Twins

4: Emma

Luke's arm was around Emma's shoulders as she curled into his side. One of her eyes was hidden so that she was only half looking at the TV. They were watching a horror movie, and Emma had a low tolerance for being scared. When she watched a horror movie, she got spooked for days and couldn't sleep with the lights off. And this was a particularly scary movie.

Luke's lips were sucked in, trying not to laugh.

"What?" Emma whispered, looking up at him.

"Well, I mean, it's kind of ridiculous. She just disappears into thin air even though the point is that when she's touched, someone dies? Why doesn't she just touch people all the time? That's the point isn't it?"

"It's scarier when she disappears," she retorted.

"Yeah, but this ghost has some seriously flawed logic."

Emma giggled, feeling less scared. They finished the movie at about one in the morning, and Luke made to leave, kissing her good night.

"Wait, Luke? Will you stay over tonight?" Emma asked, pulling him back by his hand.

"Sure," he replied, kissing her again. "You scared?" he murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

"Yeah," she replied. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, putting her down on the bed.

He climbed in next to her and began kissing her, his lips moving across her collarbone and down her torso. She shivered with pleasure.

They froze when they heard Emma's mom getting up for a glass of water. They giggled silently, kissing each other as softly as possible.

Jasmine had been gone almost a year, and both Luke and Emma were accepted into Julliard for acting and musical theatre. They were completely in love. The transition from friendship to relationship was difficult at first, but the two of them were already so crazy about each other that they got used to it in no time.

They continued kissing until Emma asked breathlessly, "Did you bring a condom?"

He laughed, shaking his head. They both groaned and rolled away. "I could go over to my apartment," he suggested, picking up his pyjama pants and struggling to put them back on.

"Don't worry about it," Emma said. "Maybe we can just cuddle tonight. But don't leave me!"

She curled into his arms, and he kissed her hair. "I love you," he mouthed.

She couldn't hear him, but she knew what he'd said. "I love you too."

***

They were going to attend college from their homes as the Upper West Side was really close to Julliard and the Theatre District. There was no messy packing, no tears needing to be shed. They were simply changing schools.

In their final semester, their school put on Les Miserables, and Emma and Luke played Cosette and Marius, due to their fantastic chemistry on stage.

The play was performed excellently and it was the perfect way for them to end their high school career.

For their cast party afterwards, they all went out to a restaurant and had some dessert.

When they got home, Luke and Emma's lips locked and they went to his bedroom to make love in celebration.

***

Jasmine came home for the summer. She seemed worn out, but successful. She said that school was going really well and she was working on a whole new computer interface with a partner named James.