"What? You've told me you're suicidal, so I just told some people so they'd be able to help you," Antoinette defends herself, still eating her grapefruit in the cafeteria. I glare at her from my place across the table, continuing to barely snack on the bread I had got for myself. It tastes stale, but I honestly just need something to keep me full today.
"I would have appreciated you not telling others, though. It hurt when someone mentioned it."
"It was a slip of the tongue, gimme a break. It's the least I could have done after the way you treated me." She takes another slice of her grapefruit, her voice condescending as her stares.
"It's not like it was intentional, calm yourself, princess." One of the twins comes to her defense, crossing her legs and patting the table in front of me, trying to minimize the damage. I slam down my bread, pulling my chair back as I step away from them, done with their charades for the rest of the week. Though Antoinette's strings as she wants to pull me back into her spiderweb.
"Don't be like that." She growls, threatening me. But I trudge along.
"I have to figure out what I'm doing for my final in Katt's." I bite back, staring them down. "You can come along if you want, but it's not going to be fun."
I don't hear their footsteps following me, instead just my own feet stomping towards the library. I didn't need them antagonizing and ganging up on me like this. The library settles around me, frigid air and dust collecting on some of the older shelves, the creaking of the old and familiar wood welcoming me. Toeing around, I don't know what I'm looking for, but it's something important. A fairy tale to determine my dance final.
The floor creaks with the sound of other students walking about and chatting idly. I tiptoe around them, not really wanting to interact with anyone, actively wanting to finish my assignment before the due date for once. As I keep pulling what feels like hundreds of books from the shelves I'm almost ready to give up, to stop while I'm ahead. Yet after what feels like hours of browsing and possibly millions of papercuts, I manage to find the storybook that I have been scouring for. I pull it from off the top shelf as dust billows into my face, causing me to hack and cough loudly from the sheer amount of dirt it has, I squeeze my eyes shut before thumbing over the cover, swiping off the layer of dust. Beauty and The Beast.
The exact assignment was described as creating a dance based on something from our childhood, and I chose a story. No real need to play a dance about my depressing adolescence unless I wanted a pity party in my honor. I breathe in deeply and hope not to catch more dust in my lungs as I open it and start flipping through the pictures and words. They're all beautifully painted and the words compliment the mood drawn on the parchment perfectly. I run my finger across the spine, the silver lettering as pristine as they could be in this worn out fashion.
Striding towards one of the open tables, my legs feeling stiff from walking down rows, I notice a familiar figure reading a book of his own at one of the only tables available. Dark hair and olive skin held together in a thin and muscular build that remind me too much of a certain, specific person. I lean over him teasingly, standing on my tip toes as I press my small chest against the back of his head, watching him physically shiver from the experience, most likely in disgust as Fakir turns to face me.
"Whatcha' reading there, grumpy man?" I smile from behind him, watching Fakir slam shut his book, giving me ample time to read the title. 'PTSD, Abuse, And How They Affect Fairy Tales'. "Looks cheerful," I step down, giving him a smug grin.
"If you hadn't given yourself away, I would have sworn someone hit me in the back of the head with a wooden board." He sighs, almost repulsed, and I grip onto my chest, accidentally feeling up the small plush mounds buried underneath my fabric. My uniform really does no good for making my body feel or look mature, but there's not much to mature.
"Ooh, ouch, I'm wounded Fakir. You've truly hurt me." He rolls his eyes, my tone dripping with sarcasm. I point to the seat next to him, smiling. "Mind if I sit here?" He nods, scooting his chair away from me so as not to be associated with my awkward presence.
"Fine. Just don't disrupt me. I'm doing research." He flips his book back open, avoiding my gaze. Instead of responding, I simply flip my own book open. My curious eyes however, they decide to glance at the thin pages of his book, my interest piqued starting to read a small passage from the yellowing parchment:
"... Disassociation is a common side effect of PTSD, causing the victim to lose touch with reality for periods of time…"
I lean in a bit closer to read, almost sickeningly curious. That sounds familiar, like it's happened before. Fakir shuts it in my face, glaring down at me, his hands keeping it shut. I huff, leaning back in my chair, opening my own book,now fully attentive to it. It's the typical fairy tale my mother would read me at bedtime, and a lovely little ball of joy fills my fingers, making them tingle. Still, I glance over at Fakir.
