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marvelhead17 · 3 years ago

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The Tale of Eossimar (Original Female Character x Bofur Fic)

Chapter 6

Word Count: 5.7k

Warnings to cover the whole fic: Fake relationships, half-blood children, mild violence, fight scenes, male/male relationships, Dwarf gender concepts, battle of five armies fix-it, pre-battle of five armies, near death incidents, talking to dead people, mentions of paradise/heaven.

Callon opened the entrance and they walked on down the path that Bofur had taken them on the day before, though this time it was more leisurely instead of running for their lives. They were close enough to the lake to see a man with a barge, he was retrieving the barrels that they had escaped in and he hadn’t noticed them approaching.

Nari stopped walking and she held her finger to her mouth for them to remain silent, they waited in confusion as she began to walk along the shrubbery, still hidden.

Bilbo whispered loudly, “What is she doing, she can’t just steal his barge can she?” he gestured in disbelief.

“Don’t worry yerself Master Baggins,” Callon assured him quietly, a smirk forming on his features.

She climbed onto the boulder and leaped onto the barge, making a loud thud as she did, the bargeman dropped the barrel he was rolling and turned around in fear, appearing ready to assault whatever was threatening him.

He immediately relaxed, shaking his head but still giving her a light chuckle. She laughed and they exchanged pleasantries for a short time, the company tried to listen in but they were too far, though they seemed familiar enough with each other. They edged closer and finally caught on to the conversation.

“Ye know, ye still owe me a visit to Lake Town,”

“That won’t be so easy now, the people are becoming suspicious that you are not of Man, and I do not blame them for it,” he crossed his arms.

“What if I told ye, it wasn’t for me?” she asked and he raised a brow, “Ye see, I have some dwarf friends, they’re merchants from the Blue Mountains, and they’re needing to visit their kin in the Iron Hills…”

“Could they not go around?” he insisted.

“They’ve had a long journey Bard; they cannot delay their arrival any further than they have,” she countered.

“I know where those barrels came from,” Bard gestured to the battered barrels.

“Aye, and what of them?”

“My gut tells me that these dwarves you speak of had previous business with the Elves, and clearly it did not end on good terms. You know the Master’s wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm, and he would rather see them all in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil,”

“I’m not asking for ye to hide them from the Master, just to hold them indoors until nightfall, and let them on their merry way on a few of yer smaller boats, and then they’ll be off yer hands.”

“Nari, it would be incredibly risky of me to, I’m on thin ice as is-” he argued.

“But the risk is certainly worth the reward,”

“I’m listening,” he raises a brow.

“I know yer children will be in need of food and clothes, especially during these difficult times. And I’ll pay ye everything I’ve got,” she held out a bag full of coins, “Ye can’t say no to providing for yer bairns, now can ye Bard?”

He sighed, but agreed with her, “This is the last time I can do this; you understand do you not?”

“Aye, I do,” she nodded seriously, tossing him the bag, “Tell the children I said hello, would ye?”

“Aye, I will, the girls miss you dearly,” he tucked the bag away on his person.

She turned to leave but stopped herself, “Oh and one last thing- if anything is to happen to them I will not hesitate in coming for ye, understood? They’re my kin too,”

“Aye,” he nodded seriously, and continued loading the last of the barrels onto his barge.

She hopped off the barge and stood in front of the company, her hands triumphantly resting on her hips, “My friend Bard is going to escort ye to Lake Town, once yer there ye can get some boats and travel across the waters to Erebor on the other side,”

“How do we know we can trust him?” Thorin asked, looking at the man sceptically.

“I’ve visited that man’s home for years; I know him and his family well enough. He is one of the few ye can trust.” She spoke seriously, “And I gave him a good enough warning for him to heed, so ye will all be safe there,”

“We’re not going with them?” Callon asked, taking the words right from Bofur’s mouth.

“Aye Callon, they’ll have enough trouble with their numbers trying to sneak in and out without us tripping them up, and this is their quest,” she nodded to Thorin, Callon glanced at Fili before staring at her again.

“And yer to listen to Bard because he knows his town better than the lot of ye, he would not tell ye to do something unless it was for yer safety.”

Callon tried to argue, “But I’m sure they could use the extra hands-”

“If they could travel from the Blue Mountains across Middle Earth to Mirkwood without us, I think they’ll be capable of travelling the rest of the way,” she told her brother firmly.

“Nari, we must thank you for everything you’ve done, you’ve been a great help to us.” Balin smiled encouragingly.

“Yes, we will be sure to come back for you once we’ve reclaimed our home,” Dwalin added, patting her shoulder.

“It was nothing, you are our kin after all,” she waved the thanks away, “We will be waiting anxiously for the news,” she agreed with a smile. “Ye should get going; time is catching up with ye.” She turned to see Bard waiting almost impatiently for the company, and they moved on to the barge.

“Thank ye again lass, we’ll see ye soon!” Bofur waved his goodbye, she waved back.

“Keep safe, the lot of ye!” she called back, “And Fili, keep an eye on yer brother!” the golden hair dwarf nodded, rubbing his brother’s hair playfully much to his annoyance and then waving his goodbye.

Soon enough the barge set off from the small dock, most of the company turning their attention to the other side of it to watch the waters ahead of them, while a few kept their eyes on the shore. Nari and Callon stayed watching until they drifted out of sight; once they were gone she turned and marched on towards the village wordlessly, with Callon slowly following her.

The dwarves stared across the lake in wonder, through the mist the peaks of Erebor revealed themselves, and for most this was the moment that made them realise that everything they had gone through was very real, and their home was almost tangible now.

Suddenly Bard yelled out, disturbing them from their day dreaming, “You must hide!”

“We will hide when we are sure of danger,” Thorin spat back.

“If you value your freedom, you’ll do as I say.” Bard frowned angrily at him. “There are guards ahead, get in the barrels, quickly now!” Despite the initial argument the company scattered immediately and settled into the barrels, the barge swiftly drifted up to the dock, and Bard climbed off towards a man that stood on the end of it.

“What’s he doing?” Dwalin asked irritably, unable to see where the bargeman had gone.

“He’s talking to someone…” Bilbo spoke up, using the hole in the barrel to peep through, he could make out Bard chatting to a man; and noticed him pointing casually towards the barrels, “And, oh, he’s pointing at us...” He watched as he shook hands with the man, and dropped some coins into a waiting hand. “Now they’re shaking hands.”

“What?” Thorin grunted in disbelief. “I thought Nari said we could trust him!”

Bofur spoke up, “Aye, we can Thorin, have some faith in Nari’s words lads-”

“The villain!” Another dwarf called out.

“He’s selling us out,” Dwalin growled.

“Lads, be reasonable and think-” Bofur was cut short when bucket-loads of fish flopped down on top of them all, and their fear of being caught turning into that of disgust, as the smell of fish overwhelmed their senses.

They continued on from the docks, with plenty of groans and complaints of the smells, and of being cramped in such small spaces for what felt like hours.

“Quiet,” Bard muttered, now irritated with the dwarves, he kicked one of barrels nearest to him, “We’re approaching the toll gate now,”

“I’m not mad at you Narriel, I’m simply disappointed. And to be throwing about another person is not welcome behaviour, especially as a princess- you have expectations to meet,” Misteth chided as she paced before her throne, shaking her head in disapproval.

“Aye, mother, I, I understand,” Nari bowed her head, and slowly lifted it up again.

“I insist that you apologise to Cáleb, it is the least that you can do for him,”

“But, mother I-”

“I will not hear any arguments out of you,” she snapped, “The healer tells me that he shall be on bedrest for at least a week to recover from his injuries,”

“Aye mother,” she bowed her head, gritting her teeth slightly.

“And Callon, my dear son, I do wish you had put a stop to that nonsense before it ended the way it had,” Misteth tutted.

“A- aye mother,” Callon mumbled, not thinking he would be scolded as well, and bowed his head.

“Now both of you go, and Narriel, I will know if Cáleb did not receive his apology, so I suggest you don’t avoid doing so,”

“Aye mother,” she nodded.

Without another word to their mother, Nari and Callon left the hall, with Nari muttering angrily to herself about their mother, and they walked towards Cáleb’s home.

“Nari, why don’t ye take a breather first, before ye go ahead with this?” Callon asked, and she shook her head.

“I’d rather get this over with now,” she muttered.

“Then I’ll come with ye,” he matched her pace easily with his long legs.

“Alright,” she didn't argue further.

They entered his home and a familiar voice caught her attention, “Haven’t you done enough to him, Nari?” she glanced to the right and locked eyes with the young elf maid Elva.

“I came to apologise to him.” Nari stated.

“All of a sudden, why?”

