The Video
EmmaVerse Fanfiction
Sequal Piece to 'Fake Face'
Background: When Emma and Sophie get a real glance at the nastiness of Lavender, Sophie records the interaction without the knowledge of the young Zhao girl. Here's what happens after all the drama and the game.
"And the winners are Team Barefoot!" The Announcer yelled, and the crowds went wild. Emma and Sophie shared a high five before pushing their way out to meet the team when they first got out. Lavender was right behind them, trying to push her way out faster than Emberlyn, but Emma knew the crowds like the back of her hand at this point.
When she got out, and she was the first, she darted to where her cousin would be making an exit, barreling into him and nearly tackling him in a hug. Karl was surprised, but laughed it off and hugged her back. "Hey there Little Em, no need to knock me over you know?"
"I just missed you." Emma said, her hold tightening a bit at the nickname he had given her so long ago. At this point, it felt tainted. "We're still going to Andy's today, right?"
"Yeah, of course. It hasn't been that long." Karl said, chuckling a bit. Emma heard someone clear their throat behind her, and reluctantly let go of the boy.
"Hey, Lavender!" Karl exclaimed, hugging his girlfriend. Emberlyn hadn't realized she'd caught up yet. That means… she turned slightly to see Sophie talking to Issac, good, she's out too.
"Well I had to stop by and see you play in a real game sometime. Sophie was telling me what a great team you have." Lavender commented, linking arms with the boy and walking him forward a bit. "Besides, me and Emma had to have a bit of girl time eventually!"
"Oh, please?" Shawn called out to the two. "If you could wait just a moment? Issac wants to have a team meeting. Emma and Sophie are invited of course, and Lavender if she wishes to go over our performance and ways to improve."
"We also have to set some practice times around the Zhao schedule, since Emma usually has Karl sit in on those with her." Issac added, turning to Emma and Karl. "The other company too, we need to plan for both."
Emberlyn nodded, going to stand beside her two long standing best friends, Timmy and Cat having waited back a moment so that the couples and cousins could get their hugs in. Emma hugged Cat when she reached her, the older girl hugging back and whispering in her ear. "I'm sorry."
Cat was the only one that Emma had told how much it hurt to feel so completely abandoned by her cousin. She knew that he would need to move on eventually, she just hadn't expected it to be so suddenly, and while they were both so young. Lavender wasn't his first girlfriend after all, but she was to most clingy.
Emma couldn't help but be reminded of her Ex, a boy named Brandon who had also enjoyed pulling her away from her cousin. With that, she made a mental note to check on her cousin later, especially considering the situation she'd gotten herself into thinking that it was love…
The boy had really thrown her for a loop, alright? Now was not the time to think about that though.
Emberlyn traced over the small mark he'd left on her arm as her thoughts shifted darkly without her consent. She didn't even realize she'd started scratching at it until Cat grabbed her hand and held it firmly between them.
"Don't do that." She hissed under her breath at the younger, and the girls eyes immediately landed on the floor, shame passing over her face briefly.
"Sorry." Emma answered quietly. Timmy glanced over worriedly, catching Cat's eye in a way that told her she would be explaining some things later. Isaac gave the two the same look, but Cat just gripped Emma's hand tighter as the younger tried to pull away.
They started walking, Cat pulling Emma along as her cousin came to walk on the other side of her, chatting on endlessly about how wonderful Lavender was. Honestly, if what Emma had seen of the girl was anything to go by, Emberlyn would have been perfectly happy to hear she just so happened to move terribly far away and was horrible at long distance.
Heck, she could move to the Zhao family island and Emma would be perfectly happy to pay for all expenses getting her there.
Her paternal Grandmother would have an absolute party with the rude child.
Then again, Grandma Becca could pretty much teach anyone to behave after a long enough time. She could still remember the horror stories Karl used to tell her when he accidentally ran into the old woman when she was visiting.
Grandpa Joe told horror stories about her as well, but he usually didn't get away with them as scotch free as Karl did, mostly because Karl refused to come when there was any chance of her being around. Fun times.
Karl nudged her arm with his elbow, causing her to finally look up at him. "Are you even listening, Em?"
"Yeah, yeah… Lavender's great." Emma said, voice nearly robotic, looking back in front of her as Shawn glanced back worriedly, Isaac snorting from a bit in front of the boy.
"What's wrong with you? You're being even weirder than normal." Karl asked.
'And that's saying something.' The words echoed in her mind, the memory surfacing like a small parasite in her mind. It had been so long since it had effected her like it was now, but she should have known something similar would happen sooner or later. She hadn't even realized she spoke her thought out loud, but the look of dawning horror on Karl's face was more than enough to understand. Timmy had stopped walking, something she had failed to realize was that she had as well, causing Cat to falter her step as her hand slipped from the younger. Isaac tensed up, turning back to watch them.
Shawn, Cat, and Sophie were oblivious to what the significance of this small statement was.
^v^ Pretty Flashback ^v^
"Clearly. Guess I should have expected it though, you have way to much in your head to remember things like that, right?" Karl's eyes narrowed at the sarcasm that had leaked into her voice.
"It's easy to forget. Seriously Emma, what's wrong with you today. You're being even weirder than normal, and that's saying something."
"And your acting like even more of a jerk, but no surprise there!" Emma nearly shouted, turning back to the door and running out.
