Unpinning her hairpins, Emily glanced briefly in the mirror and was startled by her own reflection. There were dark circles of eyeliner and mascara around her eyes, and she could see black streaks where her eyeliner and tears had mixed together. Hastily she reached for a towel and waited until the water was steaming hot before soaking the rag and pressing it against her face.

After she'd scoured the makeup off her face, Emily finished taking her hair down with a lump in her throat. She hadn't been home more than ten minutes, but it felt like she'd been crying for hours. Slowly, she reached over and turned the knob for hot water in the tub. She slipped out of her loose, slinky dress and took off her jewelery. Wrapping herself in a towel, she leaned over the tub and completely saturated her hair with water.

Her hair was stiff and sticky from all the hairspray she'd had to use to coax it into place. While she worked the shampoo into her hair, she lay her head against the cold porcelean and tried hard not to cry. Tonight had been one of the best nights of her life, but also one of the worst. She felt miserable and achy, as if she'd physically exerted herself. But she knew it was really just self-pity and disappointment.

Emily wrapped her hair in a towel and turned off the water. She ignored the heap of her dress on the floor as she walked into her bedroom and quickly changing into a pair of satin pajamas. She was still wound up from nerves, but her tears had had a draining effect on her.

Flopping onto her bed, Emily pushed the covers back and slipped her feet under the sheets. Reaching over to her bedside table, she fumbled for the lamp to turn it off. Her fingers located a familiar object instead, and she felt a wave of sadness just touching it.

It was the fake ruby clip-on earring her mother had given her when she was young. It had been her grandmother's, passed down in the family. Emily had always carried it as a good-luck charm, and tonight had been one of the few times she'd needed it. She must have dropped it back on the table when she came into her bedroom crying.

Emily dropped the earring back on the table and turned the lamp off. 'There goes another Nurses' Ball, I guess', Emily thought, squeezing her eyes shut and pulling the covers up to her chin. She'd been so nervous about singing in front of everyone. If it hadn't been for Ned, she probably would've backed out at the last minute. Her other number had been fun, though--she'd loosened up considerably. Right before her solo, she'd noticed Nikolas in the audience, staring at her. A year ago that would have made her heart leap. Now it barely made a difference to her.

Emily shifted to her side, her eyes open as if seeing the entire scene unfold. What exactly had happened? She'd bumped into Nikolas, and he'd offered to take her outside for fresh air. So she had, just to get away from all the people who were gossiping about her father's bad case of stage fright.

Things had been fine while she was talking to Nikolas. As always, he was polite and interesting. It was obvious that he had Robin Scorpio on his mind, but she didn't mind. Not anymore.

Then Liz Webber, with Lucky in tow, had sauntered onto the balcany. Emily sighed out loud. She didn't like that girl--but even more, she hated the way Lucky drooled over her constantly.

Emily remembered how she'd insulted her and winced. She shouldn't have done that. But the fact that Lucky had yelled at her proved that their friendship really was gone without a trace. It was obvious he didn't care. And that was the most hurtful thing of all.

There had been a time when Emily thought she'd put those feelings and hurt behind her. But seeing him again made her feel all the same emotions. And it made her feel something she'd been trying so hard to suppress for the past year. Lucky Spencer had always managed to worm his way into her life; now she could finally admit to herself that he had a place in her heart, too.

Emily felt herself drifting off to sleep. Just her luck, she thought sleepily. Right at the moment she realized which guy she was crazy about, she'd realized that he was in love with somebody else.

Chapter 1:

Nervously clutching the handle of her duffel bag, Emily handed the cabbie a wad of bills. Quickly she opened the door and let herself out, rushing into the apartment building. She found Jason's apartment door in a blur, barely even noticing Renoldo, as she felt tears moistening her eyes. She forced them back, remembering the last set of waterworks. That had been right after the Nurses' Ball, two months ago, and crying hadn't made her feel any better then. She doubted it would help her any now.

Renoldo let her in, and the only thing she saw was her brother. She rushed inside, dropping her bags on the floor. "Jason!" She cried, blinking rapidly.

"Emily," Jason said, obviously surprised to see her. "Hey. You didn't tell me you were coming over. I would have sent a car out for you, you know."

