Chapter 4

"Emma, Emma, Emma!" Emma hears as her bed moves and she opens her eyes to see Sophie jumping on it. "Sophie." She groans out and Sophie gets right in her face. "How could I have missed who was proposing?" She asks and Emma closes her eyes again and turns over, not wanting to relive what happened last night. "You were too busy getting lost in Vins eyes." "No I wasn't, you were."

Emma yawns at the same time she starts choking on air. "Excuse me." Emma says as she sits up in bed. "You know I'm right, now get ready for work." Sophie strips the blanket off of Emma before wrapping it around herself. "It's so warm." She snuggles into it and Emma glares at her. "Give me my blanket." She holds her hand out and Sophie slowly backs away. "Its mine now." She runs off as Emma chases after her.

They end up in the kitchen, where she sees her blanket now gone and Sophie making some coffee. "I had to get you up some how." Sophie smiles as Emma sighs before sitting in a chair, at the island table. "That was... creative." Emma gives her a compliment and Sophie places a cup of coffee in front of her. "I also wanted to cheer you up before asking what happened last night."

There's always a catch Emma thinks to herself. "You were there, you saw everything." "I did... but I meant with Vin." "You seemed to have caught his attention and that's saying something when I've been a huge fan of Diversify's for five years and have yet to have an encounter like you did." "It was nothing." Emma shrugs off and Sophie gives her a look. "It wasn't nothing." "You said not to fall for idols, so lets just drop it."

"I said that before I thought you had a chance with one." Sophie mutters as she pours herself a cup of coffee. "I heard that." "Good." Sophie says before she hears her phone ding and her eyes widen at what appears on the screen. "You're in the news." Sophie says and Emma puts her cup down and looks at what shes read.

Where is leader Diversify's sad princess? The heading is less than tasteful and Emma shakes her head before she walks back to her room, to get ready for work. "This is huge!" Sophie yells as Emma strips out of her sweats and shirt, to wear something far from comfortable. The tights alone made Emma wish she could quit her job but she had worked so hard for it, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

The skirt and blouse match well with the earrings and necklace she puts on next. "Why aren't you acting like a fan girl right now?" "Do you not remember how I don't know Diversify and I've just gotten out of a breakup." "I honestly just hope this blows over soon." "I need to put myself back together." The last part was whispered but Sophie still hears it as she wraps her arms around her friend.

"I don't want it, not now." Emma couldn't tell her it was because it would make her cry but Sophie could see it from the way her eyes glistened. "We should get going." It was strange for Emma to walk out of her apartment and not see Andy leaning against the wall outside. It had been routine for them and a ghostly impression of him there fades away as Sophie links her arm through hers.

Sophie has never taken her to work before but she did give her a key to use in case of an emergency. Emma now wondered if she thought this was an emergency, that she couldn't cope going to work alone. Emma knew it was out of the way for Sophie as she works at the other end of the city. She most likely was going to be late.

"You should go now." Emma pressures her as they're only a few blocks from the shop. "You're going to be late." Sophie knew her friend caught on to why she was there and nodded, with a sad smile. "I'll be fine." Emma says as Sophie turns around and she feels better as she walks away from her.

Emma knew she had to pick up all her pieces and she needed to do it alone. She continues to walk to the shop, while thinking about the new shipment from a designer that they'd just accepted in the shop. It was rare when the took in new designs but these ones intrigued Emma. She opens the door before going to her desk and starting up her computer. She logs on and sees that the shipment is out on delivery and should be arriving any time today.

Potrina is the new designer and her pieces are nothing but art. Emma can't help but scan through the pictures again as many are in black and have bold neon colors striping through them. She loved the lines and couldn't help touching the screen, to mimic the movements of the color, through the black.

Andy would hate this. Emma's hand retracts as he resurfaces in her mind. He always did like to choose the designers for the shop. It was him that got her this job and he always did like to remind her of that fact. She had been struggling with making profit off her art, having just left home, she had no where to turn to until she met Andy Riden. He'd been the face of many magazines and she too knew he was a model and a very attractive one at that.

"Dana!" He had called the owner of Nestine and she had been bewildered at what was happening. "I think I have some one who could help you out." "All we need is to fix her up a bit." Emma had stopped by the shop because of the hiring sign out front but one look and she knew she wouldn't fit the image. She'd always worn casual and slightly worn clothes as it would usually end up being covered in paint or other atrocities as she'd still been testing out what kind of artist she wants to be.

It was that day that she got a makeover to fit Andy Ridens perfect image and got a job. Emma closes the pictures as she lets it sink in that she never left. She became the owner of Nestine as Andy wanted, she then wore the clothes he chose for her and she suddenly started to realize how much he took from her. Did he ever want her or did he just want to strip her identity, to make the perfect woman?

She stands up and starts pulling on the zipper of a skirt that's too tight. It comes down just as the door chimes and a man wheels in a box, just as another hides behind it. "Sign here." The man holds out a clip board and she swallows as she realizes she's half naked, behind her desk. She then focuses on the man, covered with a hood, that is behind the box.

"Who is..." The man waves at her to not say anything, even though she still can't see his face. A group of girls pass by the windows and she understands that this guy must always be swarmed with girls. "Miss?" She realizes she still hasn't signed the slip and proceeds to do so, though she has to lean over the counter to do so. The man coughs as they both look down and Emma realizes that he saw that she wasn't wearing pants.

The blouse is long enough to cover her underwear but she slightly blushes none the less. "You may leave." Her voice hardens and he quickly takes the box off and wheels his trolley away, out the door. "Now may I help you?" The guy is still squatting as if the box is still hiding him, when in fact it isn't. "Yeah, I need a way out." The man turns to face her and Emma's eyes widen.