The Album of You and I

It's a Cruel Summer

Emma looked at Char's text and knew that she would never say something like this unless it really was urgent.

'Hey T, Char needs to call me, it sounds important, mind if I take it?' Emma asked as she got up from her space and dusted off the specks of sand that seemed stuck to her.

'Yeah sure, anything serious?' Theo questioned.

'I don't know yet, she just asked me to call her, it seems serious...'Emma trailed off, her anxiety was spiking as she waited for her best friend to pick up. After only two rings she was greeted by her best friend's voice.

'Hey Ems! I'm so glad you called, I know that you'll probably get mad and it's really not my place to say but I thought you should know.' Char sounded sad, like she was reluctant to tell whatever news she had to break. The low ending tone at the end of her sentence was already sending Emma's stomach plummeting to the ground with worry.

'It's fine Char, what could possibly be wrong. I haven't been gone long-' Emma paused for a second as she ran through the possibilities of the reasons for this call, '

is it about what we talked about last time- or please don't tell me- No-one's died have they?' Emma hesitantly guessed as she looked over at Theo who was not so covertly listening in.

'No Em, everyone is fine. But, you see the thing is. Well, you know I was a bit dubious of Theo. So I just thought that I would make extra sure that you were safe and he checked out so, well, I did a little internet stalk of him-' Char said but was interrupted by Emma.

'Char, seriously, I thought that we would be over this, besides, what could you possible have found on the internet apart from whatever Facebook could tell you?' Emma questioned. It was here that Theo started to get a bit more invested in the conversation, he actively lent in, straining his hearing to hear Char's response.

'I'm sorry ok. Really. But I did it, I googled Theo Granger, and well nothing came up. No Instagram, no Twitter, no Facebook. Nothing. Do you know how weird that is these days? However, you know that thing that google does, where it's like, 'Do you mean', and there at the top it said 'Do you mean Emmett Granger?' I thought it might be a sibling or some relation, or some connection so I could find out more about him. It turns out, well, how do I say it...'

'For God's sake Char just spit it out, your internet stalking skills have really been taken to new extremes' Emma agitatedly commented.

'Well, you know that band that girls are always gossiping about, 'Catching Flames' and that lead singer...EMMETT Granger' Char particularly emphasised the name, hoping that her friend would connect the dots so that she didn't have to say it. Unfortunately, Emma wasn't that fast. Maybe it was the subconscious denial, or maybe Emma just really didn't want to believe that her friend had spent this much time checking out Theo when Emma had just believed everything that this stranger said.

'Yeah so?'

'Ems, Emmett is Theo. From the band. The singer. The world famous superstar. Like a megastar.' Char finally gave up, there was no point in being subtle. She just had to rip it off like a plaster and find a new one soon to patch up the now bleeding wound.

'Char, you have to be mistaken, that can't be true, right? Google must be wrong.' Emma turned to look at Theo, who was staring guilty at the ground.

And the penny dropped.

Maybe Char was telling the truth, Theo couldn't even look her in the eyes.

'I'm sorry Ems, I looked at the images and everything, I even looked at some interviews to confirm completely. They're the same person.' Char could hear Emma's heart breaking over the phone, and the stifled sniffs that indicated a waterfall was about to occur, but there was nothing that Char could do, she was four hours away, she had never felt more hopeless.

The silence was too loud for either friend to bear but neither of them knew how to act in a situation like this.

'Char, I'm going to have to, um, ahh, call you , umm back, ok?' Though it wasn't really a question as Emma didn't even wait for a reply, hanging up so that she could get her act together enough to face the liar that now stood before her.

'So, Emmett, were you ever going to tell me? Huh? What is even your real name? Theo? Emmett? Or are you going to tell me you have an identical twin?' Emma accused, her tone sharp but her eyes on the verge of tears. The voice break at the end betrayed just how hurt and foolish she was feeling. It was taking everything in her to channel rage and not a breakdown.

Theo raised his head from staring at the sand and scratched the back of his neck. He couldn't look her in the eyes, because he knew that if he did, he would feel worse and say something that would muck up the situation further. If that was even possible. Eventually he tried to explain

'I was going to tell you, but it was just that we were having such a good time, and like I really enjoyed not being in the spotlight for once, with expectations of what I am like already bestowed upon me. You have to understand, I really was going to tell you. I just liked our bubble. I didn't want you to freak out and not get to know me, that you would just think the same as everyone else.' Theo tried to explain but nothing that he was saying was registering in Emma's mind.

All she kept thinking about were all the signs she missed. The stupid hat that he wore everywhere, how he only revealed information when she pressured him into it, how he never talked about his life. God she felt so stupid, how could she think that Theo could ever like her. He must have had so much fun playing around with some girl who had no idea who he was and then return to his fabulous life when he was bored.How could she have been so foolish?

Emma bit back the tears, not wanting to show Theo how hurt she was, and bitterly snapped.

'I don't care about your excuses, you hurt me Theo. You had so many opportunities to tell me and you still said nothing. And since we are so far away from everyone, I can't even storm off like I want to. So here's what is going to happen. You're going to drive me to the campsite so I can get my stuff and then to the train station. And then I never want to hear from you again. Congrats, I don't think of you like everyone else- in fact I wish I never thought of you at all' The venom in Emma's voice was lethal, she turned around and began to hastily throw on clothes on top of her bikini and pack up not caring about the sand that was flying everywhere. Theo could only watch her as she refused to spare him another second. Her mind was made up and there was nothing that he could do about it.

He could only put on a shirt and get out the keys.

He followed Emma back to his car, trying to find the best way to ask for forgiveness. Deciding that plain and simple was best, and that he should be upfront and honest. Stepping in front of her before Emma could open the car door, Theo negotiated.

'Emma please wait. I know you don't want to hear this but I really am sorry. I'll tell you anything you want to know. Let me drive you home, it's a lot cheaper than the train. Please.'

Emma took a step back, and assessed the teenage boy in front of her, arms crossed and eyes red. After weighing up the pros and cons, she stared Theo straight in the eye, not caring how crazy she seemed.

'Just drive, Emmett.'