“Let her in Elva, it’s alright,” Cáleb spoke from the other room, they all walked in to find him sitting slightly elevated on his bed, with several ointments clearly anointed over his wounds.

“Listen, Cáleb, I apologise for what happened earlier today, I may have taken things too far…” Nari rubbed the back of her neck uneasily, standing as far as she could from the bed.

He shook his head, “No I apologise,” Nari frowned, “I should have realised when to stop making advances when you clearly did not return them, you deserve better than that…” Cáleb continued, “You were angry, I understand that now,”

“Well… thank ye,” she shuffled on her feet awkwardly, “I, I wasn’t expecting ye to apologise to me,”

“It’s the least I can do for causing you the heartache I did. I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to realise the pain I’d caused, but the look in your eyes told me everything today,”

“Still, I am sorry for half-murdering you, it wasn’t very fair.”

“Well, look, I’d been selfish, you’d been angry, and I accept your apology, it’s water under the bridge,” he waved his hand, “We were simply not meant to be.”

“Thank ye,” Nari nodded, feeling a huge relief fall from her shoulders, “I- I hope the best for ye Cáleb,”

“Thank you, to you as well Nari,” he bowed his head, and she did as well.

Nari and Callon stepped out quietly, and walked on with no destination in mind. “That went… surprisingly well, thank Mahal. Mother won’t be able to bother me about it now,” she chuckled lightly, Callon only nodded.

“Why is it that ye didn’t jump at the opportunity to join the Company?” he suddenly asked, making Nari look at him in surprise, “I mean, ye’ve wanted to return to Erebor for so long, it’s all we’ve ever talked about, dreamed about in fact,”

“Well… as much as I wish to return home, I still fear that we may not be accepted, and it was painful enough the first time around,”

“But once Thorin becomes King we’ll be welcomed,” he reminded her, “And it’s only right that out of all of us ye should be the first to return home, ye aided the company when they needed it most, and ye were likely the first to be cast out,”

“Perhaps ye’re right,” she stopped walking and stared at him. “Will ye come with me, brother?” he nodded, “Right, we’ll need a boat, and some supplies.”

They quickly ran to their homes and collected their own supplies in small backpacks, and met where a collection of small paddling boats were kept, they used to be used for the occasional trip to the waters, which had long since been collecting cobwebs.

They lifted one above their heads and carried it out beyond their borders without being noticed by any villagers; they made quick work of heading towards the lake and settled it into the water just by the dock. The memory of the dwarves’ departure was still fresh in their minds, they left barely a few hours ago and it was well past noon now, her brother stepped into the boat and waited for her.

Nari glanced down towards the area that she had found the dwarves in the day before, and stopped as she noticed a large form that had not been there earlier, she sprinted closer and froze at the scene before her.

“Nari, what is it?” Callon called out, she darted back wordlessly to the dock and practically leapt into the small boat, causing it to wobble unsteadily. “Nari?”

“Deer carcass, scattered everywhere,” she informed him, taking the oars into her hands, “The orcs must have somehow tracked them down,” she immediately set out to row the small boat by herself.

“How?” he asked, “Surely it can’t be from Kíli’s wound?”

“I’m not sure, but they have Wargs as well, who knows how close those bastards are to catching up with them,” she huffed worriedly. “I just hope we won’t be too late,”

“They wouldn’t have boats like us,”

“But if they’re determined, which they have been, they’ll have run halfway around the lake by now,” she insisted, “They could be killing them as we speak,”

“We cannot be certain, but we cannot only think the worst of the situation,” he tried to reassure her. “We will get there in time.”

If the fish hadn’t been enough of a problem then the task of moving passed the toll gate was even greater, after some words with a man Alfrid who had attempted to empty the barrels out into the lake they were relieved to be in the clear, at least for the time being.

They drifted further along and Bard finally deemed it safe for the dwarves to reveal themselves, walking over calmly and knocking over some of the barrels, making them crawl out in a mess of fish.

Bard approached another barrel and was met with a growl as Dwalin burst his head through, “Get your hands off me,” he and the others soon climbed out the barrels, grumbling and slimy, but relieved that they might be gaining foot on Erebor now more than ever.

A man on the dock stared with his jaw hanging open, and Bard swiftly approached him, opening his hands and placing a handful of coins and closing them. “You didn’t see them,” he looked at the elderly man, “The fish you can have for nothing,” he added, and the man was only able to nod in response, still staring at the company.

The company looked around to take in the so-called Lake Town, only to be greeted with a scene that could only be named as miserable, everything was wooden and seemed filthy, the clothing that hung on lines had minimal colours. A sure sign that the town was poor and suffering, and yet they seemed to be making the most of their situation.

Bard marched passed the dwarves and peeked around the corner, examining both sides and then turned to them, “Follow me,” he walked on.

The company were sceptical as they glanced at one another, but under Nari’s word understood that they needed to trust him, and so they followed him through the shadows of some of the taller homes. The planks creaked and groaned under their feet, making them weary of the instability and being more cautious with their steps.

Out of the blue a boy ran up to Bard, his voice speaking unevenly from his sudden exertion, “Da! Our house, it’s being watched,” Bard looked to the dwarves as did the boy, his eyes widening in surprise. “Friends of Nari?”

“Indeed,” he thought for a moment and frowned, “We’ll have to get you in through the sewers-”

“The sewers?” Dwalin asked in outrage, “Are you mad, we’re not going in the sewers!”

“You don’t have a choice; it’s the only way I can get you through unseen,”

“This better be worth it bargeman,” Thorin muttered, and the dwarves murmured in disgust.

Bard led them to a sewer cover used for maintenance purposes, but by the state of it, it hadn’t been touched for years, he opened it up and Thorin peered in, trying hard to hide the disgust that spread on his face.

He jumped in, followed one by one by each member of the company, with Bombur being the last to follow and having to be yanked down as he nearly became stuck in the crusty hole. He fell in with a massive splash causing them to yell out in disgust.

“Quiet, we don’t need to draw attention to ourselves,” Thorin scolded, he turned to look at the pipes ahead, “We’ll have to go on our hands and knees, Mahal help you if you get lost,” he added with a huff, before crouching down and crawling forward on all fours.

The others did the same, moving straight ahead until they reached their first turning point that Bard had mentioned, a sudden flush of water gushed from a nearby opening and ran underneath them, raising the level of waste slightly. The smell was rancid; a mix of food that had clearly rotten and partially digested foods, their noses stung and a few dwarves complained that they might become sick.

“Well I’ve dealt with a lot worse, ye lads clearly have yet to smell the worst of Bombur’s farts, this is nothing by comparison,” Bofur joked, only the younger dwarves let out a chuckle, while the others groaned and shook their heads.

They continued on, turning another two corners before hopefully reaching their allocated destination, they waited in the darkness silently. It felt long, too long, and Thorin only hoped that they had made it to the right spot, otherwise an unsuspecting stranger was about to receive the worst surprise of their life.

Finally they heard the signalling knocks above them, and Dwalin offered to be the first to exit to ensure it was safe, Thorin made no arguments. The dwarf raised his hand above his head and he slowly stood up, pushing the lid of what he now understood to be the toilet, out of his way; he relaxed knowing that they were in the right place, but it improved his mood no less.

His eyes met the bargeman’s son with a glare, “If you speak of this to anyone, I’ll rip your arms off,” he reached his hand over the bowl and started pulling himself out, the boy tried to offer him a hand in help and he immediately swatted it away irritably, “Get off.”

Although slightly scared by the dwarf’s gruffness, the boy pointed further down the walkway to a set of stairs, “Up there,” he waited as the others climbed out, keeping a look out just in case they were still being watched.

An older girl peered at the stairs from the main house and called out uncertainly, “Da… why are there dwarves climbing out our toilet?”

“Will they bring us luck?” a younger girl asked hopefully, looking up at Bard excitedly.

“Well, we can only hope so Tilda,” he gave her a warm smile, “But they won’t be staying for long, they’re friends of Nari’s simply passing through,”

“Oh Nari! How is she Da?” the older girl asked.

“She is well, and wishes she could’ve visited as well,” Bard smiled, though a little sadly.

“Are you also half elf?” Tilda asked, peering up at Bofur, he smiled down at her making his hat flop in an awkward manner.

“No lass, we’re all dwarves,” he crouched down, “So ye’re friends with Nari are ye?” she nodded, “Do ye think ye can tell me more about her then?”

“I can, but only if you can tell me something about dwarves,” she smiled mischievously.

“It’s a deal then,” Bofur grinned and shook her hand gently, she bounded off to Bard after being called over and he stood up once again.

The dwarves gave themselves a quick scrub down with buckets of warm water and cloths before putting on their now tainted clothes that Nari had provided for them, and they settled inside the main room near the fireplace, having blankets passed to them and given warm beverages to heat themselves against the winter chill.