(For more information, please see 'An Ugly Color', which can be found on my page, and in the GGO Football Community)
Emberlyn's eyes were locked with her cousin's this time. A moment of tense silence followed her unexpected trip to the darkest corners of her past, before she shook her head. "Forget it."
Emma grabbed onto Cat's hand once more, and pulled them both ahead of the other's.
"Emma?" Shawn asked quietly as they passed.
"Don't mind me. I'm drowning in memories that never existed." She answered. Dancing out of everyone's reach as she walked ahead, head held high and posture straight. Something her parents had taught her, that if you keep your back straight and continue ahead, you'll never need to worry about people looking down on you when your emotions try to take hold of you. Her own autopilot.
Even Cat was left behind, stunned at the girl's words, and more concerned than ever for her friend.
And just like all those years ago, Karl ran to catch up with her shortly after she left, trying his best to keep up with her when she broke into a run. Timmy followed Karl after the boy moved ahead of the others, Cat running along side him until they reached the room.
Karl was there, and he told them that Emma had ducked into this room as well, but she'd hidden herself away before he reached the room. She'd gotten faster since their last rundown.
Emma was hidden in the closet of team barefoot's planning room, silent tears running down her face as she tried her best to hold back the violent sobs she refused to spill in public. Say what people may, she wouldn't let anything like that out unless it was in her room, with no chance of being found in such a state. Of course she had gotten faster, she didn't really have much else to do but hang out with Cat and Maria, both of whom stressed the importance of exercise.
She was faster because they were faster, and she did whatever she needed to keep up with them.
No one else found her either, and she felt herself almost drifting off before they changed the topic, and it sounded like Karl was about to leave.
"Hang on." Isaac had said, and her cousin's footsteps halted. "Actually, Sophie has something she wanted to show us all before you leave."
It sounded like there was quite a bit of shuffling around, a small clicking sound, and then the lights were out from the room, and she heard it.
"No way. Karl wanted me to come, so I'm here. Glad I showed too, ain't it runt." Lavender's voice rang out through the room.
"I'm sorry, but if you are referring to me, then I must ask that you use my real name." Emma's own voice replied very clearly, queuing her into the fact that Sophie had recorded the whole thing.
Well, she would suppose that this meant she wouldn't need to speak to her cousin anymore. The conversation continued to play back, and she could hear the sharp intake of breath from her friends as Lavender's voice used her nickname once more.
Emma maneuvered herself so that she could see from the crack in bottom of the door, wondering just how much she had gotten. There was a video to go along with the sound, and it was easy to see both Emberlyn and Lavender getting frustrated. She had to give credit though, the small device was easily able to pick up what was being said between the two.
Well this might be a bit awkward to explain to her cousin. As it turned out, Sophie had caught nearly the entire thing, even turning the recording back on when Emberlyn left to go get food. Lavender had not reserved her comments to just the younger girl, but exchanged some choice words with Sophie as well.
"Look, I don't care what you think, but if you were smart you'd drop that dumb whore."
"Excuse me?!" Sophie asked, distraught.
"Just didn't think you were associated with rich girl trash anymore, Sophie?" She said in a way that was way too falsely sweet.
"Alright listen here you ashtray, if I hear one more deprecating word out of you about Emma I'll-"
"What, sick your little boyfriend on me? Or maybe you'll have the rich girl call her bodyguard."
"Or maybe we take this outside and I beat the crap out of you myself?" Sophie added. "I may not look it, Lavender, but I do know how to deal with a snotty stuck up bitch."
"Really now. Big words for such a dainty little girl. Wonder if you can back them up." Lavender taunted. Emma came back at that point though, and the conversation was closed.
The camera shut off.
"Emma needs to tell me." Her cousin's voice came, and she almost cried at the words
"What?" Sophie asked quietly. "I just…"
"I know." Karl said. "But Emma needs to tell me. Nothing against you, but I need to hear it from my little cousin."
His footsteps grew closer and Emma slinked away from the door. "Because she isn't supposed to hide things like that."
The closet door opened and Karl sat on his legs in front of his cousin, who had pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them. Only her eyes blinked out at him, the rest of her face tucked towards her.
"Emma." Karl said, soft enough to keep her from hiding away completely, but firm enough to demand her attention.
"I'm sorry." Emma said, having a hard time controlling her voice. "I didn't want you to be upset."
"Emma, you're way more important than that. I thought we were over keeping secrets."
Emma laughed a bit, but didn't uncurl. "I'm complicated."
"I don't disagree." Karl held out his hand, and Emma quickly buried her face in her knees to wipe away any stray emotion that had been brought to the surface, before grabbing her cousin's hand. Karl pulled her up and wrapped her in a quick hug before setting off to find Lavender, telling her to stay with Cat while he did so.
Cat was quick to her side when Karl moved out of the room, pulling the girl into her and whispering comforts in her ear, like she had when they first met. Cat was more of a mother than her own in this way, and had learned a number of ways to calm Emma down. She played with Emma's hair, told her everything would be fine, and held her close whenever she needed it. Afterwards, the girls would do something fun to take their minds off it, sometimes it was going for ice-cream with Riff, shopping with Maria, but her favorite was always a sleepover movie night.
Maybe that was a tomorrow project.