FrenchKiwi1994: I'm lucky I've been able to keep up considering I graduate on Saturday, which means everything has been due this past week and now I have finals this week. I'm glad some people appreciate it, though, and I've definitely been trying to stay on track.

Chapter 15

"Eff!"

Panda's excited voice echoed loudly and was easily heard in the back room. Emily sighed, setting aside her homework, and prepared herself to be bombarded by the excited girl once she got done with her best friend. Sure enough, a few moments later, Pandora came bouncing into the room.

"Emily!" Pandora said, wrapping her arms around Emily, and giving her a big hug.

Emily laughed. "Hi, Panda."

"Where's Katie?" Pandora asked, glancing around.

"Class," Emily replied. "She should be here shortly, though."

"We can eat when she's back," Effy said as she came into the room.

"Awesome," Pandora said, sitting down on the corner of the bed.

"Awesome?" Emily asked, smiling. "What happened to whizzer?"

"That's what they say in the states," Pandora said, smiling.

"How is school?" Emily asked.

"Wicked," Panda said, smiling even wider. "I'm learning loads and all, but I miss you guys."

"We miss you too, Panda," Emily replied.

Truthfully she didn't think about the other girl all that much, but sometimes she would see someone wearing an off-the-wall outfit and smile fondly, remembering her. She and Pandora were never very close; they bonded a bit over the summer as they took care of Effy, but their conversations were few and far between. Panda hadn't been back in England since leaving at the beginning of August, but her University was on Thanksgiving break, so she'd wanted to come and stay with them.

"Katie!" Panda yelled the moment the door could be heard opening in the living room.

Emily laughed, shaking her head. "I nearly forgot what she was like."

"How can you ever forget Panda?" Effy asked, smirking.

"Guys, let's eat," Panda yelled back to them.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a long week," Emily said, standing up.

Effy shrugged and Emily could tell there was something she wasn't saying.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked.

Effy just stared at her for a moment and then stood up, talking into the other room. Emily could tell she wasn't alright, but she couldn't make the brunette talk if she didn't want to. Maybe Pandora was just a reminder if the past year and everything Effy would like to forget. Or maybe Effy was just in one of those moods and Emily was putting too much thought into it.

"Are you coming?" Katie asked, walking into the room, and putting her hands on her hips

Emily sighed. "Yes, I'm coming."

"The guys here are super fit," Pandora said as she looked around the food court.

"Aren't they," Katie agreed.

Pandora looked like a kid in a candy store. She and Thomas had given their relationship another go, but that had quickly fizzled out and it appeared as if she was on the lookout for someone else. The other girl was a little peculiar, to say the least, and she didn't often do well around guys. Emily thought it was a pity that she and Thomas didn't did work out; she thought they were good together and Thomas actually seemed to get Pandora, unlike most guys.

"Katie's already gone through half of them," Effy commented.

Katie scoffed. "I have not."

"What about you, Em?" Pandora asked.

"I—"

"You know Emily," Katie interrupted.

"The guys here really aren't my type," Emily replied.

"Speaking of," Effy said, smirking.

Emily looked up to see Naomi walking into the room, feeling herself smile the moment she saw the blonde. She was going to wave, but Naomi hadn't seen them and was walking toward the small line.

"Why is that bitch always around?" Katie asked, having turned around to see what the other two were looking at.

"She isn't that bad," Emily defended.

Katie scoffed. "Not that bad?"

"You don't even know her, Katie," Emily replied.

"Since when the hell do you know her?" Katie asked.

"Who are we talking about?" Pandora asked.

"That peroxide blonde bitch over there," Katie answered.

"She's not a bitch," Emily said.

Okay, so Naomi was a bit of bitch, but she didn't like what her sister was saying about the other girl. Besides, Katie had no room to talk; she was just as big of a bitch as Naomi.

"Maybe you should ask if she wants to come over," Effy suggested and Emily got the feeling she was only saying it to annoy Katie.

"Don't you fucking dare," Katie said, glaring at them both.

"I think I will," Emily said, standing up, and ignoring her sister.

"Emily, get back here!" Katie yelled as the redhead walked away.

Emily ignored her sister and made her way to Naomi, who was now paying for her food. She rolled her eyes at some guy that bumped into her and Emily smiled at the action.

"Hey," Emily said, getting Naomi's attention.

"Hi, Emily," Naomi said, not sounding very enthusiastic.

"I came over to ask if you wanted to join us," Emily said, motioning to the table, and looking over her shoulder to see Katie glaring at them.

"I don't think so," Naomi said, following her gaze.

"Why not?" Emily asked, frowning.

"I'd rather not eat with your sister," Naomi replied.

"It would be a great way to piss her off," Emily tried, hoping she could appeal to Naomi's antagonist nature.

Naomi smirked. "On second thought—"

Emily laughed lightly. "Come on, you can meet Pandora."

"Does she always dress like that?" Naomi asked, apparently spotting the other girl.

"She's Panda," Emily said, shrugging.

"Is that supposed to explain it?" Naomi asked.

"You'll understand soon enough," Emily replied.

Pandora smiled the moment Naomi sat down. "Hi! Are you Emily's friend? I'm Pandora."

Katie practically snorted. "She's not Emily's friend."

Emily frowned. "Yes she is."

"Since when?" Katie asked.

"Since—" Emily paused, not really knowing the answer.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Emily and I have become friends in the last few months," Naomi answered.

"She would have told me," Katie said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe she didn't tell you because you don't let her speak for herself," Naomi countered.

"What the hell does that mean?" Katie asked.

"Katie—"

"You don't know anything about me or my sister," Katie spat.

"I know more than you think," Naomi replied coldly.

"Oh yeah?" Katie challenged.