“They may not be the best comfort, but they’ll keep you warm for now,” Bard said to the company.

Bofur nodded in agreement and curled the blanket a little tighter around his shoulder, wishing he could cosy up in the armchair by the fireplace and sleep for at least a day, realising how sore his muscles truly were after resting in Eossimar the night before. He took a good long sip of his drink and sighed as the warmth spread inside and gave his body life once more.

“Thank you very much,” he heard Bilbo speak politely to Bard.

He smiled, the Hobbit never ceased to amaze him with maintaining his manners over the course of their journey, it was a wonder he had survived the unruly dwarves for nearly a year.

He watched as Bard’s children, who he’d learned were Bain, Sigrid and little Tilda, spoke excitedly to each other. Tilda seemed a little shy to return to him with conversation about Nari, as she stayed nervously by her sister’s side.

He noticed that the girls had braiding in their hair tied off with ribbons, not the usual styles worn by Man, and reckons that Nari had probably taught them how to do different styles, perhaps a mix of Elvish and Dwarvish.

He was disturbed from his thoughts when Thorin unexpectedly muttered in fascination at something beyond the window catching his attention, “A Dwarvish windlance,”

Bilbo walked up next to Thorin, his beverage clutched tightly and his blanket draped over him like a gown, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he peered at Thorin and then at the windlance.

Balin, having decidedly left his blanket and finished drink walked up behind them, “He has, the last time we saw such a weapon,” he nodded to the window, “A city was on fire, it was when the dragon came,”

Thorin stared out the window, pain clouding his features as the memories came flooding back to him, as if they had happened just yesterday. Bofur leaned closer to listen in, as his family had lived in the Blue Mountains years before the attack on Erebor and he was curious.

Balin spoke on, placing a hand on Thorin’s shoulder gently, “That day, Smaug destroyed the City of Dale. Girion, the Lord of the City rallied his bowman to fire upon the beast, but a dragon’s hide is tough, tougher than the strongest armour – only a black arrow fired from a wind lance could have pierced the dragon’s hide – and few of those arrows were ever made. The store was running low when Girion made his last stand.” He shook his head sadly.

Thorin spoke with disappointment, “And had the aim of Men been true that day, much would have been different,” he shook his head.

Bard stepped up, adding himself into the conversation, “You speak as if you were there,”

“All dwarves know the tale,” Thorin told him.

“Then you would know that Girion hit the dragon,” Bain walked up next to his father, “He loosened his scale under the left wing,” he added, making Thorin scoff in disbelief. “One more shot and he would have killed the beast.” He insisted, making Dwalin laugh from behind him.

“That’s a fairy-story lad, nothing more.” Dwalin shook his head.

Thorin’s impatience bubbled up and he looked at Bard seriously, “You took Nari’s money, now where are our promised boats?”

“Wait here,” Bard instructed with a huff, and hurriedly left the house, leaving his son to re-join with his sisters.

Bofur finished off his drink and hummed to himself at the pleasant warmth that lulled him into comfort, he peaked out of one of the windows and could see Bard, and he found himself feeling thankful for the help that Nari had brought to them.

He glanced at the young brothers and eased up as he saw Kíli resting his leg up and reclining on an armchair; he was certain that the young prince would have been on the verge of death had it not been for Nari healing him.

He looked out the window and watched as Bard finalised his arrangements with another man, they shook hands and Bard disappeared out of view. He turned to find Thorin and some of the other members in worried discussion privately, and wondered what they might be on about now, so he took a few steps closer.

“We must reach the Mountain before then,” Balin informed them.

“And if we do not, if we fail to find the hidden door before that time?” Kíli looked up at them from his seat.

“Then this quest has been for nothing,” Fili gritted his teeth slightly, looking down at his brother and still clearly concerned with his condition.

Bard returned suddenly which drew the company’s attention, they all gathered around a large table, waiting for him to speak.

“I have three boats available for you to use, four including my own, that you can use to travel across the lake,”

“Then we should get moving, we’re burning daylight,” Thorin said, about to walk away.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Bard ordered, making the soon-to-be King stop and stare at the bargeman.

“What did you say?” Dwalin asked angrily, stepping forward.

“There are spies watching this house, and probably every dock and wharf in the town.” He locked eyes on Dwalin and then addressed the others, “You must wait till nightfall.” Several members muttered displeased about the idea, “Unless you wish to be caught and jailed by the master, and his wretched helper Alfrid?” he asked them.

The dwarves discussed the matter for a bit before Thorin spoke, “We will stay,” he announced, though Bofur caught the quick glance at Dwalin which made him believe otherwise.

Bard nodded, satisfied with the answer and spoke to Bain, “Watch them” and once again left the house.

Dwalin muttered about having to be ordered around by a Man, and they each returned to their seats around the house and waited, albeit impatiently. Bofur had decided he preferred looking out the window, only to be disturbed by a light tug on his trousers; he frowned and saw Tilda staring up at him with a shy smile.

“Oh, hello lass, thought ye’d forgotten about me,” Bofur smiled and she giggled shaking her head, “How about we have a seat then?” he asked, taking a seat on the floor, and waited for her to sit as well.

“How do you know Nari?” Tilda asked, settling her hands on her laps neatly.

“Well, promise ye won’t tell yer Da first?” he raised a brow and she agreed, he spoke quietly, “We only met her a short time ago, but she helped us after we escaped the Elf dungeons,”

“Elf dungeons?” Her eyes widened, “Did you go to Mirkwood?”

“Aye, we did, and they didn’t fancy the idea of Dwarves walking through their territory,”

“That is mean of them,” she shook her head, “Did you meet Prince Legolas?”

“Ye know of Legolas?” he asked in surprise.

“Mhm, Nari told me that she courted him, but only for a short time,”

“Courted?” he raised his eyebrows and thought for a moment… Oh, so ye care about feelings all of a sudden do ye? The words echoed in the back of his mind and her behaviour suddenly made sense now.

“Yes, but she ended it when she found that he did not actually care about her,” Tilda added, “She told me to be wary if a boy asks to court me, but I’m not very worried, Da and Bain are very protective over me, besides I’m much too young…”

The girl babbled on for some time but the words were drowned out by Bofur’s thoughts. He wondered how long ago this courtship happened, then he wondered how it began in the first place, and then his mind raced with the possibilities of what may have happened intimately within the time of courtship-

“Are you even listening to me?” She asked, crossing her arms.

“Oh, sorry lass,” Bofur gave her a sheepish grin and then pointed to her hair, “Did Nari teach ye girls how to braid that?”

“Oh yes! My sister Sigrid did this for me, a Dwarvish braiding,” she showed off her hair, “She likes to wear the Elvish ones more,”

“They’re lovely, truly,” Bofur grinned, Nari had indeed taught them well.

“Now tell me something about Dwarves!” she asked excitedly, and Bofur thought for a moment when a carved horse caught his attention.

“Do ye see that little horse over there?” he asked, and she frowned as she turned around, taking the object from the windowsill and settling in her lap. “Aye that one,”

“What about it?” she asked, passing it to him carefully as he reached out for it.

“I carved this beauty myself,” his chest puffed out a little, “Ye know how I know that?” she shook her head, “Ye see these little curves here? These are how I signed my pieces,”

“Really?” she asked, taking the item back and staring at it in amazement, tracing her fingers over the newly discovered markings. “I thought Dwarves only mined and forged,”

He shook his head, “My family stays in the Blue Mountains, we cook, we mine, but we also dabble in toy-making,” he told her, “And somehow this little fella ended up in yer home,”

“My Da gave it to me when I was little, it's the only thing I have of my Ma's,” she ran her fingers over the figure, her eyes threatening to spill tears and Bofur felt a pain in his chest, she quickly sprung up and hugged him; he was surprised but did not move away, and then she whispered in his ear, “Thank you for making this,”

“Oh- of course lass,” he patted her gently on the back, she released him and wiped away her tears, “That’s why I make them ye see, to bring a little joy,” he smiled, “Now don’t be crying for too long, yer mother would want ye to be smiling,”

“Tilda!” Sigrid called for her younger sister and the girl glanced over her shoulder.

“I have to go, thank you…” she frowned, not knowing his name.

“Bofur.”

“Thank you, Bofur,” she grinned and held the horse close to her heart, before running over to her sister.

Bofur smiled and stood up, taking his time to stretch out, and walking over to the princes who were seated by the fireplace. He glimpsed at the window to see the sun setting down, marking the end of another day, and wondered what the people of Eossimar would be up to that evening.