"I know," Emily said, feeling slightly out of place and nervous. "I, um, didn't want to wait. Besides, I didn't want to make a grand exit or anything."

Jason nodded as if he understood. Emily wondered if he did know what was going on in her family.

Jason turned to a figure partially hidden in the shadows of the stairway. Emily shifted her gaze to look at the stranger, not having noticed anyone there. Then she felt her eyes widen in shock and something a lot like horror. Lucky Spencer was standing there, shifting his weight like he always did when he felt uncomfortable. Emily realized with a start she had the exact same nervous habit. She stopped moving abruptly.

"Robin's upstairs putting Michael to bed," Jason told them both. "Lucky, why don't you hang out down here for a minute while I go check on them? We'll talk when I come back downstairs."

Lucky nodded. "Sounds good." He was staring straight at Emily while he spoke. She felt like she was frozen to the floor.

Jason walked upstairs, and for a long minute neither spoke. Emily didn't want to initiate a conversation. She was still surprised to find him there.

"What's wrong?" Lucky asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Emily answered , her tone neutral. "I just came to see Jason and Michael. But I guess it's just about Michael's bedtime. I didn't think to check the time."

"Yeah, right." Lucky laughed, and Emily felt a little tingle go up her spine. "I always told you that you were a terrible liar, Em. Besides, that look on your face when you came through the door told a totally different story."

"I needed a place to stay tonight," Emily said slowly and deliberately. She didn't want to admit anything to him, but couldn't deny what he'd said.

"Not getting along with your family?" Lucky asked.

"I don't really want to talk about it." At least that was truthful. The last thing she ever felt like discussing was her family.

"I know the feeling," Lucky said, his lips twisting up in a small smile. Before Emily could ask him what he meant, Jason came downstairs, motioning for them to be quiet.

"Michael's asleep," Jason said in a loud whisper. "And Emily knows how light a sleeper he is." Robin followed behind him down the stairs quietly.

Lucky glanced over at her. "You stay here a lot?"

Emily shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm around Michael as much as I can. I'm his Godmother, after all." She paused. "But maybe you didn't know that."

Lucky nodded. "I did know. Mike mentioned something like that."

"Em, why don't you take your stuff into the guest room? I have some things to talk to Lucky about," Jason suggested. He turned to Robin. "Hey, will you tell Graciola that Michael has been drinking more formula lately? We should start stocking up, the way that kid eats now."

Emily picked up her things. She was about halfway up the stairs when she heard their hushed conversation. She leaned against the railing, frozen in place, but she couldn't hear. Figuring they were probably just discussing something about Luke's club or whatever part in it Jason had, she continued up the stairs.

Emily put her bag on the bed and untied her jacket from around her waist. She dropped that on the floor, knowing that Jason would never care if she wasn't neat and tidy. She knew that particular room all too well; she'd stayed there just a few months ago when she'd been unhappy at home. But then she'd known, in the back of her mind, that she'd be going home eventually. Now she wasn't sure.

Emily sat for a long moment, trying not to think about the events of that night. She heard the door closing, even though someone had obviously tried to muffle the sound. She guessed that it was Lucky leaving, and felt vaguely sad that he hadn't said good-bye.

A rustling sound made Emily look up suddenly. Robin emerged through the doorway, smiling brightly. "Hi," She said.

"Robin! Hi," Emily responded happily.

"I think we have some of your stuff here from last time," Robin said, smiling. "You left a toothbrush and a scrunchie behind. I found them in here and moved them into the bathroom."

"Oh, no. Were you using this room or something? If you were then I'm really sorry, maybe I could find somewhere else--"

Robin stopped her. "No, no. Actually, I stay with Jason in the--" Robin let out a loud laugh--"you're not going to believe this, but we stay in the maid's quarters."

Emily smiled, but inwardly she was startled by the news. She'd known that Jason and Robin had gotten back together, but she hadn't been aware that they were living together now. "That sounds like Jason."

"So, how come you're staying here?" Robin asked, her voice softer now. She scooted onto the bed, close to where Emily was sitting. "Did you have some kind of problem with your parents?"

