Well hello lovelies! So I've got two exams done and three to go but due to the early release today and the OBNOXIOUS amount of studying I did over the weekend, I have this chapter ready to go for you (well almost I haven't proofread it completely)! Don't get too used to Effy talking but I will occasionally include little interludes of other characters to give a little more perspective, for the record. UGH back to studying *kisses*

Emily

I always knew my sister had something for Effy, but I always thought it was a sort of weird I-want-to-be-her kind of thing, not an actual crush. I wasn't exactly opposed to them getting together but it was certainly a little weird. I also was not expecting Effy to kiss me, nor did I expect Katie to react so angrily, however I did finally understand Cook and Freddie's weird lust thing with her; she was an excellent kisser. Everything was starting to make my head spin, which was not helping the pounding headache I had from last night's festivities nor the knot that was swelling from my encounter with the cupboard, so I went upstairs to lie down, admittedly pleased by Naomi coming upstairs and checking on me and annoyed by Cook busting in and checking me out. However, the ensuing pillow fight gave Naomi and I the excuse we needed to get to the bottom of this Effy and Katie thing.

Hand in hand we snuck into the kitchen and quickly crouched behind the counter. Effy and Katie were outside and from where we sat we could see them perfectly. Katie was obviously incredibly mad but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Effy was wearing that aggravating little smirk.

"What are you doing?" I hissed as Naomi crept to the door. She held a finger to her lips to quiet me. She sat beside the door and gestured to the empty glass on the counter above my head. I rolled it over to her, it made a slightly loud noise when it hit the wall beside her but I don't think they noticed. She pressed it against the wall. I watched in silence as she listened, seeing her reactions and comparing them to Effy and Katie's outside. After a few minutes, she snapped her fingers to get my attention.

"You were right!" She mouthed, pointing to them. I tilted my head and held up my hands.

"About what?" I asked silently. She rolled her eyes and made a heart with her hands before pointing back outside. I covered my mouth with my hands to prevent myself from laughing out loud. Naomi stifled a giggle at me before turning her attention back to Katie and Effy. They seemed to have calmed down a bit. While Naomi listened in I inched my way to the third and supposedly secret bag.

Effy

I myself was surprised by my stunt with Emily. We had our talk and I kept being caught off guard by how similar yet different her and Katie are. They squint their eyes the same way when they smile, and their lips take the same angle. They both look at you the same way when you've said something too blunt, but their reactions afterwards are different; Emily would ask for clarification or just shrug and say "Alright" while Katie would call me a bitch, but the look is the same, that slightly hurt and slightly surprised expression. They make the same face when they're trying not to laugh. They've started to meet in the middle a little more, Emily is becoming more confident while Katie is reigning it in, it's peculiar.

I wonder if that's why Cook was suddenly so interested in Emily, the confidence. I know it intrigued me. Not to mention Katie and her hot and cold routine. I'm still a bit confused as to why Emily kept letting Naomi back in, she was such a twat. But I'm glad Naomi got her shit together, nauseating as it is, she fucking loves Emily. Seems like everyone does.

"Effy?" Katie snapped, breaking me out of my musing.

"Yes?" I asked, taking a drag of my cigarette. She threw her hands up in annoyance.

"I can see right through you, you know."

"Likewise." She shook her head.

"Why the hell did you snog my sister?" She asked and I looked down.

"Dunno."

"What do you mean you don't know?" I rolled my eyes.

"Let's work through it, shall we? I, as in myself, don't, as in do not, know. As in I'm not sure why I kissed your sister."

"Bitch, how do you just not know?"

"Maybe it was an accident!" I kidded but she obviously didn't find it funny.

"An accident. You just accidentally shoved your tongue down my little sister's throat?"

"There was no tongue, and she isn't your little sister, you're twins." I corrected, still tasting Emily's slightly sweet lips on mine as I licked them. I looked into the kitchen for a moment, hearing a strange noise but figured it someone just dropped a glass.

"I was born first, that makes me older." She explained and I rolled my eyes again. "You know that's really fucking rude." I rolled them once more just to annoy her. She ran a hand through her hair. "Fuck you, I'm going inside." I felt a brief rush of panic.

"Katie, stop."

"What?"

"Don't go." I grumbled, lighting another cigarette off of my other.

"I'm trying to Effy but I thought we were passed this bullshit. I thought we were finally friends."

"Aw, are you going to try to hold my hand?" It came out far more sarcastic than I intended.

