Third person, Emma's POV

***

"Emma?" A soft voice called out, it was distant but it was there.

Emma sat up straight, slightly on edge, no one else should be out here, and she was there for that exact reason. Now her anxiety was making her imagine things that aren't really happening. Yeah, it was definitely her mind playing tricks on her because she could swear she heard Skaii Holder calling her name.

"Emma!" The voice was louder this time, and a bit more impatient. Emma slowly turned from her spot at the tree her back was pressed against. At that moment, the glaring sun pierced her eyes through the dancing leaves above her. From the only tree on the football field. She was currently hiding from all of Trinity Vale that wanted her head for not gossiping with them about Skaii.

And here was the girl of the hour, in the flesh, standing over her with her arms crossed. So she thought she was hearing correctly, she thought.

"Skaii? Hi, what are you doing here?" She stammered out as she stood, dusting off her butt in the process. She half expected Skaii to yell or reply with some snide comment like what does it matter to you? But she didn't, and what she said surprised her.

"Do you have a car?"

A car?

"What?" Emma hadn't seen this girl for almost a week, no matter how hard she looked for her and approached her out of nowhere just to find out if she had a car? She had to question her hearing again.

"Do you have a car?" Skaii repeated, her tone a little forceful, possibly from having to repeat herself, Emma deduced.

"Yes, of course." She nodded almost instantly, but confusion still etched itself in her skin, forming creases on her forehead.

"Let's go." Skaii twisted on her feet and headed towards the student parking lot. Emma couldn't quite figure out what was happening but if there was one thing she knew, it was that the Skaii Holder she met weeks ago wouldn't be forceful to have her in her presence. Something must have changed.

"Go? Where? Off campus?"

When Skaii didn't stop or answer her, she knew that she was headed towards a demerit in her first semester of school. If her mother found out about this, she would throw a fit. Her mother moved to this town for a clean slate and to find out that her daughter was playing hookie.

Let's just say she would be on house arrest for a month, and that's the minimum. No amount of adoration she had for Skaii was worth that punishment.

You're still following her. Emma chastised herself. Just like the bristle afternoon wind, Skaii's feet danced as she moved, her motions defiant. Emma didn't know why her body continued to betray her thoughts, but it did, right up to her pulling the keys to her white camry parked in the corner of the parking lot.

They slowly boarded. Emma was still shocked that Skaii approached her and was currently sitting in her car but she pushed the feeling aside and with all the courage she could muster, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"I really need to get out of here and if your nonexistent lunch mates were anything to go by, you do too."

Ouch, it was obvious that she was a loner but still, low blow. Emma swallowed as she started up the car. It really was in Skaii's DNA-the snarkiness. With so much broken, Skaii managed to be mean. She didn't know if she should bow down to this girl for her brass or scream at her.

She chose neither, but to simply do as Skaii instructed. Because, one, she really needed to get away from the drama of this prim and proper high school and two, spending the afternoon with Skaii Holder couldn't be so bad. There were things that she was itching to find out about her.

Like those rumors for one, Emma thought as she pulled the car out of its spot.

They got through the gates of Trinity Vale surprisingly smooth- for a school that should have been heavily guarded. And fifteen minutes later, Emma was blindly following Skaii's directions towards the outskirts of Trinity Vale into a luscious greenery.

Soon a small attractive building came into view at the end of the road. The dark gray awning on the roof blended into the earthy color of the dark crust of the mountain of Mahogany that stood behind it. It gave off a feeling of comfort, like a home you would brim with excitement just to sit in at winter time and sip hot cocoa. It might just be that, but with the intricate design of the thick glass window, it could've been more than a house. There were no signs in sight to identify the area she was in so Emma had to turn to Skaii for clarity.

"You can pull over here." Skaii's tired voice blew out.

She did, almost knocking over colorful prickled gnomes that adorned the driveway, luckily she jammed the brake just in time. Emma hopped out of the car and met Skaii's rigid frame suddenly breathing out. Her long brown cascaded down her slender face, blocking the emotions it must be conveying but Emma could feel them somehow- Like a claw curling itself into her, an aura, thick and powerful.

Emma's gaze took in Skaii for a moment, not wanting to interrupt but when minutes passed, she finally asked, "Where are we?"

"Somewhere you can relax." Skaii responded, her tone flat, then slowly walked to the building with Emma close behind.

She was doing a lot of following today, Enma cursed and her companion was a steel door. She was so vague and the thought of asking her anything caused her stomach to tighten.

