Thanks to The Doctor for reviewing! LY!
Emmy was lying on her bed, doing homework. Her roommate, Petal, came in singing. It was the evening so she was wearing her own clothes. A poncho made by her mother, and a flowing white skirt that went to slightly above her ankles, revealing her bare feet.
"Good evening," Petal said in a fake, posh voice with a stupid wide smile. She twirled about before jumping on her bed. Petal was a nightmare. Her side of the room was a mess and she sang to herself all the time. The worst thing was she didn't belief in using "evil" products, like shampoo, deodorant and make-up. After Emmy had placed such products in the bathroom, Petal had gone crazy. Petal expected Emmy to throw them all out. When she didn't, Petal had gone on a three-hour rant about how Emmy was killing herself with these products.
"Do you want me to make you a dream catcher?" Petal asked.
Emmy tried to conceal her laugh, "No thanks." Petal's side was covered with the things, as well as crystals and posters of bands Emmy had never heard of. Their music was basically endless strumming of strange instruments and hypnotic chanting. Not something Emmy enjoyed having to listen to as Petal constantly played it.
"What are your plans tonight?" Petal asked.
Emmy shrugged, "I don't know. What is there to do on a Friday night at this place?"
"Umm," Petal thought, "I'm going to make a scrapbook with all the seashells I found over the summer. Do you want to help me?"
"I don't think I could survive such fun."
Petal obviously didn't get sarcasm as she said, "Don't worry, you will. It's not dangerous."
There was a knock on the door. Emmy answered it and sighed with relief, it was Alexa. "Hey," Emmy said.
"Hey," Alexa replied. "We're having a sleepover in Piper and Shelley's room. Do you want to come?"
Emmy nodded, "Sure. That's great."
"Okay," Alexa grinned. "Bring your pyjamas, a sleeping bag, a pillow and some snacks. See you at their room in about ten minutes." Alexa walked away towards her own room. Piper and Shelley shared a room so they all mostly hung out there.
"I'm going to a sleepover," Emmy asked Petal. The idea to invite Petal never crossed Emmy's mind. Piper had immediately pointed Petal out as one of the weirdos and to be avoided. Although, it could have been worse. Alexa's roommate was a big bully. The type that force you to do their homework, or steal your belongings, if you were smaller or weaker. Emmy had once thought female versions of such were few and far between. But Coates was filled with them.
…
Caine sat on his bed and used his powers to open the wardrobe door. He loved his powers and took every opportunity to use them. His favourite new thing was using his powers to get clothes out of the wardrobe. The first time he did it, he under-estimated his force and door came off one of the hinges. He picked a t-shirt and it floated towards him. The door opened and he dropped his hand. "God Drake!" Caine yelled. "Can't you knock?"
"It's my room too!" Drake pointed out.
Caine grabbed the t-shirt from the floor. "I was using my powers," he clarified. Caine picked out his jeans the manual way and went into the bathroom to change. Then he made his way over to the recreational room. On the way down the last corridor he met Diana.
"Hey," he said as Diana walked beside him.
"Why are we going to this party?" Diana asked. "Hardly anyone's going."
"I told Emmy that she wasn't allowed to go to any parties," Caine explained. "I have to go to see if she listened to me."
Diana rolled her eyes. "Can't you just go to her room and talk to her, so that you know she's not going?"
Caine shook his head, "I do that, and even if she never was going, she'll go. Just to spite me."
"I doubt it. Only ninth graders and above were invited."
Caine and Diana passed a few guys in the grade above. They smiled at Diana, but seemed unsure as they saw Caine. Caine understood why. From afar they probably looked like a couple. A handsome boy with a beautiful girl, on their way to a party. But they didn't show each other any affection. Caine also knew what would happen at the party. Diana would go off with a guy, and then Caine would do the same with another girl.
Caine had always wanted to be more than friends with Diana, ever since they met. He was desperate to ask her out. But he never had the courage. If it were any other girl he would. Yet Diana was different. She made Caine feel something foreign to him. He didn't just want to treat her the way he did with other girls. He wanted to care for Diana and make her happy. But, as much as it pained him, Caine knew that she didn't feel the same. He had been well and truly friend-zoned.
…
Piper looked away from her phone, as there was a knock on her door. She was too comfortable to get up and answer it. "Can you get that?" she called into the bathroom.
"Sure," Shelly said, who had been halfway through drying her hair.
"Hi," Alexa said as she came in. Alexa dropped her stuff on the floor and sat down on Shelley's bed as she finished off her hair.
"Is she coming?" Piper asked.
"Yeah," Alexa nodded.
"Good. We have to get her to tell us as much stuff about Caine as possible. Find out what he's in to, or likes."
"How will that help?" Alexa asked.
Piper looked at Alexa, as if she was an idiot. "Isn't it obvious? Emmy tells us what Caine likes, maybe baseball, say. Next time I see him, I talk to him about baseball, so he thinks that we like the exact same things. He is so impressed about how cool and gorgeous I am and invites me to hang out. Then he realises that I am literally his soul mate and he falls in love with. If I'm Caine Soren's girlfriend I will be untouchable at this school. Practically Coates' royalty." Piper fell back on her bed, overwhelmed by the image in her head. "Mrs Piper Soren. Has a great ring to it, don't you think?"
