Chapter 10

As soon as Emily walked into her communications class, she saw Effy looking at her with an unreadable expression. The brunette had been looking at her like that all weekend, but she didn't know what it was about. She knew Effy hadn't seen the kiss, so that couldn't be it, but the girl was being annoyingly silent and observant. Emily had been torn since Friday night, but she was trying to act normal. Occasionally she would slip up, though, and Effy always seemed to see it.

The kiss had been wonderful and she would find herself smiling every time she thought about it; then she would remind herself that she had no idea who the girl was and would most likely never figure it out or see her again. Part of her thought that could be a good thing—maybe her drunken state had been the reason she thought it was so amazing—but the other part of her wanted to know and wanted to experience it again. She knew it was stupid to be so affected by a drunken kiss with a stranger, but she couldn't seem to get it out of her mind.

"What?" Emily asked when she couldn't take Effy staring at her any longer, but the brunette just shrugged her shoulder. "You're staring at me."

"So," Effy replied.

"So it's annoying," Emily said.

"Not my problem," Effy replied.

Emily rolled her eyes and looked the other way. Naomi was just walking into the room and scowled slightly when Emily looked her way; the redhead ignored it, though, and grabbed her notebook from her bag, not letting the blonde's mood dampen her good mood.

"Get with your partners," the professor said the moment he walked through the door.

Emily sighed and reluctantly stood up; she knew Naomi would never be the one to move, so Emily walked to the other side of the room and sat in the vacated seat next to the blonde.

"Your next assignment is due two weeks from Wednesday," the professor stated the moment everyone finally stopped moving and quieted down. "Once again, I expect you to talk to your partner; I don't want you to interview them or simply ask for the answers. I want you to talk to them—to communicate with them. This class isn't just about leaning to give a speech; it's about leaning to better communicate in your everyday life. Some of you are doing well and some of you not so well. I could tell from your most recent assignment which of you are trying and which of you are not. If you don't like your grade, make a more concerted effort."

He started handing out their graded assignments, giving Emily hers as he walked by. She looked down at the grade and groaned, quickly shoving it into her bag. She saw Naomi smirking out the corner of her eyes and was about to say something when the other girl got her paper, and her smirk was quickly wiped away.

"What the fuck," Naomi said.

"Didn't do so well, either, huh?" Emily said, feeling a bit better about her failing grade.

"This is shit," Naomi stated.

"Yeah," Emily agreed.

"What the hell does he want from us?" Naomi asked. "Spending time with you is bad enough, but now he wants us to pretend like we're friends or something."

"Listen, I'm not happy with it either, but I would like to pass this class, which means you need to stop being a bitch for two seconds," Emily said, raising her voice, and receiving amused looks from many of her classmates.

"On that note, let's get started," the professor said, looking at her.

Emily blushed and sunk down in her seat.

As Emily walked to the library, she tried not to think about the fact that she was going to have to spend the evening with Naomi. Neither of them were happy about it, but were going to do what they needed to do for class, and if that mean spending more time together, they were just going to have to do it. Emily's mind kept wondering to the other night and she would start to smile, but then she would quickly remember where she was going and frown. If anyone was looking at her, they would seriously think she was bipolar at the moment.

She didn't even pause in the lobby; instead, she went straight for their usual spot, but the blonde wasn't there yet, so Emily sat down to wait. She was early this time since she didn't want to start off with getting bitched at by the other girl. She sort of hoped Naomi would be late so she could do the same thing to her, but she also didn't want to stoop to her level. Emily jumped when Naomi finally sat down across from her; she didn't see her coming because she had been busy daydreaming.

"You scared me," Emily said, taking her earbuds out.

"Why are you so damn happy?" Naomi asked.

Emily furrowed her brows. "What?"

"You were smiling," Naomi stated.

"Oh," Emily replied. "I wasn't aware."

"What's made you so happy?" Naomi asked.

"Why?" Emily asked. "Want to find out what it is so you can find a way to stop it."

Naomi smirked. "Maybe."

Emily shook her head and looked around before looking back to the blonde. "So—what do we do?"

"Hell if I know," Naomi replied.

Emily nodded and then paused for a moment before asking, "Are you hungry?"

"What?" Naomi asked, her eyebrow rising.

"Are. You. Hungry," Emily repeated, enunciating each word.

"Why are you asking?" Naomi asked.

Emily huffed. "Isn't that obvious? I want to know if you want to go and get some damn takeaway. If we're going to be here all evening, we might as well be fed."

Naomi narrowed her eyes for a moment, but then looked away and said, "Fine."

"Was that so difficult?" Emily asked, and Naomi went back to glaring at her.

They got takeaway from the nearest restaurant to campus—a Chinese place Emily hadn't ate at yet—and started walking toward the library again. Emily thought about suggesting they go to one of their dorms, but she quickly realized that would be a terrible idea. There's no way she would have Naomi over with Effy and Katie there, and she had no desire to go to Naomi's room, either. So, it was back to the library they go.

