Everybody turns to look at you

𓋹𓂀

𝔸𝔽𝕋𝔼ℝ slipping into her usual clothes and sliding on her sunglasses, Zeraphine made her way through the crowded hallways, intent on finding Frankie. Spotting her by her locker, she noticed Frankie standing there with a shy smile as her brother, Deuce, strolled by, Heath in his arms and currently turned to stone.

"Is there something I missed?" Zeraphine asked, sidling up beside Frankie.

Before Frankie could answer, Clawdeen and Draculaura appeared, joining them with expressions of excitement. "Cleon," Clawdeen started, as Draculaura jumped in, "Cleon wants to give you another chance, thanks to Zeraphine here."

Frankie's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked over at Zeraphine, who gave her a supportive smile. "No, don't yank my stitches!" Frankie said, half-laughing, half-dazed with surprise.

Zeraphine chuckled, giving her friend an encouraging nudge. "Yep, he said you've got guts, and he's willing to give you a shot."

Clawdeen nodded, adding, "You meet him tomorrow at lunch—like a mini try-out, so be ready!"

Draculaura chimed in, bouncing on her heels. "It'd be so cool if you joined the fearleading team! We could all hang out!"

Zeraphine put a gentle hand on Frankie's shoulder. "Just be yourself. You've got what it takes; just... don't get too hung up on it, alright?"

Frankie nodded, determination in her eyes. "I'll be ready."

They started to walk down the hallway, chatting excitedly, until Zeraphine noticed Lagoona at the far end of the hall, her gaze fixed in their direction with an expression that seemed... less than thrilled. Her eyes were on Frankie, and there was a flicker of discontent as she shook her head, looking away. Zeraphine's brows knitted together.

A strange, unsettling feeling crept up on her as she watched Lagoona disappear around the corner. She couldn't shake the sense that tomorrow might hold more than just a simple try-out, and she hoped, for Frankie's sake, that everything would go smoothly.

As the day arrived, Zeraphine felt a lingering unease from the day before, and even the tiny snakes nestled in her hair seemed to sense her apprehension. By her locker, she opened it to find a single, delicate rose lying atop her books, with a note tucked beneath its petals. She unfolded the paper and read the words written in Cleon's familiar handwriting:

"My desert flower, my constant in this vast sea of sand, I may roam with the wind, but you will always be the most cherished oasis of my heart."

Zeraphine felt warmth blossom inside her, easing her nerves. She lifted the rose, pressing a gentle kiss to its petals before slipping it safely into her bag. But as she closed her locker, she noticed Clawdeen, Draculaura, and Frankie approaching, and that unease crept back in.

"You ready?" Zeraphine asked Frankie, flashing a reassuring smile as she tried to push away her own doubts.

"Ready!" Frankie replied, her voice full of determination. Zeraphine nodded, leading her friends toward the cafeteria.

Inside, they spotted Cleon at a table, distracted by his iCoffin. Zeraphine wandered over to Ghoulian, who was absentmindedly shaping a piece of string into a spiderweb. "It's Frankie's time," Zeraphine said softly, "Cleon summoned her." Ghoulian gave a grunt and a nod, drawing Cleon's attention with a loud groan.

"Go for it," Clawdeen encouraged, nudging Frankie's shoulder.

Zeraphine offered Frankie a warm smile. "Just be you, okay?"

Frankie nodded, nervous but resolute. She took a deep breath, then approached Cleon, who set his iCoffin aside and eyed her intently.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, her voice quivering just slightly.

Cleon raised an eyebrow, his gaze appraising. "Let's be clear," he began. "I have a refined taste for talent. Despite yesterday's... less-than-perfect showing, I noticed something interesting about you. Typically, I only select those who meet my standards of perfection." He leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly. "So, let's see how you rank."

With that, he launched into rapid-fire questions, each one sharper than the last. Frankie tried her best to keep up, answering with confidence, though Zeraphine noticed her friend's answers becoming increasingly strained, bending into small lies as she struggled to keep pace.

Then Cleon posed his final question, his tone cool and deliberate. "Tell me, Frankie... are you the type to betray a friend to get what you want?"

Frankie froze, glancing nervously at Zeraphine, whose eyes widened slightly in alarm. She hesitated, then took a shaky breath before replying, "Yes, I would."

Her voice faltered as the words left her lips, but she tried to hold Cleon's gaze. The room fell silent, and a hush settled over the students gathered around.