Emily bit her lip. She thought back to the excuse she'd pre-planned in the car--that her room was being repainted, and although it was safe to sleep in, the fumes had bothered her sinuses. It had sounded okay then, but now it just sounded like a weak lie.

"Yes, there's a problem," Emily said, trying to keep her voice even, but it dropped a few measures in volume. "My father's an addict. He's ruining his life with drugs, and everyone expects me to just pretend it's not happening. I watched him crumble before my eyes--I can’t sit back and watch him kill himself. I can't, and I won't."

Chapter 2:

Sunlight streamed through the open windows of the guest bedroom, filtering through Emily's eyelids and gently prodding her awake. She opened her eyes sleepily, for a moment not remembering where she was. Then she recalled last night, getting upset with Monica and A.J. for looking the other way when Alan was scrounging for drugs. Finally, she'd packed her bags and called a cab, fleeing to Jason's penthouse.

Sitting up, Emily pushed off the covers and climbed slowly out of the bed. She looked down and realized she'd never even changed into her pajamas. With a grimace, she changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a clean tee-shirt.

Emily stopped in the bathroom on her way downstairs and twisted her hair into a loose bun and secured it with her forgotten scrunchie. She caught a glimpse of her reflection and blanched. She hoped the circles under her eyes and paleness hadn't been that evident while Lucky had been there.

As soon as Emily walked downstairs, she found Robin and Jason on the couch with Michael between them. Jason was holding up a tinkertoy while Robin laughed and grabbed Michael's outstretched hands.

"Hi," Emily said shyly, feeling like she was interrupting a private family moment.

"Hi, Emily," Robin said, smiling.

"Hey, Em. Graciella's making breakfast right now--sausage and eggs. Is that okay with you?" Emily wondered how Graciella had managed to convince him to let her cook him food. She couldn't remember ever seeing him eat anything but take-out pizza before.

"Sounds great," Emily said. "I'm starved."

Robin bounced Michael on her lap. "Ready for your bottle, Michael?"

Emily sat on the other couch, studying them carefully. Even with all the time she spent at the penthouse, it still amazed her that Michael was always the center of attention and always happy. It was nothing like the Quartermaines--in their house, she would be off in her room, A.J. at his job, Monica reading and Edward searching for someone to bicker with. But there was no real closeness. She instinctively knew that he was going to grow up without ever having to question his place in the world.

"Emily? Hey. Em!"

Emily looked up, startled. "What?"

Jason motioned for her to follow. "Graciella just announced that breakfast is ready. We're going to the table to eat. I thought you said you were hungry."

"Oh, yes. Yes, I said that. And I am hungry. I was just thinking--you know, kind of zoning out," Emily said, forcing a laugh. She made herself stop babbling, and stood up.

Emily sat down at the seat across from Jason, next to Robin. She helped herself to the eggs, and laughed as Michael reached for food from Jason's plate. They all laughed and Jason gently fed Michael his bottle.

"Emily, we'd better talk about this," Jason said, interrupting the picture-perfect scene. "It doesn't bother me if you want to hang around here. But you know that Monica's going to be coming over here soon. Maybe you should call her."

Emily looked down at her plate. "I know I should. And I will. I just...need some time first."

"Whatever fight you had, I'm sure she's not angry," Robin assured her. "But she is most likely worried right now."

"We didn't have a fight," Emily said helplessly. "She left the room, and I packed my things. Then I left."

Robin looked horrified. "Emily, you left without telling Monica first?"

Jason reached over and touched her arm. "Relax, Robin. Monica knows that whenever Emily leaves, she's coming here." He looked over at Emily. "But you still should have told her before you left."

Emily nodded. "I know. I mean, I didn't exactly just leave without letting her know. I walked into the living room and waved to her. She didn't stop me from leaving. She knew I had to leave, and I think she respected that." At least, I hope so, Emily added silently.

Robin looked vaguely confused, but at least Jason looked like he understood. He probably did. Even if he didn’t recall growing up in the Quartermaine house, he knew that it didn't work like normal families. But she couldn't blame Robin for not knowing.

"So, you'll call Monica after breakfast," Jason said, a general statement. "And you can have the guest bedroom as long as you need it."