"Holy shit." She huffed and turned to go. I grabbed her arm.

"I'm just... I'm not good at saying what I feel." I looked down at my worn converse.

"Oh, so you are actually a human." I glared at her and she smirked.

"So it appears."

"Well go on then."

"I'm sorry I kissed Emily. I didn't want to hurt you or anything-"

"We're not fucking dating Effy, I don't care. It's just, like she's my sister, yeah? I'm supposed to protect her and shit." I raised an eyebrow challengingly.

"So if I had kissed, say, Pandora, you wouldn't have been mad?"

"No." She answered quickly but wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Cook?"

"Nope." I took a step closer.

"And what if I had kissed you?" She looked up and I leant in a little bit. Her eyes widened and she took a step back.

"I'm not a lezzer."

"Didn't say you were." I shrugged.

"Yeah, well I'm not a lesbian and I'm not going to kiss you."

"Didn't stop you last night." She shot a finger to her lips. Last night had been a bit weird. Katie borrowed a condom from Cook and everything just to talk to me, she was scared people would get the wrong impression. I got a text about five minutes later, after Cook had practically yanked Emily onto the dance floor with Naomi trailing just a bit behind. Thank fuck for that or I'd have been left with Freddie and JJ. Once I got outside Katie was just leaning about against the wall, a beer in one hand.

"Took you long enough." I muttered and she grinned.

"Sorry had to get rid of that tosser."

"Yeah I figured. Couldn't fill the condom?" I asked and she giggled.

"Not exactly." I liked drunk Katie, she wasn't such a bitch.

"So anyway, you rang?" I asked, holding up my phone for good measure.

"I'm mad at you." She pouted, playfully hitting my arm.

"Yeah? What for?"

"You didn't tell me you were coming home. I missed you."

"I didn't tell anyone I was coming home until I was here." I explained and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh right, because you're Effy Fucking Secretive Stonem, sorry I forgot."

"I like to keep a bit of mystery." I chuckled, lighting a spliff. She took the joint from my lips and took a long deep drag. "I thought you were anti-smoking?"

"Yeah well, fuck it."

"What about cancer?" She got really close to my face and I saw how dilated her pupils are, just now remembering that she had some of Cook's special powder, she blew the smoke into my face and I inhaled it.

"Fuck cancer!"

"Amen." I agreed, blowing it out and taking back my spliff. We sat in companionable silence for a bit, just passing back and forth the joint. She looked so God damned pretty, which made me smile because she always dressed far too over the top. I used to think Katie was the sexy twin while Emily was the pretty one, but in that moment, and after seeing Emily on the dance floor, which was...Christ there aren't words, I realized they were interchangeable.

"I wish I knew, just once, what you were thinking." She thought aloud and I turned to her.

"Really?" I asked and she nodded. "I was thinking that you're beautiful." I admitted and she blushed.

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

"I mean it." She turned to look at me and saw that I was sincere.

"You're serious?" I nodded and she smiled before facing forward again. "Yeah well you're not so bad yourself."

"Bad bitches." I muttered and she laughed loudly.

"Yeah, son." She yelled, impersonating that cringey American 'swag' voice before we started cracking up. I watched her laugh and grinned at how pretty she looked.

"Can I kiss you?" I asked and she kissed me as an answer.

"Keep your fucking voice down. That was one time."

"A good time." She rolled her eyes.

"I was drunk."

"Technically."

"I would've probably kissed anyone."

"Debatable."

"I'm not gay, Effy."

"You sure?" She nodded, and I was disappointed by how sure she was.

"So it's just me then?"

"Yes- wait no!" She stuttered as I grinned. "No, Effy. I don't want to kiss you and I don't know what I was thinking last night."

"So," I took a step closer with each word. "What would you do if I just-"

"Stop." She whispered but didn't back away.

"-did it anyway?" I asked, only inches from her face. Her eyes flicked between my eyes and my lips several times.

"I'd fucking kill you." She said unconvincingly.

"I can live with that." I chuckled ironically and closed the space between us.

Naomi

I could not believe my fucking eyes. What the fucking hell was going on with my friends? First Cook was trying it with Emily and now I watched as Katie Fitch and Effy Stonem fucking snogged in my backyard. What. The. Fuck.

I turned to get Emily's attention but she was staring at the contents of the third bag, looking quite puzzled. I turned back to Effy and Katie, who were now full on making out but had to look away, from this angle Katie looked far too much like Emily and it was a disturbing picture that I couldn't shake so I scooted over to where Emily was on the floor.

