AN: Thank you once again for all the feedback, and I hope there will be much more. In this chapter Emily starts to realize some things towards the blonde. Enjoy!
Disclamer: Skins UK doesn't belong to me (unfortunately), only my characters do.
CHAPTER 4
The next morning Emily lay in bed, while the early morning sun entered through the window, bathing her room with tones of a faded yellow. She liked this time of the day, the time when from outside you could hear the few birds starting to sing near her window. Sometimes, if she was lucky, a bird would lie on the windowpane, and she would stare at it for a bit of time, almost as if the bird could see into her, allowing her to communicate with it.
However, as good moments do not last forever, she is interrupted by a knock on the door and a voice saying: "Miss Emily! It is time for breakfast! Will you come down to the dining table, if you please?"
Emily awake from her trance and answered hurriedly: "I will be down in a few minutes; I just have to wash my face and dress up! Tell father they can start to eat without me if they want to."
"I will miss, but please try to not take too long; you know how your father gets, always moody in the morning."
"Ok I will try!" Emily said getting up from her bed and making her way to the bathroom. As she entered, she turned on the hot water tap of her bathtub, and grabbed a towel to clean herself after her bath. While she lay in the warm and bubbly water that surrounded her, she let herself relax and immerse in her thoughts. Thoughts that were quite pleasant, about a certain blonde girl. Although she liked the feeling, she could not help but wonder why she was having those thoughts. She had just met Naomi; they had only talked more openly with each other the night before, so Emily could not figure why she was thinking so much about the girl. After all, she met many other friends of Cassandra, and yet, she was not thinking like this about any of them. It was strange to her, to be thinking about another person so early in the morning other than her family. Eventually, she snapped back to reality as soon as she noted the water getting cold, and got up to dry herself and get dressed.
Once she was done, she went downstairs to join her family at breakfast.
"Emily you are late. We were all waiting for you." Her father said with a stern look.
Emily gulped and said lowering her head, "I apologize father, I got distracted."
Her father nodded and gestured for her to sit at the table. She sat next to her mother and in front of Cassandra. Every day it was the same ritual at meals. Everyone had exactly the same seats at the table. Her father on the end of the table and Cassandra's father on the other end. Her mother in front of Cassie's mother, and she and her cousin in front of each other, side by side with their mothers.
It has been this way ever since she can remember. Emily actually liked it, to have the whole family together, sharing their meals, sometimes talking. Exactly the opposite of her cousin, who despised these family gatherings, even so in the early morning. She was always with an expression of extreme boredom, which would curiously instantly change the minute Emily started talking with her. Her beautiful smile would magically appear and her eyes would shine with such adoration for her little cousin that the people around them at the table did not seem to exist at all. In addition, Emily felt it too. The love and admiration for her cousin was so big that it made her feel warm and whole every time they were together. Even if they only exchanged smiles, sometimes it was enough for not felling so out of place.
"What are you girls smiling about?" Their family had asked them many times since they were little kids. Both girls would just smile even more, because only they knew, what it was like to love other member of the family as profusely as they did. You see, the Royals were the most admired and respected family of the city, more often because of their wealth, but also because people believed that they were a true family, who respected each other and treated each other equally, and of course loved one another unconditionally.
What the common people did not know was that this family was just like any other, except for their fortune and social statute. If you took that to the side, you would see all the flaws, all the failures, all the defeats throughout the years. The majority of the Royals did not care for family; they cared for their own fortune. They cared about getting a perfect successor to their reign so they could maintain the name and statute of their legacy.
Emily and Cassie were raised a bit protected from the intentions of their fathers, having her mothers and maids do everything in their power so their little girls would not have to grow up having the same kind of mentality. Through many years, they had made it, but now that the girls were reaching majority, they were getting closer to the reality that surrounded them. In fact, Cassie already began suspecting and wondering about many things, but she had decided not to say anything to her little cousin, because she knew, deep down, that it would break Emily's heart, and she wanted nothing more than to protect the most important person in her life.
"Cassie how are you classes going? Are you still having trouble controlling your telekinesis?" Her father asked.
"It's actually getting easier. Every now and then I get a little enthusiastic and lose control, but other than that it's good." She answered him.
"It's good to know. Your grandfather was the best telekinetic know by history. It would be a disappointment if you didn't succeed in that area…"
"Yes I know father! You have told me many times before." Cassie said trying to end the subject.
Silence fell between them for a while, until Emily's father started to speak, "Emily, as the subject of classes was brought to the table and seeing that you are almost turning eighteen, it should be time you started developing your talents." He paused for a moment waiting for her response.
Emily looked down to her plate and started playing with her food while answering, "Well… I actually started developing something, but I don't know what it is yet."
Her father looked surprised and curious, "Oh is that so? Can you explain us what you've been nothing differently?"
This time she looked up and saw that her cousin was smiling kindly at her to encourage her. She then turned to her father and answered him, "I've been feeling stronger, physically. Other than that I don't recall anything more."
"Hm… You know how important it is to perfect at least one talent, therefore I hope that in the next few months you'll have more to show me than increased strength. Our family expects more of you, and you too Cassandra. Both of you girls are our successors, you can't let us down."
Both Cassie and Emily nodded in agreement. They knew that it was no good to go against his will.
After they finished their meal, they both got excused from the table and went outside to the garden. They walked in silence for a moment, until they reached the garden fountain and sat there looking to the water.