"Thank you," Emily said quietly. She knew he didn't need to be thanked, but she felt like saying it anyway. She wanted him to know how much it meant to her that he was always there for her.

There was a silence that seemed to hang over the table for an eternity. Even baby Michael was subdued, as if he knew how conflicted Emily's heart and mind were. Finally Robin broke the silence, beaming at Emily.

"So...I heard some pretty cool news from Brenda," She chirped. "I heard that those pictures you took at Brenda's shoot turned out red-hot. And Brenda also told me that now you have agencies fighting over each other to sign you."

Emily couldn't help a silly, happy smile from crossing her lips. "Did she really say that?" She blushed and laughed. "Well, I wouldn't say anybody is fighting over the chance to sign me. But Brenda's company did like me, and so far I've done two shoots for them."

"That's really great," Robin said, smiling. "It sounds like you really enjoy it."

"I do," Emily confirmed, feeling as if it were an understatement. Modeling wasn't just a job. It was fun, like playing dress-up or pretending to be somebody famous, only in an adult way. And it was incredibly flattering that people thought her looks were good enough to base their advertising on.

"Anyway, things might be kind of cramped in here," Jason said, interrupting her thoughts. "I think everybody picked the same weekend to move in here."

"What do you mean?" Emily looked at Robin questioningly, then smiled reassuringly. "I'll stay out of your guys' way, if that's what you meant. I promise I won't be intrude or anything."

"Oh, like you ever could," Robin said, rolling her eyes. She gave a friendly smile, then glanced at Jason out of the corner of her eye. Emily could tell that she didn't have a clue as to what Jason's cryptic comment had meant. "You won't be in the way at all, Emily."

"No, I didn't mean that you'd be in the way," Jason clarified, giving Michael and his bottle his full attention. "It's just that with Lucky here, too, things might be kind of tight."

Emily had just taken a large bite of sausage when she spoke. "Lucky? Living here?"

"Yeah. He needed a place to stay, so I'll let him have the couch for a while. Until he finds another place to sleep, or whatever." Jason was busy feeding Michael, and glanced up a second later and a look of alarm crossed his face. "Em? Emily, are you okay?"

Emily choked and gagged and coughed. Finally, after downing nearly the entire glass of water, she was able to swallow the piece of sausage. Weakly, she gave an embarrassed smile that felt more like a grimace and took another tiny sip of water, wishing she could sink completely into the floor.

Chapter 3:

Emily fidgeted by the landing of the stairs, afraid that if she got too close Lucky might sense her apprehension. He was working on a knot on the ties of his sleeping bag, and hadn't made any progress in the past five minutes. "Do you need any help with that?" She asked. Even to her, her voice sounded timid.

Lucky shook his head without looking up at her. "No, I've got it."

Emily watched, cocking her head to the side and outright staring as he struggled. He tried to undo it with his fingers, a fork prong, and even his teeth. Finally, he pushed it away, looking frustrated.

"I can try it," Emily offered, trying not to sound too eager.

Lucky sighed. "Go ahead." Even though it wasn't the most gracious of replies, Emily hedged toward him and picked up the sleeping bag. She gripped the knot and started working at it, trying to insert her fingernails between the knot. She was able to loosen the knot, and before long it was gone. "See?" Emily asked triumphantly. "All you need is fingernails. And a bit of muscle," She couldn't help but add.

Lucky looked unimpressed. "Throw yourself a victory party, why don't you?"

Emily stared at him, trying not to feel hurt by his comment. She couldn't believe that he was so ungrateful. "Fine. If you didn't want my help, you could have said so. I'd have gladly let you sleep using it as a pillow."

To her relief, Lucky finally responded, even though it took a moment. "You're right. I'm sorry. Thank you for getting the knot out."

"You're welcome. So, um, do you want me to get you some extra blankets? I know where Jason put them."

"Thanks. That would be really great." Lucky unrolled the sleeping bag and went to work, smoothing it out on the couch.

Emily nodded. "Hang on just a minute. I'll be right back."

She heard Lucky call after her as she went to the front hall and wrestled with the closet door, finally managing to get it open . "Hey, do you know where Jason is, by the way?" Lucky's voice came, sounding faraway.

