California Love

Chapter 29. Winners

Arcane Atelier, 4 Hours Before 

Emma ran out of the studio in tears, her mind reeling from the confrontation. What had she done? She had thrown coffee all over Severa's work, ruining hours of effort, and in the process, she had also lost her best friend. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and she couldn't hold back the sobs that wracked her body.

She burst into her dorm room, barely acknowledging Jasmine's concerned questions. "Emma, what's wrong?" Jasmine asked, but Emma couldn't muster the strength to answer. She collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow, and cried her heart out.

Jasmine sat down beside her, gently rubbing her back. "Hey, talk to me," she urged softly. "What happened?"

Through her tears, Emma managed to choke out the story. "I ruined everything, Jazzy. I got so angry, and I threw coffee all over Severa's designs. She's worked so hard for this, and I just... I just lost it."

Jasmine's eyes widened in shock, her jaw dropping as she processed Emma's words. "You... you did what? You ruined her designs? Emma, that's... that's beyond awful! How could you do something like that? She's your best friend!"

Emma sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know, I know! I was just so frustrated, and I let my emotions take over. I never meant to hurt her like this."

Jasmine stood up, pacing the room as she tried to comprehend the magnitude of Emma's actions. "Emma, this is serious. Severa's been working day and night on those designs. This was her chance to prove herself, and you just... you just destroyed it!"

Emma nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I know, Jazzy. I feel horrible. I don't know what to do. How can I ever make this right?"

Jasmine stopped pacing and looked at Emma with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You need to talk to Severa. Apologize and try to make things right. But Emma, this is going to be really hard to fix. You broke her trust in the worst way possible." 

Emma couldn't stop the tears pouring from her eyes. The competition was in 5 hours, meaning Severa only had 5 hours to redo everything while she was here crying like a baby.

Wiping her tears, she rolled over and lay there while Jasmine went back to what she was doing. She had just destroyed everything over a few dumb words, and now she had lost her best friend, the girl who's been by her side all summer long.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. Sitting here wouldn't change anything. She needed to make things right. With newfound determination, she sat up and looked at Jasmine. "You're right, Jazzy. I need to talk to her. I need to fix this."

Jasmine nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Good. Go to her, Emma. Show her that you're truly sorry."

Emma hurried to the studio where Severa should be working, her heart pounding with each step. She pushed open the door to find... nothing. Nobody was there, no Severa, not a thing. The room was empty, save for the scattered remnants of their earlier confrontation. Panic began to rise within her. Had Severa given up? Was she too late?

She spun around and dashed down the hallway, searching frantically for any sign of Severa. The clock was ticking, and every second felt like an eternity. As she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with Ezra who was holding a large box of sewing supplies.

"Emma?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What's going on?" She ignored him, her desperation driving her to rush around the school, searching every corner, every room for Severa but not finding her anywhere. Panic gripped her as she retraced her steps, checking the usual spots where Severa might be working or hiding. The minutes seemed to stretch into hours, her heart pounding louder with each passing second.