This one follows my ficlet for Day 18, "Valkyrie." -Akumu


CLAIREMBER 2022
Day 28 - queen

"It should've been you up there," said Todd. He wound his arms around Claire and kissed her neck.

Blushing, Cecilia looked at the stage.

Trista stood hand in hand with Brian. In the spotlight, her pearly pink taffeta dress, sprayed blond hair, and big blue eyes shone as though she were a masterpiece carved out of marble.

Earlier, when Trista and Brian had slipped away to the punchbowl, Todd had made a comment about Trista looking like Barbie, for which Claire chided him. Cecilia was glad she had. Comparing Trista to a doll was such an insult to Trista's beauty, especially when she smiled. Oh, how beautiful she looked when she smiled like she was doing now, as Principal Court set the silver crown with blue rhinestones the Prom Committee had had Cecilia make upon her head. She looked so angelic, so like she had during last year's Fall Festival.

Seeing Trista get her wish – seeing her so happy – made Cecilia's heart ache all the more.

Principal Court crowned Brian, and then the spotlight followed him and Trista as they made their way to the center of the dancefloor. The crowd, which included Cecilia, Claire, and Todd, shuffled to the side.

Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply" started playing. Winding their arms around each other, Brian and Trista swayed slowly together. Brian kissed her, and she nuzzled him back.

Someone touched Cecilia's shoulder.

"You okay?" Claire asked. She was still buried in Todd's arms.

Cecilia tried to say yes, but something in Claire's eyes created a painful ache that Cecilia knew would come out as a sob. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She pushed through the crowd and dashed into the empty hallway.

When she reached the bathroom, she grabbed the sink lip as the tears fell. Black dotted the porcelain bowl. Cecilia looked at her reflection. Mascara streaked her cheeks, ruining the purple flowers she'd carefully painted. They matched the ones she'd clipped in her hair, embroidered on the lavender dress she'd designed and sewn.

She was such a pretty girl – so delicate and feminine. Not at all like those butch women in the gay magazines, the ones whom Mom said looked like men.

Why am I like this? Why do I have to be like this?

"Cecilia?"

Claire stood in the bathroom entrance.

"Is it Brian?" she asked.

Cecilia looked away.

"Trista?"

Fresh tears flooded Cecilia's eyes. Claire's heels clacked into the nearest stall, then to Cecilia's side. She held out a fold of toilet paper.

Cecilia took it and dabbed her face. Black mascara and purple paint stained the toilet paper.

"I just want to be normal," she said. "I don't want to be a freak."

Claire touched her shoulder. "Hey, you're not a freak."

"Tell that to my mom. And everyone out there. I'll never get married or have kids. I'll never be able to tell anyone the truth because if they knew, they'd reject me. I'll never be happy. I'll always be alone." She sobbed into the toilet paper.

Claire hugged her. "That's not true. As long as I'm around, you'll never be alone. And I'm sure Trista would say the same if she were here."

"Are you fucking serious?" laughed someone outside the bathroom.

"Todd?" said Claire.

She left the bathroom. Cecilia followed. Just outside stood Todd with Brian and Trista, still wearing their crowns. The three of them stared at Cecilia.

Brian said, "So, Cecilia. Never woulda guessed you were into muff. Can you and Trista, you know, make out?"

"Brian," said Trista.

"What? It'd be hot."

"I'm so sorry, Trista. I don't know what to say," said Cecilia.

Trista curled her lip. "It's fine, I guess. Just don't stand next to me in the girls' locker room anymore."

"Cecilia is our friend, Trista," said Claire.

"No, she's your friend who tags along everywhere we go."

"That's a really bitchy thing to say."

"Well, it's true."

"You are so unbelievable."

"Claire, calm down –"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Todd. I'm surprised at you, Trista. You're our class president, and you're treating one of your classmen – who voted for you – like crap."

Cecilia dabbed her fresh tears. "Claire, it's fine. I'll just call my mom and get a ride home."

"No, it's not fine. You have as much right to be here as any of us."

"You know, Claire, I can't help but think that maybe you're just jealous that I made Prom Queen and you didn't," said Trista.

"Who cares about the stupid Prom Court?"

"Oh I see. Maybe you like Cecilia. Maybe you're so defensive because you're a dyke too."

Todd laughed. "Not likely. But not gonna lie: that'd be hot."

"Shut up, Todd," Claire snapped. "All of you should be ashamed of yourselves, treating someone who's never been anything but nice to you like this. Grow up. Let's go, Cecilia."

Claire grabbed Cecilia's hand and led her away.

"Oh, come on, Claire!" said Todd.

"Don't you dare follow us, Todd," said Claire.

"You're really gonna ditch your boyfriend and miss your own prom to hang out with some lesbo? Maybe Trista was right."

Claire whirled around. "I beat you up when we were kids, and I'll do it again, so don't even try me. Oh, and by the way: we're over."

Claire led Cecilia through the front doors and down the street. They stopped at the convenience store, where Claire fed the payphones some coins and dialed a number.