"Not that this isn't super fun to watch, but everyone's staring at us," Pandora whispered, leaning forward.

"Katie!" Emily called after her sister as she huffed, stood up, and stormed away.

"That went well," Effy said, smirking.

Emily sighed. "Yeah."

"I should go," Naomi said, standing up.

"No," Emily said, putting her hand on Naomi's to stop her from grabbing her tray. "Please stay."

Naomi sighed and sat back down. "Fine."

"So, Naomi, where are you from?" Pandora asked.

"London," Naomi replied.

"She lived in Bristol for a while, though," Emily added.

"Wicked," Pandora said, perking up. "I wonder if we met before. Come to think of it, you look familiar. Do you think we've met, Naomi?"

"I don't think so—and I'm pretty sure I'd remember," Naomi said, glancing at Emily with an amused look on her face.

"That's too bad; we probably woulda been great friends, right Eff?" Pandora said, looking at her best friend. "So, why does Katie hate you so much? Not that she really seems to like anyone, but she was extra Katie-like to you."

"You know Katie," Emily said before Naomi could say anything. "She doesn't usually need a reason, does she?"

"That's true," Pandora agreed. "So, what are we doing today, Eff?"

Emily fell onto her bed the moment she got home. Pandora was a ball of energy and she wanted to be shown every building on campus, followed by everything in town. Emily was exhausted from spending the last four hours walking and being quizzed by Panda. Naomi escaped soon after they left the dining hall, so Emily was left with just Effy and Pandora, and since the former didn't talk much, it was left up to her to carry the conversation with the other girl.

She could feel her sister's eyes on her, but she threw her arm over her face and tried to block it out. Katie never did show back up or text to see where they were. She knew Katie was probably angry with her right now, but she really didn't have the energy to do anything about it. Besides, what happened in the dining hall was Katie's own fault.

"Did you guys have fun with Naomi?" Katie asked, sounding very snotty.

Emily sighed. "She left after we ate; you could have come back, you know."

Katie scoffed. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Why do you hate Naomi so much?" Emily asked, throwing her arm to the side, and looking at Katie.

"Because she's a bitch and I don't think you should be around her, so stop pretending like you're friends," Katie replied.

Now it was Emily's turn to scoff. "You can't tell me who to be around. And we are friends whether you like it or not."

Okay, so maybe saying they were friends was stretching it a little bit, but she was trying to make a point and it was easier than saying they were sort of friends, but sort of not.

"Emily—"

"No, Katie," Emily interrupted. "You've always tried to control my life and I let you because I wanted you to be happy, but I'm tired of it. I'm a person, I'm not you. If I want to be friends with Naomi, I'm going to be friends with Naomi, and there's nothing you can do to change that. You're my sister, Katie, and I love you and want you to be happy, but don't you also want me to be happy?"

"This isn't—that's not—" Katie huffed, crossing her arms. "There's no way Naomi's going to make you happy."

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide that?" Emily asked.

"I still think she's a bitch," Katie stated.

"I never said you had to like her, but respect that I do," Emily replied.

"Where's Panda and Eff?" Katie asked.

"Right there," Emily said as she heard the front door.

"We have vodka!" Pandora yelled from the other room.

"They have vodka," Emily repeated.

"Good," Katie said, standing up.

"Eff says your friend lives down the hall," Pandora said, coming into the room. "Ask her to come over. The more the merrier, right?"

"Give me that," Katie said, grabbing one of the bottles from her hand.

"Yeah, why don't you invite Naomi," Effy said, raising her eyebrow.

"Okay," Emily said, though she knew this was likely to be a very bad idea.

As she walked out of the room and down the hall, Emily kept telling herself to turn back. No good could come from Effy, Katie, and Naomi being in the same room, and especially not if they were wasted. When she knocked on the door, she knew there was no turned back; all she could hope was that no one answered the door.

"You again."

"Hi!"

Emily looked between the blonde and brunette and wondered if they just waited by the door, ready to pounce on whoever knocked. "Is Naomi home?"

"The dwarf's here again!" the brunette yelled.

"Santana, I told you to be nice," the blonde said.

Emily frowned. "You're not that much taller than me."

"Guys," Naomi said from behind the other two.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Pandora and Effy brought back a bunch of alcohol and I came to ask if you wanted to join us," Emily said, looking at Naomi.

"Damn right we want to," Santana said, pushing between them, already on her way down the hall.

"Wait, what?" Emily said, watching the girl go.

"Brittany—"

"I'll get her," the blonde said, already going after the other girl.

"Are you alright?" Naomi asked.

"I'm fine," Emily lied.

Naomi nodded. "We might want to get down there."

"Right," Emily replied, turning on her heel.

As she left Naomi's, she could see the other two walk into her dorm, so she rushed down the hall. She could hear Naomi laughing at her, but she didn't care; if having Naomi, Effy, and Katie in the same room was bad, having these two in the mix was a nightmare.

"My god, there's two of them," Santana was saying as Emily walked into the room.

"Who the fuck are you?" Katie asked.

"Blondie's roommate," Santana said, grabbing the bottle out of Katie's hands. "The dwarf invited us."

"Like I said, the more the merrier," Pandora happily replied.

"What did you call my sister?" Katie asked.

"A dwarf," Santana replied. "Which makes you one as well, so I'll be calling her Dwarf One and you Dwarf Two, unless you want me to put one of those pointy hats on you. Then I can call you Gnome One and—"

"Fuck off," Katie said, scoffing.

"Imma go all Lima Heights—"

"Just ignore Satan," Naomi replied, cutting the other girl off.

"Who the fuck asked you?" Katie snapped.

"Are you always such a bitch?" Naomi asked back.

Emily sighed and whispered, "This is going to be a long night."

Just so you all know, there are only 20 chapters to this story, which means 5 more.