Chapter 64: Leave Nothing Unsaid

"Hey." A quiet noise disrupted Stella as she slept.

"Heeeey…!" The noise became more pronounced with its impatience. She continued to saw logs in her head.

"HEY HEY HEY!" The voice shouted while clapping their hands loudly.

Stella began to yawn and smack her lips, but then turned on her side and cuddled her hands under her head.

"...Ya damn twit!" The voice resorted to drastic tickling measures, assaulting her bare feet with a hundred finger wiggles in a matter of seconds.

"HEE HEE HEE!" Stella giggled until her mind fathomed what was going on and snapped awake, bonking her assailant in the nose as she sat up.

"AUGH!" It was Cu'u, now rubbing a slightly bruised nose and glaring at her innocently puzzled face.

Stella put her hands on her legs and tilted her head, "Cu'u, why did you tickle me?"

"...You're really gonna start with me, apprentice?" Cu'u let off one quick groan and then crossed her arms, "First off, conjure up a better alarm! Second off, why do you look like THAT?"

Stella was currently in her aged up "Selina" persona, staring blissfully at her friend without a care in the world, "I…figured it could speed up my morning routine?"

"Yeah, but that means you were like this all night…" Cu'u tapped her fingers on her arm, "That's a long time. Aren't there side effects?"

"Uhhhh…no?" Stella answered swiftly.

"That ain't very confident, but fine, whatever…What do I care?" Cu'u turned around and grumbled a little too loud, "Usually you're outta sight in that form, but no, guess we're flaunting now…"

Stella paid no heed and looked up out the window with a gasp, "Oh my goodness! It's morning already?!"

Cu'u flipped back around and threw her fists down twice, "No duh!"

"I can't be late for school today! I promised Violet I'd perform a specific spell for her!"

Cu'u grumbled, "Still can't believe you're showing her so much magic. At this rate you might as well invite her over…"

Stella gasped, "That's a wonderful idea!"

Cu'u's face turned bright pink as she cried out, "No it's not!"

"...Why not?" Stella asked sincerely.

"Beeecaaaauuuuuseee…" Cu'u's mouth went agape.

"Beeecaaaauuuuuseee?"

Cu'u shook her head, "C-Cause I said no! W-We don't need more shenanigans around here!"

Stella got up from the couch and wondered aloud, "I just feel bad. We're friends, I want to say, and friends don't keep secrets."

"There's some exceptions for good reason, Stella…" Cu'u bemoaned, "'Sides, you haven't told her you're actually a 13-year old girl who ran away from home, have you?"

Stella murmured, "Actually I just turned 14 last w-"

"HAVE YOU?!" Cu'u grit her teeth.

"N-No…" Stella whimpered.

"Then don't get ahead of yourself." Cu'u smiled, thinking she stamped out this little problem of hers with ease.

"Well…alright then," Stella brushed it off with little worry, "Guess I'll get ready for school now!"

Cu'u poked her with her wing and then nudged her head towards the table while blushing. There was a sloppily made but heartfelt plate of breakfast waiting for her.

"Oh! Thanks Cu'u!" Stella proclaimed.

"I-I didn't make it!" Cu'u squeaked, "The…delivery man brought it!"

But it was too late for her to sell it, and Stella went and enjoyed the meal.

Afterwards she left with her things and rode off to school. It was a nice, fresh spring morning, the sort of day that promises good times for all!

It made Stella hum a tune as she trotted up to the front entrance, hoping to find Violet waiting for her.

But instead she found a blonde, black-tipped girl hanging against one of the support pillars with heavy looking shoulders and an expression that looked like it just got out a sigh.

This very not-Violet-like Violet look-a-like caused Stella to drop what she was doing and run up to her.

"What appears to be the issue, my friend?" She asked.

Violet winced and then cracked some awkward laughter, "O-Oh hey Selina. Long time no see."

Stella tilted her head, "'Tis only been a weekend though…"

"Ha ha ha, oh yeah! That's my buddy!" Violet reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

Stella then remarked, "You're acting verily sus. Are you truly Violet?"

