It had been weeks since Homecoming, still, there were whispers in the halls. Although it had been a successful school dance, a far better one than the year before, the main talk had been the Carrie act when Miz and Maryse were crowned king and queen. For the most part, Maryse had ignored the whispers and the looks of pity other students sent her way, but it was clear it was getting to her, her once shining smile had been dimmed over the weeks, slowly becoming sadder until it disappeared entirely. Miz and the others of the Mix and Match group had done all in their power to brighten her school weeks and mood but nothing seemed to work. Especially when the cheerleaders and jocks apart of the cruelty still laughed at her and made jokes at her expense.
The night of the dance, after Brie had handed herself in, she'd explained everything to those who mercilessly questioned her, admitting to her part in the entire plot and willingly accepting any consequences thrown in her direction. Knowing she deserved to be punished for what she'd taken part in, even if she had backed out at the last minute. Cena too had admitted his part, like Brie he'd accepted the punishment, and offered an apology to Maryse. Even doing all he could to swade the chatter on what happened, if only so Maryse could recover sooner and her bright smile would return once more.
Daniel and Serenity, on the other hand, were the opposite. Both making excuses and blaming everyone else for what happened. They spoke every excuse they could conjure in order to get themselves out of the sticky situation they found themselves in. Both had fought against their deserved punishments yelling it was unfair, especially Daniel who had been removed from all sports teams, being replaced on each by someone each team coach thought was deserving. Both had continued to complain through all detention both breaks and after school, always saying they did nothing to deserve such treatment, even when they knew they had. Still, both refused to apologize for their wrongdoings, always attempting to brush off their actions as a harmless joke, even when only the cruelest of students saw their actions as funny.
"Brie" called Daniel upon seeing her near the school gates almost a month after the homecoming incident. The moment the younger Bella Twin heard his voice, she stiffened briefly then walked away from him, further into the school grounds, acting as if she hadn't heard him calling to her. It had been weeks since they last seen each other properly. After homecoming Brie's mother had grounded her, refusing to allow her to go anywhere except school and work after she found a weekend job. Additionally, she had taken away all electronic devices and given her an old phone that only had the ability to call and text, as well as the old snake game on it.
To say things had been shakey between Daniel and Brie since homecoming was an understatement. Since Brie had turned herself in and owned up to her actions, something had been different. She had been different. No longer did she torment Nikki and make fun of JJ, instead she picked her brother up from school and asked how his day was, she spent time bonding with Nikki in an attempt to fix their broken sisterhood, even going as far as to scold those who tormented the members of the Mix and Match group, and putting distance between herself and them. It was almost as if Brie had put herself on a redemption journey, and because of it, her relationship with Daniel was suffering.
She declined phone calls now, when he phoned the Bella residents, whoever answered always said Brie was busy. Messages were left on read and emails went unanswered. And now Brie avoided him and their friends, especially Serenity. Almost as if she was shunning them. Cena too had begun to do the same, when he wasn't serving detention, he had opted to hold small sports lessons for younger students, and he'd roped other students from the same year in too, if only to show his peers he could be a constructive member of the student body and was capable of helping others rather than tearing them down.
"Brie" called Daniel again, this time jogging to catch up with her. The feeling of dread gripping him, almost as if he knew when finally he caught up with her, she would deliver a striking blow. So much had changed, too quickly in his opinion. Cena had avoided him and all their friends, even going as far as to unfriend each of them on social media, and barely answered texts and calls. Brie was quieter now, as if she had done self-reflection and realized she wasn't who she wanted to be, as if she saw their friends differently as if she saw him differently. "What's up with you lately, it feels like you're pulling away, likely you're becoming ..." he spoke, stopping the moment he saw her dark eyes alight with something he had seen directed at him before, anger, fury, hatred even.
