Despite her fantastic Friday night, Fiona was not feeling well at all. Saturday morning had been met with an irate Declan. Apparently he had woken up that morning to find his emotionally unpredictable and un-sociable sister missing.

This had been enough to send him into an hour long rant; and through the first twenty minutes Fiona had felt truly bad, her guilt soon turned to anger as Declan kept reminding her over and over how "crazy" she was. And though he never actually said it, it was implied in "you have to understand how much we worry about you" and "what am I supposed to think after last year?".

It was enough to make her want to smack him, but she didn't. He did so much for her and despite the fact that she was beginning to believe he was only doing these nice things to stop her from slipping back into attention-seeking behavior, she couldn't afford to lose his care.

So instead she gave him half-truths. "I was with a girl." The look of blatant surprise on his face enraged her even more-but she kept it in check, smiling instead. "Not like that, just a friend."

"You should have called."

"You were on a date."

"Please. One call wouldn't have ruined my night."

"I'm sorry. I was having so much fun, I just didn't think."

"Really? You didn't think? That's so unlike you." His tone was sarcastic. She suddenly felt the desire to punch him again. In fact, the anger was starting to bubble in her chest to the point where the room felt stuffier-smaller, and she was getting a migraine to boot.

So much for a nice weekend.

And so she'd spent the weekend brooding in her room. Her cellphone off, and Declan mostly repelled by her trademark childish behavior which she adopted whenever she felt particularly upset at someone or something.

Declan would check in every freaking thirty minutes to, she assumed, make sure she hadn't hurt herself. Which was ridiculous she thought, because that is the one thing she'd never done.

Thought about it-but never did it.

Monday morning did not see her in a better mood. If anything she felt worse, however impossible she would have thought it. Walking through the hallway was difficult, she just wanted to stop and curl up somewhere secluded and dark- but mostly secluded.

At the most random times she'd felt like crying. But this was ridiculous and irrational- and she would not go there again.

But inevitably she cracked. The too-bright lighting of the classes and the constant buzzing of her peers were enough to make her feel like she'd spent the previous night throwing back shots of her parents' imported scotch.

She sought solace in the girls' restroom after her third class. She walked towards the sinks and mirrors. She looked at her perfect face, the one that made everyone believe she must also be perfect in every other way. How wrong they were. Fiona had given up on the dream of being perfect long ago, now she wished she could do just one thing right.

She startled at the sound of the door handle being turned. Before she had time to blink Holly J appeared behind her mirrored image. Had this been Thursday she would have been ecstatic, but today she couldn't handle confrontation- or rejection.

Holly J was living up to her nickname as she sauntered toward Fiona, looking like a wild cat on the prowl. The sound of her heels hitting the floor echoed through the empty bathroom and hit Fiona like harsh flicks to the temple.

"You know, you're the one they call Ice-queen." She drawled, confidence in her voice like she had rehearsed this. She probably had. Fiona could feel the beginning of anxiety constricting her chest, the same feeling she got whenever she knew she was about to lose.

"What?"

"You said I was a cold, heartless bitch. They call you Ice queen, so you should talk. I'm not a cold bitch."

She took in the fire in the red-head's eyes, the smirk on her lips that spoke of her desire to forever be a winner. "No, I guess cold isn't right for you." She sighed heavily, she suddenly felt very aware of the weight she'd been carrying all day. "You're a monster."

"Yes, that's what you said…monster. Why did you say that? All I did was reject you, it could happen to anyone and anyone could do it."

"That's true. I said it in anger, but it is true. Look at the niners who cower before you; the way you walk and talk all over everyone like you're an empress. Do you feel Holly J? Do you feel anything besides superiority and irritation?"

"Do you?"

"I think I made that perfectly clear in the last couple of weeks."

"Okay you feel that way for me, but, other than that; what do you feel? Are you happy about your fantastic life, or do you just hate the alternative? You act like you're happy, but there's no apparent reason for you to be."

"How would you know if I have anything to be happy about?"

