Chapter Twenty Six

Emilia's POV:

Sitting on the floor of my room with Dylan in front of me, along with the parcel in the middle of us. Nervous as hell i reach out to the package only for Dylan to whack my hand away,

"I still don't think it's a good idea Em." He says using his serious tone,

"Yes it's not a good idea but i want to open it ok. It won't ruin us if that's what you think." i say in a small voice and he nods,

I nod and pull the parcel towards me, ripping the layer of brown paper and putting it aside. It was a small cardboard box. Dylan pulls it to him and opens the box and now his mouth is agape,

"Dylan? What is it?" i ask him and he looks at me nervously, i hear him swallow slowly,

"You can't see this stuff. Nothing to worry about ok." he says with a nervous smile, but i snatch the box and pull it to me, the fuck?

In the box was photo's, of us at the carnival in Cali, our date that was ages ago. What made me freak out the most was the ones taken outside my bedroom window of me and Dylan making out.

I look out my window and see it's late afternoon and the sky is just getting darker, i look at the tree near the window, the only place these photo's could have been taken. I get up to close the curtain, just for safe measures. I turn around facing Dylan and let on a nervous look,

"I have a stalker, are you freaking kidding me!!"

"Em i'm going to stay the night, you can't stay here alone." Dylan tells me determined and i shake my head,

"You have a home to go to, don't worry about me." i say with a nervous smile,

I may look calm and nervous now but i'm freaking the hell out inside. Who the hell could be stalking me?

"No. I'm staying, and that's final."

"I can call my brother. It's fine." i say and he shakes his head,

"No. I'm staying with you. Okay."

I don't reply cause i know his decisions are always determined ones. I just nod and head back to the box, and find that piece of paper. I open it and freeze,

I'm always watching you Emilia Josephine.

Love always, anonymous. xox

"Emilia what is it?" he asks and i just pass him the paper, "Em, it's going to be fine. Ok."

"It might just be Layla. Who knows!! she went all 'over protective girlfriend' once before. She could do it again." i tell him, it probably is just her she's a bitch anyway.

"And if not?"

"One of your one night stands maybe, i don't freaking know. But i'm going to find out, and give them a piece of the real Emilia Josephine."

"Feisty. I like it." he smirks and i shake my head, only Dylan would make a inappropriate comment at a time like this.

Two days later...

"Layla." i say in the sweetest tone i could muster,

She turns around and with an evil smile, "Whatever could i do for you?" she says with sarcasm,

"Hah, very funny. But i'm not here to play games with you. I want you to stop your little 'stalk my ass' game cause i'm not scared." i tell her confidently, and she looks at me with a 'what the fuck' look,

"I'm sorry, what. The fuck you on. Why would i want to stalk you?" she remarks, is she for real.

"I'm telling you, not asking. So stay the fuck away from me and my house, cause me and Dylan aren't breaking up." i tell her and she raises a brow,

"You think i'm stalking you. Well have you not forgotten the rest of this high school population and his one night stands. I have no time for your little... whatever you want to call it. But let me tell you now. Me and Dylan aren't going to be together and he already made that clear." she tells me and i frown,

"Then who would be stalking me?" i ask myself lowly,

"What?" she asks rudely and i shake my head,

"Nothing." i say walking away. Who the hell would be stalking me, this is probably all one sick joke.

"Anything?" Dylan asks and i shake my head,

"Nothing." i frown. "It's probably all one big joke."

"Emilia, stalking is not nothing." Phebs speaks up with concern in her tone,

"She's right." Leon says kissing Phebs cheek and taking a seat.

Oh that's right, the group only agreed to let them to date now is because Phebs said that she and Leon would sit else where on lunch breaks and not hang out on weekends. It's not that the others were not agreeing in the first place, we soon figured that Ava was only surprised and that she is happy for the two. Hunter, Jace and Cory were also happy for Phebs, because they know how happy she is with Leon. So yeah, only person who still doesn't agree is Aiden and only because he is being the overprotective brother.