He caught Fili fussing over Kíli as he was shuffling about uncomfortably in his seat, and Kíli swatted away his brother’s hand irritably, making Fili move back into the other chair and cross his arms in annoyance.

“Ye alright there lads?” Bofur asked, looking between them with a raised brow.

“Yes Bofur, Kee’s just a bit tired is all,” Fili responded, shaking his head at his brother.

He knew better but didn’t wish to get between the brother’s little quarrel and moved on around the house a little. He could see for himself that Kíli was still far from recovering fully, but he had yet to follow Nari’s instructions to rest as much as possible, for they were still constantly on the move to reach Erebor.

The silence was promptly disturbed as Thorin addressed the company making Bofur jump in his skin, “Let’s go, we are not waiting for nightfall. We’ve wasted enough time as is, on your feet, now.” He stalked out of the room, followed closely by Dwalin and Balin, while the others gathered slowly by comparison.

Bain attempted to block the door but ducked away without hesitation under Dwalin’s intense gaze, and Bofur stood in the home for a moment. So much for listening to Bard as Nari advised us to do. He sighed and ran after the others, not wanting to be left behind.

They walked the paths for a bit before finding four small boats, it was very likely not the ones that they were provided but it didn’t matter to Thorin, who was adamant that they were leaving now. The dwarves quickly put their small packs of goods in the boats, and a few had climbed inside, others made to untie the boats from the docks.

Kíli, who had stayed aside for the most part, stepped forward and hissed at the unexpected pain that shot through his leg. He grabbed his leg, not only dropping his belongings with a loud clang, but then leaning against a stand nearby. It swayed under the unexpected force of Kíli’s weight and creaked sideways, falling into another table next to it, and causing crockery, fruits and other titbits to bang against the wooden planks beneath them.

The company winced in surprise at the sudden noise and all looked to Kíli, who promptly stood himself upright and winced again, Fili ran to his brother’s side in alarm.

Within moments they were surrounded by guards and held-up with swords, “Dwarves!”

____________________________________________________________

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yourdeepestfathoms · 4 years ago

Text

The Crucible (part eight)

[Carrie AU; UK Tour]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Word count: 10,126

TW: None, for once lol

---------------------------

-Dreamer In Disguise-

“Tell us about the night of May 28th. Of the events leading up to the incident.”

Katherine grit her teeth tightly, then exhaled a sharp breath through her nose, releasing her mounting anger. Her eyes were stinging, like fire ants were infested in the sockets and wouldn’t come out no matter how hard she scratched. Her face was still blotchy and washed out from crying, but she held herself as confidently as always, not willing to give into the crime Mulaney so desperately wanted her to be a part of.

“It was meant to be a celebration.” Katherine said strongly. Her voice held no evidence that she had been crying just a few minutes ago. “It was supposed to be the biggest night of our high school lives. The ending of one chapter and the beginning of the next. If only--” Her words caught for a moment, but she would not break again. “If only--”

“If only what?” Mulaney urged.

“If only I hadn’t told Anna to go to prom with Joan!” Katherine exploded, slamming her palms on the table and making even Madeline jump and Mulaney look at her more warily. It pleased her, and she eased back down, steadying her sharpening breath. “Then maybe nobody would have died. But just because I should have done that, doesn’t mean I regret having her go.”

Mulaney’s eyes glinted and he leaned in, hungry for a confession.

“Anna sent me a picture.” Katherine said. She took out her phone and slid it over the tabletop. The screen showed an image of Anna and Joan, grinning brightly at the camera with two other kids, George Boleyn, Anne’s younger brother, and his girlfriend, Jane Parker. “Look at how happy she is… I’ve never seen her smile like that before. So carefree and peaceful…”

She put her phone back into her pocket and shook her head. She blew out a sigh from her nose.

“That’s why I don’t wish I didn’t have Anna ask her.” She said. “She was happy for the first time in her life. Truly happy. And who am I to take that away from her?”

Her eyes began to burn again. She fingered her shredded tissue, a whirlwind of emotions storming inside her skull. She wanted to release it on this skeptical detective before her and show him that she was innocent.

“I hope it was good for her. That prom. Before things went to hell.”

------

It was like a dream. An actual perfect dream.

The prom glimmered in droplets of amber and gold, sapphire and jade, obsidian and pearl. Fragments of gods and goddesses and mythical creatures prowled across the walls in detailed murals, capturing ancient battles in their canvases forever.

The gym had been morphed into a huge, vaulted space that hummed with activity. Intricately carved Greek pillars and spires and arches dotted the space, and green and silver drapes of silk dipped from the ceiling. White fairy lights were lit up everywhere, casting soft glows across various tapestries and weavings decorating the walls and architecture. Miniature recreations of temples acted as buffets for the hundreds of partygoers, bearing chips and cookies and cakes and other treats. There was even a large bowl-like piece that was shaped like the Great Theater of Epidaurus, holding salad condiments around the wide sides and lettuce in the middle. A chocolate fountain burbled on a nearby table, the most modern-looking piece of decor in there.

The food temples encircled a giant white fake-marble tree that the origins of were unknown to mostly everyone. The trunk was carved with intricate designs that looked like they had taken hours to scratch away, and the lush shrubbery it bore was braided with silver lights, making the entire decoration a beacon of sterling radiance. Transparent ice blue globes hung from the many reaching branches, lit up with fake candles inside of their hallowed out interior. They glowed like captured moons within the party.

The stage was set up to look like the Parthenon, with white pillars along the apron and wings, coiled by ivy and flowers. Golden and iridescent fabric braided the top, glistening in the fairy lights. A hired band was set up at the center, along with the DJ booth, which played most of the music. Behind them were the thrones for prom king and queen, all shiny and poised, ready for their royals.

Music catapulted around the high, canvas-covered walls like thread winding around and around the assembled students. The sound seemed to swallow Joan up, reverberating in her bones. Partygoers whirled together on the dance floor, the colors of their suits and dresses sparkling in bright tornadoes. They stomped and jumped and clapped in time to the beat of the music, a kaleidoscope of rainbow rhythm.

However, the highlight of the ball were the sculptures. There were at least ten different elaborate carvings sparkling importantly in the party space. Twisting spirals, weaving tendrils, and delicate beads mingled with glorious bells and vast shipwrecks, towering trees and clusters of griffon feathers. Joan wanted to run her hands over all of their smooth, bubbly surfaces.

“Anna.” Joan squeezed Anna’s arm tightly. “Anna, Anna, Anna, Anna--”

“Yeah?” Anna looked down at her.

“Look.” Joan pointed to the sculpture garden with her free hand.

“Wanna go look at them?”

Joan nodded vigorously. Anna chuckled. They both began to walk over, and Joan nearly dragged Anna when she leapt forward to look at the closest sculpture, a beautiful, branching ice tree with fat orbs of sugary fruit.

“It’s so pretty…” Joan murmured, her eyes sparkling.

“No wonder it’s so cold in here,” Anna observed. “They have to keep these from melting. Damn, this must have taken forever.”

“Yeah…” Joan nodded slowly, like she was taking in the secrets of the universe. “Ooh, look at that one!”

The two of them went over to a sculpture of roaring waves with captured pieces of poetry within their depths. Joan ogled at the ice with great interest, taking the time to read every piece of paper inside. Anna patiently let her, smiling at her look of awestruck wonderment. She was glad she was distracted so she didn’t notice all the stares they were getting.

But Joan did. She had picked up on it from the moment they stepped inside. It seemed like everyone in the entire gym was staring at her like she was an alien from outer space. She did her best to ignore all of them, but she could feel their eyes burning holes into her skin.

She’s never felt so exposed before, not even in the showers last Friday.

“Why, Anna von Cleves!”

A voice cut through the music and talking and laughter rebounding throughout the gym. Joan spun around and saw two people approaching them- a brunette boy with amber eyes, wearing a black tux, a silvery grey undershirt peeking out around the collar, and a blood red rose boutonniere, and a girl she didn’t recognize. She was taller than her date and had curled dirty blonde hair and grey-green eyes. Her dress was long and flowing, ebony black like the boy’s but dappled with silver specks like stars. The straps were thin and the bodice was gathered and fitted snugly against her bust.

“George!” Anna embraced the boy tightly in one of those “man hugs” men always seem to do, rapping his back so hard it sounded a little painful.

“You look good enough to eat, honey!” George whistled, looking Anna up and down.

“Some would say I am delicious.” Anna said.

“Okay, if you two knew how many people thought you were dating, you wouldn’t be joking about it.” The girl piped up, looking amused.

“Tell Anna to stop looking so goddamn queer!” George chortled.

“You know I always gotta look a little lesbo.” Anna said.

