"FUCK, MARRY, KILL, CONRAD, STEVEN, AND JEREMIAH."

Charlotte Hampton's words startled Emmilyn Wilson out of her thoughts. The redhead gave her best-friend a pointed look, causing Charlotte to shrug innocently. "What? You said you would play."

"With celebrities, Lottie," Emmi giggled softly. "I've grown up with those boys, and I have a boyfriend."

"A boyfriend that cheats on you," Charlotte retorted, causing Emmilyn to sigh softly. Lottie was right, not that Emmi would ever admit it aloud.

The truth was, Emmi's heart had pulled out of the relationship just before she left for Cousins. Scott cheated on her constantly, gaslit her, and just wasn't the kindest boyfriend. But Emmi refused to break up with someone over text, so she supposed she was stuck with him until she went home to New York in August.

The redhead crossed her legs, looking at the doorway of her bedroom to find her elder brother, Elijah Wilson, and his best-friend, Conrad Fisher standing at the door.

"I think you should answer the question, Em," Conrad smirked down at her, making a light blush coat the redhead's face. "I'm waiting."

Emmilyn smirked right back at him. "Fuck Jeremiah, marry Steven, kill Conrad," The redhead answered quickly.

Conrad's smirk quickly wiped off of his face, lips parting in surprise as Emmi gave him an innocent smile. Charlotte let out a loud laugh from beside her.

"But none of that is happening," Elijah stepped in quickly, grabbing Conrad's arm and giving him a glare. "Because my sister is off limits, remember?"

"Right, like a trophy ," Lottie spoke from beside him with a frown on her face. Charlotte had always hated when Elijah told the other boys Emmi was off limits, believing he was making her an object. "Classy. Emmi's her own person, she can make her own choices."

Elijah glared down at the dark haired teenager. "She's also my baby sister, and it's my job to protect her!"

"En is fifteen, about to be sixteen! She does not need your protection!" Charlotte had raised her voice now, basically yelling.

Conrad sidled up to Emmi's side, crouching beside her and putting his hand on her waist to balance himself. "Ten bucks they fuck by the end of summer."

Emmilyn smacked his arm in reply, shaking her head. Lottie was her best friend, she would be upset if she hooked up like her brother. Which is why she understood why Elijah didn't want the other boys to hit on Emmi.

"You know what," Elijah started. "You can shove your opinion right up your-"

"That's enough, Charlotte, Elijah," Emmi said sternly, causing both of them to snap their mouths closed. Emmi never called Charlotte anything but Char or Lottie, so when the full name came out you knew she was serious.

"Sorry, Em," Charlotte mumbled softly, her dark skin warming in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Emmi," Elijah muttered, lowering his head. He looked to Conrad, who was still next to Emmi with his hand on her waist, before shaking his head. "Come on, Connie."

Conrad leaned in to whisper into Emmi's ear, tilting his head while his warm breath fawned his neck. "If you change your answer, I don't disappoint."

Conrad up, barely avoiding Amy Woods, Enmi's mother, as she walked in. Emmilyn's face was as red as a tomato as she looked at her mother.

Emmi knew Conrad's flirting meant nothing. All of the boys flirted with her, including Jeremiah and Steven. They thought it was a game to get her flustered.

It felt different with Conrad though. While the other two boys flirted with anything that moved, Lottie included, Connie only ever flirted with her. At least, to her knowledge.

Emmilyn decided she needed to stop thinking about this. She had a boyfriend, for God's sake. "Emmilyn Annah," Amy sang, snapping her daughter out of her thoughts.

Emmilyn only grinned. Her mother calling her by her full name didn't mean much. Amy named both of her children after Susannah, her best-friend since childhood. Susannah also happened to be the mother of Conrad and Jeremiah.

Emmilyn's middle name was Annah, part of Susannah's first name, while Elijah's middle name was Beck, taking on Susannah's maiden name from before she married Adam Fisher.

Amy liked to call both of her kids by their first and middle name combined, saying it made her feel happy. Emmi didn't fully understand, but she loved her mother so she dealt with it.