"Can I ask you something?" Emily said, finally breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"What?" Naomi asked.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Emily asked quietly, stopping on the sidewalk.

The blonde stopped and turned around to look at her. "Who says I hate you? Contrary to popular belief, you don't actually occupy any of my thoughts."

She didn't know why, but hearing Naomi say that actually stung a little. "So you're just this nice to everyone, then?"

Naomi gave her an icy stare before turning around and walking away. Emily sighed and jogged to catch up with her, falling silent again, but she kept glancing at the blonde, trying to figure out how angry she was. She really didn't understand the other girl; every time she thought she was making some progress, things would revert back quickly, usually within hours or even minutes. It was enough to do her head in.

"Pick a subject," Emily said as they neared the library. "Anything."

"Physics," Naomi stated.

"Uh—okay,"" Emily replied

"I'm joking," Naomi said, shaking her head. "What's your favorite book?"

"Didn't I already answer that for our first assignment?" Emily asked.

"Probably, but I didn't bother looking at any of your answers," Naomi replied.

Emily sighed. "Of course not."

"So?" Naomi said, looking over at her.

"I lied before, anyway," Emily admitted. "Promise not to laugh?"

"I make no such promises," Naomi replied.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Fine—my favorite book is the Harry Potter series." Emily looked at Naomi, who was obviously trying not to laugh. "I know they're not the most grownup books, but I like that I can get lost in them and forget the world for even a few moments. I loved them so much when I was a child that I looked for my Hogwarts letter on my eleventh birthday; seriously, I spent all day by the window. I was very disappointed when an owl didn't come with it."

Naomi laughed. "That's—" She shook her head.

"It's lame—I know," Emily finished for her.

"I lied, too," Naomi said.

"You mean your favorite book isn't 1984?" Emily asked.

The blonde smirked a bit. "You actually remember?" Naomi shook her head. "It's actually Pride and Prejudice, but I'll deny it if you ever tell it to anyone."

"Why?" Emily asked, smiling. "Don't want anyone to know that you're a romantic at heart."

"Okay, next subject," Naomi said, obviously trying to get out of this conversation before it started.

"Favorite movie?" Emily asked.

"Okay, something not that," Naomi replied.

Emily frowned. "You don't like movies?"

"I like movies just fine," Naomi replied.

"Well, if you don't answer the easy questions, we're going to quickly run out of things to discuss, and I'm going to have to start asking the harder ones," Emily said as she opened the door to the library.

"What makes you think I would answer harder questions?" Naomi asked.

"I don't, but that doesn't mean I won't stop annoying you over it until you do answer," Emily replied.

Naomi didn't say anything, but she looked like she was thinking about it, so Emily remained silent in hopes that she would decide to talk. She knew from the beginning that she was probably doomed in this class—her grade depended on someone that couldn't seem to even stand to be near her—but she was determined to change that. She didn't care if Naomi stopped hating her, but she was damn well going to learn to talk to her.

"Sleepless in Seattle," Naomi finally answered.

"Your favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle?" Emily asked.

Naomi sighed. "Yes."

"That's—"

"My mum showed it to me when I was little and I hated it, but then I saw it again when I was thirteen and I just—" Naomi shrugged.

"You don't have to explain," Emily said, shaking her head. "It's one of my favorite movies, too."

Emily was surprised by it since Naomi seemed so cold, but she was happy to learn they had something in common other than similar taste in food. She was asking the shallow questions, but she actually thought you could learn a lot about someone if you knew their favorite book or movie, and she was beginning to wonder if there really was more to Naomi than her bitchy façade.

"I remember the first time I watched it," Emily said, pulling out one of the takeaway containers, and setting it on the table. "I was watching it with Katie, but she got bored halfway through and made me turn it off. When she was asleep, I snuck downstairs into the living room to watch the rest because I needed to know how it ended. I think I like it because it shows that no matter what, if you're meant to be with someone, fate will find a way."

"Do you get along with your sister?" Naomi asked.

Emily shrugged. "Yes and no. Katie is—she wants me to be just like her, and when I'm not—" Emily sighed. "I usually do what she wants because I do love her and I want her to be happy."

"Even if you're not happy because of it?" Naomi asked.

"It's not that I'm necessarily unhappy," Emily replied. "I just—I guess there's no point, you know?"

Naomi shook her head. "I don't understand why you let her walk all over you like you're a fuckin doormat."

"I guess I'm just so used to being different things for different people," Emily said, shrugging. "Effy needs someone that's going to look out for her and care; Katie needs someone to—"

"Walk all over," Naomi interrupted.

"So to speak," Emily replied.

"That's stupid," Naomi stated. "You should be yourself."

"Even if the people I love can't accept who I am?" Emily asked.

"Fuck em," Naomi said.

Emily sighed. Of course it would be easier if she could just be herself, but truthfully, she didn't even know who that was sometimes. Besides, what was the point in fucking everything up when she had no reason to fuck it up? For now, things were okay they were they were. She knew one day that would change, but that day wasn't today.