PLOTTING
As afternoon tea arrived, Lucy grimaced while putting some stuff on the fridge shelf. As she was doing so, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and looked around.
"Big Sister, I've done a new drawing" Rerun said to her, trying to make conversation.
"So what" she snapped, "got other things going on".
Before her brother could continue, the doorbell rang, and Rerun went off to answer it.
"Don't concern yourself unless in a way, it's about me". Lucy closed the fridge and stood there for a moment, staring at the blank door.
"Then you might want to listen to what I have to say" a new female voice said.
Lucy froze, and turned away, as Violet walked over from where she'd came in.
"Are you finished complaining Lucy" she sarcastically asked, as Rerun came in behind her.
"Violet, I can't really have you here now. It's not a good time."
"Relax Rerun" Violet replied, "When this is all over, we'll get to the point where everyone is happy, okay…"
Lucy turned back to them as she continued,
"…because you're concerned, for some reason, let us two clear the air. Alone"
Rerun, feeling unsure at Violet's suggestion, decided to leave, but only for a bit of time before he'd go back in.
Once he was gone, Violet put a hand on Lucy's arm.
"How about we do this somewhere else" she suggested, "no need to get anyone else involved"
And Lucy complied, as they both exited the house through the back door.
A bit of time passed. Rerun returned, calling out for his sister, to find an empty room.
"How I acted towards you yesterday was…unbecoming".
Lucy was listening to Violet as she was reasoning about the things she had said when alongside Thibault.
"This change has been hard on us both. Admittedly, I felt I was in a dead end. You'd get why I'd have gone at you and been…"
"Unbecoming"
"Yes, that"
The two girls walked across the road at a crosswalk.
"So, shake on it" Lucy asked, "I'm in the unlikely mood to actually excuse you"
Violet accepted her hand with a sly smile, "Of course, I'm happy I can still be your best friend in this"
"But I…I thought you were Patty's…"
"Patty, are you talking about Patty Swanson" Violet scowled, "Why don't I quote the last thing she said to me"
She took a deep breath, "STOP WITH YOUR MAGIC SOLUTIONS. FACE THE FACTS, WE LOST BIG TIME. TAKE A MOMENT AND THINK ABOUT IT, OR ARE YOU THAT WILLING TO DIVE INTO ANOTHER LOSS."
Violet was out of breath after she said that, while Lucy looked astonished, "So pessimistic"
"You said it. But the two of us, we can still recover" Violet nudged Lucy on the arm, and the younger girl smiled.
Violet now turned to her, "So, what to do?"
Lucy thought half-heartedly, "Maybe pretend they're against each other"
"No" Violet said, "way too meaningless".
"Well give me some options then Violet" Lucy asked. Nothing was coming up to her.
"We could make basic noises at them" Violet jokingly suggested.
"Which will probably count as disturbing the peace" Lucy disagreed, "Why don't we sneak into…
"Maybe just presume they're unpopular Lucy. It's a start"
"Yeah that'll…"
Violet interrupted her as she pulled Lucy to the footpath's side suddenly, as the girls moved to obstruct themselves from view.
"Hey, what's this"
"It's them Lucy" Violet hissed, and pointed, "those bully hunters"
When she followed her finger, Lucy saw the threat, two girls and one boy on the sidewalk. Their conversation became more clear as they got closer.
"This has been one of the most average…in fact to say this is like patrolling we've done is generous" the central girl summarised
"Did you even consider that Maddison" the boy next to her replied, "We were more like sightseeing"
"Sightseeing"
"Yes Henrietta, only sightseeing" the boy replied to the other girl opposite Maddison.
"Fair, I can't stress enough that if that's all, that's all"
Lucy and Violet couldn't help but scoff at them. These three non-locals, Maddison, Henrietta, and the boy Neil, were against them and participating to their troubles.
"Many of us in our group are unavailable tonight. Janice is doing stuff with Linus, and Samantha is at that cafe" Neil continued.
"Call it as it is, it's a date. And good for her, don't you agree?" Maddison asked Neil.
"For Samantha, and for those of us waiting for her to get that chance" Henrietta answered before him.
The other two nodded.
"Though, let's address that it won't be anywhere near good for…some people" Neil noted "Not to name names…but poor Lucy"
"Agreed" the centre girl, Maddison noted, "Poor, poor Lucy"
Noise wasn't heard for a moment, and then, two of the three of them laughed with resentment as they continued down the street. Lucy immediately turned around to Violet, irritated.
"What were those three even saying there, that got them all like that?"
Violet appeared to be confused, and an unexpected tension came across them.
"No one told you" she whispered, "about Samantha Lesley, did they"
"Lesley. So what, she's on a date, and…
Lucy stopped, and her daunting realisation became obvious.
"…you don't mean…that person she's with…it's"
"I'm afraid that…it's Schroeder"
Lucy was undeniably expressionless, before she made haste for the first cafe that she could find.