Then, George raised his fists and Joan flinched back a little. She flexed her powers, prepared to save Anna, but then Anna raised her fists, too, and began throwing playful jabs and poked at George’s stomach and chest. George did the same, and they began circling each other like two tuxedo-clad cats standing off against each other for a dead mouse. Joan realized that it was a game of sorts.

“Don’t let it bother you,” The girl said to Joan. “If they kill each other, I’ll dance with you.”

Joan couldn’t smother the smile that came to her lips. She looked down shyly for a moment, then lifted her head again to watch George’s and Anna’s sparring match. Anna tagged George twice, then got jabbed in the waist. They kept grunting and gobbling playful threats to each other.

“They’re too silly to kill,” Joan observed, tilting her head at them. “Like dinosaurs.”

The girl laughed and smiled, and Joan felt something warm flood through her.

Was this what delight felt like?

“Joan,” Anna said. She and George had stopped fighting and she now had an arm around his shoulders. “This is my best buddy, George Boleyn! And this is his girlfriend, Jane Parker. She goes to Chamberlain.”

She didn’t go to Kingston. So maybe that’s why she was being so friendly.

Joan liked it.

“George, Jane, this is Joan.” Anna continued.

“Joan, hi,” Jane smiled down at the girl.

“Joan!” George exclaimed. “Oh shit. Hey, can I just personally apologize for all my sister’s bullshit? I wish I could say she isn’t always like that, but…” He trailed off with a dry laugh.

“Wait…” Joan began to put the pieces together. “George Boleyn… You’re Anne’s brother?”

George laughed. “Yup. The youngest of the bunch. We have an older sister in college named Mary. She turned out pretty okay.”

“...I’m sorry.”

George burst out into even louder laughter. He shook Anna’s side, wiping a tear from his eyes.

“Oh, Anna, I love this girl!” He said.

Joan blushed dark red, ducking her head. Anna grinned at her.

“She’s great, isn’t she?” She said.

There was a light touch on Joan’s shoulder, warm and soft, easy for her to shrug off if she wanted. She turned her head to see that it was Jane’s hand.

“I love your dress,” Jane said. “Where did you get it?”

“I made it.” Joan told her.

“Made it?” Jane gaped, looking the length of the sparkling silk gown up and down. “No shit!”

Joan blinked a few times, then echoed, “No shit.”

Jane laughed. Anna grinned even more. Joan felt like a sinful little rebel.

“You really made that?” George asked.

“Oh, now who’s queer?” Anna said, earning her a smack on the arm.

“I did.” Joan answered George. “I like to sew.”

“You have got to teach me sometime!” Anna said. “I tried before but it didn’t turn out so well. A sweater somehow became a snake warmer.”

They all laughed. Joan felt glee bubbling up inside of her the longer and longer she talked to Anna and her friends. It was so nice to be a part of conversations and share her talents with other people.

“Yeah, of course,” Joan said to Anna.

“Hey, ladies,” Said a heavily sneering voice. “And Anne’s brother.”

Maggie, Maria, and a boy came gliding over. Maggie was wearing a pure white toga with gold lace to fit the Greek theme, while the boy, tall and tired-looking, was in a maroon tux. Maria wore a bright tangerine orange dress that had no sleeves and was loaded with fake jewels to make her gown sparkle.

“Hello,” Anna said. There was a sort of warning in her voice, like she was daring the three of them to try something and see what happened.

“Joan!” Maggie exclaimed in a very forced friendly voice. “Wow. You look so...different!”

Joan struggled not to squirm. She didn’t like the way Maggie was looking at her, like she was being sized up. Jane stood tall beside her, a protector of sorts, narrowing her eyes at Maggie.

“Thanks,” Joan mumbled. The bedazzled gems encrusted on Maria’s dress caught her attention and she looked at her in wonder. “Wow… You’re so shiny.”

Maggie snorted. “Shiny?” She said. “Joan, what are you talking about?”

“You made The Human Tide,” Joan went on, ignoring her. She lifted one of Maria’s hands in her own, tracing the lines on her palms. “Passion and lust, envy and yearning, wrath and guilt…” She looked up at her, eyes shining. “Did you put some Sylvia Plath in there?”

“What?” Maggie said uneasily.

“I-I did,” Maria stammered in an oddly rapt way. “I didn’t think anyone would have noticed… Nobody ever understands my pieces.”

“I’m very observant,” Joan stated. “Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe and lines from the Odyssey…”

“Okay, not you’re literally just saying random names.” Maggie said. She looked at the others. “What is going on?”

“Shh.” George shushed her, earning him an evil glare that he deftly dodged around Anna.

“It was very beautiful.” Joan said, releasing Maria’s hand.

“Thank you,” Maria said, wide-eyed. “That--that means a lot. Thank you.”

Joan smiled at her. She looked at Anna in a sort of glance of approval and Anna grinned back at her.

“This is so fucking weird,” Maggie hissed under her breath, the swept away into the crowd. Maria and her date lingered around.

“Oh, hey,” George suddenly said to the boy in the maroon tux. “I know you from...Trigonometry? You’re William, right?”

“Yeah,” The boy, William, nodded.

“Where’d you get your dress?” Maria asked Joan at the same time.

“She made it.” Jane said.

“I made it.”

Maria looked Joan up and down, sort of like Jane did, then said, “Shut up!”

Joan flinched slightly and bristled. “You shut up!”

Maria laughed. Anna set a hand on Joan’s shoulder to relax her, chuckling slightly.

“Really, you made that?” Maria asked.

Joan nodded. “It’s a really simple pattern. I also got the fabric really cheap.”

“Wow.” Maria said. “Give it a twirl!”

“What?”

“Twirl your dress!” Maria specified, then demonstrated, spinning in a shimmering circle of orange and silver. “Like that!”

“Oh--” Joan blinked. “Okay.” She twirled for them.

Maria gasped loudly. “LOOK AT YOUR ASS!!!”

Joan yelped and leapt backwards against Anna, eyes bulging. George burst into laughter. William leaned to the side slightly to get a look and nodded in approval.

“Now THAT’S queer!” George chortled.

“Okay, after seeing your ass, the whole ‘nun in street clothes’ thing is no longer acceptable.” Maria said to Joan.

Joan’s bewildered expression does not lessen. In fact, she looked even more confused and startled after hearing that. Jane leaned down to her and whispered, “It was a compliment.”

“You’re glowing,” Maria said. “You really do look great, Joan. So different!”

Joan blushed shyly. “Thank you.”

Someone gently took Joan’s arm. “Let’s go find our table.” Jane said, and began guiding Joan through the crowd. “Yikes. Why is everyone acting so weird around you?”

“I’m not--usually like this.” Joan said. “All nice and pretty and dressed up. I’m kinda weird…”

“I like weird.” Jane said. “It makes you special.”

Joan ducked her head to hide her bashful expression. Jane chuckled.

“Here we are!” They stop at an empty table that was coiled with ivy and violets. Three candles flickered on the tabletop. Anna and George caught up to them.

“They’re really trusting us with real candles?” George said, peering at the small flames. “Not the best decision they could have made.”

“How are you doing?” Anna asked, sitting down next to Joan. “Feeling alright? Need to go out and get some fresh air? I know parties like this can be a little much. With everyone packed together and whatnot.”

Joan’s heart fluttered in her chest. She’s never had someone be so worried about her before. Anna genuinely cared about how she was feeling.

“I’m okay,” She answered. “It’s a lot, though. I’ve never been to a place like this before. It’s amazing.”

“It’s not so bad once you get used to it,” Jane put in.

Joan nodded. “I hope I’m doing okay. Again, this isn’t really my crowd, you know?”

“You’re doing great.” Anna told her. “Trust me.”

“Joan?” A voice called.

George leapt to his feet instantly and dragged Jane with him to go visit with another table, saluting Anna and Joan as he careened away. The remaining duo blinked, then realized what he was fleeing from.

It was Miss Aragon.

The gym coach appeared from the crowd in glistening swathes of gold, like an angel descending from heaven. Her dark brown hair was elegantly curled, framing her makeup-covered face perfectly. The dress she wore was smooth, with no wrinkles or frills, and had short sleeves so her muscles could be revealed to wandering eyes. A black pendant hung around her strong neck, glinting like polished onyx in the light.

“Oh, Miss Aragon!” A smile came to Joan’s face the moment she saw her favorite teacher. “You look incredible!”

“Thank you.” Miss Aragon said. “You look beautiful.”

Joan ducked her head humbly. “That’s very nice of you,” She said. “I know it isn’t true, but thank you anyway.”

Miss Aragon and Anna both ruffled slightly at that.

“Don’t be modest,” Miss Aragon said. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

Joan blushed. “Thank you… Really, thank you.”

“Hey, Miss Aragon!” Anna said to the coach.

“Anna.”

