Tiffythetitan: Thank you!

Tofu9162: Thank you as well, and yes, they're from Glee. Most likely I will finish When Fates Collide; I don't like leaving things unfinished, which is why this is being updated. It probably won't happen until Chosen is finished, though, which should be in August, so it'll still be a while.

Chapter 16

Emily didn't know what she'd done wrong, but Naomi hadn't spoken to her all week. She should be used to it considering their relationship, but she thought they were making progress. It was always one step forward, two steps back with Naomi, though. She knew inviting Naomi over to drink with them was going to be a terrible idea. Nothing had really happened other than a lot of arguing between Naomi, Katie, and Naomi's roommate, but something must have changed that night because Naomi hadn't spoken to her since. She didn't know what she had done wrong or if she had even done anything wrong. Maybe this was just another one of Naomi's moods and it would pass, but Emily was getting incredibly frustrated with the blonde.

"Go talk to her," Effy stated.

"What's the point?" Emily asked.

"The point is you're staring at the damn wall," Effy replied.

"So?" Emily said, averting her eyes before sighing. "Fine." Emily stood up. "I'm going down there."

"Finally," Effy said, going back to looking at her book.

Emily ignored her friend and walked out the door. She had actually been planning on going today, but she'd been avoiding it. She knew this wasn't going to be a fun conversation; she was getting sick of Naomi being completely fine one moment and ignoring her the next, and it was going to have to stop.

Sometimes Emily wondered why she even liked Naomi. She was frustrating and moody and she barely even knew her—but there was just something pulling her toward the other girl. She couldn't really explain it, but she knew there was something there, and if Naomi would just stop fighting it, Emily thought they could be good together.

When she knocked on the door, she waited to be bombarded by Naomi's roommates, but it didn't happen. Naomi opened the door, not looking very happy, but what else was new.

"Can we talk?" Emily asked, walking past Naomi, skipping any pleasantries.

"Why don't you come in?" Naomi sarcastically said.

"What did I do wrong?" Emily blurted out. "Or is it you? Do I just need to get used to having no idea which Naomi is going to show up each day? Because I don't get it. You pretty much hated me since the moment we met, and it wasn't fair; you know it was an accident when I ran into you, and it's not fair if you're still holding that against me. I don't know what I did wrong, and I've never known. I'm tired of asking if you're mad at me—I'm tired of having no clue what I've done to you. I like you, Naomi, and I don't even know why, but I do. I know you want this, Naomi, or you wouldn't have kissed me back and you wouldn't have gone on a date with me—or agreed to go on another tomorrow. What are you afraid of?"

Naomi scoffed. "I'm not afraid."

"Then what is it?" Emily asked.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Naomi asked.

"Remember what?" Emily asked.

Naomi laughed sardonically. "I wish I could forget that easily."

"Forget what?" Emily asked, feeling exasperated.

"Think back," Naomi said. "That stupid party. I kissed you and you pushed me away. Not only did you push me away, but then you told everyone about it. I finally told you how I felt and you humiliated me."

"Naomi, I have no idea what you're talking about," Emily said, shaking her head.

"We were fifteen and I—"

"Fifteen?" Emily interrupted.

'"That stupid party at the end of the term," Naomi continued. "I went to it, so I could find you, and I did, but I've spent the last five and a half years wishing I never had. I've never been able to forget that, but you don't even seem to remember it—or me."

Emily frowned as she tried to figure out what Naomi was talking about. She didn't remember any party when she was fifteen and she definitely hadn't ever met Naomi—"

"Shit!" Emily said, putting her head in her hands.

"You fucked up my life and didn't even remember it when you met me again," Naomi stated.

"Naomi, listen to me," Emily said, taking Naomi by the shoulders, and pushing her toward the couch, making her sit down. "I am going to kill Katie after I explain, but let me explain first. I know what party you're talking about and I wasn't there. Katie was grounded for sneaking off with some guy and begged me to switch places with her, so she went to that party pretending to be me. The reason I have no idea what you're talking about is because I wasn't there."

Naomi held her hand up. "Are you telling me I kissed Katie?"

"Yes," Emily said, frowning at the thought.

"Oh my god," Naomi said, sitting back.

"You've hated me all this time for something that was Katie's doing," Emily said, not knowing whether to be angry about that fact or laugh about it.

"I've never hated you," Naomi replied. "I just didn't like you very much."

"What exactly happened?" Emily asked.

"I told you—I went to that party looking for you because it was the end of the year and—" Naomi took a deep breath. "I first saw you when we were twelve; we weren't in the same class or anything, but I saw you at an assembly. It took me several years to say anything to you, and when I did, it turns out I was saying it to your fucking sister." Naomi shook her head. "We went to different schools the next year and then I moved, so I never saw you again. I thought you were just a bitch."

"Katie knows," Emily stated. "She knows. That's why she told me to stay away from you. I can't believe her."

"Really?" Naomi asked.

Emily sighed. "Okay, I can believe her. She's Katie—that's what she does. That doesn't mean I'm not going to do something about it." Emily shook her head and looked at Naomi. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I don't do the whole talking about your feelings or what's wrong thing," Naomi replied.