"What's up with me? What's up with me? What's wrong with you Daniel?" questioned Brie, her voice filled with sharp-edged frustration as she turned on her heels and walked away from him again. Leaving him stunned by her aggressiveness. "What we did was wrong, I realized that, and now I'm trying to make up for it. I hurt people who deserved better, I pushed away and tormented my twin sister, and for what? To please a selfish bitch like Serenity, like the vultures I thought were my friends. For you. The guy I thought was so much more" she bitterly added, not caring for those who heard her words, nor for the feelings of those she once believed were friends.
Her dark eyes turned glossy with tears, only now when re-evaluating everything did she see those she called friends for who they really were. Users, selfish, Uncaring, Bullies. She felt ashamed to have called them friends and associated with them. She felt guilt for turning on Nikki and not seeing she was the brave one. She felt horrible for what she did to those who had been her friends all along. Carmella, Maryse, Miz, even Drew, and the Hounds, all had tried to guide her down the right path, seen she could be more than she was, and she had shunned all of them in response. Now she saw how stupid she was, she felt terrible for it.
"I thought you were my perfect man, the one who would be by my side through thick and thin, the one to encourage me to reach for my dreams and settle down with one day. The one I would encourage to be the best he could be and build a life with" started Brie, her words beginning to turn into sobs, as she finally let the truth of what she realized over the weeks sink in. "But now I see the truth I was blind to. You don't encourage me to be the best I can be, you instead influenced me to be the worst, neutering the cruel side that's better forgotten. Our relationship is toxic Daniel, we bring out the worst of each other. It's best if we go our separate ways, to find the people who bring out the best in us and find who we are away from each other" she whispered between her broken sobs and hiccups. Once finished she turned once more and walked away, tears streaming down her face, as her heart broke, there was no looking back now. She'd severed the last connection to her old self, now it was time to find the new Brie. The one without her selfish friends and without her toxic boyfriend.
To Brie's shock, when she rounded the nearest corner, she was met with her twin. It was clear Nikki had heard her words and break up, but she didn't speak a word of it, instead, she wrapped Brie in a sisterly hug and led her away from where their former friends had gathered to comfort the shocked Daniel. Silently promising to be there and encourage her younger twin as she discovered herself again and went on the journey of redemption she so clearly wanted. Their walk was silent, but not awkward, just comforting, like when they first started at the school, back when it was just the two of them. Back before the rift had torn them apart.
"I'm sorry" whispered Brie at last, stopping momentarily to look over to her twin, seeing how strong and confident she was. How proud she was. "After everything I did, the bullying, the torment, the cruelty and jokes. You're here now helping me. Why?" questioned the younger Bella twin, as if expecting Nikki to suddenly turn on her, in a repeat of the events the year prior, when Brie had turned on her so suddenly. Yet Nikki only grinned, she had found herself since then, found friends to support her, to laugh and have fun with, she had discovered what she was truly capable of and took pride in what made her different. Something she was all too happy to share with her twin now.
"Because you're my sister, my twin, the other half of me" gently responded Nikki, with her comforting smile, filled with love as was normal. "I won't lie you were stupid and there was a time I wanted you to feel my pain, but I can see you're at least trying. I can see something has changed. I've watched as you started to reflect on who you became, as you realized that's not who you wanted to be, I've watched as you tried to make amends with those you hurt over the years and I've cheered you on from the shadows because finally, I'm getting my sister back. And no matter how much of a bitch you were, you're still my twin, and I love you" she admitted, speaking the words Brie needed to hear, that despite everything and the rift between them, she would still be there, to help Brie on her chosen path and support her in her journey to becoming a better person.
"Does this mean we get twin magic back?" called Carmella from the walkway above, a smile on her lips. "We've all missed twin magic" she added.
"You're hurting us Mella" jokingly spoke Jey, as he and Jimmy walked past.
"Don't worry, Uso magic is still awesome, especially with Siko stalking the halls too" voiced Echo, appearing as if she had teleported from somewhere else on the school grounds. AJ at her side too, with Cross bouncing off the walls and stairs heading their way, her laughter ringing out in the otherwise quiet area as if to warn others of her forthcoming.