Joan blinked and glanced back and forth between the two of them. Why did Miss Aragon look so threatening? Why did Anna look slightly nervous? Was there something going on that she didn’t know?

“You guys want some punch?” Anna said briskly, standing up. She smoothed out her tux and straightened her flower crown. “I heard Henry and Francis spiked it.” She snickered.

“Oh no,” Joan said in a woebegone voice. “Isn’t it dangerous to drink spikes? What if someone chokes?”

“Really?” Miss Aragon said to Anna at the same time.

Anna laughed, then noticed Miss Aragon’s unamused, deadpan expression. She stopped instantly.

“Uh-- No.” She said. “I’m joking.”

Miss Aragon’s expression did not change. Anna cleared her throat, then sidled off towards the food temples. Miss Aragon rolled her eyes and sat down next to Joan.

“So,” Miss Aragon smiled at her. “Is it everything you dreamed?”

“It’s nice.” Joan said.

Miss Aragon laughed. “Just nice?”

“It’s like being on Mars,” Joan admitted. “Now that I’m here, I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do.”

“I remember my prom,” Miss Aragon mused. Joan tipped her head in interest. “I went with the captain of the basketball team. She was six foot seven inches tall!” They both laughed. “So, I went out and bought a pair of these Stiletto heels so the kiss goodnight would be less awkward. Anyway, we went in her pickup truck, which of course broke down, so we had to walk the last half mile to the prom.”

“Oh no!” Joan gasped.

“By the time we finally got there, my feet were so blistered that all I could do was just sit there. I was sure I ruined the night, I couldn’t dance, but you know what? We just sat there and talked for hours. And it turned out to be one of the best nights of my entire life.”

“Wow,” Joan said. “I’m so happy for you, Miss Aragon! I’m sorry you couldn’t dance, though.”

“Could have been worse,” Miss Aragon shrugged. “There was this one girl whose boyfriend brought a toy gun so he could pose like James Bond in the picture.”

“Oh,” Joan giggled, despite not knowing who James Bond was. “He sounds like fun.”

“Yeah,” Miss Aragon nodded. “He was arrested.”

Joan stopped giggling instantly. Miss Aragon chuckled.

“But it’s okay.” Miss Aragon said. “It’s just a dance. Not that special.”

Joan nodded. Her gaze began to slide back to the party around them, to the mass of writhing limbs that was the dance floor. Mostly everyone was dancing or talking, but she spotted a few people staring over at her and whispering to each other. Some glanced away when she noticed, pretending they weren’t gossiping about her, while others didn’t even try to make it seem like they weren’t talking behind her back. She turned her head towards them fully, unable to look away, and felt fear and shame bubbling back up inside of her.

(Mama was right Mama was right Mama was right Mama was right)

Miss Aragon smothered those thoughts for her.

“Are you excited for summer?” Her coach asked. Joan turned her head back to her, successfully pulling her attention away. “Then you’ll be in Year 12. One grade closer until graduation!”

“I don’t know,” Joan admitted. “Graduation makes me nervous. I don’t even know what I want to study.”

“That’s understandable,” Miss Aragon said, nodding. “I couldn’t wait to graduate.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Miss Aragon said. “I hated high school.”

“Oh, god.” Joan leaned in. “I do, too. I know you’re not supposed to say that, but I do. I hate it. I hate it so much.”

“Preach it to the choir.” Miss Aragon said. “No offense.”

Joan smiled slightly. Miss Aragon took one of her hands and stroked the knuckles with her thumb.

“Just remember,” She said. “Nothing that has happened will matter after graduation. Nothing. Except, you know, things like good grades and studying. You take what you want and leave the rest behind. You don’t even have to see any of these people again if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t?”

“No.” Miss Aragon said. “Oh, but I highly recommend the ten year reunion.”

“Why?” Joan asked eagerly.

“Everybody’s different. People will say, ‘Oh my god, so-and-so hasn’t changed a bit,’ but they’re LYING.” Miss Aragon told her, a devilish smirk twitching on her lips. “Everybody changes. And not always for the better.” She scanned the crowd, her smirk curving fully. She leaned into Joan, subtly nodding towards a trio of girls in insanely expensive dresses. “Like, those girls over there? Right now, they’re at their peak. They will never be more pretty or more popular, and in ten years, they’ll be fat.” She snickered. “And the fat girls, some of them will be thin, and the cute boys will be bald. The jocks will have beer bellies-- it’s fantastic!”

Joan dissolved into giggles and had to cover her mouth.

“And the ones who were miserable?”

Joan stopped giggling. She watched Miss Aragon nervously. Her hand was squeezed comfortingly.

“They turn out just fine.”

A grin came to Joan’s lips and she didn’t try to stamp it down.

(i’m okay i’ll be okay)

“They do,” Miss Aragon said, squeezing Joan’s hand again. “So enjoy yourself, and try not to take it too seriously. Everything is going to be okay.”

Joan vaulted into Miss Aragon’s arms, unable to hold herself back. Miss Aragon chuckled and hugged her back, cupping the back of her head to her chest with one hand and rubbing up and down her spine with the other.

“Thank you,” Joan whispered.

“Anything for you, sweetheart.” Miss Aragon told her.

“Woah,” A voice said. “I better not catch you hugging any other girls like that!”

Joan and Miss Aragon parted as Anna set two cups on the table, grinning.

“Have a good talk?”

“Uh huh,” Joan nodded.

“We did.” Miss Aragon said. “And on that note- Anna. Can I speak with you for a moment?”

“Sure.” Anna said, sounding slightly guarded.

Miss Aragon smiled at Joan and kissed the top of her head before standing up. She took Anna by the arm and guided her away, far out of earshot from Joan.

“Having fun?” Miss Aragon asked. Her voice wasn’t nearly as loud as the blasting music, but the biting words still cut smoothly through all the noise.

“Yeah,” Anna nodded. “Yeah, I am. I think Joan is having fun, too. She’s making a lot of progress!” She looked over her shoulder for a moment, seeing that Joan was pulled over to one of the desert tables by Jane and George. George put some whipped cream on a brownie, then handed it to Joan, who observed the canister seriously for a moment and then promptly sprayed herself in the face. She dropped the can with an alarmed screech and tottered backwards as laughter erupted around her. She was laughing, too.

“That’s good,” Miss Aragon said, smiling fondly at Joan as she was trying to wipe her face off. “I just thought you should know,” She turned her smile to Anna, “that if you show Joan anything less than the time of her life, I will personally see to it that you are expelled.”

Anna gaped at her, mouth hanging open slightly. All the color drained from her face. Miss Aragon narrowed her eyes dangerously, leaning in.

“Do you understand the words that just came out of my mouth?”

Anna swallowed hard and nodded. Miss Aragon smiled again.

“Very good.” The coach said, pleased. “Now go get back to her.” She caught Anna’s arm when she tried to walk away. “Oh, and wait for a slow song to dance with her to. She’ll look stupid dancing to anything fast.”

Anna nodded again and was released. She scampered back over to the table, glancing over her shoulder at the coach as she went.

“Everything okay?” Joan asked as Anna sat back down.

“Yeah!” Anna answered. “Yeah, don’t worry.” She looked up as a slower song by Billie Eilish began to play. “You wanna dance?”

“No.” Joan said instantly.

“Oh--” Anna blinked. “Alright.”

“Sorry…” Joan hunched her shoulders in. “Maybe later. But not right now, please? I still wanna get settled in completely.”

“Yeah, of course,” Anna said. “We can just talk, alright?”

“I like that idea.”

“So…” Anna shifted in her seat slightly. She looked Joan over, then plunged into a question she really hoped wouldn’t upset her date (and make her have to retake Year 13 when Miss Aragon found out), “If I may...how’d you get those scars on your hands?”

“Ah--” Joan coiled her scarred hands into her cowl, looking embarrassed. “Um-- It’s really stupid…”

“No, no, no--” Anna caught her before she could tuck herself back into the shell she was just starting to come out of. “Hey, why don’t I tell you one of my dumb scar stories?”

Joan looked up at her in interest.

“Okay, so--” Anna looked around like she was making sure no one was around, despite there being dozens of people all around them. “I have this little hole in my lower stomach because when I was eight, I put a pencil in my pants and it stabbed me when I went to pee.”

Joan instantly burst out into laughter. It was such a pleasant sound to hear coming out of her, slightly high pitched and adorable.

“Really?” She sputtered out.

“I swear to god!” Anna said, laughing with her. “You can’t really see it anymore, but you can feel the indent of where the hole is. I also have this bad boy,” She rolled her left pant leg up enough to reveal a giant, faded burn scar on her inner thigh. Joan ogled it.

“What happened?” The younger girl gaped.