Cleon's expression turned cold as he looked between Frankie and Zeraphine. Zeraphine's heart dropped; she hadn't expected Frankie to say something so blunt—and in front of everyone. She felt Cleon's eyes shift back to her, filled with hurt and a trace of disappointment, and realized that her support of Frankie had cast a shadow over her own relationship with him.

Cleon rose from his seat, his face tight with restrained anger. "Zeraphine," he murmured, his voice clipped, "I didn't think... you'd support this." He turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Zeraphine standing there in stunned silence, the note from her locker now feeling like a distant, fractured memory.

Zeraphine took a deep breath and rushed after Cleon, her heart pounding. She managed to catch up to him just outside the cafeteria doors, reaching out to gently grab his arm. "Cleon, please," she called, her voice soft but desperate.

He stopped, but he didn't turn around. His shoulders were tense, and she could feel the distance between them growing like a chasm.

"Cleon, I didn't know Frankie was going to say that" Zeraphine continued, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "She's just nervous... she didn't mean it like that. I thought she deserved a second chance, that's all."

Finally, he turned to face her, but his usual warmth was gone. His gaze was cold, his eyes darker than she'd ever seen them. "Did you, Zeraphine? Or were you just so caught up in playing the good friend that you didn't stop to think what it would mean for us?"

She swallowed, the weight of his words settling like a stone in her chest. "Cleon, you know me. I'd never hurt you on purpose. I thought... I thought helping her would make things better, not... this."

"Better?" His voice was tight, strained. "You vouched for her, Zeraphine. You pushed me to give her a chance and look what happened. I trusted you to have my back, and instead, you put me in a position where my own standards and judgment don't matter. Do I even mean anything to you?"

The hurt in his words felt like a slap, each syllable digging deeper. Zeraphine felt her breath catch, and her snakes curled around her shoulders, mirroring her distress. "Of course you do! You're everything to me, Cleon. I just didn't think it would end like this—"

"But it did, didn't it?" he cut her off, his voice dropping to a whisper. He took a step back, as though physically distancing himself from her would somehow lessen the pain.

Zeraphine reached for him again, her hand trembling. "Cleon... please, just give me a chance to make it right."

But he shook his head, his jaw clenched. "Some things can't just be fixed with an apology, Zeraphine." His voice softened for a brief moment, and she thought she saw a flicker of the boy she loved beneath the pain. "I thought you understood me... that you understood what I stand for. But maybe I was wrong."

He walked away without looking back, leaving Zeraphine standing in the hallway, her hand still outstretched, the emptiness settling around her. As he disappeared down the corridor, the words he left behind echoed in her mind, and she felt her heart splintering under the weight of them. She stood there, alone, fighting back tears as the ache of regret filled the silence he'd left behind.

Frankie hesitated as she walked over to Zeraphine, sensing the tension thick in the air. She lifted her hand in a small, tentative wave, but the moment she got close, Zeraphine's snakes stirred restlessly, their eyes narrowing and tongues flicking in warning. Frankie swallowed, nerves turning her voice shaky.

"Zeraphine, I... I just wanted to talk," Frankie stammered, but Zeraphine's sharp, narrowed eyes met hers, holding a fury Frankie had never seen before.

"Oh, now you want to talk?" Zeraphine's voice was cold, each word laced with barely restrained anger. "After everything, you think you can just come over here and 'talk' your way out of this?"

Frankie's face fell. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I... I was just trying to fit in, you know? To finally be part of a crew, to be... popular." Her words faded, but she forced herself to look at Zeraphine. "I didn't think it would hurt anyone, least of all you."

"Didn't think?" Zeraphine's voice rose, her snakes hissing louder, mirroring her rage. "Frankie, you embarrassed Cleon in front of everyone. You put me in a position where I vouched for you, where I believed in you—and you threw that all away just to be 'popular'?"

Frankie took a shaky breath, struggling to keep her composure. "I just wanted to belong... I didn't mean to mess things up, Zeraphine. I'm really sorry."

"Sorry doesn't undo what you did," Zeraphine shot back, her voice ice-cold. She looked at Frankie for a long moment, disappointment etched in her face. "Maybe you should've thought about that before dragging us into your mess."

Frankie opened her mouth to respond, but Zeraphine had already turned away, her snakes turning with her, each one giving a final warning hiss in Frankie's direction. Without another word, Zeraphine walked off, leaving Frankie standing alone, the weight of her regret pressing heavily on her shoulders.

𓋹𓂀

By: SilverMist707