ShadowRose18: No one kill me!!! (hides)
I FINALLY finished the chapters on JoM (which took MUCH longer than I thought it would)
Anyway, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 5 – Birthday Girl
'Are you going to be able to finish it?'
Lysander and Tancred, walking side by side, were on their way home from their week at Bloor's Academy.
'What time is Em's party tomorrow?'
'Noon.'
Tancred pondered for a moment.
'If I work all night, I should be able to,' he replied.
'I can help' Lysander offered.
'Nah, I want to do this by myself,' Tancred replied, giving a tired smile.
Lysander smiled in return. 'I know what you mean,' his best friend replied.
They had reached Sage House by now.
'Well, see you later, Tanc. I'll come over at 11:45 to pick you up.' Lysander called as he opened the gate.
Tancred waved before running up the uneven stone road to Thunder House.
Putting his bag in his room, he found his mother in the 'sewing room', as he called it.
'Hey Mum. You ready for some serious sewing?' he asked, grinning at her.
She smiled in return. 'Always.'
Mrs. Torsson woke up again after two in the morning to find the light in the sewing room still on.
Wearily opening the door, she glanced inside.
Tancred was still working.
'Tancred, dear, you don't have to work so hard. Emma will understand if you can't finish it,' she said, stifling a yawn.
'Just go to sleep, Mum. I'll be fine. I HAVE to finish this. It's important,' he said, his eyes remaining on his work.
Mrs. Torsson sighed.
'Don't stay up too late,' she said, closing the door behind her.
Climbing back into bed with her snoring husband, Mrs. Torsson, smiled again to herself.
'I think I know why it's so important,' she whispered to herself.
Still smiling, she turned over and went back to sleep.
DING DONG!
Mrs. Torsson opened the door and was greeted by Lysander's face.
'Morning!' he said, cheerily. Dressed in jeans, a cream coloured T-shirt and a gray jacket, he was 10 minutes early.
'Tancred is still finishing up. I don't think he's even changed out of his uniform yet!' Mrs. Torsson exclaimed, sighing.
'I'll go see him,' Lysander said, while his father, Judge Sage, entered the kitchen.
'Tea or coffee?' Mrs. Torsson asked.
'Just water, thanks,' Judge Sage replied.
Mrs. Torsson smiled.
'Children grow up too fast,' she said.
'Indeed,' Judge Sage answered.
'Tancred?' Lysander opened the door of the sewing room to see Tancred, still in his uniform and cape, asleep on the desk, while an almost finished Tollroc lay on the desk beside him.
Lysander, sighing and then grinning, shook his best friend awake.
'We're going to be late if you don't get changed soon,' he said.
Tancred rubbed his eyes for a moment before nodding.
Taking a three minute shower and changing into a pair of faded blue jeans and a light blue shirt, Tancred rushed back into the sewing room, stuffed the Tollroc and sewed it up.
'It looks a little off,' Tancred murmured, looking at it.
'It's fine! Come one! We're going to be late! We still have to pick up Lauren!' cried Lysander, dragging Tancred away.
'Alright alright!' Tancred hurriedly put the Tollroc in a box and then into a pale green paper bag.
The two friends, raced down the stairs and into the kitchen.
'Tancred, dear, don't run down the stairs,' his mother scolded.
'Yes, yes, okay! Let's go!' Tancred said, grabbing a white hooded jacket from a kitchen chair and brushing his wet blonde hair.
Judge Sage swept out of the house, after thanking Mrs. Torsson of course, and walked quickly to the black car waiting outside the Thunder House.
Lysander hurried after him, while Tancred followed, hopping on one foot as he tried to put on his runners.
In the car, on the way to Lauren's, Lysander turned to Tancred, his face serious.
'Tancred. You like Em, right?' his tone was solemn.
Tancred, surprised, nodded, blushing slightly.
'Then…Then you ought to know,' Lysander, hesitated.
'What are you talking about, Sander?' Tancred asked, laughing awkwardly.
'Em…likes you back. She liked you even before you dated Tracy,' Lysander said, seriously.
Tancred, mouth open, stared at his best friend.
