The two girls sat in silence for a long while, both neglecting to look at one another. Manuela had always known that Alexandria held something against her- from the moment she had arrived at the school- but what?
Manuela was not jealous of Alexandria, nor had she wronged the girl in any way, and yet, there was something there. Something. The blonde girl had always been glaring at her from the other side of the room, even when Manuela wasn't looking, she knew.
"Why did Yvette put me in charge of you? She knows no matter what anyone says or does, you're not going to step out in the sunlight anyway. What, are you afraid your skin is going to burn right off?"
Manuela sat in silence still. She knew Treskov was provoking her, but again, she didn't know what the girl's intentions were.
"Or are you too depressed to function? I was stupid to think you were strong enough not to succumb to this state of mediocre despondency." That did it.
"I'm not depressed!"
The red-haired girl shot up from her seat on the bed, and looked Treskov right in the eyes; but instead of finding menace or threat, she found reassurance within the blue pearls.
"I'm not depressed.." she repeated.
"I can tell. Seems like Yvette telling you isn't enough. You aren't eating, you're barely sleeping, and if you do, you sleep all day. We all know there's something wrong with you."
"Leave Manuela alone, Alexandria. We all know it's not going to work." Mia spoke up.
The blonde turned to face the brunette as she folded her uniforms.
"Why don't we take this outside. Besides, Yvette did say to get you outside." Treskov grabbed Manuela's wrist, and, still confused by her sudden sympathy, the other girl gave no resistance.
They sat under a tree, by the pond. The first time in months Manuela had breathed the fresh air of the outdoors. She was still as perplexed as ever about Alexandria's timing. Why had she all of a sudden looked so understanding? Why did Manuela no longer feel as alone in her shell as she had before?
"This is about Fraulein von Bernberg." It wasn't a question.
The girl barely nodded her head. Treskov visibly sighed and turned to face her classmate.
"I understand. Something like this...can be hard to get over, but you must. It is not only affecting you but everyone around you. Yvette is desperately trying to put a smile on your face, and even I'm here trying to understand what the issue is. Everyone has given up because you've given up."
"You don't understand." Manuela murmured
"Yes, I do," Alexandria grabbed Manuela's shoulder and made her face her, "You've no idea how long I've been under a spell. You see, I fell in love with her too."
Manuela looked on, shocked, as she felt a twinge of jealousy hit her core.
"My first year here, I was, well, what I know. Unapproachable, predictable, and anti-social. I had no friends and had no intentions of making any until she stepped into my life. Fraulein von Bernberg encouraged me to make friends and reassured me from any apprehensions that I had. I hadn't realized I had feelings for her. All the other girls loved her, but not in the way I loved her. Of course, everyone knew that I had some feelings for her, but they would've never have known just how hard it was to repress those feelings. My love was seen as wrong. And so, until now, I had been the only person to really know. Now you can't sit and think you're the only one with pain inside your chest. I came through alright, I can walk outside and breathe the fresh air just fine, and so can you."
Manuela stared on in disbelief. She found herself lost and lost again. But yet, this explained everything. Any pressing question regarding Treskov, any apprehension she ever had...but how? Why? How could she, this mean yet suddenly sympathetic girl love her Fraulein von Bernburg. Manuela blanched. She didn't know what to say, let alone what to think.
"You're much stronger than I so please, make an effort. At least you know you're never alone in this." The blonde reassured with a faint smile, patting the other girl's leg.
Manuela nodded slowly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Suddenly, she shook her head quickly.
"I can't! I love her…" the tears which had barely formed were already falling down her pale cheeks.
"You don't love her unconditionally. Remember you're just attached to her. When your mother died-"
"No! You don't understand at all! You never will! I don't understand what this is all about anyways. You've hated me since the moment you laid eyes on me and now all of a sudden you're being sympathetic towards me? What do you plan to gain from this? Why can't you just let me be...let me drown in my own business…"
Silence pierced between them. The wind carried a gentle breeze and made the trees shake. The water in the pond trembled with ripples, but not from any teeming life. The winter had grown so cold in the past year that nothing stayed. Alexandria stared off into the forest of trees, as Manuela looked on. Waiting for an answer, but knowing not to expect one.
"I never hated you. You see, hate is a very strong word. I was merely jealous of you. She did have a sweet spot for you, I'll admit. I had to sit there and watch as you fell head over heels for her and as I slowly lost any friends I had. You had become the star of the school, not to say I ever was; but everyone loved you, ever her…"
"She never loved me, she only did her job. I'm sure you and she were the same at some point."
Manuela sighed at the fact.
"And I wasn't saying you never loved her. I know love when I see it. What I'm saying is that you've grown attached to someone you haven't seen for almost two years. I understand it's hard. It's one thing to worry about someone else's happiness, but you can't be entirely dependent on someone else for your own. I don't mean to be the pessimist here but you'll most probably never see each other again, so why don't you just let it go?"
The blonde girl stood up and looked down at the chestnut-haired girl who looked on. She reached a hand out toward the other girl and gave a weak smile. "Take my hand, and you make a promise to forget about her."
Manuela couldn't think. She knew this was for the best but to promise to forget about the woman who has haunted her dreams every night for two years? She couldn't. But Alexandria had a good point. She would probably never see Fraulein von Bernberg ever again. Never see her smile again, and never hear her laugh again. Never touch her lips again as she had that day.
"I don't believe a word you're saying. That's not Romeo. Romeo is a young man, in love! Try again. Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take…"
"Thus from my lips...by yours, my sin is…"
Then, before she had realized it, their lips had met. It was quick and fleeting and had only lasted a few seconds but to Manuela, it lasted for what seemed years. She still remembered what it had felt to touch her lips. Soft and unsure. Kind and trusting. When she pulled away, Manuela's head had swirled, and everything became a blur. She suddenly had embraced the teacher. The feeling of warmth evoking memories…
Manuela took Alexandria's hand.
AN/ Wow, I have not been writing for two months and then suddenly this happened. I am really sorry that I didn't have this done sooner, but I cannot control when my creative juices flow. Hopefully y'all weren't too impatient, and plus there is currently another MiU fanfiction being published ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I cannot promise anything but I will try and publish at least once a month. I also have school and work and art and music stuff that is being accomplished outside of this, so hopefully you peeps can understand that I don't have much time to write except now, which is currently 1:00 am. Anywho, on the actual fanfiction now: I was really excited about building this sort of relationship between Alexandria and Manuela because I think that Treskov is a truly underrated character. In my opinion, she was just jealous of Manuela throughout the whole film. Goodnight (or good morning, or good afternoon) for now, and here is your music recommendation:
Spirited Away OST - Reprise / Again
Post Script: So I went to check on this fanfiction a week after I supposedly published it, but turns out I never did so I'm super sorry to be publishing this a week later!