"He's talking with Justus about some paperwork," Emily called back, finding an extra thick blanket in the stack. "And Robin brought Michael to Brenda's for a quick visit."

"I thought Michael was in danger or something," Lucky remarked when Emily returned with the blanket. "Why is Jason letting Robin haul him around town to show him off?"

Emily looked at him, wondering what he had against Robin. The tone of voice he used was slightly hostile. "Well, they have a guard with them. And Robin brought Leticia with her to make sure he's taken care of. I don't see the harm in it."

Lucky shrugged. "I don't know. I just think it's strange that Robin's spending so much time with Michael. Somehow I doubt Carly will like it, and it's probably confusing him."

"Who cares what Carly thinks?" Emily asked. "She's the one who got herself locked up in the loony bin. If she really cared about Michael, she would have thought about him and what going to jail might do before shooting Tony for revenge."

"Carly is my cousin," Lucky said through gritted teeth. "Even if she's not the most perfect person in the world, she shouldn't have her kid claimed by some other woman."

"Robin isn't 'claiming' Michael," Emily shot back. "She's just caring for him. Which Carly is incapable of at the moment."

Lucky looked furious. "What are you, Robin's great defender? Just because she's your brother's girlfriend, she can do no wrong?"

Red-hot anger seared through Emily's veins. "What do you know about my brother or his girlfriend, anyway?" She cried. "Keep in mind you're a guest here just out of the goodness of Jason's heart!"

"What, and you're here because he really wants a little sister living upstairs?" Lucky retorted. "Get real, Emily. He's letting you stay here because you asked and he can't say no."

Emily opened her mouth to retort, but found herself unable to think of anything. She felt her anger slowly dissipate, and found herself pondering his words. Mortified, she realized he had a point. "I--I--Jason told me I could come here any time," Emily said quietly, desperately trying to rationalize his statements into being false. "He wants me here. He does--he doesn't lie...he wouldn't tell me something just because it's what I want to hear."

Lucky closed his eyes. Suddenly he looked just as tired as she felt. "I'm sorry, Emily. I really shouldn't have said anything. I wasn't thinking."

Emily barely heard him. "He'd tell me if I was intruding," Emily said, trying to convince herself. "He would."

Lucky reached out and touched her arm. "Emily, please just ignore everything I said. I was angry and just blurted out what I thought. If I could take it back, I would."

Emily was startled back into reality by his touch. She felt color rise in her cheeks, and hoped he didn't notice that goosebumps were popping up all over her arm. "It's my fault. I was so angry...you had no right to say bad things about Robin." Her voice was quiet, but strong. She firmly believed he didn't. Not after intruding on their lives. And certainly not after taking up a place in Emily's heart and wreaking havoc on it. She wouldn't let him insult the people she cared about and break her heart all at once.

Lucky didn't respond. Finally, he looked at his watch and shook his head warily. "Look, I promised somebody I'd call them about now. Is it okay if I use this phone?"

Emily looked at him warily. "Liz making you check in hourly?"

Lucky glared at her, and she instantly wished she could take it back. "No. I choose to call her and let her know where I am, and make sure she's okay. Is that a problem?"

"No, no problem," Emily said meekly. "But why wouldn't she be okay?"

Lucky moved toward the phone. "No, she's not sick. I meant that in general. Just, you know, make sure she's happy and not bored or whatever."

Hmmm, Emily mused, making sure she's content. Just like a puppy. Emily turned and slowly walked up the stairs, telling herself that she was going to walk up to her bedroom and hang up some of her things. But she found herself stopping halfway and pausing, making sure she was out of view.

"Liz? Hi...yeah, it's me. Anyway, I found a place to stay...no, I didn't go back there. I'm at Jason's." She heard him pause. "Yeah, I know, but living with you isn't an option anymore." He laughed. "Your gram made it clear that she doesn't want to see me within a ten-yard radius of you or your bedroom again."

Emily felt her mouth drop and heat flood her cheeks. Had she heard correctly? Lucky had lived with Liz? She felt her heart drop straight to her toes and closed her eyes, wishing she'd never even heard of Lucky Spencer.

But even more wishing he'd never heard of Liz Webber.