Violet stepped back and cracked a weird smile, "I am…TOTALLY off my game if you're calling me out."

"Ok, look…" Violet twirled her hand around, "There's stuff and this and that going on at home, but more importantly I'm just…having some troubles."

Stella looked around and then leaned in with a whisper, "What kind of troubles?"

Violet propped her fists against her hips and remarked, "The kind of troubles I don't think you'd get, not to be rude."

Stella nodded, "I'm your friend. I can at least try to help!"

Violet forced a smile and declared, "Awww, forget about it!"

She then looked around before leaning in to whisper, "You can help by whipping out that spell for me. Pleeeeeease?"

"Oh fine, oh fine. But we must find a private place to-"

"Don't worry, I have us covered! Follow me!" Violet grabbed her by the arm and dragged her through the majority of the school, past many students, to the girl's locker room.

"I checked. No one'll be using this for another week. Buuuuuut, just in case…" Violet finally let Stella go and pulled her patented bubble bombs from her pouches, "Heh heh heh!"

She set up a quick prank at the entrance and once everything was secure, she double checked the area, and wiped down the mirrors so they were crystal clear.

Then, without warning, she started to pull off her shirt, causing Stella to blush and her pupils to shrink, "W-Why are you unrobing?"

Violet stopped, dropped, and looked at her with abject confusion, "Uhhh, well, I just don't want to ruin my clothes."

Stella tilted her head, "Yes, I suppose that could be a concern…"

Violet then pressed her fingers against her lips and giggled, "Awww, your face is as red as a tomato."

"Well…as I said in times past, your body is verily impressive, Violet." Stella said, unable to look away.

Violet grinned, "Well that's a problem! Cause it's gonna probably get a heckuva lot more impressive pretty soon! And I don't want ya to faint on me!"

Stella puffed her cheeks with confidence, "I-I can weather it!"

Violet then waved her hands up, "Hol up, tho. Just to review…are there any side effects I oughta worry about?"

Stella shook her head.

Violet followed up with a rather plain tone of surprise, "None whatsoever."

"Not a one!" Stella proclaimed.

"Wow. That's awesome! Now about limits…" She curiously twirled her pointer fingers around each other until getting her answer.

"I can only do three years. S-Sorry, it requires a lot of magic."

"...Ah, I guess that's fine. I'd be teetering on the edge of adulthood anyways," Violet then did a couple hops, took a deep breath, and rubbed her hands together, "O-Okay…I…I think I'm ready."

She grinned as wide as she could, "Ooooh, this is so exciting, my heart's gonna burst!"

Stella whipped out her magic wand and waved it at her friend, praying that her expectations would be met, "Windfort! Three twists!"

Violet was covered in a warm flash of pink that obscured whatever changes she would be undergoing.

When it was over, well…Stella chose to not comment, so that Violet could take in the changes all on her own.

It's definitely exciting to see the world from a new perspective all of a sudden. Your body undergoes radical changes as you get older, and it's kind of addicting to go through it over and over.

For Violet though, three years' time only added a couple inches to her height, a more firm and mature face, and slightly shapelier legs.

Still, she examined every facet of her changes in the mirror, being a little perverted in some areas. Her cheeks glowed with a rosy tint.

"Wow…" Her voice, however, was only a little deeper, remaining perky and wild in tone.

She distracted her focus with a pout and then shook her head, leaning into the mirror with her hands on the sink, "So this is me at 19…"

After letting her examine herself for quite a while in silence, Stella meekly spoke up, "Ummm…is this not to your liking?"

"Ehhh…" Violet propped herself up on her toes and remarked in a tone thick with wanting, "I guess I was hoping to be a little taller?"

"...Heh heh, maybe I was just an early bloomer," She pulled away from the mirror and muttered to herself, "This is it huh?"

"Violet…" Stella cooed in worry.

Violet then turned and said in a chipper tone, "Ok, that's enough, you can turn me back!"

Stella nodded like an obedient puppy and one flick of the wand turned Violet back into the happy-go-lucky bubbly teenager she was meant to be.