"Chris? It's me. Listen, I know you're about to leave for work, but could you pick up me and Cecilia? We're at the Smart Mart near the high school. Thanks." Claire hung up. "Chris is gonna give us a ride home."

"You don't have to do this for me," said Cecilia. "You can still go back to the Prom. I'll just tell my mom it was some guy."

"Please. After all that, the last place I wanna be is anywhere near those guys."

They stood outside until Chris's jeep pulled into the lot. As Claire and Cecilia climbed in the backseat, Chris watched them in the rearview mirror. He turned down the cassette deck volume as Third Eye Blind's "Jumper" began playing. He checked on them every minute or so. Cecilia waited for him to start asking questions, but he didn't.

The Redfields' porchlight was on. Cecilia followed Claire into the kitchen, where Claire pulled two beers from the fridge and handed one to Cecilia. She looked at the can while Claire popped hers and took a deep gulp.

"Will Chris mind?" Cecilia asked.

"Nah. He won't care as long as we don't do anything dumb."

Cecilia hesitated then opened and sipped her beer. She gagged.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked.

"You're gonna think I'm totally lame, but I've never had beer before."

"But at Trista's birthday party last month, you said you'd snuck some of Michael's Bud Lights."

"I said that because I wanted everyone – well, Trista to think I was cool. My brother would skin me alive if I ever touched his beers. Mom too if she knew I was drinking this."

"Do you want something else?"

"No. This is fine." Cecilia choked down another sip.

They sat in the living room and kicked off their heels. Cecilia glanced at the wall on the other side of the couch.

"What's got you grinning?" Claire asked.

"I was thinking about that time Mom and I came over to return that bowl. We walked in and found you coloring on the walls. Remember that?"

"It was one of the only times Mom ever blew a gasket. Of course I remember."

"She handled it better than my mom would've." Cecilia paused. "You turned out a lot like her, you know that? When I think about your mom, I remember how nice and at-home she always made me feel. Like I was part of her family. She was like that with everyone. You are too."

Claire shrugged. "Guess it's my way of keeping her with me."

"It's more than that. You've never been afraid of sticking up for what's right. Like that Halloween when we were kids, and when Dad died, and then tonight. I don't know what I would've done without you. Thank you for always being there, and for accepting me. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

"Hey, your family was there for me and Chris after Mom and Dad died. Your mom helped him get custody of me. I'll always be grateful for that."

Cecilia nodded.

"Chris won't get home until around nine tomorrow morning," Claire said. "How about we have an old-fashioned sleepover complete with 'Pop-Up Video' and karaoke?"

"Sounds awesome!"

They finished their beers then walked to Cecilia's house. When Mom commented on how early they'd returned, Claire told her the Prom had sucked and the music was lame.

While Claire talked, Cecilia slipped into her room. She changed into a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals, carefully hung her dress, and crammed her PJs and toothbrush in a tote bag. She noticed the photo taped to her vanity set mirror.

It was of herself with her arms resting on Claire and Trista's shoulders during the Fall Festival last year, when Cecilia had first noticed how she felt about Trista. Todd and Brian had accidentally spilled crème brûlée on Trista while she was sitting and talking with Claire and Cecilia. Instead of getting mad, Trista had just laughed. That laugh was what did it. Cecilia had gone home confused and frightened, but the memory of Trista and her laughter made the confusion and fear seem so small – so worth feeling if it meant she could feel the warmth and happiness that thinking of Trista brought her.

Cecilia grabbed the photo. She cut off the part with Trista, crumpled it, and threw it in the trash.

The Prom crown she'd made – the original one was still sitting on the vanity set. It looked the same as the one Principal Court had crowned Trista with, only this one had red rhinestones instead of blue. The Prom Committee had requested a new one when they changed the Prom theme from Fun In the Sun to New York Nights. Cecilia had planned to give this one to Trista in the event she lost Prom Queen because, in Cecilia's eyes, Trista was Prom Queen even if she didn't win.

Oh God, gag me.

She shoved the crown into the tote bag.

When she and Claire were back at the Redfields', they showered, put on "Pop-Up Video," and snapped open two more cans of beer. They danced and sang along to the Spice Girls' "Wannabe."

During the commercial break that followed, Cecilia clanged the two empty cans together. "Hear ye! Hear ye! The sitting Prom Queen has been declared a fraud! The true Prom Queen of Raccoon City High, Class of '97 is none other than Claire Redfield!"

Claire clapped and whooped until Cecilia dug out the red-rhinestone crown and set it on her head.

"It's beautiful," said Claire. "Are you sure you want to give this to me?"

"Positively. A queen must have her crown," said Cecilia.

"Pop-Up Video" resumed with the Foo Fighters' "My Hero."

Cecilia grabbed the TV remote. "And now a song to honor our queen!"

She sang the first verse while Claire sat on the couch, smiling as she watched. When the chorus kicked in, Cecilia pointed at Claire and sang:

"There goes my hero
Watch her as she goes
There goes my hero
She's extraordinary…"