"I've seen you. Sitting along, you sometimes look so sad, and nothing different has happened, nothing changed to cause you to be that way. You just slip right in to a funk."

"What do want, Holly J? Is this my punishment for breaking you and Declan up? You're going to find me every day and jab at my heart? When will you stop? You want to see me cry, is that it? I've cried for you in secret, Holly J, I can't imagine it would too hard for you to make happen anytime you wish."

"It was extraordinarily selfish of you to do that. Talk about entitlement. Declan was different than the other guys in this school he-"

"I know; I'm his sister. I couldn't watch you be with him. He is always happy, it's easy for him. We've got the same good looks, money, and manners, but he's hetero and sane, and…normal! Can you imagine how easy it would be if I were straight too, I mean thank god I'm not, but still."

Though her eyes were still hard, the anger seemed to have deflated out of Holly J. Whether she was being sympathetic or curious Fiona couldn't tell. "What do mean it would be easier?"

"I could be honest with my parents for one! I could be part of a "power-couple" like they want me to be. And maybe I could find someone to be in a relationship with for once. But you don't know, do you? You told me that you never wanted a boyfriend, right?"

"Not for myself, no. I wanted to be in a relationship to impress my sister, and my friends." And it was like a switch. They'd found common ground at last. It may be chalked up to her emotional state and exhaustion, but Fiona just wanted to fall into Holly J's arms and be cuddled until she felt better. "Honestly I've only ever liked two boys before. His name was Toby, and I didn't get a chance to be with him because I wouldn't be seen with him. He was kind of a nerd. The other was Spinner, the guy from the dot- that lasted a good two weeks. Probably because he was already smitten with his girlfriend."

"And girls?" She smiled weakly at the other girl, and when she got a tentative smile in return she become quite certain she was either hallucinating or dreaming the whole thing.

"Well, you were right about that before. I never considered that as an option. Even if I found I was- you know-, how could I be that way with all my plans and my place in student counsel?"

"So you're saying a lesbian or bisexual can't be any of the things you want to be? Are you crazy? Why would anyone even need to know about it?"

"You know as well as I do that secrets are never kept in High school. I'm just saying, if people found out, maybe nothing would change, or maybe everything would change."

"Is any of worth your happiness though? You're always living for the future; what if you died tomorrow? Don't you want to live and be happy?"

"I'm considering it. That's why I'm here. I want so much to not be affected by you. When you told me how you felt, I wanted to be repulsed and sure that I would never want to be around you again. But, ever since you confessed, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I thought about you more than Declan, more than Student counsel, more than anything. I'm intrigued."

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that- I don't care about boy or girl. I'm attracted to…certain personalities; people who are interesting, unique- not boring. And you are far from boring."

Fiona took a step toward Holly J, who bit her lip out of nervousness. Fiona lifted her arms till her hands each touched Holly J's waist. She walked closer and slid them forward until they met and clasped in the small of her back. Holly J lifted her own arms so that her hands gripped Fiona's elbows. The stood with their bodies close enough to feel the heat of each other. Holly J supposed Fiona meant to kiss her. However, Fiona's smile faltered until her lower lip quivered. She thrust her arms back toward her so that Holly J's body was smashed tightly in her grasp. Holly J moved to rest her hands upon Fiona's shoulder and back a bit fearful at the sudden change. The girl shuddered in her arms and a gasping sob told her that she was weeping. She looked at her face in the mirror and was surprised to see herself- and to find she had actually admitted to having feeling for a girl and that said girl was now having a breakdown in her arms.

Holly J knew she should have asked what was wrong. It was expected and conventional, right? But she didn't have to ask to know why Fiona had crumpled do easily and so suddenly. She had seen this behind Fiona's eyes in all the time they had known one another. She was calculating and perceptive, she didn't miss it like everyone else seemed to. But the dull ache in her chest spoke of a sympathy she'd had never felt before now. Now she wanted nothing more than to be the one to make everything okay.

.