His book is still shut. My eyes drag up to where he's staring off to, noticing he's reading along to my book instead, a quaint and sweet smile crossing his lips as he eyes dance across the pages. I quack at him, watching him regain his own focus. He turns the page in my book, unphased in the slightest.
"Hey, that's mine!" I poke his cheek, though he doesn't seem to mind or care, seating himself closer to me as he reads along. The thin air in the library felt cold just a moment ago, but now with Fakir next to me, it's practically burning up. His head is placed in his palm, eyes lazily studying the pages. We sit shoulder to shoulder, reading alongside each other. I feel other students watching, some breaking our focus for a few moments to ask Fakir about questions about lessons we've already gone over in class. He seems agitated, but not to the point of disregard. Instead as though someone woke him from a nap to ask him how to put out a fire. As soon as the last girl trickles out and away, Fakir groans in disapproval, a hand running through his ponytail.
"It's like no one listens to me when I talk in class. It's a damn good thing I'm out of here by the end of the year," he whispers to himself, though I clearly hear him, sidling a tad closer, and flipping another page. I squint, curious as to what he means. He doesn't bat an eye, simply flipping the page once more.
"I'm retiring from teaching to become an author," He seems cool, nonchalant about it almost. He's smart enough to be one, that's for sure. Though I still feel weird knowing he's going to be leaving. Sad, almost.
"What are you gonna write about?" I chirp, reading the very last page, watching him stare off. He closes the book, thinking about it for a moment. He finally responds, leaning back in his chair and shutting his eyes.
"A fairy tale. I want to rewrite The Prince and The Raven. My great-great-grandfather wrote the original, and I found it too much of a depressing mess," Standing up, he lends me a hand, continuing to talk. "Princess Tutu deserved a better ending. It's unsatisfying to have characters die off after doing all that hard work. Maybe she shouldn't end up with the Prince," He muses, ruffling my hair. "But anything is better than dying alone for nothing." I feel my heart shrink, realizing what I wrote about in my page long essay.
"I didn't know that you had a connection to that story. I would have chosen a different topic for my essay if I had known," I hold my hands together anxiously, walking with him out into the courtyard. He smiles, stifling a laugh.
"Trust me, it was an interesting take, even if your writing is mediocre. Better than everyone else's, even if it's only for the fact that it wasn't the same" His eyes light up a bit and my heart flutters yet again. That grin is back, making the world spin faster around my head. I clutch onto my book and press it to my chest, hoping to still my beating heart.
"Oh? Did everyone else write about how nice your butt is?" I tease, and he rolls his eyes, groaning directly to the God in the sky.
"You would not believe the amount of girls writing about wanting to sleep with me, or make out with me or…" he pauses, thinking it over for a moment. "Yeah my ass was a popular topic, come to think of it. I didn't realize that so many girls actually looked at that," he laughs and I agree, laughing with him, even if I'm just as guilty.
His fingers run through his hair, pondering something for a moment before looking at me, bottom to top as I'm thumbing the spine of my book still. I look up at him, quacking as he's still deep in thought, hoping to pull him out. He taps the top of my head and begins speaking softly.
"Mytho wanted me to give this to you," Fakir reaches into his pocket, pulling out a letter with a blue wax seal, and patting the top of my head, walking away. "He said it was 'integral' that you get this letter by today." I hold onto the delicate parchment, flipping it over. It has my name written on it in gorgeous cursive.
"Oh, uh, thank you!" I look it over, saving it for later as I put it in the book as a placeholder. Fakir continues towards his dorm alone, responding to a question I never asked.
"No problem. Dunno why he couldn't just deliver it to you like he does all of mine, but there you go." I smile, just looking over the pretty paper between the golden tinted pages of my book. I bid Fakir goodbye to his lackluster response. I trot over towards my dorm, taking in all the sweet flowers. I want to rip it open right now to see what it says, though I hold myself back from tearing into it. It's delicate, and it was handwritten by my prince. I clutch it to my heart, and scamper inside, nervous that the rest of the world can hear my heart pounding in my chest.
