"Come on, Echo, Please just do this for me," begged Serenity, trying her damnest to convince her cousin to make the bracelets for her and for free. She'd been at it since arriving almost twenty minutes prior, only to be rejected repeatedly. Nothing Serenity had said or promised had gotten her to change her mind. Instead, Echo was stubborn, as normal.
"There's my favorite Demon," came the voice of Punk from the door to the room; tucked beneath his arm was the laptop he promised to bring by; on it was the video Seth had spent time and care making, all of it to promote the prom campaign. The moment he fully entered the room, Serenity scoffed, sat in the chair Seth had occupied so much, and snatched away some of the sweet treats in Echo's collection.
"We're busy, so get lost," growled Serenity, huffing when Punk just looked at her and shook his head, ignoring her as he always did. Instead, he continued into the room, kissing Echo's cheek and giving her the laptop he'd previously carried. "What are you even doing here anyway?" she asked with entitlement dripping through her voice. She soon reached for more sweet treats, not asking permission; after all, she wanted something. She always got it and saw no reason for that to change.
"It's my visit time," replied Punk, recalling the fight he had to be the one to deliver the recent news. Damian had been just as determined to be the one to share it. Although the friendly dispute ended with a few games of rock, paper, and scissors, Corey's idea to keep the peace was the best of three rounds. "I'm the delivery boy today; got lots to share, including your terrible prom rally speech," he added, knowing there was plenty to share on the prom front and the wrestling team, especially after Triple H finally got everything arranged for his little idea.
"My rally speech wasn't terrible; it was genius," replied Serenity, with a proud tone in her voice as she attempted to argue back with the slight against her. However, once again, Punk didn't seem to notice or care. Instead, he gave Echo the laptop he'd previously been holding and slipped the rucksack off his shoulder, rummaging through it before a grin appeared across his lips. He first pulled out a tank top with Echo's name on the tag.
"The merch finally arrived," spoke Punk, handing the black tank top over to Echo, seeing her eyes light up. This was the first time she had seen it in person. The design was simple, with light grey lettering and a purple outline. Her logo is in the center, and her nickname is written across the teeth in a signature style. At the top and bottom were her first and last time. The logo shimmered in the light, whereas her name appeared to have some studs embedded.
"Trip did a good job," spoke Echo; the smile on her lips remained unmoved. She was proud of it and thankful to have the momentum, even if she was no longer a part of the wrestling team. "I'll be wearing this to the tournament finals," she added, her sapphire eyes once again finding the tank top; her grin only grew further, although tears soon appeared in her eyes as a sense of failure washed over her. She felt like she was abandoning the team now, even when she knew she wasn't and they'd be fine with Cross taking her place.
"H will be happy to hear you say that, considering you'll be out there with us," commented Punk, ignoring Serenity's scoff. A chuckle escaped his lips as confusion wrote itself across Echo's features. "He's been working on something since the accident. Try as he might, he couldn't get the tournament pushed back, hence the replacements in Cross and Liv. So he came up with something else, pulled me, Seth, and Dean, to inform us of the plan."
"Are you trying to kill me with the suspense?" asked Echo, a cheeky tone to her excited voice. She knew Cross was her replacement on the wrestling team, just as AJ knew Liv Morgan was hers. Serenity huffed from the corner again, taking an entire box of sweets from the table, once again without asking for permission; if anyone told her they weren't hers, she had a simple response ready to go. She was pregnant and should get what she wanted.
"You'll both be playing the role of Valet. AJ for me, you for Seth and Dean," laughed Punk, recalling how excited he'd been to hear AJ would still be included. "Once our matches are over, you two will be in the front row, just behind the benches," he added, his smile returning, especially when he knew the family had split themselves in two to better keep an eye on both girls. The Darklings plan to team with the Wyatt's, whereas the others make arrangements with shared friends outside the family.
"By any chance, has that got something to do with whatever Seth is planning?" asked Echo, knowing all too well he was up to something. Although he was being secretive, it was far more obvious than the prom campaign. "Nice comics, by the way, and congrats to you, AJ," she added, picking up the small comic strips Punk had been doing for his and AJ's campaign. "So tell me, how did the prom rally go? Did Corey weaponize his megaphone?"
"Thank you," replied Punk, pulling up a second chair and sitting at Echo's right nearest the door. He knew Seth would visit sooner or later, most likely after detention that day. He'd gotten into quite the fight with Roman. "Rally went okay for the most part. Charlotte and Andrade's came complete with a dance routine. Sasha recruited Titus to help; the poor bugger tripped and slid up the stage. Maria and Mike's is all about the power of love. AJ finally got around to reading her speech book, and I'm sure Corey defended everyone. Miz has big balls, and the Darklings did the simplest speech there was," laughed Punk; his laughter only grew when Echo choked on her water all from the comment regarding Miz.
