this chapter is dedicated to my virtual twin, @OOF_LasagnaPotter. ILYSM!!

Emery furrowed her brows.

She looked at the fancily wrapped box, then looked back at her slightly untidy self. Then back at the parcel, and then finally at the man's face.

Then she burst out laughing.

"That's got to be the best one I've ever heard," she said in between giggles. "Hey, Mister, you tell any jokes?" she asked. 

He gave her a tiny glare. "Of course not, Miss. It is highly inappropriate for an honorable man like myself to tell jokes, especially to young ladies like yourself," he reasoned. "Now tell me, is the Young Miss Fowl here? A parcel has come for the lady."

Emery fought of her laugh. "Which lady?" she blurted, slightly curious as to what lay in the package. 

"Well, you see, the late Mr. Fowl's daughter," he said, explaining further.

"Lady?" Emery scoffed. "Lady? There ain't any Little Lady Fowl here. There's only Emery Fowl. Just Emery. I don't see why you have to call her all those stupid names such as 'lady' and 'little miss'. 

The man at the door huffed, the ends of his large mustache wiggling.

Emery huffed as well, folding her arms and glaring at the man with as much stubbornness she could muster.

The man looked at her. "Well then, could you please tell Just Emery that a package has come for her?"

"Why don't you tell her yourself, Mister?" said Emily, enjoying the annoyance she caused the guard.

"Well then, Little Miss, where might I be able to find Emery Fowl?" he asked, his patience wearing thin.

"Well, you're talking to her now, you dummy! And didn't I just tell you not to call me Little Miss?" she said, tapping her foot on the ground repeatedly.

Cecilia giggled. 

The man at the door sighed. 

"Well, Just Emery. Here's your parcel. You've wasted enough of my time. Good bye," he said, lifting his hat to Emery, then Cecilia, who curtsied politely, as Emery shut the door in his face.

Emery wasted no time in ripping off the ribbon as fast as she could.

Cecilia peered eagerly at the box, and the two shared a look and a giggle, both equally curious to see what the box held.

Emery tore the blue wrapping paper as past as her hands could move. She threw it aside and turned to look at what it revealed.

A light purple box.

Emery hastily took off the lid and nearly fell off her seat in excitement.

There was a huge mass of light paper tissue lining the box, protecting whatever lay inside. Cecilia gently lifted off the paper and looked in the box.

"Oh," she gasped.

"What?" asked Emery, then she too, looked into the box.

Then she saw it.

A hat.

A/N:

sorry for the short chapter, i have been quite busy.

i won't be able to update on Thursday, so i'll update today instead. enjoy.

love, Jasmine.