The schoolyard was milling with people – girls, and family members who'd cared enough to drop them off. It was utter chaos, and Cordelia was thrown back in time to her first day – she remembered that first time she'd been in this yard, with girls screaming and laughing and talking all around her. She remembered the very first time she'd spoken with Misty, and strained her eyes, searching for a flash of blonde hair, that familiar laugh. But it was far too busy to see through everyone, and if Misty was here, Cordelia couldn't see her through the crowd.

Dragging her suitcase behind her – fair heavier now than it had been when she'd left for the holidays – Cordelia stepped inside the school, weaving her way through the luggage scattered through the entrance hall. Usually the drivers of students took luggage up to rooms, which was why there was bags seemingly abandoned everywhere. But given the things inside her suitcase, Cordelia didn't trust Spalding to take it to her room for her. She had grabbed her stuff and walked away as quickly as she could, losing him in the crowd before he could touch her things.

How am I going to get up the stair with this? It was going to be difficult. She looked up at the large, steep flight of stairs and groaned.

"Need some help?"

Cordelia turned. Madison Montgomery was leaning against a wall, smirking at her. "I'm good, thanks," Cordelia said coldly, turning away. Outside, a hundred voices hummed, making a kind of white noise.

"Don't be stupid," Madison said. "I know you don't like me, but you'll kill yourself trying to get that thing up the stairs yourself."

"I can manage," Cordelia said stiffly. She wasn't in the mood to argue with Madison – all she wanted was to get her stuff upstairs and go find Misty.

"Stop being so stubborn."

"What do you care?"

"I just wanted to help," Madison said innocently. "You know, because I'm a good person." Cordelia scoffed. "But you don't like me, for whatever reason. That's cool. I don't really care."

"I never said I didn't like you," Cordelia said. She tried to step around Madison, but the girl blocked her.

She smiled. "You don't really need to," she said, and picked up one end of the suitcase.

Cordelia frowned at her, but didn't refuse the help. As much as she hated accepting Madison's offer, she was right – Cordelia probably would kill herself trying to get upstairs on her own. She picked up the other end, and the two of them began hauling the suitcase up the stairs.

"You know there's like, people who'll do this for you," Madison said. "Don't you have a butler? I saw him get out of the car with you. Real hottie, that one."

"I don't trust them," Cordelia said. She didn't trust anyone but herself and Misty – and perhaps Zoe – with the things in her trunk. Spalding was a little mole – whenever she'd been naughty as a child, and he had seen, he scurried off to Fiona. Cordelia couldn't risk his help – if his little rat nose caught a scent of Cordelia's money, it would be all over for her and Misty. "And I don't trust Spalding."

Madison shrugged. "Whatever. Do you trust me?"

She almost laughed at the absurdity of that question. Granted, she'd never really talked to Madison before, but she didn't need to. Misty didn't like her, and that was enough for Cordelia. "No."

"It's Misty, isn't it?"

"What?"

"You're biased against me because of Misty." Madison said.

Cordelia shrugged, feigning indifference. She wondered if Madison had read her mind – it certainly seemed like she had. "I'm not biased. I just don't like you."

"Please, I'm not stupid. I see how you two look at each other. She talks in her sleep, you know," Madison said, smirking. "Cordelia, she says. Cordelia!" Madison moaned the last word, and Cordelia felt herself going red. "Why would she say it like that, I wonder? Oh, Delia, Delia!"

"Shut up!" Cordelia hissed. Madison smirked at her. They were about halfway up the stairs – for a moment, Cordelia considered pushing Madison down – but decided against it, settling on her best glare. "What do you want, Madison?"

"Why do you assume I want something?" Madison said innocently, adjusting her grip. Her nails were long and electric blue – she could probably use them to poke someone's eyeballs out. Cordelia wouldn't be surprised if she did try to do that.

"Oh, please," Cordelia said. "You never do anything for yourself. You get your little minions to do your work for you… you get Daddy to pay his way out of anything you do wrong –"

"Sounds like you're obsessed with me, Delia," Madison said, smirking.