As soon as they entered the building, a budding warmth air enveloped them. It was almost deafeningly mute, apart from the low classical music oozing through an overhead speaker. There was a waft of buttermilk sauntering in the air and it trailed along as they walked past the second double doors and into a beautiful dining room.

"Hi skaii, no Ian today?" A short stubby lady asked as she approached them. Her golden locks bobbed as she swayed.

"No, just us."

Skaii's tone was brighter by megawatts. It's funny how this girl's face changed completely as she took a step in this place and her beaming smile towards the woman. There was an air of familiarity between them by just those few words.

And who the hell was this Ian person?

That question sat poised on the tip of her tongue as the woman led them to secluded are the room but she held herself back. It was funny how she was the one that drove here but she still felt like she wasn't even invited here, like she was intruding, like it was a privilege to even sit with Skaii.

Skaii shifted on her seat as Emma probed her in silence. Her eyes were full of questions. Just the staring was giving her anxiety. "Ask." She said, lulling back in her chair.

"Who is Ian?" Emma didn't skip a beat with her sudden leeway.

"My brother." Skaii replied with a shrug.

"You have a brother?" Emma voiced incredulously and if her eyes widened any more, they would roll out on the table.

"Yup." Skaii's tone was dry and her pupils swayed away to someplace deep, so Emma knew better than to pry anymore.

Emma glanced around, there were a few persons around and it was weird, it was only twelve past one. She glanced back to Skaii. Why would she know a place like this? Now it was her time to break the silence. "So," Emma said, "What are we doing here? I didn't even know this place existed."

"I-" Skaii started, there was a crack in her voice, so minuscule that Emma wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't paying attention. "You had been kind to me and you really didn't have to. I guess this is a thank you." Skaii blurted out in one breath.

Well, this was unexpected. Emma froze, her eyes widened slightly. Was Skaii serious?

"Do you want it to be a thank you?" Skaii piped up, her eyes filled with hope. Yes, she was serious.

Suddenly, the realization dawned on Emma, she had the upper hand and she had no idea what to do about it. "I'm not one to hold a grudge skaii, you must have your reason for being-" Emma began.

"A bitch?"

"For lack of a better word," Emma shrugged, "but those reasons are eating you up, I can see that and I've only met you a month ago."

Skaii nodded, those words rang true but she couldn't bring herself to say anything further. So she called over a waitress and ordered hot chocolate and coconut cake. While Skaii was occupied, Emma took the chance to fully appreciate her surrounding. Like outside, the inner walls of the building were a mixture of modern and archaic designs sculptures. A white marble awning arched over the entrance of the dining area and the dining area itself was a work of art.

Each chair and table was made from pure Mahagony and complemented by golden rims and the word Keels was branded into it. What an unusual name.

It was a little after one, what should be the busiest time of the day for a restaurant. But Emma could count, on one hand, the number of persons there. It seems this place was some kind of sanctuary, from what Emma noticed, no one was disturbed, they sat sheltered by dim lights at their tables and the ambiance was almost ghost-quiet.

For the rest of the evening, they drank, ate cake, not the lunch Emma hoped for but that cake was too good to pass up. Her plan of prying into Skaii's life did not go well either, instead of Skaii sharing, it was her spilling her beans. In the space of three hours, Skaii found out that Emma was a beautiful dancer, her mother moved to Trinity Vale because she was offered a job in the district. Skaii got to find that Emma talked way too much because of one central reason, that big heart that pushed her to be heroic.

Like tending to a girl with a broken neck who basically called her annoying.

Skaii's lips curved upward, Emma was really something. Maybe she could deal with her and her 'good-morning I just won a billion bucks' smiles, she needed it.

After they left Keel's, Emma drove Skaii to her second getaway destination. The bookstore.

As the car rolled into the familiar parking lot, Skaii's eyes caught a familiar golden yellow and blue jacket at the entrance of the bookstore.

"They're having a game tomorrow." Emma pointed out when she noticed the Skaii's stare.

"You like sports?" Skaii turned to Emma, it was not surprising though. She liked to cheer and cheer was a sport in itself!

"Yeah, but I've never been to a game before."

Skaii's eyes trailed back to Nicholas as he stalked into the bookstore, his arm filled with his new literary prospects.

"I'll come with you." She heard herself mutter.

**

Alrighty, you got to see things a bit different in Emma's. Let me hear your thoughts, they're always welcome❤