Piper looked up at Alexa to prompt her for an answer. "Sounds awesome," Alexa reassured her.
"I know, as if it were destiny. And if it means that I have to put up with Emmy for a while, that's a price I'm willing to pay. It will be worth it, when the only people who dare talk to me are the older popular kids."
"I don't mind Emmy," Alexa said.
Piper sat up, alarmed. "What? She is an arrogant snob, who actually believes she is someone just because she thinks she's pretty. And because of who her brother is. No. I cannot stand her! Once I'm with Caine, I will make sure that she is nothing at Coates."
"I don't think he'd like it if you were mean to his sister," Alexa said.
"I'll make him choose," Piper replied. "Me, or her. And he's really smart. He'll make the right choice."
Like almost every girl around her age at Coates, Piper had instantly had a crush on Caine Soren when she had started the school last year. She had barely spoken to him, as he was a year older than her. Then her dream almost came true as at a party at the end of last term she had gotten to talk to Caine. It had been going great. She made him laugh and Piper was sure they would end up making out. That was until Diana Ladris had interrupted their conversation. Some guy had been annoying her and she wanted Caine to deal with it. If it hadn't been for her, Piper would be dating Caine by now. Instead, she was still a nobody in the grand scheme of things at Coates.
Shelley came out of the bathroom. "When you are with Caine, and are so popular, are you going to forget about us?"
Piper looked hurt. "How could you say that?" she asked indignantly. "You're my best friends. I would never do that. Trust me, I will take you up to the top with me."
"Good," Shelley said. "But I'm with Alexa, I like Emmy."
Piper took in a breath, to conceal her annoyance. "I wish I could be as naïve as you two, but I'm not. Emmy is like a wolf in sheep's clothing. She seems sweet and lovely, but I bet she's really another Diana. That's why we can't tell her anything too personal. She would probably try and use it against us."
"Do you think so?" Shelley asked, sounding worried.
"Yes," Piper confirmed. "See, that's why I could never leave you. Neither of you are as good at figuring people out as me."
"Your right," Alexa said, as she moved to give Piper a hug, being joined by Shelley.
Someone knocked on their door, and the girls broke away from their hug. "Remember what I said," Piper whispered before she answered the door.
Of course it was Emmy. The girls sat down on the beds, Piper sharing her bed with Alexa, and Shelley on hers with Emmy. They had some mundane chatter and laughter before Piper tried to get down to her agenda. "So, Emmy," she said. "What's it like having Caine as a brother?"
"Awful," Emmy answered. "We never get on. He always has to get his own way, and he is unreasonably stubborn."
"What?" Piper asked, "He is so charming and everyone thinks he's great. He can't be like that."
Emmy had a wry smile, "He seems like that. But I know the real him. It's all an act."
Piper shook her head, refusing to believe it. "No. He keeps most of the bullies in check. And all the older kids hang out with him. He has to be a great guy."
"That's because he can use them," Emmy said. "If he can use someone, he will make him or her think that he is just incredible. But if he can't, he's an asshole to them."
"Of course you think that," Piper said, "You obviously don't like him. You're not going to be saying how wonderful he is."
Emmy forced herself not to reply. Why should she care what Piper thought?
"Does Caine have a girlfriend?" Piper asked.
Emmy wasn't enjoying talking about Caine but she answered the question, "I don't think so."
"Has he dated many girls?" Piper asked, relentlessly.
"I only know for sure of one girl, over summer. But he ended it a few weeks ago."
Piper seemed pleased by that, "So do you know if he likes anyone?"
Emmy shook her head, "We're not close. He would never tell me something like that."
"But, do you think he likes someone?" Piper pressed.
"I have no idea."
"Do you think he likes Diana Ladris?" Shelley asked.
Emmy noticed the brief dirty look Piper sent to Shelley. "I don't know," Emmy said.
"What do you think of Diana?" Piper asked Emmy, sharply.
Emmy saw the trap. Piper clearly hated Diana. If Emmy said she felt the same, Piper would have something against her. If Emmy said she liked Diana, Piper could say that she was to be hated like Diana. Emmy shrugged, "I only met her once. And we just introduced ourselves." Her answer didn't please Piper. "Do you like Diana?" Emmy asked back, to all three girls. They looked at each other and all gave an emphatic no.
"Why?" Emmy asked. She had gotten the general feeling that many disliked Diana, mainly girls. She was desperate to find out the reason.
"She's a total slut," Piper answered plainly. The other two nodded in agreement. Piper continued, "There's so many rumours about her and what she's done with boys. I'd say most, if not all, of them are true."
"So that's why you don't like her?" Emmy asked, doubting that was a good enough reason to dislike someone so venomously.
Shelley and Alexa looked at Piper, seeming unsure. "Yes," Piper said abruptly.