“When I was 13, me, my younger sister, and my cousin were riding around in a golf cart. My cousin was driving, and he ended up turning in a cul-de-sac way too fast, flipping the entire golf cart on my side. I hit the asphalt and, since I was sitting next to my cousin in the front, that whole loaf fell onto me, breaking his fall and letting him come out completely unscathed. I, however, got this burn.”

“Wow…” Joan murmured. “Were you scared?”

“At the time, oh yeah,” Anna said. “My sister wasn’t moving at all. I thought she was dead. So we got a helicopter air lift to the hospital. That was pretty neat!”

“You aren’t...ashamed of it?” Joan asked softly. “Your scar?”

“I used to be,” Anna admitted. “But it’s a part of me, you know? It’ll only look worse if I try to get rid of it. Besides, it looks pretty cool, and it's not like anyone sees it that often anyway. It’s always too cold to wear shorts.”

Joan nodded. She unconsciously traced one of the webs of scar tissue lacing across her left hand. She looked up at Anna with courage in her eyes.

“I stuck my hands in fire.”

Anna raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Uh huh,” Joan nodded. “I found a picture of my father and my Mama threw it into the fire. I tried to grab it and burned myself pretty badly in the process.” She splayed her hands open, revealing the entire spider web of burns to Anna’s eyes. They were white than her already-porcelain skin, like someone had tried to paint over them. “They used to look really bad. All red and peeling a lot. But they’re gotten better, I think.” She rubbed her rough palms together.

“Wow.” Anna said. “That’s pretty metal.”

Joan looked at her strangely. “They’re not metal? This is skin.” She looked down at the scars.

Anna laughed.

“So… Did you know him?”

“Hm?” Joan looked back up at her.

“Your father.” Anna clarified. “If I may. Did you know him?”

Joan shook her head. “No. He left when I was just a baby.” She paused for a moment, then added, “I have his eyes.”

“Oh,” Anna said. “I mean, I’m glad the rumors aren’t true. Not that him leaving is a good thing, it absolutely isn’t, but it’s better than people saying--”

“My Mama killed him?” Joan finished. She looked up at Anna thoughtfully. “I don’t think she did. But you still never know…” She shook her head and rubbed her palms against her dress. “Can we--go outside?”

“Need some air?” Anna asked.

“Yeah,” Beads of sweat were welling up on the crown of Joan’s head. “It’s getting kinda hot in here.”

“Come on.”

The two of them slipped out of the prom through the door that fed into the rest of the school. It was much cooler in that hallway and much quieter, with only dim storm lights turned on overhead. They walked a few paces down until they got to the entrance hall. They sat down on the huge main staircase.

“Are you okay?” Anna asked, gently touching Joan’s arm. There was worry in her eyes.

“Yeah,” Joan answered, nodding. “Trust me. I just need to get away from all that noise for a moment.”

“Gotcha.” Anna said. “It was getting pretty wild in there.”

Joan nodded again. She was staring forward, looking out the huge windows all along the entrance way of the school. The sky was completely black now, even with the layer of clouds, and sheets of drizzling rain could be seen sparkling in the outside lights.

“So…” Anna said, hoping to ease back into some small talk. “What do you want to study in college? I know you’re only in Year 11, but I’m curious.”

“Oh, I dunno,” Joan shrugged. “Is sewing an option?”

Anna laughed slightly. “I’m not sure.”

“What about you?”

“Something with agriculture,” Anna told her. “I kinda wanna be a game warden. I like animals. A park ranger would be cool, too. I could get an entire tower all to myself!”

“That sounds scary.” Joan said. “Being all alone in a tower in the middle of the woods...”

“Don’t put it like that! You’ll crush my dreams!” Anna teased. “I actually thought about being a singer at one point, too. Can you believe that?” She snorted and shook her head.

“A singer?” Joan echoed. “Can you sing?”

“I like to think I can.”

“Can you show me?”

Anna blinked, slightly shy. “Right now?”

Joan nodded eagerly.

“What would I sing?”

“Your poem!”

“What?”

“Your poem, silly.” Joan said again. “It’s basically a song, you know. Just give it a rhythm!”

“Oh.” Anna blinked. “Right. Okay.” She cleared her throat meaningfully. “Let’s see…

An eagle's just another bird

Until he can spread his wings

A river's just a sheet of ice

Till winter turns to spring,”

Her voice came out husky and smooth, like molten caramel. Each word flicked languidly off of her tongue, dripping easily into open ears. Joan watched her in amazement and great interest and then, shockingly, began to sing the next few stanzas.

“And though the clouds may block the sun

Don't mean that it's left the sky,”

Joan’s voice was soft and slightly raspy, but higher pitched and easy on the ears. It was light and airy and pronounced each word with silky gentleness. Anna was so startled from hearing it that she faltered for a moment. Joan giggled at her bewildered expression.

“What?” She asked.

“You sing beautifully.” Anna blurted.

Joan blushed. “Thank you. I hope you don’t mind. Your poem was just so amazing that I sorta kinda memorized it… Sorry.”

Anna blinked at her in amazement. Nobody had ever been so interested in any of her writing pieces before, not even Katherine.

“No, no it’s okay!” She said quickly. “That’s so cool. That you like it that much. It means a lot to me.”

Joan smiled. “I’m glad.” She said. “Now, what was the next part?”

“Umm… Oh!” Anna cleared her throat again, then began singing once more,

“Just when you think you've seen it all

There's more than meets the eye,”

“Like, things I dream,”

“And things I feel,”

“There’s more to me,”

“Than I reveal,” The harmony they pulled off together was like nothing Anna had ever heard before. Her deep alto and Joan’s light soprano mixed together beautifully, sounding like liquid sugar in their ears.

“And cause I shine in quiet ways

I'm someone you don't recognize,” Joan sang, a smile twitching on her lips.

“I’m a diamond in the rough

A dreamer in disguise…”

They finished in another chilling harmony. Joan beamed at Anna. Anna smiled back at her brightly.

“That...was incredible.” Anna breathed.

“I know!” Joan exclaimed gleefully. “We sounded SO GOOD! I didn’t even know I could sing like that!”

Anna had never seen her so energetic before. Even Joan never felt this way before, so happy and at ease. She must have come out of her shell a lot more than she thought.

“You’re great, Joan.” Anna said. “We should really hang out more often! Are you free tomorrow by any chance? Katherine, George, Jane, and I were going to have an after party at my house. We have a pool!”

Joan looked absolutely thrilled to be invited. “I would love to go.” She said, eyes glowing. “Do you really mean it, Anna?”

“Of course!” Anna said. “We were also going to watch a few movies, too. Have you ever seen Star Wars?”

“No.”

Anna gaped at her in shock. “Really? You’ve never seen a single Star Wars movie before?”

“We don’t have a TV at my house.” Joan admitted. “What is Star Wars? Is it, like, World War I in outer space?”

Anna burst into laughter. Joan blinked at her in a delighted way.

“Now I REALLY have to show you!” Anna said, wiping an eye. “It’s a date!”

“Yeah,” Joan said excitedly.

They hung out on the main staircase for a little bit longer, discussing plans for the next day and Anna giving Joan permission to wear one of her bathing suits (since she didn’t have her own), then ventured back into the prom.

“I still can’t get over how pretty it is,” Joan said as they walked past a sculpture shaped like temple ruins. “It’s like a dream. A perfect dream.”

The plants were one her favorite parts by far. All around her there were glorious purple exploding star-shaped flowers, delicate pale orange orchids, clusters of petals the color of bananas, odd little orbs in ruby red and sapphire blue. Hanging moss and trailing vines and reaching willow were like curtain doorways to new parts of the prom in all shades of emerald green. And then, there was the tree glowing brightly among all the greenery.

It was so much more beautiful up close. Joan could see all the little details in the pure white trunk, which must have taken forever to get just right. The globes hanging from the branches were the same icy blue as her eyes, she realized, and she blinked at them in wonder. Was the color really that beautiful?

Looking closer, she noticed something in the hollow of the closest globe. A rolled up piece of paper! In fact, several of the globes had one or more, folded or rolled up to sit inside. There was also a small brown table next to the tree with pens and pieces of paper for anyone who wanted to write something. George was currently doing just that, looking very dutiful as he did so, while Jane waited by his side. She noticed Joan and Anna and perked up.

“There you guys are!” She said. “I was wondering where you went.”

“Sorry,” Anna said. “We just went out to get some air. What are you guys doing?”

“Making wishes,” Jane told her. “That’s what the tree is about. You’re supposed to write a wish or desire on a piece of paper and then put it into one of the fruit things.”

“So the decoration committee can laugh at you when they read all of them after prom,” George added as he was writing. “So don’t mark your name. And hope your handwriting doesn’t get recognized.”