"Ems?" I asked, but she didn't look up. She seemed a bit dazed. I laughed to myself, she always got like this when she was thinking. "Emily?" I waved my hand in front of her face. She blinked a few times and looked over at me. "Effy is making out with your sister." I informed her and she calmly looked out the window and nodded.

"Mhm." She mumbled, as I watched I saw it was less surprise and more confusion.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, swiftly kissing her on the cheek. She glanced up at me and I saw the corner of her lips twitch.

"Why would Effy bring a duvet cover?" She asked, and I peaked in the bag. Lo and behold there was a bright green duvet.

"Dunno." I shrugged, but had an inkling.

"I mean it is Effy, but this is a nice fucking duvet." She chuckled and stood up. "Weird thing to bring to a party. Whatever." She laughed and held her hand out for me. "Shall we my love?" I eyed her skeptically.

"You realize Effy is making out with your sister, right?" She shrugged.

"Bound to happen eventually."

"Oh is that how it was with me, you were just waiting for me to work it out?" I asked and she grinned.

"Aw, babes, you've finally caught on." She teased with a wink. I laced our fingers together as we walked back into the living room.

"Ladies." JJ called out and I laughed at his attempted charm. Freddie was stuffing his face but he looked up and grinned at us.

"I gotta say, girls, you got the best snacks." He complimented, shoving a handful of crisps in his mouth.

"Yeah, whizzer." Pandora said, staring at the side of Thomas' face as he read the news from the morning.

"You okay Thommo?" Emily asked, cueing in on his mood. He shook his head.

"No, there has been a huge polio outbreak back home. My family is here, but, my village, I don't know." He explained solemnly and Emily looked up at me pleadingly, as if I could say something to make it better. I loved that she believed in me so much but I wasn't as great as she gave me credit to be. We had actually talked about this article the other day, I thought Thomas would have already known.

"The World Heath Organization and UNICEF have a vaccination drive already in the works Thomas, the good news is we already know how to cure it, now it just comes down to getting the medicine over there. Everything will be alright." I assured and he nodded, giving me an appreciative smile.

"God is good, my people won't suffer long." He said, as if he were reassuring himself. Emily squeezed my hand and nuzzled into my shoulder, her adorable way of telling me she was proud. Emily and I didn't speak much about religion, but I knew by the amount of Sunday mornings we had spent together that she didn't go to church, at least not with any frequency. I actually didn't know the religion of any of my friends really, except that Effy was an atheist but that seemed obvious. Mum had raised me in a somewhat agnostically buddhist way, with the morals of buddhism but not the discipline.

"Yeah, Thommo." Freddie surprisingly piped up.

"I didn't know you believed in God, Freds?" Panda asked and he shrugged.

"My mom did, but once she... Uh died we kind of stopped going to church. I don't know, you gotta believe in something right?"

"It hasn't been scientifically proved that an all-powerful being exists but science is obviously real and proven so until something proves me otherwise I have to disagree due to lack of concrete evidence."

"But they found the Shroud of Turin, JJ." Thomas explained and JJ shrugged.

"Could be a coincidence."

"Or not." Thomas challenged and JJ shrugged. They had come to be pretty good mates and knew when to drop it.

"Mum makes me go to church with Marvin." Pandora groaned. "God and I are whizzer pals but I don't like church so much. I can't sit still that long, my toes start going all numb."

"Yeah we stopped going when Katie and I got old enough to not want to. I don't know I think there's something up there, and I don't really mind calling it God." She shrugged and I smiled at her simple wisdom. "Besides, I know for a fact angels are real." She giggled and kissed me on the cheek.

"Ugh that was awful." I groaned, but blushed anyway. Cook finally piped up from his place on the couch where I thought he'd been sleeping.

"I believe in God, ya know." We all turned to him quickly. "Ah don't act so surprised I got a giant ass cross tattooed on me side, jesus." He laughed, pulling up his shirt to reveal it. "Me and Paddy go kinda often actually. Have a lot to repent for."

"The devil incarnate, ladies and gentleman." JJ joked and we actually all laughed, including Cook.

"What's so funny?" Katie asked and I turned quickly and raised an eyebrow.

"Religion." Thomas informed and Effy smirked.

"Ah, Christ." I was the only one to laugh at her dry humor.

"Wanna hear a joke? It's super funny, Marvin told me it." Cook and Effy shared a knowing glance and I recalled the story they told me of his sexcapades with Panda's mom.