"My speech was the best, though," voiced Serenity, her voice filled with pride as she joined the conversation. "No silly dick jokes, dance routines, or stupidity in mine. Just good old-fashioned hard work and determination," she added, her smile turning to horror upon hearing her voice from the laptop speakers. She yelled at everyone to shut up in the video, followed by the sound of a guitar tune and the song she'd turned her speech into. At Serenity's own request, she'd been the last to go on at the rally, the last to give her speech. She'd thought her song would be memorable compared to the boring ones of the others before her. Yet, once again, it hadn't turned out as planned. Instead, the one to do the Echo campaign hadn't been as long as expected, not even two minutes long. It was short and sweet but to the point, at least. By then, Corey had defended everyone there with the combined use of a megaphone and microphone.
"Who did mine?" asked Echo, not recalling Seth mentioning anything about it the day before nor Aleister when he'd visited during lunch. None of the others had said anything in the group chat either.
"You remember when Vicki said to make the speech memorable?" asked Punk, his grin growing even more to see Echo's curiosity. Serenity was too, but then again, apart from Cross, she'd not seen any of the Wyatt's before. "Dexter did yours, short and sweet. Never seen the student body so gobsmacked," he laughed, recalling how quiet everyone was, even more, to hear Dexter, who rarely ever spoke, say something. His actions always spoke louder than words. "Four-word speech. Vote demon prom queen."
"The buzzard spoke?" asked Echo, if only to ensure she'd heard correctly. Dexter had always been an actions-speaking, louder-than-words type of guy, silent and sometimes stalking. Voted most likely serial killer in the junior year yearbook. "I owe him big time," she added, knowing all the Darklings and Wyatt's had helped, showing their support as if they were like any other group of friends. "Was your speech supposed to tear others down?" asked Echo, looking over to Serenity; the judgemental brunette grinned innocently even if pride shimmered in her eyes.
"It's all part of my plan," said Serenity, a smile gracing her painted lips. Punk merely chuckled again before focusing on the laptop, intending to find the video Seth had created for the rally. It played shortly after Dexter gave his small speech. AJ's little compliment had been enough to redden Seth's cheeks. "First prom queen and then class valedictorian."
"Providing you're still attending the school by graduation," replied Punk, recalling Stephanie's promise to each of the misfit family and Darklings. If anyone in the school was found to be involved in the hit-and-run, they would be expelled. She didn't intend to make any exceptions. "Call me curious, but who do you intend your king to be?" he asked, more because he doubted Roman would agree to attend prom with Serenity now, or if there were plans, he'd likely changed them. No one else had shown any interest in Serenity in that way either, even less so after that terrific song at the rally.
"I have two options in mind," spoke Serenity, a wicked grin painting on her lips as she thought about the second option and the drama that would cause, not only around the school but for the misfit family in particular. "My baby daddy would be one if he returned and begged my forgiveness in time. If not, I've got a backup option. Someone who's far more popular and a bigger star. I believe he recently led the dodgeball team to victory," she added, a wistful tone to her voice as she curled her brunette hair around her fingers,
"Isn't Drew going with Nikki?" commented Echo, recalling when Drew asked Nikki to go to prom with him. The pair were like Superman and Wonder Woman. It surprised most of the school that they weren't campaigning for the titular titles of prom king and queen; instead, both focused on their sporting commitments and growing relationships. Nikki also put her name down for the valedictorian role, believing she'd be better at the role.
"Yup, doesn't have any interest being prom king either," added Punk, knowing that likely didn't matter. Echo had no interest in being prom queen, yet Seth still campaigned on her behalf. "Not to mention, he'd not romantically looked any other since he started dating Fearless."
"There's always the first," said Serenity with confidence, an almost flirtatious tone to her voice as if trying to prove her point by seducing Punk. Putting him under the same spell she had with Roman. "I'm not like any other girl around school. I'm much better than them," she added, "I'm a queen among peasants."
"Yeah, that's not gonna work on me," voiced Punk, shutting down Serenity's attempts to flirt and calling it out for what it was. "You may have been able to trick Roman into thinking you're better than you are, manipulating him into doing what you wanted. But that crap isn't gonna work with me. I've already found my soul mate; I'm not about to throw that away for some two-faced selfish witch," he added, not sparing anyone's feelings with his words, instead just saying it how it was. A smile filled with love soon appeared. AJ accepted his proposal, agreeing to live with him even at their young age.
