A/N: OK I think my life is starting to finally settle down lol. The last half of May and the first half of June consisted of me house sitting 30 minutes away from where I live, going to comiccon for a long weekend an hour from where I live, and then house sitting the same house I did last time, all while commuting to work and racking up the mileage on my car! Good times!
Things should be settling down soon. I will try to upload these chapters faster, but please forgive me if I am slow. Though I am not as confident or showy about it this time around, I AM indeed applying for CalARTS again this year. My esteem and confidence has sort of taken a hard hit, but I'm just sort of bearing through it.
*Chapter 7*
She beat her punching bag as hard as she could. She exhaled hard breaths as dirty sweat came down the bridge of her nose. After about a half an hour of taking her father's wrecking anger out on her very own punching bag, she heaved a final few hard breaths and slumped her fists against it in a tired out expression. Finally, she draped her arms around the nearly soggy, hot red punching bag and hugged it's softness to her body. She heaved a few angry breaths into it as she clenched her eyes and teeth shut. She cursed herself for letting herself well up, though she buried her nose and face into the punching bag and let her tears soak the soft fabric. She finally exhaled a few legitimate sobs of quiet breaths, her arms gripped the punching bag, as if to apologize for betraying it.
After a few, long minutes, she finally peeled her face from the fabric. She inhaled the stiff air in her room and scanned her belongings. She gazed at her comfortable bed. It was a mess of hot orange, red and cream covers and sheets housed in a beautiful, light wooden frame made by her father. She slumped her shoulders as her eyes scanned her gorgeous, cream canopy that messily hung over her bed. The ends were frayed with gentle gold coins that dangled. Her room was a plethora of all things miss-matched, though everything made sense. She heaved a hard sigh and scanned her beloved belongings; she knew there was no where else in arcade she'd rather live. She felt her heart tug with guilt as her eyes finally dared the bedroom door in which she had slammed about an hour prior. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion; she wondered why her mother hadn't come upstairs to have a talk with her.
She kept her arms tight around the punching bag, as if it were the only thing saving her from facing the Queen. She suddenly felt her skin crawl with nervousness and anticipation. She could feel her code riddle with a sense of knowing and understanding. She heaved a hard sigh and finally unglued her whole self from the punching bag. It wobbled a little, it's chain rattled for a few seconds before it settled. She trudged across her room and felt a strange sweep of unease come over her. She wondered if this were suddenly a game of cat and mouse she were playing with her mother. She pushed her ear to the door and listened; her heart beat overpowered any noise that could potentially be present. With a hard swallow, she creaked open her door and peeked into the long, calmly lit hallway.
With ease, she stepped down the hallway's glorious tiles. They scattered and swirled in a messy disarray of chaos that made sense. It led towards her mother and father's bedroom, which was dead set at the end of the hallway. To the left of their bedroom door lie the spiraling staircase that led down to the great hall. Tessa crept up towards her parent's massive, round bedroom door. It hung open ajar and cascaded a warm light across the pearly tiles. With a pounding heart, she pushed the door open a little and just barely peeked in. Sitting in his large, light leather arm chair was Ralph. He was lightly dressed in comfortable clothes in preparation for their usual, nightly reset. He had a digital pad in his hand, it glowed a gentle purple upwards at him. Tessa felt a small sweep of relief come over her as her eyes remained glued to her father. Even in a resting, calm form, he still exuded all the power he could possibly muster. She shivered at the mere thought of his pure strength.
She could feel a chill go up her spine as his eyes gently caught with hers, without him even moving or blinking. Tessa gazed back at him in out of bodied shock, though his honey gaze was gentle and welcoming towards his daughter. Just as Tessa was about to open her mouth to bravely speak and budge into what she thought was welcomed territory, Ralph ever so gently pointed his large finger towards the secret entrance of the Loft. Tessa froze dead in her tracks and gazed back at her father with a sense of bewilderment. She blinked once and inhaled a shaky breath as she gently glanced towards the sly drapery that hung over the entrance of the Loft's upwards spiral staircase. She glanced back at her father nervously before she took the trek across their bedroom and pulled the drapery back.