"You are now," Emily pointed out.

"Apparently," Naomi replied.

"At least I know why you've been so damn hot and cold with me," Emily said, smiling a bit.

"Yes, against my better judgment, I couldn't see to stay away from you," Naomi commented. "Then I'd remember what you did—or it seems your sister did—and then I'd get angry again. I didn't think I could trust you—not that I really trust anyone because they all fuck you over in the end—but then you'd seem so different than who I thought you were, and I wouldn't know what to think."

"Now that it's all sorted, are we still on for tomorrow?" Emily asked.

Naomi nodded. "Yeah."

"Can we just start over?" Emily asked. "Forget everything that happened before and get to know each other now, for who we really are, not who we assume the other person to be?"

"I might be able to do that," Naomi replied.

"I can't believe you kissed my sister," Emily said, shaking her head.

"I can't believe I did, either," Naomi said, scrunching her nose.

"I think Katie and I need to have a little talk," Emily said, standing up.

"Should I go with you?" Naomi asked, smirking.

"No, you're not going to go with me just to watch me yell at Katie," Emily replied.

"Too bad, it sounds like fun," Naomi said.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Naomi."

Naomi laughed, and Emily turned around, walking toward the door. She fought the urge to kiss Naomi; since they were starting over, she wanted to do this properly. Not that she'd really ever done anything properly in her life, but she was going to try with this. After screwing everything up the first time—or more correctly, Katie screwing everything up the first time—she thought they deserved a proper chance.

When she walked into her room, Effy was still sitting exactly where she'd been when Emily left. The brunette glanced at her when she came in, but went back to reading her book.

"Is Katie still here?" Emily asked.

"Yep," Effy replied.

Emily nodded and walked back to the other room. Katie was on her bed, doing her nails, and Emily walked up to her, fighting the urge to just hit her and get it over with.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Emily asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Katie asked.

"Don't play dumb," Emily replied. "You knew who Naomi was and what you'd done, but you didn't say anything. You lied to me, and I've been wondering all semester what I'd done to Naomi to make her hate me so much, but it wasn't what I'd done, it was about what you'd done. You pretended to be me and then didn't tell me."

"You didn't need to know," Katie spat. "That girl said all that shit and then just pounced on me like you were a freak like her." Katie looked away. "You like her, don't you?"

"Yes," Emily replied; Katie shook her head, but Emily cut her off before she could say anything. "You don't have to like it and you don't have to like her, but you're my sister, which means you need to get used to it."

"I don't want to lose you, but I don't even know who you are anymore," Katie admitted.

"I'm still Emily," the other girl replied. "I'm who I've always been. You're never going to lose me, Katie, but you're going to have to accept that Naomi's going to be in my life."

Katie sighed. "I know."

She knew Katie was the jealous type; when she and Effy started becoming friends, Katie was not very happy about it, but considering everything that had been going on at the time, she'd gotten over it quickly. Hopefully the same thing would happen now, but she didn't think she'd be that lucky. Naomi and Katie were never going to get alone; they were too similar in many ways, but also too different at the same time.

Emily left Katie alone; she knew she was going to need some time to adjust, and she usually got a little bitchy—more bitchy—when she was doing that adjusting. It was usually followed by her being extra needy, though, so Emily was just going to avoid her until that time came, and then she would be around to assure her that things were going to be okay. After that usually came acceptance—Katie had her own stages of accepting something, much like people go through stages of grief.

"She finally told you," Effy stated as Emily sat down.

Emily looked at her friend. "What?"

"Naomi finally told you," Effy clarified.

Emily frowned. "How did you know?"

"I know everything," Effy stated.

"Of course you do," Emily replied, wondering if it really was true, because it certainly seemed to be a lot of the time. "How did you know?"

"I told you, we went to school for a while together," Effy replied.

"And?" Emily asked.

"And I watch people," Effy replied. "I watched Naomi watching you; I saw the look on her face the first time she saw you."

"Did you know that she kissed Katie at some party, thinking it was me?" Emily asked.

Effy smirked. "That I didn't know."

"So you don't know everything," Emily said with a smile.

"Naomi knows it wasn't you?" Effy asked, ignoring Emily's commented.

Emily nodded. "We talked, and we're going to start over."

"Good luck with that," Effy replied.

"You don't think we can?" Emily asked.

"It's not so easy to forget things," Effy stated. "No matter how hard you try."

"So you think we're doomed from the start?" Emily asked.

Effy shrugged. "I didn't say that."

"What are you saying?" Emily asked.

"I'm saying maybe you shouldn't try to start over because things like that don't work," Effy replied. "I think you'll be okay, though."

"Really?" Emily asked, wanting to believe it.

"Really," Effy replied.

"And I should believe you because you know everything?" Emily asked, smiling at her.

"Clearly," Effy said, smirking.

Emily smiled back. "Thanks, Eff."

"Don't mention it," Effy said, nudging their shoulders together.

She didn't know why, but as she looked at Effy she started to get the feeling that they were all going to be okay, and that was a feeling she hadn't had in a very long time.