And immediately she dashed over to Stella and asked her, "Now I wanna see what you look like at 19!"

Stella's brain suddenly made noises like the sound of a phone having a bad signal, "U-Uhhh…Oh, that's quite alright! I'm good!"

"C'mon! I bet you'll turn out super adorable!" Violet cheered.

"Oh heavens, you speak too highly of my looks, friend. I suspect I will only meet average expectations…" Stella shied away with a blush over her face.

"Selina, you gotta have a little more confidence in yourself. Just cause I didn't wanna be your girlfriend doesn't mean I don't find you cute! I just prefer someone with a little less…space in their head, you know?"

Stella tilted her head and murmured, "Methinks you're too hung up on what I said way back when…I wasn't-"

Violet tapped her on the nose and grinned, "C'mon! I bet you're curious too."

"I-I am…a tiny, tiny bit, however…" Stella gulped before confessing via a lie, "I-I cannot cast this spell more than once a day. It-It takes a lot outta me."

Violet's eyes sank and then she snapped her fingers, "Damn, had I known that I wouldn't have wasted this chance on myself…"

Stella caught her once again acting not-Violet-like and wondered, "Can you please tell me what's wrong, friend? I want to help."

Violet looked the other way and after a little pussyfooting around responding she wagged her hand out, "Well…I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask. But can we go somewhere else?"

"Sure!"

So, after Violet disarmed the bubble bombs and packed them away, they shuffled right along to the outdoors and sat at the very top of the bleachers.

Violet laid down backwards, dangling her head dangerously off the side, while Stella was right next to her feet ready to pull her up if necessary.

"You ever had a childhood friend that you hadn't seen for a long time?" Violet wondered.

"Can't say I have." Stella admitted with little shame.

"Well say you did. You stopped seeing them cause life got complicated for the adults around you and you were forced to separate."

"You finally get the chance to say 'Hello' again but you can't even muster that much cause you got this big fat glob of guilt in your throat and you don't know why."

Violet sat up with great force and patted her legs, "That's the pickle I'm in. I've seen my old friend Lyra around here since the beginning of the school year. It's been five years, and she seems happy despite everything…"

"But…I dunno," Violet scratched the side of her face and muttered, "I know our dads don't get along anymore, and I worry that dislike will have rubbed off on her…"

"So when I say 'Hello', she'll only say 'Hello' back in the most sincerely bitter, hateful way…" Violet was definitely forcing a smile after that, "I…want to keep the good memories alive. Cause she's more than a friend, she's like the sister I never got."

Stella felt a spark inside of her and declared, "You HAVE to try and talk to her!"

The forcefulness of her voice almost toppled Violet back, causing her to swing her arms until she was safely back up, "Huh huh?!"

Stella clenched her fists, "You miss every chance you never take! A-And, you can't just live your whole life fearing a made up person in your head!"

"If you love a person enough to call them family, then surely that love can overcome hate!"

Stella then leaned back and panted from exhaustion, "Whew…!"

"Uhhh, WOW…" Violet's pupils remained shrunken as she murmured, "You were READY ready for this…"

But she started to get some of her Violet-like spunk back and nodded along, "You know…You're RIGHT, Selina! All this time spent being a worrywart could've been used to hang out with her like the old days!"

"We'd sit in our rooms, listening to metal and rock albums until the sun went down and we crashed on our beds like a couple of dolls!"

Stella murmured, "W-Well, I can't say I'm a fan of that music, but it sounds fun! You NEED to reclaim that, Violet!"

"Yeah! I'm gonna do it! No more hiding! Today's the day!" Violet then reached out and tugged Stella in closer for a hug, "And here I doubted you! Sorry, buddy!"

"Mfff!" Stella had to be released to get a word in edgewise, "I-I am glad I could be of assistance!"

Her heart was fluttering like a newborn butterfly taking flight for the first time.

Violet then crossed her legs and plopped her hands between them, "Sooo, while you're on a roll with advice, uhhh…"

She blushed and itched the side of her face, "How do you feel about…our teacher?"

"Big s-, I mean…Lunalei?" Stella paused with a drawn out hum, "Uummmm…In…what way?"