"How do you two do that? Yo just appear out of nowhere" questioned Jimmy, taking a step back. Looking down when he heard chuckling, the three hounds walking passed, no doubt having heard the conversation. Dean likely remembered when he too had questioned the ability both girls seemed to possess. Seth only smirked, as if he had long since worked out the secret, although refused to share it. If only to allow the mystery to grow a little more, and allow both girls and Bray to keep their trick a little longer.
"You joining us" asked Summer as she walked past, all but chasing Roman to jump on his back, finally getting the piggyback ride he'd promised her all week. Playful laughter soon escaped her, as Roman ran down the corridor. Seth on the other hand darted up the stairs, as if to race Punk, seeing who could reach the girls on the walkway faster. Dean opened the glass door for Renee to enter the building, acting as a gentleman and grinning like a madman upon receiving a sweet kiss on the cheek.
"You'd allow me to join you after everything I did?" asked Brie, her voice filled with obvious surprise. As if she had expected them to turn on her and add to her punishment. Instead, they did the opposite, offering forgiveness and a place within their circle, a place where she could find herself once more and have the support she so desperately needed.
"What sort of example would we set for younger years if we didn't forgive those who earned it?" asked Maryse as she walked passed, her smile absent but not as sad as before. "You've proven your attempts to change aren't a flash in the pan. You are trying to become someone different, that's what matters. This group doesn't turn their backs on those who need us, we embrace and help them be who they want to be" explained the homecoming queen.
"Aleister wins the lame game" called Finn in the midst of a fit of laughter. The teen known as the Devil was starfished on the floor before him, seemingly oblivious to the other students' weird looks as they either stepped around or over him. Rhea and Damien chuckled as they walked past, often had they joined in with the game, finding it odd but funny, a few times they'd roped Dominik Mysterio into it as well, if only to see his reaction and how well he blended in with those who were often considered the weirdos and oddballs.
"I have no idea what you're on about dear Demon King. I'm simply giving the floor a much-needed hug, it gets lonely down here on its own" commented Aleister, once again ignoring the weird looks, this time from Serenity who had clearly come to find Brie. Almost as if she believed she was an exception to Brie's determination to leave her former friends in the past or was planning on confronting her for her obvious but very true insult. Yet it was also just as clear the dim-witted teen had lost her confidence upon realizing Brie wasn't alone, but surrounded by the very group of teenagers Serenity herself wanted to dismantle and annihilate.
"Yo, Demon. Still have a crush on Aemond Targaryen from House of the Dragon?" called Becky, as if to erase the fact Serenity was even there. Echo simply grinned and nodded to the question, her laughter growing upon seeing Seth's confusion, at least until it hit him, the character was from the TV show the group had been watching lately. Each of them shared theories about for hours after, some even mentioning they'd either read or intended to read the books. Others commented that they should rewatch the Game of Thrones series, even if small spoilers for the current show are hidden within the many episodes.
"We should all dress as our character crushes for the upcoming late Halloween festive" joked AJ, seeing how some considered it. Punk almost burst into a fit of laughter, especially when he realized that would mean the girls dressing as men for the day and the boys as their girl character crushes. Some of the others seemed to realize that also. With Maryse making the final comment that course the group combusts into loud laughter and chuckles.Someone should dress as Barbie.
At that point, Serenity had finally had enough of being ignored. She threw the books she'd been carrying on the ground and let out an ear-piercing screech, stamping her sandalled feet at the same time, as if she was a toddler throwing a tantrum. Those around her had stopped suddenly as if someone had placed them on pause, while teachers catching up on overdue work came out of their classrooms to investigate the cause of the ruckus. Only to discover Serenity was once again throwing a childish wobbly, Michael Cole had been the one brave enough to approach but had been beaten to it by Stone Cold, who'd sent the other group of teenagers away, and stood before Serenity with his arms crossed and displeasure written across his features.