"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth."

Dollface's chest tightened.

"Lo." he said, squeezing her waist.

"Lee." Dollface stifled a whimper, wanting so badly to throw William off of her.

"Ta."

"She was Doe, plain Doe, in the morning, standing five feet in one only sock." William whispered to her, arms wrapped around her, body on her hers, pressing her to the checkered tile floor, "She was Lala in slacks."

Dollface gulped, Freddy costume ragged and ruined, beaded sleeves sagging and blood draining from her nose.

"She was Dolly at school, Dollface on the dotted line." William grunted as Dollface shifted against the wall, head slamming to the rhythm of a pounding drum. He squeezed her, knowing she was attempting to escape. "But in my arms she was always Lolita."

Dollface squeezed out a few tears down her wettening face, black tie limp around her raw, bleeding neck.

"Did she have a precursor? She did, indeed she did."

Help me.

Please, just help me!

"In point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, an initial girl-child."

"Where, where was this girl, you sicko?"

"In a princedom by the sea." He crooned, hot and heavy in her ear, sallow and hollowed face grinning on her propped chest as he held her narrowing waist, "Oh when?"

"I didn't ask." Dollface squeaked out.

"About as many years before Lolita was born as my age was that summer."

If Dollface was an outsider looking in, she'd roll her eyes. Now she sat, unable to stand or fight against a man in a bunny suit.

"You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style." He giggled, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns…."

Dollface's head fell back against the wall with a sharp, disheartened knock. She looked at the ceiling above her, girls in silk pajamas and expensive skin care masks shouted and bounced and giggled and gossiped about other girls, who liked who, and internet drama about Jeffree Star or Jacklyn Hill's shitty cosmetics or whatever just outside the door.

Dollface stood up in the dorm closet, really, really wanting to join in on fun never meant for drab little her.

"Oh, you're back." Anit said, poking Dollface with her words. She snatched up her headscarf and wrapped it back up around her coal hair with teal and gold highlights. "Thought you left."

Claudine glared, drink in purple manicured hands, Laura across from her with a matching set of nails in hot pink.

They stared at her.

"I…" Dollface said, the teddy bear made of her favorite relative's favorite shirt in her hands, hoodie stained and a dull, unfashionable shade of grey, "I think I want to go home."

"So soon?" Laura asked, perfect brow wrinkling up.

"Yeah, not feeling so good."

"Don't give it to me." Snorted Anit.

"Mood." Frankie said, slurping down her overly caffeinated Frappeccino from Starbucks.

"Dollface, do you need a ride home, I can get you home." Laura offered.

"Just let her out, she can find her way." Frankie said, "She has that 'Lost Puppy' aesthetic to her. And she grew up in the woods, didn't she?"

"Dollie, don't listen to them," Claudine said.

"Told ya," Anit said, "She'd be miserable."

"M'name's not Dollie." Dollface said low, finding the paint splat on her untied boot to be very, very interesting. She blanked out of the conversation, finally looking up after reminiscing about how she got it two years ago while painting Wolfie's treehouse.

A week later, they slept in that little fort, listening to the train and the peepers and cicadas together.

Giggling under the stars until their bellies hurt and faces were red.

Where was the train now?

Why couldn't summer last forever?

"Dollie?" Laura brushed her shoulder with her hand, hot pink bedazzled nails grazing her shoulder. Dollface stiffened, not objecting to being called that, "Dollie? Are you okay?"

Dollface looked up, sunshine fading away.

"I'm fine. Why ya askin'?"

"You're crying?"

"I am?" Dollface asked, looking down at her boots and seeing tears. "Oh, I do believe I am."

"Freak." Anit muttered under her breath.

"Do you still want to stay the night?" Claudine asked, still sitting on a luxurious bed.

"Uh, well," Dollface said, "Sure."

She looked at Laura and smiled, glad it was returned. "Here."

Dollface handed her the bear.

"Finished it last night and thought you might like it." Dollface said, trying to play it off as some cool accident.

"Ohmigawsh thank you!" Laura hugged her, silk nightgown flowing against thick jersey.

Dollface hoped she wasn't blushing, seeing the approving looks of Frankie and Claudine.

Should she dare to even attempt winning over Anit?

Just for her own safety?

Or should she spite the bitch?

A funny thought, and an opening for either opened up with a game of truth or dare…

"...So, Dollface, I'll start with you." Anit said, commanding the attention. She was going to grill the new girl.

Dollface sat across from her cross-legged and suddenly nervous. She smiled a little too wide, face scrubbed clean to reveal freckles and the usual levels of discoloration. She was glad her acne and dry spots were cooperating today though, that would be humiliating.

"Truth or dare." Anit said, smirk hidden in her voice.

Dollface stared.

Options?

Both would be ticklish. At home with friends, they were meant more for fun, a silly way to pass the time and share inside jokes. All friends played games like that.

But Dollface was currently the new girl, and simple dares could range from harmless fun to malicious actions. Truth could prove disastrous for Dollface's cause as well, as the victim of such a risky move, she couldn't afford to lose any clout.

"Hurry up," Anit snapped, "Or I'll choose for you."

In Dollface's rushed deliberation, deciding Anit would definitely make her drink toilet water as a dare, she splatted out, "Truth."

Anit's lips curled into an evil, cattish smile at the opening, "Describe your first sapphic experience."