"Well, i disagree. It's most probably nothing and plus i'm leaving the country in a week so yea." They all give me a weird look,

"Your leaving the country... why?" Jace asks and i smile, leave it to my friends to forget,

"Didn't i tell you guys that i won't be here for the holidays?" i ask and they shake their heads,

"No."

"You never told us."

"What!?!" Ava says and i laugh,

"I'm going to England for my birthday and to see my mom." i tell them all sheepishly, and they nod,

"England. Omgosh do you know how many hot guys are there... omg blonde hair, blue eyes, British accents." Ava says in her dream state using her hands trying to picture them and i giggle,

"Exactly, maybe even find you a guy Av." i wink and she smiles,

"Yes please do that." she says and i smile,

"Of course sister."

"Wait... did you say birthday?" Phebs says looking at Ava and smiles,

"PARTY!!" They yell together and i shake my head,

"No. No. No." i say pointing a finger in their direction and they smile,

"Well at least our own private party, like just our group." Ava says and i nod slowly,

"Well i guess we can do that before next Friday."

The guys were engaged in their own private conversation and i see they all have smiles on their lips. Suspicious much,

"What are you all smiling about?" i ask and they snap their heads over to me,

"Nothing." they say in unison.

Uh huh.

Glad this whole stalker crap is forgotten.

Since school is over for the day i'm just sitting in the studio going through the photo's i took in Cali from the carnival and the beach and they were good. I have to admit myself, i put my favorite ones in a folder along with all my other favorites that i've taken from past photo's. I then chose my three for my assignment. One of them including a photo from the lake house that i took late at night, another being the beach i go to all the time and the last being the same beach but the day was different and was by the rocks.

I start writing my assignment on the photo from the beach i always go to and then the rocks by the beach and lastly the lake house. That took about an hour to complete but i put my hard effort into it. Since i finished that i look through the appointment book and see that i have an appointment for next Saturday, but i won't be here. I have to fix this,

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello?" i hear the cheery tone of my client,

"Hey Ana, it's Emilia." i say,

"Emilia, it's been so long. I also have exciting news for you." she tells me in a cheery tone and i smile,

"Ok, but first i just wanted to ask if you would like to reschedule your appointment for next Saturday. Cause i will be in England with mom for the two weeks. I know i have been rescheduling alot, but i have a busy schedule."

"No, no. It's totally fine, your a teenager after all. I wouldn't expect anything less. Yes i would love to reschedule, sometime this week if that's fine." she says and i nod to myself,

"Sure, and i'm even willing to do it sometime after school. I have everyday after four this week, so take your pick," i say scribbling out the name from the Saturday the week i'm going away,

"Um, Wednesday i'm free. At four." she tells me,

"That's fine. So what is this exciting news you have for me?" i ask smiling and writing down the new time and date,

"Well you will never believe this but my boss, well you know she owns a photography company in New York and is offering you a paid internship after you graduate, full time." She tells me and my eyes widen,

"Are you serious? Omgosh, yes i would absolutely love that." i tell her in a excited tone, i am soo happy right now,

"That's great. When i come by on Wednesday i'll just pick up your portfolio if that's ok. Oh and she is also giving you an apartment to stay in to rent of course, but half price since she owns it and everything. It's a five star hotel, isn't that great!!" she exclaims and my smile just gets wider,

"That's awesome!! I can't wait!! I don't have long till i graduate, just a few months." i tell her and i can hear her squeal from the other side of the phone,

"Great!! It's good making business with you darling. Now if you don't mind i have to get going, see you on Wednesday." Ana says, and hangs up.

OMG i have an internship... in NEW YORK!!! I've been waiting for this for so so long and now it's finally here.

Wednesday Afternoon...

Ash was visiting and staying over for a few days. Dylan decided to tell Ash about my little stalking incident and he insisted on staying over. I of course said no but, it looks like i won't be getting my way any time soon.

