Hello there! Sorry I wasn't able to update this sooner. I was busy and sick the whole week so I couldn't really write anything decent (not that I think this is decent) :)) Anyway, the next chapter's already half way done. I think I'll put a little bit of drama in that one, yeah? As for this one, well it's light but necessary.

Thank you so much for reading this and thanks especially to all of the beautiful people who were nice enough to share their thoughts with me.

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The Audition

It happened a few days before summer was officially to begin.

The cafeteria was filled with the monotonous hum of random conversations overlapping, as students slowly trickled in one by one to have lunch. Katie Fitch sat by one of the tables waiting for Emily to return with their food. She fluffed up her hair, wiped the corners of her mouth with her thumb and then busied herself by inspecting her freshly manicured nails. They were a deep shade red she notes, shiny and perfectly filed.

Already two or three heads turn in her direction, admiring every inch of her. Most especially the way her top (which was two sizes too small) clung to her body, emphasizing the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts. It certainly left nothing much to the imagination, and of course Katie knew this, that was the point.

She smiles an alluring smile, careful not to meet anyone's gaze. Somehow beneath her loud and flashy exterior, she had managed to pull off the art of being both coy and confident all at once. By now the place was beginning to get crowded and her stomach felt emptier by the second. She looks around and wonders what was taking so long. Then she saw something completely infuriating.

At the far corner of the room, close to where the lunch line was, Emily stood balancing two trays on each hand, and in front of her was a fairly tall girl with long chestnut hair. It looked like they were having a rather interesting conversation as Katie saw Emily blushing profusely, nearly tripping though she was standing still.

She waits until the food is set down and Emily is finally seated before she decidedly goes ballistic.

"What the fuck Ems!" she blares, her voice so loud it startles some of the students who were seated near them. Katie shoots them down with a deathly glare before she fixes her eyes back on her sister.

Confusion washes over Emily's face. She wonders what she did to set her sister off, but before she could actually get the question out Katie had already answered it for her.

"Alexa fucking Elliot," she said with so much spite that she took her fork and stabbed angrily at a carrot. "What the fuck did she want?"

"Oh," Emily looked around. Her smile faltered a little before facing Katie again. She was clearly just as surprised as her sister was. "It was nothing... she was just being nice."

But Katie was not letting up. "So you're friends now?" she scowled at the last word, her eyes not leaving Alexa who now had her back turned to them. She was chatting with a bunch of students and laughing along with them around the table.

Emily sighed, it was almost like Katie didn't want her to have any friends, which was probably true, sure, but she knew that it was mainly because Katie hated Alexa's guts more than anything. The girl never did anything to her but for some demented reason or another she was convinced Alexa Elliot was getting in her way.

"She just wanted to congratulate me on the play." There was a pause before she adds, "she's my under study."

Katie's eyes widen for a second before she rolls them.

"Honestly, I don't see what's so special about her. I mean, they could have found someone better!"

"Like who?"

"Well, we're like... twins, right? So obviously it should be me." Katie arches an eyebrow, placing her hands on her hips for emphasis. Emily merely gave her twin a meaningful glance before turning her attention back to her meal.

To describe Alexa as beautiful would have been wrong, because really, it didn't do her any justice. It was much like using the word 'shiny' to describe a perfectly cut diamond glinting under the sun. The word was inadequate but it had to do.

The truth was she was spectacular looking, with her high cheekbones and waif-like frame. She was charming, graceful, smart and unassuming. Emily briefly wonders why she hadn't seen her much, before she remembers that Alexa had been away for most of last semester spending two weeks in London and three in Moscow, performing for an actual theatre group. It was almost legendary.

So yes, Emily was dumbstruck when she talked to her, anyone would. Her green eyes flickered warmly as she said hello, and Emily would have been utterly captivated if she weren't already so taken with somebody else. And really, that was saying something because Naomi was truly, painfully gorgeous.

"Fake bitch," Katie mumbles under hear breath.

Emily could have disagreed with her just then, but she bites her tongue in the end, out of plain, stupid loyalty.

.

"Emilio!" Cook says as he squeezes himself in between her and JJ. He greets her by wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in tight. He was crushing her slightly, but she doesn't even bother telling him. It was no use anyway.

"I told you not to call me that," she insisted.

"I know," he grins wickedly.

Cook first began calling her this a few days after they first met. It was the time when he had invited them to the pub to get royally wasted, though ultimately he ended up being the only one. By the time he was through he had somehow managed to trash part of the bar, get into a fist a fight, and shag god knows how many girls, but in the morning all he could remember was calling Emily "Emilio," and so the name stuck.

He tugs hard on JJ's collar pulling them all into a huddle, "So there's this party tonight"

"Can't." Emily shuts him down immediately.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because you called me Emilio." She gives him a cheeky smirk which he mirrors almost instantaneously, "That's why I like you Red... that's why I like you."

He lets Emily out of his grasp and pats JJ on the back, "Looks like it's just you and me— whoa!"

Cook licks his lips before he begins to make an obnoxious thrusting motion with his hips.

"Lookin' good Naomikins!" he shouts rather impulsively, his voice so loud it reaches the far end of the hall. Naomi stops mid-stride, startled to see the dozen or so eyes that were now fixed on her. She glowers at Cook for a second before she turns to open her locker, effectively hiding the goofy smile which followed as soon as she saw how hard Emily had elbowed him on the ribs.

.

It was all worked out in her head, the speech she was going to give Naomi. It was meant to be the most excellent thank you ever delivered to another human being. In fact it took her hours to pick out the perfect words, and even more time to arrange them just right. So when she marched towards Naomi she walked with purpose, because for once she knew for certain that this was going to be fool-proof.