A flash of anger shot through Cordelia at the nickname. Only Misty was allowed to call her that – Fiona did too, of course, but she had no choice but to tolerate it. Madison, however, did not get a pass. "Don't call me that."

"Why? Is that Misty's name for you?" Madison taunted, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Does she moan it when you fu-"

"Shut up!" Cordelia said, dropping her end of the suitcase. It made a loud crack as it collided with the stairs, and it echoed through the empty room. Flushing red, she picked it back up. "Shut up."

The other girl laughed. It echoed around the room, cruel and high-pitched. She reminded Cordelia so much of Fiona, it was scary. Perhaps that was why Cordelia hated her so much. They both knew the right things to say to get to people – they were both obsessed with themselves – they both treated people like shit. Madison could have been a younger version of Fiona, sent to this school to torment her even further. "Touched a nerve, did I?" Madison asked. Letting go with one hand, she brushed her blonde hair out of her face, tossing it over her shoulder. "Relax. I'm not going to do anything."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm not going to tell everyone that you and Misty are lezzies for each other –"

"No, we're not," Cordelia said quickly, knowing the lie was weak. Madison grinned at her – if Cordelia wasn't holding the heavy suitcase, she would have reached forward and slapped Madison. Probably. Maybe she was just thinking of what Misty would have done. "You can't prove anything."

"Sure I can. I can do whatever I want. I own this place."

"You don't own this place."

"Oh, please. I can do whatever I want. They don't care about rules, not when you… well, not when you're me," she said, smiling.

"I can take it from here," Cordelia snapped.

Madison shrugged. "Whatever you want. If you fall, though, I'm going to laugh." She let go of the suitcase, and Cordelia almost regretted refusing her help – almost.

"You do that," Cordelia told her. Her arms shook as she dragged the suitcase up the stairs – she was beginning to regret packing so much. She heard Madison's heels – which she would no doubt be forced to take off soon, as they were against the dress code – click all the way down the stairs.

She heaved the suitcase up the last few stairs, and sat down, breathing heavily as she tried to recover from its weight. Madison had already walked away.

Cordelia allowed herself ten seconds of recovery, before standing up and picking the suitcase again. At least now she could use the wheels. She began to drag it – but she must have damaged one of the wheels when she had slammed it down on the stairs. Damn it! She dragged the suitcase down the hallway. The door of her room was slightly ajar – Zoe must be there. She smiled at the thought of seeing her friend again. She had missed her friends, especially Misty and Zoe, while staying with her mother. She had grown used to having their constant kindness, and it had been an adjustment when she got home – she had been used to people actually wanting her around, and that was probably what made it so hard for her to deal with Fiona.

She opened the door, and dragged the suitcase in, not looking up. "This has been a pain in the ass getting upstairs–"

Zoe, Misty, Queenie and Mallory were inside, talking quietly. Queenie and Zoe were sitting on Zoe's bed, leaning on the wall – and Mallory was staring absently out of the window. Misty was sitting on Cordelia's bed, her head on the pillow. She sat up when she saw Cordelia, her face breaking into that beautiful, beaming smile of hers. Cordelia let out a small scream before she could stop herself, and threw herself at Misty, tackling her down onto the bed.

She pressed a kiss to her girlfriend's cheek. "I missed you so much," she murmured into Misty's hair.

Misty kissed her on the nose, hugging her tightly. "I missed you more, Delia."

Queenie stared at them, her eyebrows raised, "I didn't realise you two were so close."

She let go of Misty and sat up, furiously avoided looking at her and Zoe – she knew she would start laughing which would probably only make Queenie more suspicious. She was doing well until she looked up and saw Zoe going slowly pink as she tried to hold in her laughter – before she could help it, a laugh tore itself out of her throat. Before she knew it, she, Misty and Zoe were laughing, and Queenie and Mallory were just staring at them, looking confused and extremely concerned.

Cordelia was glad to be back.

Madison's acting a bit sus… you cannot tell me that girl's straight. She just has queer-coded Disney villain energy I don't know what to tell you

Also sorry I haven't updated for ages, I've been really busy with school and work. Also we've gone back into lockdown where I live so that's just GREAT :'D

Chapter title from 'The Highwayman' by Stevie Nicks.