"I dunno…like what do you think are her best and worst qualities?"

"Hmmm…" Stella put her hands together and gave it a lot of thought.

"I'd say she's very punctual."

Violet nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I'm an early morning kinda gal, but I've never even gotten here before her."

Stella nodded back, "Yes. She takes her schedule very, very seriously. Why, I reckon if she was off by a minute, she'd get really flustered."

Violet fanned her fingers before her mouth, "Heh heh, yeah! I can totally see her getting flustered. But y'know, that's charming. I wouldn't want to be around someone who is as stiff as a plank of wood."

"Oh, but she can be pretty rigid. She's not one for shenanigans unless she's watching anime." Stella said bluntly.

"Ha! Knew it! She's a weeaboo! That's cool too! I bet she likes Shonen!"

Stella stared blankly towards the sky, "Ummm, I don't know what the genre's called…'Sen-tai', perhaps?"

"Oh! Like Decade Avenger?! Oh my gosh, I'm a huge fan of theirs!" Violet grinned and squeezed her fists excitedly.

"Do you think she'd want to watch an episode together if I asked?"

"Hmmm, I'm not so sure about that. I think she's devolved into a workaholic these days."

"Awww, then I bet all she needs is the right push to loosen up a little! That's no big deal!"

Stella hummed, "Push, push…Hearing that word makes me think I'm forgetting something very important…"

"Oh!" She flicked her finger up and declared, "When push comes to shove, there is nobody you can rely on more than her to get you out of a bind!"

"She strongly believes in her own justice, and is willing to get her hands dirty if it means it'll help save a life!"

Violet smiled, "Heh, like when she confronted me and convinced me to start taking my classes seriously."

"I think that was the moment I…" Her blush thickened and she itched the side of her face until she could be rid of it.

Ignoring her friend's fiddling around, Stella continued to heap praise unto her sister, "And not only that, she doesn't take a licking from anyone without dishing out a heaping in return!"

"And on top of that, she's incredibly smart! She could solve any academic question you ask her in the blink of an eye!"

"Why…! She is an incredible person. Were I to compare, she is the sun, and I am but a mere blade of grass feeding off her light!"

Violet snapped out of her fond thoughts to wave her hands around and chuckle, "Whoooooa there, Selina! You're starting to sound REALLY into her. And a lotta of these facts…uhhh…are you SURE you're not stalking her?"

Stella recoiled and had a massive brain fart that silenced her for a few seconds, "Uhhhhhhhhh…"

Violet threw a pat at her shoulder, "I'm kidding! Sounds like you admire her a lot. But don't put yourself down in the process, ok?"

Stella tilted her head, "I am only speaking the truth…"

"But yeah…" Violet crossed her arms and bobbed her head, "I've said it before, Lunalei's really a fantastic woman, and not enough people respect that about her. And I want to do that. Just…mmm…"

"It is verily difficult to judge how much appreciation you are allowed to give your teacher."

Violet snapped her fingers out, "Especially cause she's not that much older than us."

"...How would you do it, Selina?"

"I guess I'd give her a hug, mayhaps? Or give her a gift?"

"Hmm, I tried the latter already, but I kept it anonymous. I want her to KNOW who appreciates her," Violet then pulled her head back and murmured, "A hug though…hmmm. Could I really do that…?"

She then gestured at Selina, "Isn't that a little too forward?"

Selina shook her fists and cried out, "What did I say about taking chances?!"

Violet's eyes lit up, "You're right!"

"Buuuuut, one thing at a time. Today, I wanna try speaking with Lyra."

Stella turned her head, "Where can you find her?"

"Uhhh, good question. She doesn't have class until the afternoon, I think, sooo…"

Stella extended a hand and declared, "I'll help you find her."

"Good! I wanted you around to bail me out anyways in case things go sour."

With their plan set in motion, the two jumped down the bleachers and headed back into the school to hunt down Lyra.

A task that took…all of ten minutes, as they found her sitting around in the relaxation lobby.

Much to Violet's annoyance though, she was sharing that space with that beefy quarterback, Bang.

