It was little, but often that it happened, and Nerissa frowned as the child's fist pushed fitfully past her reddened eyelids and it was almost definitely the blonde who always did it. Privately, Nerissa knew well that it would only help her, but there was no sense of accomplishment in knowing that Cornelia Hale had wanted to hurt her. No, no. It was much more achieving to see the girl stomp on Will's face accidentally. "Just go away."
"Didn't you want me?" Nerissa cooed out gently, with a narcissistic smirk growing as the pouting face quivered and Will shook her head. Now this was something that would happen on few occasions, but Nerissa had suspected it was coming the moment Will had spoken without her. Silence reigned and Nerissa ignored hatred of the blonde giving Will a reason to be strong again. "Will..?"
"I-I want to be alone.. I- Just for.." Not that Will had been strong in the first place. The baby merely floundered in her own self mutilation of Rights. "I didn't mean.. I.."
It was interesting, to see a little girl wince, and Nerissa only watched the tears rolling down her cheeks. It was interesting, to see a little girl wince, because Will didn't even know whether she was more lonely or desperate for people. It had to help, though, that Cornelia had said 'I hate you'.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"Caleb.. Sweety..?"
It was more an informality of Cornelia's affectionate maternal nature, than the initial fancy that she had taken to Caleb that inspired her to say such things. Perhaps fused with the fact that Caleb looked a hundred times worse whenever she saw him. At least he'd stopped locking the door, but then no one bothered trying to come in anymore. "Can you please go away."
"Oh, Caleb.." He'd slid away from the large, richly dressed bed and Cornelia passed the boy sitting against the frame, to pull the sheet away because Caleb wouldn't let anyone else do it. And it was funny, that once a week Cornelia used to scowl at her father for dare suggesting she do it herself, and now it had become habit to change two beds a week and she never let herself complain. 'You know.. I know you can do this yourself..' One of the pillows lay bare where he'd thrown her out before she could finish. Caleb didn't care whether his bed got done, or whether he was clean, but Cornelia appreciated that he'd apparently started using his en suite.
He'd sat with his legs stretched out across the floor and his head lulling on the mattress slightly, so that she had to work around him, because the boy was never moving.. But then he did and Cornelia felt her body freeze like a deer in the headlights, because he'd never actually moved for her. She reminded herself to breathe when his emerald eyes met hers and bashfully flashed away; embarrassed of a thousand, million things, and Cornelia forced herself to stare at velvety fabrics because it had to be a good thing that he was helping. Maybe he just knew what she was there for - he'd certainly remembered, she thought, because she'd quickly ignored that his cheeks were soaked when she'd initially walked into the dark room.
"You...missed Will's birthday."
"..I didn't have anything for her anyway."
"Caleb." She ceased movement, for long seconds, and she could hear that his movements became faster, as he tried to ignore himself and she wondered if she could tell him. That Will wasn't Will anyway, and that maybe he should move on. It was a stupid thought; he'd been in here four weeks. "She..might like to see you."
"She doesn't."
"But she might." She bit her tongue then, when a stubborn glared caught her and she knew it was a miracle that he was restraining from throwing her out of the window, nevermind the door. No one bothered to hide anything. Everyone in the castle knew why Caleb was in here.. And yet there seemed to be something more at the same time; like, why had Will and Caleb ever stopped. Aldarn didn't know, but Drake did. It was in his eyes and the scowl of her revealing that she wanted him back on Earth. Cornelia sighed and knew that she'd worn her card; drawing the only other she thought might have a chance. "Hay Lin might like to see you."
"Get out."
"But Caleb.."
"Cornelia."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Cornelia couldn't honestly be sure, when exactly she had fallen in love, but she was well aware that it did her no good to think of him. It was a funny thing; how Cornelia had found herself so attached to Caleb, because she'd have never felt so much for him were he not in love with Will.
Maybe it was petty, and Cornelia knew that perhaps love was a strong word - she was only fifteen and Caleb felt far more strongly, but there was not a thing she wouldn't do for him. The only problem, that Taranee Cook found with this picture, was that she was not Cornelia and Cornelia had not told her these things, and suddenly - slumped over the thick volume of her science textbook - Taranee felt ill enough to throw up. And she wished that whatever had just happened would reverse so that she didn't know what she did.
Cornelia was meant to be dating her brother.