Chapter 4:

Laying in bed that night, Emily tried not to think about what she'd overheard. After all, it was none of her business if Lucky and Liz were sleeping together or whatever. It was just so unexpected--she hadn't even heard for sure that they were together. She'd just assumed, since they spent so much time together, that they must be dating. But that threw everything into a whole new light...

Emily tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. The idea of Lucky sleeping right below her bedroom was keeping her up. Her curiosity was overwhelming her. She wanted to run downstairs and demand to know what was going on between Liz and him. But she couldn't do that. Things didn't have a simple answer anymore.

Especially not what to do about her feelings. She couldn't tell him--she didn't want him to feel bad for her if he didn't feel the same. And she didn't want him to be nice to her out of obligation. She wanted him to fall head-over-heels in love with her. If only that didn't seem next to impossible, considering his attachment to Liz...

Emily concentrated on thinking up whatever she had that Liz didn't. She was about to give up when something struck her; her job scheduled for tomorrow came to mind. She had an exclusive modeling contract, and as far as she knew, nobody wanted Liz's face on the cover of a magazine.

Drifting asleep, visions of Lucky with a dozen roses showing up at one of her fashion layout shoots filled her mind and she slept peacefully through the night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Emily awoke bright and early the next morning. She hurried across the hall into the bathroom, armed with the supplies she'd brought with her. Emily spent the most time she'd ever spent washing and blow-drying her hair, and used a curling iron she'd found in the bottom drawer, presumably an extra one of Robin's.

Since she had brought a limited amount of makeup with her, Emily had to settle for an ordinary-looking plumb lipstick, pale blusher and a brown eyeliner pencil. She had a few mishaps with the liner; she'd only tried it a few times before and always given up. This time, after enduring a few pokes in the eye, she was able to see the full effect.

After she'd finished, Emily charged back into her room and sorted through some of the outfits she'd brought. She settled on a sporty shirt with racer stripes across the bust and a nice pair of shorts. Surveying the final product in the mirror, she felt at least presentable. She went downstairs, her stomach growling.

Instead of Robin, Jason and Michael, she spotted Lucky laying on the couch, tangled in the sleeping bag and fast asleep. Emily froze in place.

While she was just starting to retreat, she heard Lucky stirring and glanced over. He shifted and his arm dangled off the side of the couch. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around sleepily. His eyes focused on her and he jumped suddenly, now wide awake.

"Geez," Lucky muttered, pulling the sleeping bag up to cover his torso. "Were you standing in the shadows over there just to give me a heart attack?"

No, I spent an hour fixing myself up to give you a heart attack, Emily thought, barely suppressing a giggle. Or, more accurately, a change of heart. "I just came down for breakfast," She responded. "Sorry if I woke you."

"Nah, it's okay." Lucky seemed less irritable as he reached over to grab his bag. "Give me a second to get dressed, will you?"

Emily felt herself blush. She hadn't even considered that Lucky might not be decent at this hour of the morning. He was wearing a shirt, but she saw his jeans thrown in a heap by the couch. Embarrassed, she hurried back up the stairs and busied herself in the guest bedroom for a little while to give him time and privacy.

Emily waited until Robin knocked on her door. "Hi, Em," Robin said softly, pushing the door open after Emily gave her permission to enter. "Sleep well?"

"Reasonably," Emily answered.

"Worried about your family?" Robin guessed. "Maybe you should call Monica again. I know that you called and talked to her yesterday afternoon, but it's probably a good idea to clear your mind, if anything's bugging you."

"No, it's not that," Emily responded, embarrassed. She'd worried about her family so much, it had been almost nice to have something else bothering her. "Uh...I was just thinking about things. It wasn't a big deal."

"What things?" Robin asked. "I don't mean to be nosy. I just wonder if maybe it would help talking them out. That's what I do when I'm worried, and it really helps."

"What worries you?" Emily asked, honestly wanting to know.

Robin looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I always am concerned about my health. And I always worry about Jason's safety. But I'm trying to just think about the good stuff right now." Robin smiled. "I want to feel good while I still can. When I'm sad, I'll wallow in it. But right now I just want to be happy."

"That sounds like a good idea," Emily mused.

"Well. You look nice," Robin said, smiling as she looked closely at Emily. "Don't tell me you wake up looking that perfect, or I'll be very jealous."

