Emily Laughlin

**Emily Laughlin** is the deceased sister of Rebecca Laughlin.

## Biography

### Early Life

Emily, Rebecca, and their parents used to live in California. The sisters would come to visit their mother, Mallory Laughlin's parents twice a year. Once at Christmas with their parents, and again by themselves for three weeks in the summer. During the summer visit, Emily, Rebecca, Grayson, Xander, and Jameson all played together.

Emily was born with a congenital heart condition. As a result, her parents were ridiculously overprotective and overbearing. They never let her do anything as a kid. Her parents catered to and spoiled her. Emily was not allowed to play outside or run around. So, Emily began sending Jameson and Grayson to bring her things. Whoever found what she'd requested, the more unusual and harder to find the better, won. When she was thirteen, she got a heart transplant, and afterwards she wanted to live life to the fullest.

When Emily turned sixteen, their family moved to Texas permanently. While they didn't live on Hawthorne House's grounds, Tobias Hawthorne did pay for the twins to attend Heights Country Day, the same school as Jameson, Grayson, and Xander. Immediately, Emily had the entire school eating out of her hand, helped by her connection to the Hawthorne brothers. She and Thea Calligaris become best friends.

Emily began dating both Jameson and Grayson at the same time. She didn't want to choose between them, so instead she tried to have them both. Emily turned it into a competition between the brothers, causing a massive falling out between the two brothers.

Jameson eventually got fed up with her manipulation and broke up with her. Emily called Grayson and told him that she had decided to be with only him. She demanded he take her to Devil's Gate to go cliff-jumping to celebrate. Grayson reluctantly obliged. Emily jumped off a dangerously high ledge. When Grayson saw that she successfully made the jump, he went to get their towels. While Grayson was gone, Emily saw Jameson watching from the shore. Suddenly, Emily began choking, Jameson thought she was just manipulating him again and making a ploy for attention, so he started walking away. Emily began trying to crawl onto the shore, Jameson continued to think she's pretending. But he was wrong, and there really was something wrong. Grayson was the one who had to tell Rebecca that Emily died.

### *The Inheritance Games*

It has been a year since Emily's death, and the people who knew her are struggling with their grief. People introduce Emily to Avery Grambs as the stunningly beautiful and perfect girl whom Avery could never hope to match up to. Avery learns that the reason for the strained relationship between Jameson and Grayson, as well as the ending of Rebecca and Thea's relationship, is Emily's death. While each of them blames the others for Emily's death, it's really only an excuse to hide their own feelings of guilt.

Slowly, Avery begins to learn about the love triangle between Grayson, Jameson, and Emily. Rebecca tells Avery that when Emily started dating both brothers, they didn't know. When they found out, neither one of them wanted to let her go. So, she turned it into a competition and a game. Rebecca continues by telling Avery that Emily was good to her almost all the time, but she wasn't good to Jameson and Grayson.

Avery learns how both brothers blame each other, and secretly themselves, for Emily's death. Avery also learns about the complications that arose when Rebecca and Thea began dating, and how Emily was angry that her best friend was dating her sister. Emily gets mad at Rebecca for dating Thea because Emily felt that Thea and Xander should be together. Emily learned about Rebecca and Thea's relationship the day she died.

After solving the clues Tobias Hawthorne leaves his grandsons, Avery and the Hawthorne brothers realize that Emily died on October 18, which is also Avery's birthday.

### *The Final Gambit*

Emily's lookalike appears, and things take a turn for the worse

## Appearance

Emily is described by Skye Hawthorne as the type of girl who was beautiful but could have been ugly and people would have loved her just the same because there was just something about her. She had strawberry blonde hair, like sunlight through amber. It was layered and worn long. The ends curved this way and that, but the rest was silky straight. She and Rebecca have the same emerald green eyes. Emily's eyes were too big for her face. Emily wasn't any more beautiful than Rebecca, and was probably less beautiful, but it was somehow impossible to look away from her. The shape of Emily's upper lip is heart-shaped. She has a scattering of freckles.

## Personality

Emily was very passionate about the things that she wanted. She had a contagious smile and laugh. She had a history of manipulative behavior. Emily just wanted to have fun. After her transplant, she wanted to *live*. The picture of her laughing made her seem wild, free, “and a little too canny, like she’d known when that picture was taken that we’d all be looking at it later, at her.” She preferred to make the rules rather than play by them. She was good when she wanted to be. When she said something was a good idea, people believed her. Emily didn't like to choose. Rebecca says Emily wanted *everything* more than Rebecca wanted anything. Because of her parents, Emily ends up so spoiled that she acted like she could control the relationships of the people around her. Xander describes her as persistent and possessive of the people she loved. Grayson describes her as "a force of nature" and "the consummate daredevil." He says Emily was "too smart, too beautiful, and too good at getting what she wanted. She had no fear." People introduce Emily to Avery as the stunningly beautiful and perfect girl whom Avery could never hope to match up to.

## Relationships

### Rebecca Laughlin

Emily was good to Rebecca, almost all the time. Rebecca says Emily wanted *everything* more than Rebecca wanted anything. Emily's relationship with Rebecca was extremely strained, especially nearing the end. Rebecca felt overshadowed by Emily in almost every aspect of their lives. Emily also lashed out at Rebecca, specifically when told about her and Thea dating. Emily became mad at Rebecca for dating Thea because Emily felt that Thea and Xander should be together.

### Grayson Hawthorne

Grayson and Emily used to date, but their relationship was complicated by the fact that Emily was also dating Jameson. Grayson took Emily cliff diving, which resulted in her death. Grayson is racked with guilt as a result. After her death, Grayson tells Avery that Emily was everything, but he says it in a way that makes it seem like it isn't a compliment. Grayson comes to think that at least on his part, he played Emily's game with him and Jameson not because he loved her, but because there's nothing more Hawthorne than winning. He also thinks Emily didn't just want them, but wanted what they could give her, which was experiences. The whole thing was a rush for him and Emily. But Grayson thinks it was real for Jameson.

### Jameson Hawthorne

Jameson and Emily used to date, but their relationship was complicated by the fact that Emily was also dating Grayson. Jameson tells Avery that there was nothing that he and Emily didn't do. They were the same, at least he thought they were. Avery gets the sense that Jameson wouldn't expect Emily to be a passive participant, and that he wouldn't treat her as just another part of a game.

## Trivia

* Her favorite color was purple. She would tell Rebecca that her favorite color was purple, too.
* She loved to have long hair. She would tell Rebecca that she loved to have it long, too.

## References

1. ↑ *The Inheritance Games*: page 192
2. ↑ *The Inheritance Games*: page 319