"Ash, if you have a class on you should go. Don't worry about me." i tell Ash and he just smiles,

"Well actually no i don't have any classes for a while, were on break. So i will be spending my time with you sis." he says typing away on his laptop and swivels his chair around, "Oh, and don't think i forgot your birthday next week."

"Ash, you don't..."

"Em, your my sister. Of course i got you a present... but you are not to open it until you get on the plane." he says sternly and i raise a brow,

"Hmm, how about no and i open it while you are here with me." i tell him with a playful smirk, he just rolls his eyes,

"Y-No."

"You don't want to see my reaction?" i ask and he pokes his tongue at me,

"Maybe." he says placing his hands across his chest and i smile,

"Fine. Well i'm going down to the studio, so if Ana comes just send her down." i tell him and he nods,

"Will do."

I start my walk to the studio with Coco in tow, so cute. She follows me everywhere. Once i get there i take my seat on the swivel chair at the computer and insert my SD card. I decide that before Ana comes over i'm going to go through my photo's from California.

I smile scrolling though them. I have improved my skills since i started. I clicked on one of the photo's from the lake house, the one of the lake with the moonlight shining onto the water. That one is definitely going in my portfolio.

"Gee, your such an amazing photographer."

I suck in a breath and hold my now racing heart. Why do people always do that to me?

"You scared me!!" i say and then realise it was my client, Ana,

"Oh i'm sorry darling!" she says genuinely, and i wave it off,

"It's ok really, happens all the time." i smile,

"So i'm guessing these are the photo's from California?" i nod and she smiles, "Show me, all of them."

After going through all the photo's and picking out the best ones and putting them in another folder, we manage to pick out fifty awesome photo's, most of them were from California though. Oh and you would never guess, i got a photo of Leon and Phebs making out at the beach, it was a good photo too. You couldn't see there faces though, only the darkened sky and the beach along with a few trees. Ana suggested i put it in my portfolio, so i did.

About an hour later the shoot was complete, my portfolio was also finished and Ana was on her way. I went back to packing my bags although i still need to go to the shops to buy a few things. That was what my plans were for the rest of the night, to bad it turned out completely different to what i thought it was.

"Little Miss Photographer." says a voice i haven't heard in ages,

"Hastings." i smile,

"Care to join us?" he asks, and i look to see what there doing. Guys are guys, drinking vodka. Ok.

"Hastings, you know my brother would kill.."

"Since your going away next week, i think i'll let you off this time." Ash tells me. Hear comes the...

Wait did i hear right?

"What ever happened to my all so protective brother saying no to drinking?" i ask and he laughs,

"Funny sis, yea your only sixteen but your seventeen next week."

Ok what the hell happened to my brother? He isn't drunk cause i would know, trust me.

"Well how could i say no to a once in a lifetime opportunity." i say sarcastically, and they smirk,

"Oh, were not the only ones he.."

"EMILIA!! HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!"

Again with the scaring.

For the second time today i am hold my hands to my chest to a racing pulse from a near heart attach.

"Are you really trying to kill me?" i ask them and they smile sheepishly,

"Well no. But we called and your brother said we could come over, and right now is your early party before England like we planned." Ava explains, and i nod while smiling,

"Boo." a person says wrapping their arms around my waist, kissing my cheek and scaring the shit of me again. Making me jump, even if i already knew it was my boyfriend.

"This shit is really pissing me off, stop scaring the shit out of me people's." i say annoyed but a playful touch to my tone,

"We just love seeing your reaction." Hunter says and i smile shaking my head,

That's my friends for you.

"Let's play 'never have i ever'," Cory suggests, we all agreed.

Once the whole group arrive we start. That's basically how the rest of the night went. Getting drunk, eating cake, listening to loud music and playful dancing around the living room.

So looking forward for the hang over in the morning. Not.