I zone out as I walk back to my dorm, listening to the simple sounds of nature and the creaking of wood. A symphony of pleasantries surrounds me on this day. In my room, I finally peel open the letter, reading it to myself with my back pressed to my door.
'Dearest Ahiru,
Rue and I have recently moved home! We are inviting you as one of our close friends to enjoy a 3 week long spring break, lease free stay in our new home, all accommodations included and paid for! Do not worry about paying us back, we simply want to treat you. We do understand if you are busy with school or family this spring, but Rue and myself would love to see you again before your final dance.
Also, Rue would like me to mention that she wants to show you our new private ballet studio and aviary (since both of you are fond of birds and ballet, she's noticed). There's also a lake behind the house that you can use for swimming, if you so please. Please meet with us on May 17th on the 8th morning hour at the entrance of Gold Crown Academy if you wish to. It will just be just us, so do not worry your pretty head about being around people you don't know. We have surprises waiting if you choose to come!
Please consider it. We miss you a lot!
Yours Sincerely,
Mytho~'
My heart leaps and I twirl about, swinging my body. My mind screams, gleefully squeaking "Yes!" to myself over and over again. Realizing I have to leave tomorrow morning, I start packing three week's worth of clothes and all of my school work into the one, poor knapsack that's now overfull to the point of bursting. I leave my backpack and the letter beside my bed. Amidst my excitement, I take it into my hands to use my excitement to work into a dance. Thus, I continue reading through my storybook and scouring for ways to make a compelling and passionate dance.
The scene where Beauty falls in love with the Beast. I smile and jot it down on the top of the page, starting to think over how I could possibly convey love with my dance. How I could show it blossom and flourish like a rose without thorns.
I begin plotting out steps, the specific movements. I glide around my room, letting the world revolve around me. I can't even really tell what I'm doing, as I practically float around the room by myself. I stand en pointe for a moment, pivoting and en flat. Again, and again. I count in my mind until I reach thirty-two full pivots. My heart bounces out of my chest as I realize that my feet sting a little, my balance quite off now.
A fouette; I remember the name as I finally let myself rest, writing frantically down all the steps I did, recreating in my mind exactly how I had just managed to do it. I try once again, a lot slower and less extreme than I was just doing. I smile and my cheeks burn brightly as I realize I can probably get Rue and Mytho's help with creating a dance that will at least let me stay in the school.
I start laying out birdseed for the usual evening crowd, before practicing again. My feet protest as I keep trying, but I'm not going to stop until I feel satisfied with myself. Mytho creeps into my mind as I think about the Beast. But his hands don't hold or guide me. His chest doesn't press against my back as I drink in the sweet air around me, dancing softly alongside the birds around me. His fingers don't curl against my waist and help me soon. I finally step down, realizing that my ankles have throbbing blisters. I wrap my feet in bandages, flexing my toes one at a time.
I can't help but watch through my window as the pinks and purples of the sky leak together painting a beautiful tapestry. Glimmering stars weave a story together. It's calming to watch the night pass by after a day like this. I open my window, leaning out and smiling, enjoying the world surrounding me for once. Nothing bad can happen here.
I see another artificial glimmer from the corner of my eyes. Peering over, I watch as the teacher dormitory's door is open, someone standing in the frame. I wave over at them, beaming. They don't wave back, caught up in the beauty of the night. I watch with them, separately indulging in the same sky. We stare as the same moon, same stars, same galaxy pass over us. In that way, we're connected. Not physically, not mentally, maybe not even emotionally, but in this moment, we are connected.
My bed beckons me into it as night begins its longing crawl to become daytime. My window is closed, I'm comfortably in my bed, everything feels perfect as I close my eyes, anticipating the gleam of the morning light.
Thankfully, my mind and body rise at seven, giving me ample time to get ready and leave. I throw on a long yellow sundress that floats around my ankles and smile as I twirl around my room in it, watching the ruffles squeeze and release over and over again. I listen as the clock gongs, realizing I'm about to be late. I bolt out of my room, backpack over my shoulder as I spring to the gate, running face first into it. I flop back and hold my face in my hands, as it pulses in searing pain. A familiar gasp echoes in my ears as I pull my hands down a little too see him. Mytho extends a hand to me, to help stand me up.
