If Not For Her

Chapter 10. The new neighbor

"Who are you texting?" Evelyn asked from across their maroon leather sofa. "None of your business," Emmalyn said. Evelynn kept her eye on her "You think I don't know what you are trying to do, Emma" she started. Emmalyn looked up at her. "You can never be me, no matter how much you try. You will always be nothing more than a mere shadow of mine" Emmalyn got up, Evelyn didn't even deserve words.

"Where are you going?" came their mother's voice. "Yes, Matthew, and send the documents and reschedule my meeting to tomorrow afternoon instead of evening," she said into her phone. She stood in front of her, green eyes like Eve's staring into hers. "Where are you going Emmalyn?" she asked. "At a friend's house," she said. Friends? were they even that, it didn't matter as long as she could get out of the house. "Eve, do you know something about her friend?" her mother asked. "No" Evelyn answered.

"Evelyn does not know all of my friends, Mother," she said, her voice raised high. Her mother's eyes narrowed as she walked up to her. Emmalyn was taller but her mother's gaze made her look at her feet. "You are the future of the Cole business empire, you are our future" she lifted Emmalyn's chin, "I don't want you mixing with the wrong crowd, do you understand me?" she asked. "Yes, mother," Emmalyn said in a shaky voice. Her mother was truly terrifying.

Emmalyn took a step back "be back before eight" she said, "Yes, this is Ivana Cole" she said into her phone. Emmalyn took one look at Evelyn and rushed out of the house. She glanced at her phone, "Annabeth had texted her the address" and she raced to her house. Emmalyn looked at the white house with a garden in the yard then looked back at her phone, this was it. She rang the bell, smoothing out her blue sundress.

Annabeth opened the door "Come in" she said, opening it wider. Emmalyn walked in and realized she had never seen Annabeth in anything other than their school uniform. The house was neat and clean and the walls had pictures lined across it, "where do you want to study, we can do it here" she said pointing at their pale sofa "or in my room" she asked. "Your room. Let's go to your room" Emmalyn seized the opportunity to see her room. "Come on, then" Annabeth led her up the stairs.

Annabeth opened her off-white door and led Emmalyn in. Her room was exactly how Emmalyn thought it would be, a cupboard filled with various books and a messy canvas with paintbrushes on the pink rug. Painting and books seemed to be a part of her life. Annabeth picked up her brushes and looked at Emmalyn's smiling face. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," Emmalyn said, she was just close to knowing Annabeth. They sat on the opposite sides of her bed, "I have noted down some important points" Annabeth said, handing her a paper. Emmalyn looked at the large cursive writing, "let's start with the history of art" she started explaining. She spoke with a lot of hand movements and Emmalyn noted that her eyes widened whenever she was excited about a particular topic and her words came out faster.

Annabeth was surprisingly a good teacher, not that Emmalyn would ever admit to her. "Do you want some coffee?" Annabeth asked putting her pen down. "Sure," Emmalyn said. Annabeth walked down the stairs it was nearly seven. Emmalyn looked at the paintings, and then she found something more interesting, a black dairy Annabeth carried everywhere she went. She looked at the door and opened the diary, there were rough sketches and ideas, it gave an insight into her mind. She was a great artist, she could easily win the competition, when she realized Evelyn was never the competition, it was always Annabeth. It had always been Annabeth.

She heard footsteps approaching and left the diary where it was. "There you go" she handed her a Harry Potter cup. "Did you make it?" she asked. "Yes, my specialty," she said and Emmalyn smiled. "Why are you smiling?" she asked. "Oh, you just reminded me of someone," Emmalyn said.

"Do you like Harry Potter?" Emmalyn asked. "I can proudly say I am the biggest Potterhead' she said. "I would say you have quite a competition sweetheart," Emmalyn said. "We are always going to compete with each other, aren't we? for something or the other" Annabeth said. "Forever and always" she took another sip. Soon their conversation drifted from art and went into books.

Soon they heard some noises. Emmalyn looked at her for an answer. "New neighbors" Annabeth answered. Emmalyn went to Annabeth's window and looked out, "well, Reed you didn't tell me your new neighbor was Nicolas Parker"