Before she could turn back and make any sort of sense of things, she slipped into the dark alley way of the staircase and began her walk of doom. She suddenly felt even smaller than she had. She felt a sweep of chills come over her body. Small, glitch pixels trailed her body like angry ants. She heaved a silent, disgruntled sigh and shrugged her arms a little, as if to tell her body to knock it off. After a while of slowly climbing and envisioning all the things that could potentially go wrong, she finally reached the top of the tower. The massive, looming code room door hung open slightly. A gentle, purple light streamed from the crack, and the dust Tessa had delicately disturbed fluttered about in a mix of confusion. With one final inhale, and a prayer to User, Tessa gently budged open the door.
Her eyes gently scanned the whole room, and her heart nearly jolted as she finally laid eyes on her mother. She stood calmly towards the Loft's only, massive window. She was in her infamous mint green hoodie with the licorice strings. Her comfortable pair of Sugar Rush sweats billowed towards her ankles. She had her arms crossed and her hair down, it was as smooth as black silk down the middle of her back. The Loft's powerful orb, in the center of the room, hung in anticipated wait, as if it had been previously used only minutes prior, though Vanellope's train of thought tore her away from her duties and of to her land far below. It was clear she was deep in troubled thought. Nonetheless, Tessa bravely budged into the lioness's den.
As silent as could be, Tessa moved across the Loft. Though her feet were larger, due to her wrecking nature, she was as agile and silent as a crumble field mouse. With ease, she weaved and stepped on appropriate wooden planks that wouldn't creak under her light weight. The orb in the center of the room remained still, as if it were aware of Tessa's presence, though it knew to keep it's thoughts and ideas to itself. As itching as it was to hum and glitch as a greeting towards Sugar Rush's heir, it remained poised and still. Tessa slowly approached her mother, though Tessa stopped a mere two yards back and diagonal to her. She held her breath and gazed at her mother's back. She suddenly felt that twinge of nervousness approach again, though before she could break the calm air, her skin nearly unglued itself from her bones as Vanellope's gentle voice finally spoke.
"Tessa," Vanellope eased, Tessa raised her eyebrows high in surprised and slumped her shoulders, though her heart began to pound.
"H-How, did you-"
"I'm the Queen of Sugar Rush," Vanellope scoffed quietly with a smile over her shoulder, "Not to mention, I am your mother. I know everything."
"Eyes in the back of your head," Tessa huffed with a teasing smile, Vanellope nodded lightly in an agreeing way and lugged her arms tighter into her criss-crossed position.
"No help from Sugar Rush's core," Vanellope smiled off into the distance; she almost could swear that, through the night time fog, she could see Pepper Frost Peak.
"Must be nice," Tessa sighed as she idly looked away and awkwardly fiddled her fingers.
"Being Queen has a lot of responsibilities," Vanellope eased as she finally, and slowly, turned around. Using the heel of her foot, she turned on a dime and faced her young daughter. She inhaled a slow breath and looked Tessa square in the face, "Though after having you and Oliver, I seemed to have developed new skills I'm unaware of."
"Mom instincts," Tessa huffed again, she continued to swat at her own hands gently, and awkwardly. Vanellope smiled and looked down to her feet in a gentle motion of a nod.
"Maybe you'll understand someday," Vanellope eased, though her smile slowly dropped as Tessa's eyes wandered to the ground beneath her. Vanellope heaved a gentle sigh and tilted her head just barely. With gentle inquisition, she hesitated an exhale before speaking, "Tessa… Why did you disobey your father?"
"I didn't think we were doing anything bad," Tessa suddenly bursted, albeit quietly. She slumped her large hands to her sides before Vanellope quickly put hers up, in a defensive way.
"Calm down," Vanellope eased as she gestured her hands downward. Tessa gazed at her in a whirl of dwindling adrenaline and bewilderment. She finally inhaled a calm breath and kept her eyes locked to her mother like a life line. She furrowed her eyebrows inward and felt tears sting her eyes.
"I-I just… I just wanted to race. I wanted to be free," Tessa said calmly, though her voice crackled through her tears.
"You should have asked," Vanellope said tenderly as she crossed her arms, yet again, "I would have gladly taken you after game hours."
"That's just it," Tessa urged gently as she pointed to her mother, "You would've driven… I wanted to drive. I wanted to feel what that was like."
