a little ball. She was about to move him, but hesitated. He was just too cute! Sighing, she let the little creature sleep there.

"Like what? I don't remember you saying anything about being busy." Hana said. "Are you working on another story??" she asked.

Emi shook her head, her light auburn hair falling in her face. "No, I've just been thinking about other things. It's really overwhelming, being famous." She said.

"Are you kidding? I'm loving it so far," Hana shrugged. "But I guess I'm not nearly as famous as you," Emi was silent for a moment.

"Hey, who were you talking to?" Hana asked, breaking the silence between the two friends. Emi looked confused.

"What? When?" she asked.

"Before I came. You were standing outside the door like you had just answered it. And you were looking down the hallway. Who came?" Hana asked curiously.

"Oh, that. Um, nobody. Someone just came to drop off a package that was accidentally delivered to their place instead," she said. Best not mention the part about Aya; Hana would freak out. She was always envious of the girl and how she'd suddenly jumped from 400 thousand something all the way to 3.

"Oh. Well…what's in the package?" she asked.

"What?"

"The package! You said the person came to deliver it, right? Well who's it from? What's in it?" Hana was excited again, frantically searching around the room for whatever might've been inside.

"Oh! I haven't opened it yet," Emi said. She pulled the package out from under her bed, and set it down. Hana came to look closer.

"It's from your parents!" she said, staring at the return address. Hana had met Emi's parents plenty of times; they'd been best friends since the Littlie days.

Emi silently ripped open the package, and tore open the box. She stared at the contents in awe. Neither of the two girls said anything for a solid minute.

"Whoa…..that must've cost a gazillion merits!" Hana finally exclaimed. Emi nodded. Inside the package was a stunningly beautiful gown. It looked like it was made of silk, and it was covered in sparkles. It was the most breath-taking shade of silver Emi had ever seen.

"Look, there's a note," Emi spotted a small folded up piece of paper sitting in the box, waiting to be read. On the front, scrawled in her mother's very fancy script-like handwriting, were the words, 'To My Dear Emi'.

She opened the note and began to read it out loud.

"Emi," she read, "Your father and I have purchased this ball gown for you. Not only because a certain big party is coming up, but also to congratulate you on reaching the top 25. We love you lots, and feel that you deserve to have something special." Emi stared at the note in wonder as she read. "Hugs and kisses, Mira."

"Wow," Hana said, looking at the dress with envy in her eyes. "Well, at least now you know what you're going to wear…" she said.

"Yeah, I guess." Emi set the note down and moved Jazzer from her lap. She carefully removed the dress from the box and laid it out so they could get a better look at it.

"It's so pretty! Man, I'm going to look so unimportant next to you," Hana sighed, looking at the dress with envy in her eyes.

"Not necessarily! You're famous enough to get a pretty dress. And if there isn't a good enough one you can get for free, then just use some of your merits! You have plenty from a bunch of jobs you took, right?" Emi tried her best to cheer her friend up. She really didn't like being the center of attention, and if she was going to wear that dress, she'd have to find a just-as-stunning one for Hana to wear.

"I guess." Hana said, smiling at Emi. "Now what are you waiting for? Try it on!!"

"I'm so excited! Do I look okay, Em?" Hana asked nervously. It was the day of the Thousand Faces party, and the two friends were on their way down to Nana Love's mansion. After a long 5 hours of shopping, they had found an amazing dress for Hana to wear. It wasn't quite as stunning as the one Emi's parents had given her, but it was pretty close.

"Of course you do!" Emi answered.

Hana smiled. "Oh, I wonder who's all going to be there?" she said, half wondering to herself, and half talking to Emi.

"Well, the 1000 most famous people, of course!" Emi answered.

"Well duh! I meant, I wonder who's in the top 1000. Besides the obvious, of course," Hana said.

"I guess we'll just have to find out! Ready to go in?" Emi stopped. They were in front of Nana Love's mansion, where the party would take place (as always). She knew that Hana was excited, and probably nervous too.

"Yep! Top 1000, here I come!"

A/N

Thanks for reading! Remember, a review a day keeps the writers block away!! See you soon. :D