'Th-That…She's liked me for that long? She even LIKES me back?' Tancred couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Lysander nodded as they pulled up outside Lauren's house.
'And you're the only one who can give her the birthday present she really wants,' Lysander added, getting out of the car to fetch Lauren.
The remaining car trip to Indeglew's Bookshop was spent silent.
The bell tinkled as the door to Indeglew's Bookshop opened.
'Oh! Boys, you're here! And Lauren too, of course. Everyone else is upstairs in Emma's room, while I'm setting up the food. It'll be ready in a few minutes,' Miss Julia Indeglew's cheery face greeted them.
Nodding, Tancred, Lysander and Lauren entered the bookshop and passed by Mr. Paton Yewbeam, sitting in a chair, reading by the candlelight, in the sitting room.
'Good…Afternoon I believe it is, Tancred, Lysander, Lauren,' Mr. Yewbeam said, not looking up from his book.
'Good afternoon,' the three responded. They then climbed to the loudest room in the bookshop.
'Come on! It'll be fun!' Olivia's voice could be heard from behind the closed door.
'No way! That's a stupid game!' Charlie's voice contradicted her.
The three older children grinned at each other before knocking loudly on Emma's door.
Shuffling was heard before a crowd of voices called: 'Come in!'
A sea of faces, Charlie, Ben, Fidelio, Gabriel, Billy, Dannielle, Jamie, Emily, Emma, Olivia and Naren, grinned at them.
'Finally!'
'Took you long enough!'
Lysander, smiling, took Lauren by the hand and found a spot against the wall and sat there. Tancred, meanwhile, awkwardly took a spot in a corner of the room, next to Charlie and Gabriel.
'So? What are we going to do?' Emma asked, looking beautiful (especially to Tancred) in a pale yellow, square collared, short sleeved dress with black leggings underneath. She wore petite black shoes with small bows on the end, while her hair was out, her blonde locks falling down her shoulders.
'Since we can't play any GAMES,' Olivia cast an annoyed glare at Charlie, who scowled back, 'let's just give out the presents.'
'Don't you usually do that after the cake?' Dannielle asked in a quiet voice. She was wearing a lilac singlet top, with a grey jacket, knee-length black skirt and black leggings. She was sitting cross-legged, next to Billy Raven, her best friend and crush, who nodded in agreement.
'Well, the cake isn't ready, and we're bored. So, Em, here!' Olivia answered swiftly and then threw her present at Emma.
'Ah!' Emma gasped in shock as she caught the bright pink tissue paper present. A few more presents came flying her way, but some sensible people (Billy, Dannielle, Jamie, Gabriel, Lysander and Lauren) passed theirs calmly to her.
Tancred, though, kept his present; planning ahead.
Emma giggled and began to carefully open the first present.
'Oh come on, Em! Don't be so careful!' Charlie yelled out and Olivia, for once, yelled her agreement.
Laughing, Emma tore at the paper and found books, pens, pencils, bird feathers, bookmarks and even a book light (from Dannielle).
'Thanks everyone!' Emma said, smiling broadly, just as Miss Indeglew called everyone for the food.
Everyone stood up, murmuring about the delicious food.
Tancred stood up, but didn't walk out the door. Catching Lysander's eye, he nodded solemnly.
Lysander gave him an encouraging smile and ushered everyone out the door.
Emma, meanwhile, was trying to clean up the torn up wrapping paper and presents.
She began to follow Lysander, who was last, out the door, but Tancred grabbed her arm.
'Eh?' she turned to him.
'Can…Can I talk to you for a minute?' he asked, clutching his present, in his other hand, tightly.
She smiled nervously and nodded.
Facing his love, Tancred ran a hand through his hair.
It was time.
ShadowRose18: CLIFFY!!!! Haha, but you won't have to wait long, because I'm already typing up the next chapter.
Yes, Tancred is going to confess, and then we'll have major TancredEmma fluff :D
After all, "Fluff is good for the soul" – Unknown XD
A lot of fanfiction writers put that, but I don't know who actually first wrote it XD
Anyway, here you go!
And there will be other pairings in the next chapter too! :D