"Tessa," Vanellope calmly argued, though Tessa took a step closer to her as a tear escaped her eye.
"I'm the daughter of Vanellope Von Schweetz," Tessa urged quietly, "I-I was born to race… Sure, I have dad's wrecking abilities and physique, but…" She barely scoffed a chuckle and gestured to herself, which caused Vanellope's mouth to curl into a genuine smile. Tessa exhaled an exhausted sigh and slumped her shoulders.
"I know," Vanellope hissed in a whisper of a sigh as she looked down. Her chest expanded as she took in air.
"You always encouraged us to be free and to stay true to who we are," Tessa nearly begged, "I-I'm sorry I disobeyed dad and took the bike without asking… I just couldn't handle it any longer."
"Next time, ask," Vanellope tenderly snapped as she cocked an eyebrow.
"It's better to beg forgiveness than to ask for permission," Tessa dully argued, though Vanellope largely furrowed her eyebrows with a wide grin.
"Maybe with some people," Vanellope laughed, "You know I'm always up for fun and games… If you would've asked to go racing, I would've gladly taken you."
"But would you have let me drive?" Tessa asked with a curious, almost annoyed smile; Vanellope rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Not my car," Vanellope started, though Tessa cut her off.
"You see?" Tessa pointed, Vanellope slumped her shoulders.
"You would have been able to drive sooner or later, Tess," Vanellope volleyed, "You had only one month left to wait. Patience is a virtue. I know racing is fun and all, but that bike was a gift to you for your coming of age. Not only have you spoiled the surprise, but you also took the fun out of your birthday in one month, and getting to race for the first time."
"I'll still act excited," Tessa rolled her eyes before she landed her identical gaze on her mother.
"Well," Vanellope started gently, "The bike is in a place where you won't be able to find it. Tammy isn't coming to watch you guys again, tomorrow… But if you behave, we can go back to your's and your father's agreement to play outside the castle, up until Big Green."
"Fine," Tessa said gently as she gazed across the room.
"If all goes well, we can go for a spin after hours," Vanellope smiled, "You and me. Whatdoyah say?"
"Only if I can drive once," Tessa said through a daring smile, though Vanellope lulled her head back and to the side. Tessa gently took a few steps closer to her, "Please mom!"
"Tessa," Vanellope grumbled as her annoyed smile met her daughter's. Tessa clapped her hands together in a begging formation and gave her the biggest, dewiest look ever.
"Please mom," Tessa begged quietly, "I promise to be careful."
"What, like the stunt you pulled on the tracks today, Tess? Real careful," Vanellope laughed as she gently slid her hands to Tessa's shoulders.
"Please," Tessa hissed through a whisper and a wide, toothy grin.
Vanellope slumped her shoulders and gazed back at her only daughter. Her gap-toothed expression mocked Ralph's. Vanellope felt her heart swell with all the love in arcade towards Tessa. Her excited eyes gazed up at her in pure pleading bliss. She smiled gently into Tessa's eyes, she wondered where all the time went. She could have sworn, just a few days ago, Tessa was itty bitty. Tessa's glorious, honey hazel eyes gazed up at Vanellope's with pricked innocence, yet a twinge of mischievous plotting. Her long, auburn hair was out of it's usual two, low pig-tails, the wild waves and slight curls, she obtained from Ralph, whirled down her back in slight chaos. Vanellope felt as if time stood still for the few moments she was able to practically watch her daughter in full bloom. She was beautiful, tho her heart began to swell with nervousness towards the idea of letting her go out and be brave, to face Academy head on. Before she could let her mind overwhelm her too much, she finally came back to earth. Her ears were attuned to the sound of Tessa's shallow, impatient breathing. She squeezed the tops of Tessa's shoulders and came back to Arcade; she rolled her eyes into the back of her head and heaved a hard sigh through a nervous smile.
"Fine," Vanellope whispered, though Tessa jolted and jumped up and down a few times.
"Really mom, really?!" Tessa hollered, though the orb behind her finally hummed a loud noise, as if it had been waiting all this time to be noticed.
"Yes, shhh," Vanellope giggled quietly as Tessa budged closer to her, "One run. It stays between us though, deal?"
"Deal," Tessa beamed.