"Uuuugh, seriously, why are you with that loser?" Violet mumbled from around the corner.

Stella commented, "It appears they are just…talking."

"I don't know about you, Selina, but a big man plus a blind girl equals problems in my book." Violet began cracking her knuckles, while Stella subtly pulled out her wand.

"I could distract him for a moment…"

Violet shook her head, "Nah, magic can't solve all problems. Like you said, if I want it, I gotta take it!"

Before hesitation roped her back in, Violet charged straight into the room, and this prompted Bang to freeze on sight and recoil with a pale shriek, "AAAAH!"

Which in turn caused Lyra to cover her ears and bark out, "Ow!"

Bang turned and grit his teeth, "S-Sorry, but…"

He leaned in and whispered in a tense, frightened tone, "T-There's a demon among us…"

"Wanna say that louder, you roided out crop cut?" Violet remarked before thrusting her finger out at Lyra, "I'm not here for you."

Lyra sprung right up to her feet, supported by her cane, and declared, "V-Violet…?!"

Violet's brain shut down and her pupils shrank, "Aaaaaaaaauuuuughhhh…"

Bang stood up confused, "Wa-wa-wait, you KNOW this terror?"

Lyra then bumped him with her cane and said quietly but bluntly, "Take a hint, please."

Bang took a deep breath, looked at the two girls, and then decided to turn and leave, "Fine, have fun…"

As he left the room he could be heard mumbling, "That explains so much…"

Lyra then took one step forward and Violet's first instinct was to step back and hold her hand out, "You…you remember me?"

Lyra bluntly said, "Duh! I don't know any other punk girls with the bravery to snap at a guy twice their size!"

She then stuck her hand out and asked, "It's been so long…how have you been doing?"

Violet was a total mess in the face. Beet red cheeks, looked like she was ready to cry. Trying so hard not to say the stupidest thing on her mind.

And all this culminated in her reaching out and holding Lyra tightly in a hug and letting it all spill out, "I-I'm so stupid, Lyra…! After you got blind, I wanted to see you again so badly, but I was just a stupid, scared little girl who didn't know how to speak up against adults…!"

"We were supposed to be the perfect pair of punks rebelling against society, but instead I-"

Lyra then gave her a light but friendly punch to the gut and that made her let go, where she showed that she was crying a little herself, trying to cover up the joy with laughter, "G-Geez Violet. We just had a temporary break-up…that's all."

Violet closed her eyes and remarked, "...I honestly thought you'd hate me."

Lyra shook her head, "No way! No how! You're more than a friend to me, you're…"

The two said together, "Like a sister…"

And after confirming what they wanted the most, they let their reunion be silent for a whole minute, after which, Lyra clasped her cane in both hands and firmly nodded.

"Well then…you're still keeping up on the Scarlet Succubus' latest releases?"

Violet itched the side of her face, "Eehh, I've been trying to, but my allowance has been a little tight."

Lyra pulled out her phone and wiggled it around, "We could listen to her latest album here…?"

"S-Sure…! I'm down!"

"See?!" Stella burst into the scene clapping her hands, "A happy ending indeed!"

The two girls looked at her with Violet feeling a bit embarrassed.

Stella rested her hand in front of her face and murmured, "Oh my apologies, was that bad timing?"

"Hee hee…" Violet then walked over to her and guided her over, "Lyra, this is Selina Perlwhite. She's in my class. I made friends with her last year."

Lyra laid her phone on the bench to free her hand, "A pleasure to meet you, Selina."

Stella shook her hand, "Thank you so verily much for being Violet's friend again."

"I mean, frankly…we never stopped." Lyra admitted.

Violet then asked, "So Selina, wanna join us?"

Stella shook her head, "I'm afraid not. I have no interest in that type of music. I'll go do something else for now."

"A'right! Catch you later then! And thanks so much for all your help today, buddy!" Violet let Stella go with an uplifting pat on the back, which kept a smile on her face for most of the rest of the day.

"It does feel good to help people in need!"

Next Time: Versus Your Nightmares