"Seth's on his way," said Echo. Unknowingly, a small smile appeared across her lips, and her eyes lit up again. The sight alone brightened Punk's mood enough that he returned to his previous task of finding the video shown at the prom rally. Serenity, on the other hand, had a sour expression painted across her face; Punk was right about one thing: Drew hadn't looked at another since he started dating Nikki, and no one else even came close to his radar. If Roman was out, she would have to find someone else to trick into falling for her games. A wicked grin soon appeared. She had a few more targets in mind; any of them could cause chaos if she succeeded. "What happened with the fight earlier?"
"As I'm sure you know, Seth and Dean walked away from the brotherhood and refused to forgive or forget. Roman, being himself, didn't want to accept that, so he'd been playing the role of stalker. He said something earlier in the day that resulted in Dean sucker punching him, said Lunatic wont tell anyone so we assume it was bad. Then, during lunch, the Trouble Magnet said Seth deserved to have his heart broken by Lacey, and he's glad you didn't take him back after you broke up. High emotions and a short temper equal a fight. Booker and Cole had to break them up, and they were both put into after-school detention," explained Punk, suspecting Roman had said something about Renee to aggravate Dean. "Family is on a split now; Darklings have Seth, Dean, and Renee, Roman's with the rest of us. Who knows why the said Darklings are being difficult."
"Roman asked us to choose between him and Summer. All of us Darklings chose Summer. They're holding themselves responsible for their choice and ensuring Roman lives with the consequences of what he asked them to do," explained Echo. Everyone knew the Darklings were loyal, which made the darker side stronger, but they would also hold themselves accountable for their choices. "Finn is most likely protecting Summer. She's still hurting and angry, but she's finally moving on from all the pain."
"What about me, the entire misfit family, and said Darklings are being difficult," spoke Serenity, finding amusement in learning Roman had lost everything since walking away from her. That only reaffirmed to her that he needed her and would be back sooner rather than later.
"Oh, that's a simple answer," replied Punk, returning the laptop to Echo with the headphones plugged in. "The Darklings don't care for your pathetic entitlement, constant drama, or wannabe queenship. In short, they don't like you, and I can't blame them," added Punk, suspecting that Echo had tolerated Serenity because of blood. If they weren't related, Punk was sure Echo would have avoided the drama queen like the plague of ancient Egypt. "As for the ze family, one of our core values is helping others, but that only extends so far, and right now, you're on the verge of pointlessness. Their help will only go so far if you don't improve yourself. Considering all you've done is cause problems and trouble and tear apart the happiness of others, you're lucky if they'd say hi to you outside school. Even more so considering you are one of two main reasons our family was also ripped apart."
"So did Roman; y'all welcomed him back with open arms," growled Serenity, wanting nothing more than to throw the boxes of sweets at Punk and yell at him to get out. But she knew she couldn't do that without getting escorted out by security. Before Serenity could say anymore, Seth entered the room, listening to music; he didn't seem any the wiser about what he walked into, at least not until he looked up from his phone. Instantly, the soft aura that resonated from him became tense, and the peacefulness faded, too, as if he sensed the danger and doom that lingered wherever Serenity was.
"She's watching the video you made," commented Punk, getting up from the chair he'd previously occupied and greeting Seth as any loving brother would. For the time being, Echo didn't notice Seth was there. Instead, laser-focused on the sweet video of their journey together both before and after the creation of their family and the Darklings coming from the shadows. On the other hand, Serenity could only glare at Punk, if only because he'd destroyed her imaginative reality. She planned to use the Darkling to her advantage, using them and the Wyatt's, now she knew they existed as a weapon to force others to vote for her. But now, those plans would be in jeopardy at best and useless at worst.
"So why did your misfit family welcome Roman back but not me?" asked Serenity again, believing a group of mismatched teens owed her something. Perhaps the friendship she didn't deserve or loyalty she hadn't earned. At the same time, it became increasingly clear the judgemental brunette had somehow come to believe she, too, was once a part of the family rather than the aggressor who had actively tried and somewhat succeeded in tearing them apart in some form or another. "I was a part of that friend group, too; why aren't I being given a chance to prove I can change?"
"Since when were you a part of the family?" voiced Echo, the headphones hanging around her neck now, a serious expression painted across her face, even worse for Serenity, a deadly glare that could make the dead shiver radiated from Echo's eyes, locked on her. "You were Roman's other woman, never spent time with the rest of us. Instead, you tried your hardest to destroy the said family, and for a time, you succeeded. The only time you've spent time with us was during the ill-fated shopping trip, and even then, you tried to make it all about you," she stated, making it clear if she wasn't gonna accept Roman as a friend again, then she wouldn't be forgiving her selfish cousin either. "If Roman has to suffer the consequences of his stupidity, then you can suffer the consequences of yours too."