"Oh Duck, you were never really graceful on your feet, were you?" He holds back a laugh, helping me up. "I'm glad you accepted our invitation. Rue and I have really missed you," He hugs me tightly, my head pressed into his chest as I hug back, before leading me to a horse-drawn carriage that's waiting politely just outside the gates. Mytho helps me step inside, before entering behind me, beaming as we begin speaking again, the carriage starting off at Mytho's word.
"Are you sure your parents are okay with you spending a few weeks with a pair of your old classmates?" He seems bouncier than usual, more excited than before.
"Yeah, my dad doesn't mind as long as I'm not bothering him," I chime, watching him from across the rather cramped carriage. Mytho smiles, nodding his head.
"That's good! It'll be fun for you to get out of that stuffy university for a little bit. Plus, we've got some surprises for you at the house." He's like a bouncy child. I smile widely, moving over to sit next to him, getting bouncy as well.
"What kind of surprises?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't be surprised, and that'd ruin it! Plus, Rue made me swear not to tell you."
"You also can't just tell me there's a surprise and not tell me what it is!"
"Oh I certainly can, and you're going to endure it for the rest of this carriage ride." Mytho pushes his finger against the tip of my nose, and I groan as he keeps teasing me throughout the carriage ride. He looks at me, a devious smirk pulling at his lips. "So what lies has Fakir spread about me to the general populous?" My face rises a shade of red as I think about the things that Fakir has even said about Mytho, remembering the short time we spent alone together.
"He said you were kind of a playboy when you were in school, almost you kinda constantly sought the adoration that came from the girl's class. Like you always wanted to know who was into you and Fakir." I paraphrase as best I can. Mytho ponders, leaning back in the cushy seats.
"Yeah, I can see how he thought that. I was always really seeking that external validation, to a degree." He looks down at me, ruffling my hair, his voice sweet and playful. "But Rue helped me, she's my mediator. And don't you worry, Fakir was similar to a degree. He just wants someone to care about him, even if he is an absolute dick about showing it." He smiles, patting my cheek and leaning back. Those glistening golden eyes are something of pure bliss. I can't feel that prickling love in my fingertips, it's no longer itching in my heart and brain when I look at him. But it's still a safe feeling.
"He's got every single girl in and out of school wanting to sleep with him." I admit, laughing and shrugging my shoulders. "I'm sure he can find a girlfriend who cares, easy-peasy." I fiddle with my backpack strap, trying to find a physical distraction so I don't have to imagine him dating someone else.
"You'd be surprised how refined his tastes are, honestly. He's confided in me some rather interesting details about his perfect girl." He remarks to the seats in front of us, not even paying me mind. I lean forward to stare at Mytho's expression more closely. Still unreadable, however.
"Like what?" I squint, as equally scared as I am curious. He shrugs his shoulders, holding a finger to his lips.
"It's a secret. Something he doesn't want anyone to know, and I can't very well break my best friends trust," He teases, and I groan in frustration. I pull out my school journal, starting to jot down more about my dance.
"Although," Mytho continues. "I guess it's not telling a secret if I just so happen to let you know about his past girlfriends." Mytho winks at me, and I stare up at him, my hand still clutching my journal as my hands slowly stop scrawling. "That's public information, after all,"
"Girlfriends?" I ask as curiosity starts eating away at my enamel. There's more than one? Mytho smiles and holds up four fingers.
"He's been around a little. Had a very interesting experience in University, from what he wrote to me at least." That's three girls unanswered for.
"Could you maybe elaborate on that? I know Agnes, but that's about it," I avoid looking at Mytho as I keep working on my homework, mostly for my own peace of anxious mind to not see his excited expression.
"Well Agnes was at Golf Crown, but that was really short; there was only about a week or two where they were together. Then there was Lilith, Robyn, and Amelia in University. They all had very different personalities from what I understand. But he described them the same way physically, now that I think about it," His sly gaze overwhelms me almost from just how flirtatious it feels. I open my backpack, stowing my work away as he starts listing off their attributes.