"It is a beautiful day today isn't it Emsy?" Cassie said looking at the clear and light blue sky.
Emily hummed in agreement without looking at her cousin.
Cassie looked at her and said with a hint of worry, "You are a bit quiet today, more than usual. What's the matter?"
Emily raised her head to look at her cousin and said, "I wasn't being totally honest back there…"
"What do you mean? At the table?" Cassie questioned confused.
"Yes. When I was telling my father about having developed my talents…" She answered a bit afraid.
Her cousin grabbed her hand looking at her smiling and said, "Emily it's alright, you can tell me anything."
She smiled at Cassie and said, "I know that. It's just that I don't even know how to explain it. It has been happening for a few months now, usually in the morning." She paused for a moment. "There is this bird, it usually sits by my window, and sometimes it's as if I can read him, and he can read me."
Her cousin stared at her with a blank expression, unsure of what to say. Eventually Emily said to her, "I know it's strange, maybe I'm just imagining things…"
"No, no! I was just thinking… I guess you've found your talent." She said calmly.
"What do you mean?!"
Cassie thought for a second before answering, "Well, I remember reading in the old books at the library that one of the talents of our family passed by on generation to generation was indeed mind reading. Especially in women! Therefore it makes perfect sense to me what you just told me."
Emily looked surprised, "Wow… I can't believe I finally found it!" She said excitedly.
"It sure looks like it honey!" She said to her cousin.
Emily was grinning like a little child in front of a toy store, but her smile soon faded as she remembered something. "I should probably tell my father about it… It's not right to keep it a secret from him."
Cassie sighed, "Do you want to tell him?"
Emily thought for a moment, "Not really. He's going to start demanding that I take more classes and train more. If it's hard to leave the house now, imagine when he finds out that I'm starting to develop my talent."
"It's simple, don't tell him. He doesn't need to know right away, what harm could it do?"
"Hm… I guess you are right. I won't tell him then, for now at least."
Both girls smiled to each other and got up from the fountain, continuing to walk in the garden. They eventually reached a spot that had a huge oak tree; it was the biggest one in the garden, therefore the one who had the biggest shadow when the sun was up high. It was the girl's favourite place to be just the two of them.
They lay down there and Cassie began to speak, "I spoke with Tony yesterday, and he asked if we wanted to go out again with them today. They were thinking about doing some sort of a picnic, near a lake. He said it has a beautiful view."
"Oh, it sounds nice. You should go." Emily said looking at the sky.
Cassie stood silent for a few seconds before answering, "Ems, I think you are a very intelligent girl, but sometimes I swear you can be very daft!" She ended laughing.
Emily looked at her confused, "What do you mean?!"
"Tony invited us! Not just me! So if I'm going, you're going with me!"
"Oh! Sorry, I just didn't think he was including me…" She answered feeling a bit silly.
"Of course he was including you! He loved meeting you. He thinks you are a bit shy, but he said that he can tell you are a cool person. So he wants to get to know you more, they all do actually." Cassie finished smiling.
"Really? Wow, it was nice of him to say that! Ok I'll go out with you, I actually have to admit that I liked all of them too. They seem like nice and fun people to hang out with." She smiled back at her cousin.
"They sure are! They've been really good friends to me, you won't find better people than them."
"If you say so, I believe you." Emily paused for a moment, "I just wonder, why didn't you tell me about them early?"
"I didn't think you would approve. I was afraid you would judge me for hanging out with people outside the family and outside our city. Which initially you did, but I understand now that you were just afraid of the things you don't know."
"I'm sorry I have made you feel that way. I really didn't mean to." She pondered what to say next, "And you are right, I was scared, still am. It's all new to me, being with different people, in different places. But I feel that as long as you are with me, I can defeat these fears!"
"I know Emsy, I'll always be by your side, so you don't have to worry about it. I believe that sooner than you think it will be a piece of cake doing new and different things to you!"
Emily turned to her cousin and hugged her close, "Thank you so much for believing in me Cassie! I love you, and I want you to know that you can tell me everything from now on, alright?"
Cassie giggled and kissed Emily's head, "Alright sweetie, I will!"
It was now 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and the girls were getting ready for the picnic. Since it was a weekend, their fathers hadn't opposed about them going out. Of course, they didn't know whom the girls were meeting, but it was for the better.
"Cassie have you packed the sandwiches in the basket?" Emily asked while they were in the kitchen.
"Yes! Do you have the refreshments there?" She said turning around to look at her cousin who was by the fridge.
"Yeah. Do you rather have orange juice or apple juice?"
"Just bring both, since it's the only thing we'll be drinking." Cassie said rolling her eyes.
"I think it makes sense, after all the picnic it's at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A bit too early to be drinking the heavy stuff don't you think?" Emily said mocking her.
"Yeah I guess you're right."
Emily finished putting the beverages in the basket and said, "Well, I'm finished! Shall we go?"
"Wow! Look at you! Why the hurry? Is it someone there you can't wait to see?" Cassie asked in a provoking tone.
Emily felt her face getting hot and red, "No! I just don't want to be late. You know how I like to get to appointments in time!"
"Yeah sure, that's what that blushing means, "a need to get there in time"."
"Can we just go?" Emily asked trying to change the subject.
Cassie walked to the front door holding the picnic basket and said, "We're already going. Hurry up or you might me late…"
AN: Curious about the next chapter? I hope so, if you have anything to say about this one, just go right ahead and leave a review. As always, thank you for reading ;)