"Are you hungry?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before her brain had a chance to filter any of it. No 'hi' or 'hello', no build up whatsoever, she just opens the conversation with that. She stood there awkwardly, mentally cursing herself for acting like a total git, as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other.

"What?" Naomi asked without turning around.

"Hungry... low on food... um.." Emily tries desperately to redeem herself, but no such luck. She could have sworn she was more articulate just a few seconds ago. Where the hell did that Emily go?

"I know what hungry means." Naomi answers curtly, finally facing her. She had her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.

Emily flinched from the sheer lack of smoothness of it all. She took one look of the surly expression on Naomi's face and turned bright red right then, fearing the conversation had hit rock bottom too soon. It was like standing before a burning house, watching as the flames licked at the blacked beams right before everything turned to ash.

Fuck it.

"So are you?" she clears her throat, "uh... hungry?"

Naomi shrugs, a ghost of a smile tugging the corner of her mouth, "What did you have in mind?"

.

There was a cafe not too far away from campus. Naomi must've passed it a hundred times before but never really noticed until today. The place had a very inviting feel to it, with soft light permeating from the ceiling, not too bright that it hurt the eyes. Inside the smell of coffee, chocolate and vanilla mixed in the air. It was the kind of atmosphere that made people want to stay for hours.

Naomi sank back into her chair waiting anxiously. She watches as Emily talks to the girl behind the counter, asking about the various cakes and pastries on display before finally settling on the chocolate torte which looked far too sinful to eat.

She couldn't help but notice the way Emily's lips curved into an easy smile or the subtle motion of her hips as they swayed with every single stride, and how her hair glinted slightly beneath the soft light. It was simple really, but somehow in that brief moment it makes her forget everything else.

"So... Thank you." Emily said as she sets down the cake and tea.

"You didn't have to." Naomi tries to shrug off.

"I wanted to."

.

This wasn't a date, Naomi tries to convince herself. This was simply a meal shared by two people— not even a proper meal really, but tea. A few tables in front of her she sees a young couple kissing passionately and it breaks her concentration. Naomi blinks, breathes deeply and tries again.

This was not a date.

It was a shared story here and a clever comeback there; a predictable pattern of stolen glances from across the table, followed by teeth worrying an already worn out lip. It was the sharp intake of breath when fingertips touch inadvertently and the surge of electricity that followed right after. It was the steady beating of hearts, and the unexpected skip that happened in between.

No, this wasn't a date at all, this was... torture.

She wonders how long she could keep this up. Maybe she had to stop. You know, stop giving herself these talks in the middle of the night... stop convincing herself that this was nothing when she woke up every morning.

(The feeling was still there... it never goes away.)

.

"Why do you even bother hanging out with him?" Naomi asked curiously. Out of all the people on campus— which let's be honest, were generally tossers anyway— she especially detested James Cook. It was the way he always kept asking her for a shag. Not in so many words but things like, "You wanna get down Blondie," or "We should get together and feel all right," definitely sounded like a propositions to her. Not to mention the way he cackled at every snarky remark she made. Naomi hated that too.

It seemed odd to her that anyone would even entertain the thought of breathing the same air as he did, much less be his mate.

Emily shifts uncomfortably in her chair. Teaspoon poised in midair, she gave it some thought, mulls it over, then hesitates, "Because he saved my life Naomi."

There is this silence that falls right after. It was stifling, almost. Emily looks out the window then back to her tea. Naomi felt as if she had hit a nerve with her somehow. She opens her mouth and tries to say something only to close it again because she really, really had no idea.

"Christ! I— I'm sorry... Fuck! I had no idea..." She said to Emily who at the moment wouldn't look her in the eye, a sullen expression on her face. "I'm such a fucking idiot..."

She watches as Emily's body began to tremble, and hears her trying to hold back something, possibly tears. Naomi begins to wonder if the girl was going to cry then and there, a mix of panic and guilt surging through her system. She was about to apologize some more when suddenly Emily gives her a mischievous grin.

"Well that was easy." she says, barely able to keep herself from laughing as she saw Naomi's mouth drop a little.

"Bitch! Very fucking funny!" Naomi crumples up a paper napkin and throws it at her, hitting her square in between the eyes. Shock washes over them for a second before it was replaced by soft giggles. Apparently Naomi had perfect aim.

"I'm still waiting for my answer."

"Seriously?" Emily's eyebrows hike up in surprise. She sees Naomi nod, wanting a genuine response.

"He's well, Cook. He's a good guy; like... you know... he grows on you eventually."

"I seriously doubt that."

A strand of hair falls closely to Naomi's eye. And the thought of touching her face threatens to override all sense of control for Emily. It makes her sip her drink much too quickly, almost burning her tongue in the process.

"He rather fancies you actually. I mean, he thinks you're kind of feisty. He likes that."

Naomi tries to resist rolling her eyes, but ends up doing so anyway.

"What? He does!" Emily said indignantly, giving the blonde the warmest smile.

"He fancies anything that moves and won't say no."

"Hmm," was all Emily could come up with after that, because even if it was rude, it was kind of true. Her lips eased into a little smile, her hands fumbling with the tiny packets of sugar on the table.

"I'm impressed though," Naomi's voice softened, "he seems kind of afraid of you."

Emily snorts as soon as the words come out. It was the most unlikely thing anyone had ever said to her, but she quite liked it. She gave Naomi a funny look just before they break eye contact.

Naomi takes her cup full of tea and brings it to her lips; she couldn't help thinking maybe she was kind of afraid of Emily too.