"No, actually, I got up a while ago and experimented," Emily admitted. "This makeup artist that did me up for the shoots advised me to try out some makeup products and brands, and figure out what I feel most comfortable in. And since I have a shoot today..."

"Oh, you do?" Robin asked. "Well, then. Want some company?"

"That would be great," Emily said. Even though Emily didn't need anyone to hold her hand, she liked moral support and a familiar face when she was there.

"Okay. Well, what time are you scheduled?" Robin asked as they both started downstairs.

"Noon," Emily answered absently. As soon as she was downstairs, her mind was focused on only one thought; everything else, including Robin and modeling, flew from her brain. She was so aware of Lucky's presence, slumped over at one end of the breakfast table, that she felt the hair at the back of her neck prickling.

Emily sat down as gracefully as she could. She poked at the food on her plate, watching Lucky out of the corner of her eye. Would he think she was a pig if she ate all that food? She tentatively took a bite while he wasn't looking, but it was impossible to sever the piece and she found up eating the whole strip at once. Lucky glanced at her briefly, but his face didn't register any notice of it. Emily relaxed after she saw that Lucky couldn't care less what she was eating.

"Emily has a shoot today," Robin said casually to Jason. "I'm going to go with her."

Jason didn't miss a beat as Michael spit up half his breakfast. "Sounds like fun."

"A shoot?" Lucky echoed from his end of the table. Emily glanced over, surprised.

"Yes," Emily said simply.

"Don't tell me you're a model now," Lucky said, sounding disbelieving. "Is that why you have all that makeup on?"

Emily felt her face fall to an uncertain frown as she glanced at him.

"What on Earth made you want to be a model?" Lucky asked, looking more confused than accusing. "You never said you wanted to be a model. Not to me, anyway."

Emily shifted awkwardly in her seat, unable to look away from Lucky's gaze. The look expressed hurt, and something else she couldn't identify but felt inside herself. She knew instantly that she wasn't the only one realizing just how far apart they'd drifted. And obviously, she wasn't the only one not entirely pleased about it...

Chapter 5:

Emily shifted her position, pulling her skirt down to cover as much of her leg as possible. The photographer had insisted that it would be a great idea to have the whole group hanging out on some fake steps that looked like the outside of a high school. But it was impossible to sit modestly in her miniskirt, and the six people sitting around her were complete strangers.

Emily tried her best to smile brightly as the camera rained flashes on the group. She’d been so excited to get in a shoot for Seventeen’s back-to-school layout. Of course, she’d been intimidated by the idea of posing with virtual strangers, but she hadn’t realized how painfully shy she was until she was thrust into the crowd.

“You, in the purple skirt,” The photographer cooed, moving in closer and waving his arms to the left. Emily was startled to realize she was the one he was referring to. “Yes, you. I want you to move over--yes, like that--” Emily shifted over to the left, smiling uncertainly. “Now, you in the black--” The photographer looked over at an incredibly attractive guy in a black silk dress shirt and jeans. “Put one arm around her back--and let your hand show.”

Emily felt one hand slinking around her back and settling on her upper rib. She held her breath slightly, afraid to breathe out. She was sure her face was coloring, but hoped fiercely everyone would think it was just the bright, hot lights.

“Now, you put your head on his shoulder. Right, that’s right.” Emily, feeling very silly, moved her head to rest on his shoulder. The silk of his shirt felt chilly, and she could feel him breathing.

The photographer zoomed in with a series of shots. With each, he called off an emotion and she tried to fake boredom, happiness, sadness and rapture.

“All right. That’s great. Now, you all take a few minutes while I change film.” The photographer hurried away with his camera. Emily bashfully moved away from the guy in black, and his arm vanished from her back just as quickly. She stood up, trying not to be obvious as she snuck a glance at his profile.

“Cute, huh?”

Emily turned around to identify the voice. She found a pretty blond running her fingers along a black cable wire. “Excuse me?” Emily asked cautiously.

“Isn’t he cute? Don’t you think?” The blond smiled mischievously. “Too bad he has a girlfriend.”

“How do you know?” Emily asked, confused.

