Chapter 6

Emma could not help but watch in horror as she watched her younger sister dance in a seductive manner on Calvin's phone. She felt her stomach not as she noticed Calvin's eyes locked on her sister.

"Her name is "Pastel Moon", and she's one of the most famous TikTok dancers in the country," Calvin said, smirking. Emma's heart sank as she realized her sister was over her head.

"She's a fantastic cosplayer too," Calvin continued. Emma felt a twinge of jealousy but kept it hidden.

She knew she would never be able to compete with her sister's talent and popularity. She resigned herself to being in her sister's shadow.

"Calvin, why are you watching her videos?" she inquired.

Calvin shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just like watching her."

She sighed. It was clear that her sister would always be one step ahead of her.

"But she appears to look young. Do you find that ODD?" Emma asked, clearly envying her sister who was putting eyes on her crush.

"Yes, it is ODD," Calvin replied. "But maybe she just takes proper care of herself. Her account says she's 18, so it's okay."

There was no way Emma could tell the TikToker was her younger sister. Back in her mind, if she told him it was her sister and she was actually 15, he might want to see her and ask her to go out.

"Hey, Calvin? I know this is random, but how old are you?" Emma asks, licking her ice cream.

Calvin replied, "I'm 17 and why do you ask?".

Emma smiled and said, "Just curious. I just turned 17 on New Year's Eve."

Calvin was surprised, since he hadn't expected her to be his age. He smiled and said, "That's cool. Happy Belated Birthday!"

Emma thanked him and asked what he was doing for his birthday. Calvin told her he was planning to have a small gathering with his friends. They talked more about birthdays and other things before saying goodbye.

They walked out of the park and waved goodbye.

"It was fun, Emma. We should hang out next time. Maybe at your place?" Calvin smiled.

Emma's skin turned cold. "Uh, yeah. But not when my sister is around. She is such a control freak. She always has something to say about everything I do."

"Okay, you'll let me know when she's away and we can hang out then," Calvin said, giving her a warm smile.

Emma watched Calvin walk away in the distance and disappear into the street while her heart melted. She still felt the warmth of his smile even after he left. She wanted to spend more time with him but knew it was impossible now.

All away from home, Emma jogs as she thinks of Calvin, knowing she is falling for him. She daydreams of them starting dating, going for walks, and talking about their days. She imagines how it would feel to be loved by him and love him back like Benjamin did.

Benjamin.

Emma ran slowly when her mind thought about her ex. She felt a heavy weight on her chest and her eyes were filled with tears. She loved Benjamin with all her heart, but he left her for someone else.

And to think it could happen again with her sister is just too much to bear. She had to keep running, to keep her mind off the pain. But no matter how fast she ran, it didn't seem to go away.

Calvin and her sister dating? She felt her heart breaking. She had to find a way to keep them apart, no matter what it took. She had to get Calvin's attention, no matter what the cost.

And that's when she decided to sign up for TikTok.

.

.

.

"I'm home!" Emma yelled as she opened the door. She had just removed her running shoes when she was greeted by "Sushi" purring on her leg.

"Hey girl, have you eaten yet?" Emma greeted her cat.

Emma made her way to the kitchen and opened a can of cat food. She put it in a bowl and served it with sushi. Sushi purred in delight as she ate her meal.

Exhausted, she walked up to her room and changed into something more comfortable before lying on her bed scrolling on her phone.

She opens the App Store and types TikTok. She was about to download the app but thought for a moment. She remembered her parents' warning about the app and hackers on her phone.

And if she signed in, what else should she do? What are her plans for her channel? She decided to be more prepared before downloading the app. She searched online to research the app and its safety features. She also looked up tips for creating a successful TikTok channel.

With Katie's help, of course. But while she watched, an idea popped into her head.

"Why not sign up for Youtube?" Emma thought. "It's the perfect place to showcase my art and make some extra money."

She almost dialed Katie's number. She remembered she needed some products for her TikTok channel. She would need the right light, a tripod, and a microphone. She quickly searched for the items online and found the cheapest deal.

"Each product costs $100 and I don't have enough money."

She decided to ask Katie for help. Emma dials her number and waits for a call.

KATIE: "*Whisper* Hello? Emma?"

