ethan & emma: talking with you.

The Promise

A/N: Throughout this chapter, I refer to Olivia Rouyre as both Olivia and Olivia R. Just a heads up. I'll edit it to be consistent when I wake up and am no longer dead inside. Whenever I'm talking about Olivia Jade, though, I always use her full name. Okay, enjoy ~ 

It seemed like September was the month of birthdays.

Only a week and a half had passed since they had all gathered on Bryant's yacht before Olivia Jade's birthday was upon them.  

Olivia Jade invited all of the "Dote Girls," as they had taken to calling themselves, and through being invited, Emma had been bestowed special privileges - or so Olivia R claimed. It was by following Olivia R's advice that Emma ended up inviting Ethan and Grayson to the party. 

"It's not a big deal," Olivia R said over their FaceTime call. She was in the middle of loading laundry into her dryer, as Emma switched between watching her and the YouTube video playing on her lap. "By virtue of being invited, you can invite other people. That's how LA parties work." 

"It might be a little weird." 

"Why would it be weird?" 

"It's not weird if I invite Ethan I guess... I mean, Olivia knows that we have a thing. But inviting Grayson too? That feels excessive, right?" 

"Nah," Olivia R dismissed. "They're almost like a package deal." Then she paused, raising her eyebrows at the camera. 

"Don't even go there," Emma scolded, bringing her phone too close to her face. "I need advice on what to dooooo." 

"Okay, okay. Look. Don't make it a big deal. Bryant's coming, right?" 

"I think so. I haven't asked him but I'm sure Olivia [Jade] invited him." 

"Why don't we all go together then, like a group thing? Matt's coming with me, we'll get Bryant to join, and you can invite both of them. Then there won't be a chance of it being weird." 

Emma debated for a second. "Okay, I guess that makes sense." 

And that was how she ended up in her apartment the night of the party, Matt reclining on her couch and chatting with Bryant while Olivia R was helping her get dressed upstairs. 

There was a knock at her door. 

"Are you vibing with these earings?" Emma asked as she stood from her seat at the vanity. She was sporting giant white hoops that hurt her earlobes a little. The theme for the party was vaguely disco, but there had been no further elaboration. In regards to her wardrobe, Emma resorted to making educated guesses. "Or are they too much? They might be too much." 

 Olivia R poked her head out from Emma's bathroom. "No, I like them! They make you look older, but in a good way." 

 "I don't look like a twelve year old boy?" 

 "Most days, yeah, but not right now." 

 Emma waved at her eyes like she was fighting back tears. "I can't believe the chick wearing neon pink underwear just roasted me." 

 "They're not underwear!" Olivia exclaimed, looking down at her tiny shorts. "They're bright, they're fun. That's what discos are all about, right? Pops of color?" 

 Emma made a face. 

 "Isn't someone at the door?" Olivia said with a laugh, shooing her away. "You should probably go answer it."  

"I'm going, I'm going. My confidence just got fucking destroyed, but I'm going." 

 Emma hurried down the stairs, only to find that Bryant and Matt had already admitted Ethan and Grayson to her apartment. They were all sitting around the coffee table in her living room, Ethan with his feet propped up on the table.