"Sure." Freddie was the one to answer and Pandora beamed.

"Alright. Who makes the best pizza in heaven?"

"Jesus." Effy blurted out and we all turned. "That's always supposed to be the answer right?" I started dying laughing again and everyone turned to me.

"She's fuckin' hilarious what?" I said defensively and Emily shook her head, chuckling.

"Give up?" Pandora asked and we all nodded. "Cheesus Crust!" She exclaimed and we all politely laughed, no one really thinking it was all that funny.

"Good one Pandora." Thomas grinned, the only one laughing honestly.

"I got one! Off the topic of the whole Christian shit... or stuff, sorry. What does Mary Poppins say when she's trying to flirt?"

"Stay awake, don't rest your head?" Pandora guessed and he shook his head, laughing at the potential dirtiness of the answer.

"Each day to the steps of St. Paul's, the little old bird woman comes?" Effy guessed, and I was surprised she knew Mary Poppins that well. Cook guffawed but shook his head. Suddenly Emily strutted over to Cook.

"You don't need a spoonful of sugar to make me go down." She said in her seductively husky voice with a dramatic wink, and I felt my knees go a little weak. Cook clapped his hands wildly.

"Fucking mint!" He yelled and they highfived.

"Hey Pandora I like that shirt, can I talk you out of it?" Thomas flirted and Pandora erupted in a fit of giggles, turning bright red.

"I met a girl with twelve boobs, sounds funny dozen tit?" Freddie offered and we all chuckled.

"This isn't an orgy guys, quit fucking around." Effy retorted.

"Ovary clever of you, Effy." I added.

"I named my cock The Truth because bitches can't handle it." Cook practically shouted.

"I guess the Viagra is working, Cook, you're twice the dick you were yesterday!" I laughed.

"Dammit, I was 6 inches away from making a penis joke!" Emily said and Cook jumped up.

"Emily just made a penis joke, who saw that coming?" He yelled, pointing at us, Freddie was the first to catch on.

"Naomi last night!" He shouted and they highfived and started wolf howling. I looked over at Emily and she was as red as her hair but she started laughing. After that everyone starting laughing and it was as if the tension of last year melted away.

"Alright, alright, everyone calm down. Who's ready for the third bag?" Effy offered and everyone shouted their agreement. She sauntered into the kitchen and returned. Setting the duvet on a chair, she began tossing parcels to everyone. "Sit down, sit down." She requested and Emily and I shared the preferably one person seat, but I was certainly not complaining.

"What's this Eff?" Katie asked, examining hers.

"Well when I was in Italy I got you all little somethings." She said, smiling shyly. "Well for God's sake go on." She urged and we tore into our packaging. She got me a shirt that I assumed was for some protest that was going on in Italy but I couldn't read the words (they were in Italian.) I made a note to ask her later. She got Emily a little wooden bracelet, I recognized it as olive wood. I couldn't really see what everyone else was holding except Katie immediately switched to the earrings she had gotten her.

"Ah yeah this is good shit!" Cook exclaimed, holding up the bottle of Centerba. Freddie lifted a spliff to his mouth, which I assumed was some strange Italian weed that Effy had found. He took a drag and gave her a thumbs up.

"And finally, my dear Naomi and Emily." She gestured to us, clinking her wine glass. "Now, Emily, I don't know if Naomi has told you so I'm going to do it for her. Her and her Mom are moving." Emily tensed up and gave me a concerned look. "Actually, a bit closer to you ironically. Something about Kieran and it's closer to the school and whatnot. However, in addition to this," I held up my hand to shush Effy, I had wanted to tell Emily this part in private but she continued. "Kieran and Gina are going on a premarital honey moon and have left Naomi the flat." Everyone's head snapped up. "So as of next year, our dear Naoms will have the house all to herself." She took hold of the duvet. "So this, my lovely lezzers, is your housewarming present, specifically I suppose to Naomi, but I'm giving it officially to both of you." She tossed to duvet at us and Emily stared at me in absolute shock as everyone clapped and talked excitedly of all of the possibilities.

"How long have you known?" Emily asked and I shook my head.

"Literally Gina told me yesterday morning before she left." She nodded, now no longer worried that I had been keeping it from her. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you, but Eff is all about the grand presentation." I chuckled and she laughed along.

"Well this is extremely exciting. Now we don't have to worry about Gina walking in on us again. That's definitely a plus." I blushed at the memory.

"Yeah, one of many." I grinned, nervously fumbling with the little box in my pocket.