EMMA: "Oh, shoot! I forgot you were at school!"

Emma looked at her clock and read 11:15. "I'm sorry, it just slipped out of my mind!"

KATIE: "It's fine. It's Friday, so school closes early."

EMMA: "Where are you now? Do you have classes?"

KATIE: "I'm in the locker room. That way the new homeroom teacher won't snatch my phone again."

EMMA: "Oh yeah. Totally forgot about her."

KATIE: "Agh, she's such a pain. This morning, I was talking to my friend when suddenly she appeared and slut shame me for wearing makeup!"

EMMA: "Really? That's messed up."

KATIE: "And only that, she made me remove my makeup and I had to skip lunchtime to meet the school vice principal to decide about "girl's standard of beauty."

EMMA: "No way, that's ridiculous!"

KATIE: "I know. I'm so sick of their rules. God, she is such a bitch."

EMMA: "Anyway, Katie. I was meaning to tell you that I agree we could start our own channel together."

KATIE: "Really? So, you want to join TikTok with me?"

EMMA: "Uh no. I thought we could use YouTube instead."

KATIE: "Why?"

EMMA: "I just don't think it's the right platform for us."

KATIE: "Oh come, Emma! Let's give it a try!"

EMMA: "No, I don't think it's a good idea."

KATIE: "Just give it a chance, you never know what could happen!"

EMMA: *Sigh* "I don't know. I just don't feel-"

KATIE: "Oh my God, someone's coming. I hope it's not the teachers! Emma, don't switch off your phone yet."

Emma heard some noises on the phone. As she waited and waited, someone picked up the phone.

???: "Hello? Who's this?"

Emma was startled, her heart beating faster. She cleared her throat and replied, "Hi, this is Emma. Who are you and why are you using Katie's phone?"

Just then, she heard Katie's voice on the other end. "Oh my God, Alice. Give me back my phone!"

Emma was relieved to hear Katie's voice. She handed the phone back to her friend and asked, "What's going on? Who was that girl?"

KATIE: "She's my new friend. Her name is Alice and she is the school principal's daughter. She's also the lead captain of the cheerleading squad. She's really cool and she invited me to join her. I'm thinking about it."

EMMA: "Wow, she's a cheerleader?"

KATIE: "Yeah, she's really talented. She's been cheerleading since childhood and she's been captain for two years now. You should meet her. I told her stories about you and she's DYING to meet you and your artwork."

EMMA: "That sounds good. What time do you guys drop off at school?"

KATIE: "We're leaving at 12:30. We'll be back soon-."

Suddenly, Katie's sentence was cut off by a muffled noise in the background. Emma waited for Katie to finish her sentence but the phone remained silent. Emma heard a few voices before someone answered.

ALICE: "Hello? Emma, are you still there?"

"It's Alice," Emma thought. "Her voice sounds so soothing."

EMMA: "Uh, yeah. I'm here! You're Alice, right?"

ALICE: "Emma, I want to say I'm sorry for calling you early. I thought I had picked up my phone and thought it was the wrong number...but I guess I was wrong. I should have double-checked."

EMMA: "It's okay. I understand."

ALICE: "Thanks. And also, Katie and I aren't leaving at 12 because we have classes. We'll leave at 1 p.m. Can you wait for us till then?"

EMMA: "Yeah, totally! I'll be right here in my room waiting for you!"

ALICE: "Good, I'm glad to hear that."

ALICE: *Whisper* "I'll come for you, Galleta~"

Emma stood still as she felt her cheeks turn red. Is she being turned on by a girl? Emma was so embarrassed that she couldn't move. She had never felt this way before and wasn't sure how to react. She blushed even more as she realized she liked it.

Just then, Emma heard her friend Katie on the phone. "Oh my God, Alice. What the fuck? Don't tease my friend, let that-"

Without thinking, Emma just switched off my phone and put it down on the bed. Emma was still embarrassed by Alice's words.

"I'll come for you, Gallete~"

"Like-WHO said that!? And what does Gallete mean? Is it French? And why do I want her to say it again!?"

She felt her face heat up and buried herself under her blanket. She had no idea what was going on but she knew she wanted to hear that voice again.

Chapter end