"I haven't done anything that deserves this cruelty," yelled Serenity, her anger growing when Seth chuckled as if her words were a joke. Punk, too, tried to stifle laughter. "I'm pregnant; the least you could do is take it easier on me, you know, be more lenient, more accepting of what is rather than focusing on the past. Maybe, I don't know, work to create a more accepting future," she rambled, noticing when Echo's glare only became colder, as if attempting to send her soul to the darkest depths of hell.
"That glare is making me shiver, and I'm not even on the receiving end," spoke Punk, shivering slightly and trying to lighten the mood, even when he could sense the unspoken anger Echo held on to. If he hadn't known any better, he would have said Echo and Serenity were akin to bitter nemeses at war with one another rather than estranged cousins who had nothing in common except the school they attended.
"Sorry," apologized Echo; for a fleeting moment, a sincere smile flashed across her lips before the deadly glare returned the moment her eyes found Serenity. "I don't know what game you're playing, Serenity, and frankly, I don't care. But know this: I have no intention of being a part of it. Still, if you hurt someone else I care for, regardless of whether it was intentional or not, I will become your worst nightmare, and I don't mean in a petty way; I mean you'll live to regret it and transferring to All-Star Academy," she warned, her voice so cold it was as if someone had doused Serenity in ice cold water and brought her childhood fears to life.
"Maybe Dean and I should do that with Roman," commented Seth, watching as Serenity quickly grabbed her things and left the small room; not a word left her lips as she scurried away. Although he doubted Serenity would take Echo's words seriously or change her way, it had at least displayed how thin Echo's patients were getting. "Did Punky tell you you're set to be mine and Dean's valet?" he asked, choosing to change the subject rather than dwell on the constant thorn of annoyance and stress. The pain and torment that had no real end in sight.
"He did," replied Echo, her mood lightening up now the source of her anger was gone. "Told me about the prom rally too," she added, a chuckle escaping her, even more so when she could imagine Corey deafening everyone and Miz running with the big balls joke. Just as she could imagine the shocked faces of everyone present when Dexter, of all people, had spoken, even if he wasn't on stage longer than he had to be. But even more, Echo knew they'd supported each other regardless of whether they could hear properly.
"Once our match is over, you'll be in the front row with the Darklings and Wyatt," added Seth, knowing they'd look after her, and he'd still be able to see and talk to her; she'd be in the crowd right behind him after all. "AJ will be taken care of by the remaining family and some old friends who made amends," he added, recalling when Kaitlyn had found AJ and hugged her tightly. The two had shared a heart-to-heart, and by the end, they were friends again, different than before yet still somehow the same. "Have you got your release date?" asked Seth, suspecting it wouldn't be until next week, even more so since the doctors had chosen to keep Echo a little longer to be on the safe side.
"Yup, tomorrow," voiced Echo, a sweet grin appearing now. "I'll be back to school on Monday," she added, suspecting things would be different when she returned. Already, she knew it was turning into a war between the hounds. Seth's black eye, busted lip, and bruised knuckles were a testament to that. She also suspected their family would be different too. divided if she had read between the lines correctly. "Has Rhea found another date?"
"Aleister's being dragging that one out," said Punk, recalling seeing the Devil practically dart across the sports field hours ago with Rhea on his heels. It was clear, however, that it was playful fun between the pair, especially given the banter that effortlessly followed between them. Aleister once again mentioned a Buddy he knew liked Rhea, although he did not say more than that, and Rhea refused to beg for more information, even if her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. Even more so at the knowledge that Seth and Dean also knew who this friend was.
"Re hasn't quite caught on that the guy's name is Buddy," laughed Seth, recalling Aleister pestering Rhea with Buddy's name in the group chats, between five and ten messages, all with the simple line of Buddy, Buddy, Buddy. Echo couldn't help the laughter that flowed from her lips, even more so when she knew the playful torment would likely continue until prom night.
"He hasn't told her Buddy was super excited, has he?" asked Echo, curious if Rhea had even twigged the Buddy in question, who was none other than Buddy Matthews. Someone who had harbored a long-time crush on Rhea and practically pined for her attention. Both Seth and Punk shook their head in response. "She's gonna kick herself when she realizes who he is."
"Even more so when they've hung out together on a few occasions, and he was her safe partner on Darkling outings last month," replied Seth, recalling Damian mention of the tidbit of information. Buddy had been around the dark side of the family and joined them on several occasions, even being involved in group chats, yet Rhea still had yet to put the pieces together.