"Freckled, light hair, light eyes, and very mousey." I feel my heart almost implode as Mytho wiggles his eyebrows, a smug grin on his lips. "But it's probably just a coincidence, honestly. Don't think about it too much," He pesters me, the carriage stopping shortly after. He lifts my backpack over his shoulder, helping me out of the carriage as I stand with the large villa staring me down.
The large estate looks like a cottage in the forest, but much larger. It seems homey, comfortable, yet expansive and ever growing. It's painted a soft glittering purple, light bouncing off of it. It seems to only be two stories tall, but before I can even take it all in, I watch Rue walk out in a casual wine red blouse and long black skirt, smiling at us both. She softly kisses Mytho as he heads inside, my bag still strapped over his shoulder. Rue hugs me tightly and takes my hand in her's. I feel so small compared to her.
"How've you been, love? It's been forever!" She smiles down at me and squeezes my hand softly before adjusting my hair, fixing me up little by little as we walk through the garden out front. It's filled with flowers with names I don't know in colors I didn't know existed until now.
"It really has! I've been okay, just regular boring school stuff," I look up into the sky, hearing the sweet chirping of birds and beaming up at them. "Mytho told me you have your own aviary!"
"We do! She's filled with all my favorites," Rue coos, leading me to the side of the house, where I notice the large glass enclosure. The glass shades all manner of reds, blues, and purples spanning across the grass behind it. It looks like a miniature castle as the sunlight soars through, guarded by walls of flowers. I watch Mytho step out from the house gesturing something urgently to Rue and catching her attention. She stiffens up, looking back to me and opening the observatory door. "Here, you can go in through this door, I'll be right back." I watch her trot towards Mytho until they disappear into one of the side doors of the house. I enter, closing the door behind me and staring at all the beautiful creatures inside. An inkling of joy fills my legs as I step forward, watching as one of the birds, a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron to be more specific, lands peacefully on my arm. She's a beautiful shade of green, her large yellow eyes both expressive and impressive to me. On my other arm rests a little black grackle, and then a raven. Bird after bird lands on me, until I'm a giggling mess, covered in tens of colorful birds. Their songs all blend together into a lovely symphony of sounds.
I try to dance along to their song, even with their weight on my shoulders and arms. I feel like a real princess for once, almost like how Rue probably feels when she dances on stage. I begin practicing my Beauty and the Beast performance for the birds to enjoy. Their chirps of approval in my ear sing loud and pleasant as I keep twirling, watching them flutter away and land again on my arms and shoulders. They help to guide me through the steps. One by one, one foot after the other, gliding over the floor like an angel does until finally I hear the door crack open.
Rue enters back into the aviary and catches a glimpse of my dancing, chuckling as I hold all the beautiful avians still in the air, my fingers wrapped gingerly around the hem of my sundress. She places her hands on her hips, sashaying towards me and lifting up a finger, as one of the common blackbirds rests on it.
"They're very friendly today," She continues towards me, "I must say, I'm a little surprised they like you. They took some time to warm up to me." She lulls, letting her bird flutter to her seat on the ceiling. The birds covering my arms all flutter to their own places, chirping gleefully. I shrug, still watching them all fly around, singing to each other as the bright morning light makes it seem like a heavenly place.
"I've always been told I'm like a duck, so maybe they think I'm a bird instead of a girl too," I smooth out my dress, continuing to walk through the sanctuary, taking in every lovely drop of colored sunlight. Rue smooths out my hair as well, plumping up my braid once again. "What did Mytho need?" She perks up for a moment, but leads me down a pale brown hallway towards a door at the end.
