Apart, but not forever

Chapter 10

Lilah

"What were you doing talking to Flynn?!" Emma yelled as she barged into my room early on Sunday morning. I slowly opened my eyes to Emma standing over me with fire in her eyes.

Oh goddess! She is crazy! Violet mutters.

"What?" I whimper, still half asleep. My eyes are still adjusting to the bright light Emma turned on in my room.

"What time is it?" I stutter, reaching over to check my phone on my bedside table. 8:00AM. It's a Sunday! Why are we up this early!?

"You heard me! What were you doing talking to Flynn last night?" Emma repeats. She was practically shaking with fury.

I shake my head, suddenly understanding. I notice she is still wearing the same clothes from the party last night. Did she only just get home?!

"He just asked me to tutor him in Chemistry." I reply innocently.

"Yea right!" Emma almost screams. I swear my windows shook, "I told you specifically not to talk to any of my friends! You spoke to the most important one!"

"I, I, I'm sorry! I didn't approach him, he approached me!" I defend myself, sitting up in my bed so I wasn't in such a vulnerable position.

"You cannot talk to him again! We will be mates when he turns eighteen. I will not have you getting in the middle and screwing everything up!" She continued yelling. I don't think I could say anything that would calm her down at this point.

"I am just tutoring him, I swear!" I reply, swishing my legs off the side of the bed to stand up beside the raging Emma.

"Woah! Woah! What is going on in here?!" Darren shouted as he entered the room, still in the pajamas Mum got him for his birthday a few weeks ago. Emma suddenly started crying out of nowhere.

Oh, she's good. Violet comments. I had to agree. It takes skill to cry that believable and on cue.

"Lilah is taking my friends away from me Daddy!" Emma sobs, throwing her arms around her father's shoulders dramatically. Darren gives me a questioning look over Emma's shoulder. I just roll my eyes.

"What?" He asks, confused.

"At the party last night," Emma explains, "She is taking my friends away from me. Soon I'll have no one to hang out with at school." And the waterworks began again.

She deserves an award for this performance! Violet laughs. I try to hold the chuckle in.

"Lilah? Help me out please?" Darren pleaded to me. Clearly, he has witnessed Emma's theatrics many times before.

"One of Emma's friends has asked me to tutor him in senior chemistry." I state honestly.

" What's wrong with that?" Darren questioned Emma. I imagined the steam coming out of her ears at this point.

"He's my friend Daddy, he won't have time to spend with me if he is studying with her!" Emma whimpers.

"Emma, darling, you can't stop Lilah from helping your friends study. You should be happy she is helping them to begin with." Darren said sweetly to his daughter. The way he talks to her makes my heart ache for my own Dad. Mum and I don't argue often, but when we did, it was Dad who would come and talk to me about it.

"Only tutoring!" Emma glared at me, knowing she wasn't going to win this one.

"Fine." I say as I flop back down onto my bed.

"Right. Now can we go back to our relaxing, drama-free, quiet, Sunday morning?" Darren sighs as he follows Emma out of my room, closing the door behind him.

I decide that now I'm awake, I may as well watch some 'Friends' on TV. I switch it on and start scrolling through my phone. Monica had tagged me in a photo from last night. I read through some of the comments.

'You aren't seriously friends with that new girl, are you?'

'Two beauties and one troll'

'Dislike!'

I notice most of them are from Emma and her friends. Nice.

I throw my phone back on the bed and sigh. Suddenly, my phone vibrates.

Unknown Number: Hey! How are you feeling today?

Who is this? And why are they messaging on a Sunday morning?!

Me: Sorry, but who is this?

It doesn't take long to get a reply.

Unknown Number: Flynn. You gave me your number last night?

It all clicked in my head. I typed my reply as this giddy and excited feeling churns in my stomach.

Me: Right, I did that. Do you want to set a time to study?

Flynn: Not yet. Just wanted to chat! So how are you this morning?

Me: I thought you wanted my number for tutoring? I am good. A sudden wake-up this morning, but it can only go up from here! I'm sure I'm feeling better than you!

Flynn: Well you get someone's number to contact them, so that is what I'm doing. Yea, beer pong probably wasn't my best idea. What are you doing today?

I realize my heart is beating fast out of anticipation for each of Flynn's replies. I need to keep myself in check. If that is how Emma reacted to just talking, imagine if she knew I was developing a crush!

But he is different. Violet comments.

How? He is a play boy and a flirt. I reply.

You never know when or why someone might change. Violet replies. I roll my eyes.

That is just the extra wolf hormones talking, I think! I giggle. I can tell Violet is frustrated with me because she goes silent.

I type out my reply to Flynn.

Me: Going to do some studying this afternoon I think. That's about it. How about you?

Flynn: Want a studying buddy? We could kick-start our tutoring today?

I cant help my body getting excited about spending the afternoon with Flynn. I didn't even know the guy really. Why am I feeling like this?

Mum would be fine with it. Violet returns. Alway team Flynn.

But what about Emma? I question. That could really put a spanner in the works. I can still hear Piper and Emma talking through the wall our bedrooms share.

Darren told her to keep out of it. She wouldn't be able to say or do anything. Violet defends. She is right.

Me: Sure. Like 1:00PM?

Flynn: Works for me! I'll be there!

Me: Don't forget your workbook. Do you need my address?

Flynn: Nope, I know where you live. See you soon!

I shake my head at myself. What a naive question. Of course he knows where I live. I live with Emma. Aren't they like dating or something at the moment?

Once I have showered, I put on a pair of my old soccer shorts, a tank top and my fluffy socks. If I am going to study, I am going to do it in comfort. I brush through my hair and put on a bit of tinted moisturizer to look at least a little bit presentable.

I walk down to the kitchen to grab something to eat. 11:30AM. I've got a bit of time.

Mum, Darren, Piper and Emma are all in the kitchen as I walk in.

"Good morning Lilah." Mum greets me when she sees me.

"Morning." I smile back.

"You are clearly studying today?" Mum looks me up and down, judging my outfit of the day. I nod in response. I can hear Piper and Emma whispering something to each other.

"I actually have someone coming over to study with me if that's OK?" I ask, nervous about seeing Emma's reaction. She suddenly freezes.

"That's fine honey!" Mum smiles before handing me a slice of toast with jam.

"You aren't talking about Flynn are you?" Emma asks smoothly. Desperately trying to keep her cool, but the octave her voice came out in revealed her true thoughts. I glance around the room at the four sets of eyes waiting for my response.

"Uh, yea?" I mutter nervously.

"Oh my goddess." Emma sighs before storming off to her room. Piper followed close behind her.

"I have to get myself ready! He's going to be in my house!" I hear Emma panic as she walks back to her room.

"Just be good, OK?" Mum whispers to me.

"Of course Mum. We're just going to study. Coach Lowe asked me to help." I reply, shrugging my shoulders before heading back to my room to get my school stuff.