#this time 'Blake Elwyn' 'Eri' and 'Mateo'

[faydingrain]

Election Talk

With a grin, Zeke tapped on his phone screen, securing his vote for the running. “Voting time~,” he said enthusiastically.

Maggie turned her head, “...Voting? For JW?”

“Yup.”

She ripped out her phone. Right near the top was the voting post—who would be the next JW Student Council President?

The lineup…wasn’t exactly great. A boy who only liked to spread gossip and cause trouble, a girl who was, frankly, rather obnoxious and self-centered, and another boy who she knew she had seen around, but was drawing a complete blank on his identity. He had joined the ballot pretty late in the game though, so she could only imagine that he wasn’t doing well.

Anyone in a PV high school was allowed to vote, but she didn’t really have a candidate she wanted to win for the better of the whole district. In her mind, it would go South either way. The troublemaker, the narcissist, or the boy everyone would likely ignore in favour of the “Revolutionist” (who also just liked to cause trouble). “...Are you voting?”

“Yup. Voted for Blake.”

Her eyes met his. “Really?”

“Mm-hm”

“Blake Elwyn?”

“Mm-hm.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “The gossiper?”

“Hey, you must have seen the threads about how he’s a decent person beneath the weekly papers,” he explained, trying to cover his ass. “It’s just high school drama. It’s up to other people if they wanna believe random gossip or not. I think he does have some kinda better interest in the districts though.” Truthfully, he just wanted to watch Blake cause chaos. Him actually doing his job would just be an unexpected bonus.

Maggie scrolled through all the posts rallying towards one candidate or another. The photo of Blake and one of the VP student council members popped up in her scrolling. “...I suppose. I’m suspicious of his intentions though.”

“You wouldn’t be Maggie if you weren’t.”

She shot him a look, at which he simply laughed.

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she replied. “Mateo should keep an eye on them both.” Not that she thought Eri was anything but faithful, but she did think the boy was clearly very susceptible to whatever Blake was feeding her.

“Hey, like I said before: everyone has a dark side. Blake just makes his obvious.”

“Why not at least vote for a candidate with the least darkness?”

“How do you know the other two don’t have dark sides?”

Meeting his relaxed gaze again, Maggie felt her words catch in her throat.

“Well, we’ve already seen one of the other candidates’. And that wasn’t too pretty either, was it?”

Though she wasn’t present for it, she remembered reading over the feed and getting caught up on the drama during the Winter Ball. It was not, in fact, very pretty at all.

“Don’t be so scared of the darkness, Maggie.”

“I’m not ‘scared’ of it. I just don’t want to associate with that nonsense.”

“Well, what would you do if I had a dark side?”

She felt her stomach turn as Zeke threw her a sly smirk.

“Or maybe, one of your friends? One of your closest friends?” He casually paced around her. “Your parents? The Student Council? Heck, maybe even you have a dark side you’re trying to run away from.”

Her mouth refused to open. She didn’t have a “dark side”, actually. There was no sinister deed or dastardly affiliation she had been hiding from everyone around her.

Well…now that she thought about it, there was one dark secret she hid, but it didn’t even truly pertain to her. And suddenly, the words lingered in her mind. ‘Your parents?’

“I’m just teasing, of course,” he said, after waiting for a response.

She didn’t reply, still stuck in her own head.

“Or maybe…I’m not,” he continued. “Maybe there is something dark we’re all hiding. But is it worse or better than Ana’s? Would you forgive all of us if you knew our truths?”

Hesitantly, she said, “I...I don’t know.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Her mouth clamped shut.

“You care about us, don’t you?”

She gave no answer.

“...Well?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then would you forgive us? In a world of deceit and lies, would you forgive the people who wanted what was best for you?”

Mouth twitching, she gulped.

“Or maybe…” he chuckled. “Is this a little too heavy for a student council election?”

“...Are you hiding something from me?”

“Maybe I am.” Staring into her eyes, he kept up that same smirk. But eventually he broke, and began laughing lightheartedly. “You’re funny.”

“I’m serious.”

“Well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore, hm?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not making any sense now.”

“To Sense or not to Sense, that is the question.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re adorable.”

“...Why do you like to tease me so much?”

“Because you’re fun to tease.”

With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. “Honestly.” Turning her attention back to her phone, she scrolled through again.

But Zeke’s words lingered in her mind. “Don’t be so scared of the darkness, Maggie. In a world of deceit and lies, would you forgive the people who wanted what was best for you?” …Would she? There was already so much she felt she had looked past, even if it was minor, because she knew it was for the better of everyone. But, even so, there was a point when things went too far, right? But if it was someone like Ginger, or Kam, or the twins, or her parents, or—…surely whatever it was, it wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t forgive them, right?

Following up those thoughts was “Well, what would you do if I had a dark side?” However, she quickly buried that while thinking, ‘Nonsense…I’m starting to think he’s too silly to harbour a ‘dark side’.’

Even so, right now, someone she cared about did have one. Someone whose posts ended up on her feed here and there, to which she was initially appalled by, but now pained her every time she swiped past.

She had to take action about it. Zeke is always being silly…but maybe he’s helped her finally reach the conclusion that could put her worries to rest.