"Oh, the silly boy just forgot where your room was. Needed to put your backpack down and forgot where the guest rooms are. It's a new house, after all," She opens it and guides us into another large room, glittering white marble lines the floor. Mirrors go from the floor to ceiling on two of the large walls. The room, while pure white, almost seems to glitter a pale pink from the large outdoor window. It must be beautiful to dance in here at dawn. "You know how boys are, always forgetting the simple things." I feel her hold my hand, starting to dance with me in this beautiful room. Recollections of dancing with her in class make me smile. She was cold before, and her dancing was meant to overpower her partner. But dancing with her now, I notice how equal her dancing is to mine. She is more knowledgeable, but she's not condescending, instead she is happy to be my partner as I manage to keep better time with her. Even in this happiness, I halt rather abruptly. A question pops out from my mouth, needing to know her intellectual thoughts.
"Rue," My voice is timid, but she still stops to look at me. "How can I tell if I like someone?" My toes start fidgeting in my shoes and my head feels heavy, curving my gaze to the glistening floor. The air becomes still again, and I can hear the clatter of Rue's hard shoes against the floor. Her hand finds its way to my shoulder, walking with me to enter the rest of the house. It's just as beautiful as the outside, with lovely dark wood paneling on every wall, rustic decorations placed liberally around the walls, and the maroon floor doesn't creak with wear and strain as we come up a set of dark brown stairs. She finally manages to articulate her thoughts.
"Well, that's a bit complex. Everyone has different ways of falling in love, and no two people do it the same way." Rue leads me down a rather short hallway, pulling up to a door with a small plaquette reading 'Guest Room 2'. "This one's your room," Her maternal tone is comforting as she leads me instead, closing the door behind us.
Inside is magnificent. It feels like a living room with the accommodations and space. In the back center is an extremely large canopy king bed, soft yellow fabric draping around it to conceal the fluffy white pillows and blankets. Bookshelves line one wall opposite a black loveseat and matching coffee table. There's large windows lined behind the pastel pink blackout curtains. A large and feminine oak wardrobe stands guard next to an open doorway that leads into a baby blue, ivory soaked bathroom. My backpack is resting up against the doorframe, seemingly untouched.
"Why do you ask? Do you feel like there's someone you might like?" Rue pulls away the mesh drapes from the canopy, pulling me next to her on the bed. I feel my cheeks burn a bit, unsure how to really express the words. Instead, I shrug my shoulders.
"Maybe? I don't know, he's been in my head for months, and I'm scared I'm overthinking the little times we've had together." I rest my back on the bed, sinking into the comfortable and plump blankets. She nods for a moment then patting my thigh very gently remarks.
"Well, I think anyone would be lucky to have someone as beautiful and lovely as you fall in love with them, Ahiru," She turns to look at me, her sweet birdsong-like voice making me feel safe. I roll myself, pressing against her legs and hugging. "You're very kind and passionate. A tad awkward at times, but that's just who you are." She taps one of my shoulders, and I gaze up at her. Her long black hair compliments that sweet, glowing face. Her brown eyes gleam with red undertones as the sunlight pools into them, making her look like a beautiful glistening Raven. I thank her, nervously hugging her legs.
"Of course. Now, I'll let you get cleaned up. We're having lunch in about an hour." Rue stands up, pointing at the open doorway beside the wardrobe. "I'll come up and get you when lunch is ready, so just enjoy the room for a little, and don't leave. There's plenty of books for you to read, towels and soaps are also stocked in the bathroom. I have something for you when I come back." She winks playfully as she gives me another quick hug before sauntering out and closing the door behind herself. The bed keeps me rooted into its warm paws, so comfortable and affectionate as I cuddle into the sea of pale sunflower colored comforters. I tilt my head to face the ocean tinted bathroom. Finally uprooting myself from my comfortable bed. I take off my shoes and step past the open doorway. The stained glass windows refract blue waves of light all around me, submerging the entire milky bathroom in blue. A large standalone tub sits on golden paws with a matching lion head faucet. There's an enclosed shower with a long counter and sink beside it, complete with a toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, shampoo and conditioner, soap, everything I could think that a bathroom needs.