Amy sat herself next to her daughter, looking between Emmi and Charlotte. "What are we doing?"

"We were playing fuck, marry, kill," Lottie answered brutally. This was another reason Emmi was so close with her mother. Her mom allowed her to be brutally honest and open, and she would never get in trouble.

"Until Elijah interrupted with his protective big brother act," Emmi finished with a grin.

Amy smiled back, laying a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead. "He loves you, babe. I wish I grew up with a brother to protect me like Elijah protects you."

Emmi sighed softly, laying her head on her mother's shoulder. "I know." She said. And she did. Elijah and her might bicker, but he would always be there for her and she would always be there for him. No matter what.

"So, we need to talk about your sweet sixteen," Amy declared, making Lottie let out a loud squeal immediately.

"I think you burst my eardrum, Lottie," Emmi groaned, rubbing her ear. "But mom, I don't need a sweet sixteen, I'll be happy with just the usual birthday dinner at Susannah's."

Amy scoffed immediately. "Absolutely not. I am throwing my youngest child and only daughter an amazing sweet sixteen. Lottie and I can plan it."

"Yes!" Lottie squealed immediately, making Emmi wince again. "Oh my gosh, yes please! I would love that!"

Emmi chuckled at her best friend's enthusiasm. "Whatever you and Lots decide is fine, mom," She caved in immediately. "My birthday isn't even for a month though."

"You can never plan too early," Amy reprimanded immediately. "I thought I taught you that, Emmilyn."

Emmi just laughed at her mom, shaking her head softly. "I am excited for it mom, thank you."

•••

Emmilyn was stationed between Conrad and Charlotte on the couch, the other teenagers spread out in the room.

Belly Conklin, the daughter of Laurel, who was another friend of Susannah and Amy's, was fourteen now and had reached the awkward stage of her teenage years. Braces covered her teeth, glasses rested on her head, and her face was broken out. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't Belly.

Steven, Laurel's son, and Jeremiah, Susannah's youngest son, laid out on the floor, whispering about their latest pursuits. Elijah was next to them, listening and occasionally whispering a comment or two.

Conrad, Emmi, Charlotte, and Lottie seemed to be the only ones paying attention to the movie. Belly had picked To All The Boy's I've Loved Before, and to Emmi's surprise it had Conrad's rapt attention.

They had reached the hot tub scene between LJ and Peter, causing Emmi to unconsciously cross her legs together. Conrad smirked, leaning over to whisper into her ear. "That could be us but you're playing."

Enmi's face turned redder (being a redhead was the bane of her existence) shaking her head. Like she said, Conrad just liked to make her flustered. But now that she was almost sixteen, his comments seemed to get braver and braver.

Emmilyn decided two could play at this game, leaning over towards Conrad and batting her eyelashes at him. "When and where?"

Conrad blinked several times, and Emmi smirked, believing she had won. Conrad recovered quickly though, smirking back at her.

"Your room on your birthday," He answered smoothly. "It can be your birthday present."

"In your dreams," Emmilyn retorted.

"Nightly."

"Can you two stop flirting?" Charlotte hissed out, turning to face them quickly. "Belly and I are actually trying to watch the movie!"

"Who's flirting?" Elijah questioned, turning around quickly. His eyes locked on Conrad. "You better not be flirting with my sister."

"I'm not!" Conrad defended, voice raising quickly. "It's all just jokes, Elijah, you know that."

Elijah simply gave Conrad a suspicious look before turning back around, continuing his hushed conversation with Jeremiah and Steven. Emmi realized the boys kept glancing at Charlotte, causing her to furrow her eyebrows.

She shrugged it off, instead stretching her legs onto Conrad's lap. Conrad immediately started drawing shapes on her ankles while Emmi laid her head on Lottie's lap, planning to take a long nap.

One thing plagued her mind. What had changed this summer? Elijah and Lottie bickered more, Conrad became more suggestive to Emmi, and apparently Jeremiah and Steven both had a pretty serious talking stage.

Emmilyn came to the conclusion that the world had flipped upside down.