“I asked him.” The blond shrugged. “I think it’s my personal duty to know everyone else’s private business.” She stopped toying with the cable and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’m Lane, by the way. Lane Crussel.”

“I’m Emily Bowen-Quartermaine,” Emily said.

“Hmmm. Two names.” Lane nodded thoughtfully. “Are you a product of divorce?”

Emily felt her mouth fall open in surprise.

“I’m not one for small talk, I guess,” Lane said sheepishly. “Sorry. So, anyway, let’s talk about something less intrusive. Like, who is the short brunette standing over there? Your sister?”

“Not exactly. My brother’s girlfriend,” Emily corrected. “But we’re close.”

“Oh. Cool. I always wanted a big sister. Or a brother to have a girlfriend who would be like a sister.” Lane smiled. “But I guess being an only child has its advantages--my parents didn’t even blink when I told them I wanted to model.”

“Wish I could say the same,” Emily said wistfully. In her case, she’d had the support of most of her family--Ned, A.J. and Monica--but Edward’s constant negativity and Alan’s drug-induced stupor shadowed all the excitement.

“Well, you are probably a little younger than most of the models here,” Lane mused. “I’m sixteen, but that’s young by most standards.”

“I’m fifteen,” Emily informed her.

“Once you turn sixteen, they’ll be okay with it. Once you start driving, and spend more time with friends, they get used to you doing your own thing. Then it’s not such an issue when you want to get involved in a career.”

Spending time with friends, Emily thought to herself. What an idea. Ned and Robin were her closest friends these days--she hadn’t had a friend her age since Lucky. She didn’t relate well to the kids her age--especially since they still talked about her heroine overdose and gossiped about her. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Anyway, it looks like we have to go change our outfits.” Lane sighed and adjusted her halter top. “Good. I could use something with a little more fabric.”

After they’d all changed into new outfits, the photographer quickly assembled the group and tried out a dozen different poses in different scenery. He made Emily and a redhead hold some books and look off behind the camera, with a disinterested expression. Then they sat in some fake desks the prop guy hauled out and pass a note discreetly between them. Emily thought the poses were kind of silly, but obliged as best she could.

They all changed outfits half a dozen more times, and Emily was getting tired. Each outfit was trendier and more uncomfortable than the last.

“Okay. Why don’t you just hang out a minute and I’ll take some shots if I like it?” The photographer suggested. “Just improvise.” He randomly picked a few of the models, and Emily gladly sat down to watch.

Lane was one of the people, along with the boy whose shoulder Emily had leaned on. They had all obviously done this before. They milled around, occasionally stopping to pretend to pick up a pencil, smile, sit down in one of the fake desks. The photographer was eating it up, the camera flashing constantly.

“You.” The photographer looked over at her and motioned for her to join the people on-stage. “Why don’t you and the blond girl be buddies? And don’t forget that Mr. highlights are an item. I want to see some more of you two.”

Emily hesitantly walked up to where Lane was standing, smiling. She wasn’t really following the whole concept of this shoot. It seemed more like acting than modeling--pretending a certain male model was her boyfriend? Acting like a certain girl was her friend? She hadn’t done that in her test shoot or her first shoot. She’d just smiled at the camera then. This was so much more work!

Luckily, Lane took care of most of the acting. Emily tried her best to imitate her. She froze every time the guy came near her, but he seemed to know what he was doing. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and looked deeply into her eyes. Emily was caught off guard, and stared up into his eyes bashfully. The photographer gushed praises and Emily began to loosen up. She smiled brightly at the camera, amazed at how right it felt to be in front of the lens. Maybe she really was meant to be a model after all.

After the shoot was finished, and a breathless Emily was going to go rejoin Robin, Lane rushed up to her. “Hey!”

“Hey,” Emily responded.

“Here’s my number. Call me, okay? We can talk. Maybe we could do something next week--I don’t have any jobs lined up, so just...anytime.” Lane smiled hopefully, holding out a scrap of paper with several digits written on it.

“Sure,” Emily said, accepting the scrap and feeling happier than she had felt in a while. “That sounds good to me.” They said good-bye and Emily walked slowly back to Robin, musing over her sudden rush of excitement. Maybe this is what having a friend is all about, Emily thought.