-Emma-

The next morning, I woke sluggishly and stared at the ceiling for a moment. I then rolled over and stared at my alarm clock, willing not to be the time I though it was.

Crud! 6:45!

I shot up and stumbled across my room; flipping on the lights and yanking open my wardrobe. Fumbling into a plain blue tee-shirt and a pair of black pants, I cursed myself for sleeping through my alarm.

I quickly brushed through my long dark brown hair, fussing with my bangs for a moment in the mirror, and headed out my door. I grabbed two apples from the bowl on the kitchen table on my way through it.

I slid down the banister, and bounced over to the door, pulling on my shoes on the way, unlocking it and switching the closed sign to open. I then sat down at my desk and tried to look like I hadn't just woken up.

I crunched into my first apple and grabbed one of the sketchbooks I kept lined up along the back of my desk, flipping through it to the last sketch I had been working on. A couple minuets later, my first costumer walked in. I helped several more people throughout the morning.

After lunch I finally returned to my drawing, pulling out a canvas and started to copy it on it so I could paint it later. Once I was done, I went back upstairs for a second, for some of my pens. I heard the bell ding again, and walked back downstairs. I turned around a shelf and almost ran into Edward. "Oh! Hello." "Hey, Emma."

"Are you ready to get your portrait done, Edward?" He smiled at me, sort of nervously. I started to walk over a wide gap between the backs the shelves, with a chair and two lamps positioned by it. I motioned for him to follow.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" Edward frowned at me, looking confused. I pointed to the chair

"If you could just sit there, that would be great." He lowered himself into the chair and I adjusted the lights, changing the shadows around him, making them deeper. I pulled over my easel, canvas and paints.

I glanced back at Edward. He was sitting up, watching me.

"Ok, just keep sitting like that." I told him

I set to mixing my first color. Hmm…I started with the outline of his jacket. A nice, rich red. I liked it. I brushed my hair out of my eyes and applied the first layer.

Once I finished all that, and then started on his face. It was easy to mix his skin tone. But his eyes, though… what a vibrant gold! His hair, too. It was about the same color. I mixed a very light shade of brown into the color, to capture the depth in his eyes.

I then finished on the second layer of paints, and that is when Edward spoke up.

"Are you almost done?"

I looked up at him. He was leaning back in the chair, looking at me with a glazed expression on his face. I set my brush down on the tray of my easel.

"I'm sorry, Edward. Am I boring you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Only a lot."

Edward stood up from the chair, and walked over to look at the painting.

"Is this it?" he frowned, tilting the canvas to get a better look at it. I pulled it away, fearing he would smudge the still-wet paint

"Careful! And it's not done, yet. I'll probably finish by tomorrow."

Edward's eyebrows rose. "By tomorrow? It takes that long? Why?"

I crossed my arms. "Well, it's harder then it looks. And I have other things I am doing." He snorted. "Yeah. Whatever."

It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "You don't like it, do you?" He turned away. "Its…not that…"

"Then what is it?"

He glanced at me over his shoulders, "oh, nothing…"

"Yeah, right. If it's something you don't like, then you can tell me."

"No. Forget it, okay?"

"You know what," I said walking around to face him, "I am not going to forget it." I put my hands on my hips and stared him down. He stared right back at me.

"You know what? Too bad." He pushed past me.

"What's your problem?" I demanded. That made Edward turn back around.

"My problem? Well, that's none of your business, is it? And!" he said, catching the look on my face. "It has nothing to do with you stupid painting!"

"Stupid!" I was mad now. "It is not stupid! You're the stupid one! You can't even appreciate it!" He smirked.

"Appreciate it? Appreciate what? It's just a painting! Whoop tee do!" he waved his hands next to his face to emphasize the 'whoop tee do'

"Just a painting? Now, you listen to me, you little jerk…" Edward's face twitched, and I trialed off.

"What? You don't like being called a jerk?"

"No! That's not--"

I cut him off, thinking. "Your right! It's not the jerk part is it? You don't like being called little!"

A vein pulsed in his forehead, and I knew I had hit a nerve. Bingo.

"Well, get over it. You are little! You're only a good half inch taller than me!"

"No, I am not!" He practically yelled. I took a step closer.

"Yeah, you are! Look!" I ran my hand from the top of my head to his. My fingers bumped against his forehead just above his eyebrows. He smacked my hand away.

"So?!?" Edward demanded, obviously trying to keep his composure.

"How old are you?" I said. He seemed taken aback.

"I-I'm fifteen." Edward stuttered. Hah!

"Oh yeah? I'm fourteen!" He glared at me, his teeth grinding together.

"That's it! I am leaving!" Then he turned and stormed over to the door.

Edward turned in the doorway, and pointed back at me.

"Oh, and Emma? Don't expect me to come back anytime soon!"

I followed him, catching the door before it could close, and shouted after his retreating form.

"You still owe me 740 sens for the portrait!" He stared back at me, this exasperated -- and slightly angry-- look on his face. I pulled back into the store, not waiting for him to respond.

I watched him through the window, staring at the shop for another minute, and then storm off. I smiled to myself and returned to my desk.