I strip down to nothing, placing a towel next to the arrangement of pure white lilies, unaffected by the blue hues. I walk over to the large tub as my feet still sting, staring at my milky reflection. I smile, pulling on the little faucet handles for hot water. I let the bath fill to the point of almost spilling with my own little sudsy bath. Tying up my hair into a neat bun, I slip in one foot at a time, sliding down until water and bubbles float up to my face, lining my cheeks, nose, and lips with soft and tickling suds; I'm finally calm, alone with my own thoughts in this beautiful place. My mind is at ease, not worrying about Antoinette, Victor, Wayland, or Fakir. I'm completely void of my anxiety for once. I float in the water for a bit, just consumed by the comforting warmth. I run the bar of rose smelling soap over my legs, chest, arms, and neck, lathering and humming along to the little tune in my mind.
After I finish washing myself and a few long minutes of just enjoying the floating feeling, I unplug the bath. Stepping out and wrapping myself in the soft towel and drying thoroughly, there's something peaceful in the air. Something serene in this place
Unwrapping myself from the towel as I fold it on the counter and put back on my previous clothes. I twirl around the room, laying down on the loveseat and giggling to myself. It doesn't even feel entirely real, like I'm in a storybook. I pull the curtain back for a moment, staring at the glistening private lake, a small pier floating atop the water.
"Ahiru?" Rue's voice calls from outside the thin wood door. "Can I come in?"
"I'm clothed, you don't have to worry," I giggle, laying back on the bed. My door creaks open and she gathers towards the looming wardrobe.
"Good, I have an outfit for you to try on," She says, and I pull myself to the wardrobe, watching her swing its hatches open. It's filled to the brim with colorful clothes, ranging from floor-length ball gowns to a leotard and mesh skirt combination. Even so, Rue manages to immediately pinpoint a specific dress out of the seemingly hundreds of outfits brimming from the delicate wood.
It's a short, pale blue dress. It's only about three inches above my knees, with the bottom flaring out. Rue places it against my chest, beckoning me to try it on, and I listen to her, changing in the bathroom. I try adjusting it, feeling my chest become more pronounced from just how tight the fabric is. As soon as I step out, Rue smiles at me again, jovially hugging me once more.
"How do you always look so cute in everything you wear?" She brushes my hair back, stepping away to get a perfect look at me, kissing my forehead very lightly. In that second that her lips meet my forehead, there's a familiar tingle in my arms. She really is like my mom, I realize. She's so caring and sweet, so gentle and loving with me.
"Probably because you always know what looks nice on me." Rue smiles and takes my hand as we walk down the stairs, joking for me to stop flattering her. I can hear more voices from another room. Mytho and someone else. I raise an eyebrow, looking at Rue confusedly. She squeezes my hand, knowing my concern and dissipating it in that moment. I hear the voices getting louder as we approach a rather light door that seems to be a den or living room. There's laughing, joking, an enjoyable atmosphere that emanates from the room that Rue is leading me towards.
"You have got to be kidding! Even in the private showers?" Mytho laughs, the other voice laughing as well, responding jovially.
"It happens way more often than you think, teenage girls are extremely ballsy," The voice laughs, a hearty, full, joyful laugh. It's familiar in a way I don't want to believe. My face glows like a red star as Rue nudges me, softly whispering to me.
"Are you really that nervous?" She looks at my hand, softly squeezing me. I realize my hand is slicked with sweat, my fingers trembling as I swallow. I let go, wiping my sweat off onto my thighs.
"A little bit," I croak, my voice still quiet as I hear the men from behind the door continue speaking and laughing, their conversation little more than jumbled sounds to my nervous brain. Rue smiles, reassuring me that she'll grab me in a moment. She slips in with not a single sound, keeping the door ever so slightly ajar as I hear them all talking about pleasantries. Rue finally clears her throat and I peer a bit more through the door. I can still see Mytho and Rue, but the other person is obstructed, even though instinctively I know who it is.
"So you know how we said we have a surprise?" Mytho chimes to the person beside him. The person takes another sip of whatever he's been drinking from his glass cup.
"Right, you mentioned that quite frequently in your letters." He responds and I watch as Rue turns towards the door, motioning me forward. He chuckles, "Did you finally cave and get me a puppy?" Rue takes my arm very lightly in her delicate fingers, helping me walk through the door.
"Even better." She chimes, pulling me into her side as I stare at Fakir, utterly shocked to even see me. "We brought you a Duck!"