“Wanna write one?” Jane asked.

Anna nodded, then nudged Joan questioningly.

“Sure,” Joan said.

They went over to the table George was hunched over at and each took a pen and piece of paper. Anna thought for just a moment, then began writing something, while Joan hesitated a little bit longer.

She had so many wishes that she thought about all the time. Being adopted into a nicer family, Mama loving her like a normal mother would, having friends, finding her father, getting a kitten… There were so many things to put down, and so little room, so, after a moment of deciding, she wrote, “I wish to always be happy like I am now.”

She rolled her paper up like a scroll and tucked it into an empty globe. Jane did the same, then Anna, and then, finally, George.

“So, what did you guys wish for?” George asked as they walked back over to their table. “Because I wished for something practical. Money.”

“I should have known,” Jane chuckled. “I wished for an easy, hopefully painless transition into college after summer is over.”

“Eternal love,” Anna said.

“A pet cat,” Joan lied, feeling too sappy to say her actual one.

“That’s a good wish, that’s a good wish,” George nodded in approval.

The four of them began to chat for several minutes, discussing summer plans and swapping funny stories. Joan didn’t have much to share, seeing as her life wasn’t exactly very easy to bring up in a lighthearted conversation, but Anna, Jane, and George each made sure she was included. She was perfectly happy with just listening quietly, but actually getting to partake in the talk felt like an honor she didn’t deserve.

“What about you, Joan?” George had been asking. “Got any embarrassing secrets?”

Joan thought for a moment, sifting out several way-too-dark things to share.

“I can’t swim,” She finally admitted.

“Woah, really?” George said. “I thought everyone learned how to swim.”

“Where? In school?” Anna snorted. She turned her head to Joan, eyebrows furrowed. “I guess that makes tomorrow’s pool party a little unfortunate, huh?”

“I still wanna come.” Joan said quickly, afraid the opportunity will be taken from her. “I agreed regardless, didn’t I? And I’ll be okay. I just had a bad experience with water one time, that’s all. It’s been years, anyway.”

(the tepid water and her wrinkled fingertips marked the end of her bubble bath. Mama just checked on her, but her patience had doubled since then. she called for Mama to help her out of the tub, but Mama did not respond. she tried twice more but she heard no returning calls. she decided that she did not really need Mama’s help; she was five and a big girl.

the slippery acrylic tub and her misplaced feet resulted in her arm roughly slicing on the sharp faucet. a metallic and unknown smell engulfed her. all she saw was red, just like candy apples. so much red falling from her arm and coloring the bathwater. unexplainable fear and pain overcame her. she started to cry and within seconds, Mama was standing at the door.

she had always been beautiful, but the flour smeared on her face and the stress lines present on her features did not do much for her. the sheer horror on her expression scared her further and transformed weak cries into wailing screams. Mama appeared white as a sheet as they stared at each other, motionless. the tub water was noticeably darker when she started to feel a painful sensation shooting down her arm. in a flash, Mama was carrying her onto the sink counter, swaddling her in a towel that turned crimson red almost instantly. Mama was wearing her special apron and bore a grim look on her face.

Mama left for just a moment, then returned with something gleaming.

there was no warning given before Mama started putting a needle and thread through her skin. it reminded her of sewing a dress together. she can only feel a light tugging, but it did not quiet her cries. Mama finally cut the thread after what felt like forever. the cuddles she got after that were like angel hugs. she thought she should hurt herself more often.)

“What happened?” George asked with great interest. Jane lightly whacked his arm.

“Don’t be pushy.” She chided him, then looked at Joan. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, hun.”

The pet name sent flickers of pink flames glowing on Joan’s ears. Her heart fluttered wildly inside of her chest, like a butterfly flapping its wings for the first time.

“Well--”

(the shower. the blood in the water like when she was five. her blood. girls all around her laughing, throwing things, humiliating her.)

“I was twelve, and I snuck away from home to this Christian summer camp because I wanted to make some friends,” She said. “That, of course, went south, and all the kids participated in a game where they would dunk me in the pool until I started drowning.”

Silence filled the table. Joan instantly felt guilty and lowered her head.

“Sorry…” She mumbled. “I-I shouldn’t have…”

“I’m so sorry, Joan.” Jane looked sympathetic and concerned. “That sounds awful.”

“Those kids are awful.” George corrected her. “I’m sorry, too.”

“Me too.” Anna nodded. She gently took one of Joan’s hands and squeezed it. “That’ll never happen ever again, I promise.”

Joan smiled at her. “Thank you.” She wanted to dive into Anna’s honey brown eyes and catch the reflected flames in there. She wanted to tell her and George and Jane how much this meant to her.

Suddenly, Anna’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, but kept her other hand holding Joan’s.

“Oh, it’s Kat!” She said to the other three. “She’s asking how the night is going.”

“Amazing!” George declared. “Really amazing! Isn’t this prom the GREATEST?”

Jane tipped her head at him and smiled, and Joan realized that THAT was what it looked like when someone was in love.

“It is amazing,” Jane agreed.

“Yeah,” Joan nodded.

“I’m gonna send a picture to her,” Anna said. “Come on, guys! Everyone get in!”

They all huddled together, even Joan, who got snugly sandwiched between Anna and Jane. Anna snapped a picture and then sent it to Katherine, along with a quick text telling her how things were going. By the time she finished, the music had changed into a slow, soothing song, and couples began to group together on the dance floor, including Jane and George.

“Oh--” Anna looked up with a smile. “It’s a slow song, Joan.”

Joan froze, her eyes widening. She began shaking her head, but Anna was already standing up and gently taking her hands. She pulled them back quickly.

“No, Anna, I can't--” Joan stammered nervously. She glanced at all the couples dancing, noting how smoothly they moved, and couldn’t possibly imagine herself swaying among them. She would be much too clumsy. “I’ve never danced before.”

“That’s okay,” Anna said dismissively.

“No, no, Anna--” Joan’s fear was mounting. This was where everything went wrong, this was where things got messed up, this was where her perfect night fell apart--

“Hey.” Anna knelt down in front of her. “It’s going to be okay. It’s just one little dance, and all we do is hold each other and sway. Just like everyone else is doing.”

Joan glanced at the dancers again. It didn’t look too hard…

“B-but what if--”

“Shh,” Anna carefully adjusted Joan’s flower crown so it would be straight again. “Everything is alright, Joan. Nothing bad will happen. Remember: if anyone laughs, I kick their ass.”

That got a tiny smile from Joan. Anna smiled back and lifted Joan to her feet, guiding her onto the dance floor.

“Okay, so you’re going to grab my hand like this. See?” Their right hands clasped together in the air. “And then set the other one on my shoulder.” Joan’s left hand rested on Anna’s shoulder, while Anna’s gently cupped her waist. “And then we sway…” They swayed. “See? It’s easy. You’re a natural!”

Joan smiled shyly up at Anna. She glanced around them, and realized mainly everyone was too absorbed in their partners to notice she was dancing with them.

“And...if you wanna get fancy with it…” Anna smirked. “We can do the Dancing With The Stars move.”

Joan had no idea what that was, but it still sent lightning bolts of anxiety shooting through her.

“N-no, Anna, no, I can’t--”

“Shh, shh, shh,” Anna hushed her gently. “Just trust me.” And then she stepped back slightly and spun around slowly so her arm would be draped across her torso and Joan would be pressed against her chest. Joan looked up at her with a mix between an amazed and deer-in-headlights look. “See? Easy! Wasn’t that fun?”

Joan nodded wordlessly, lost in her wonder. Her icy blue eyes were sparkling like starlight twinkling on fresh snow. Anna gently uncoiled her and they got back into position.

“You’re a good learner.” Anna told her partner.

“Thank you,” Joan whispered, ducking her head. “Can I spin you?”

Anna laughed. “Sure.”

Joan spun Anna, but ended up twisting their arms quite painfully before the full rotation could be complete, so they had to break away and come back together with unknotted muscles. They both laughed.

“Good first try!” Anna said.

Joan giggled.

A serene silence fell between the two of them as the music went on. They swayed together like a white and pink boat drifting on the quiet waves of the ocean at night. The rhythm they rocked to was conducted by years worth of longing and desire from Joan’s part, and now it was all blooming before her. Everything she’s ever wanted was happening. Friends, a fun night away from home, people who actually give a damn about her… She could feel tears of joy pricking in her eyes and she quickly blinked them back.

“Do you really have to be home by eleven?”

Anna’s voice, smooth and caring and not a bit cruel, cut though the singing playing from the large speakers set up. Joan looked up at her. It felt like she had just woken up from a nap, that the music had lulled her into sleep and she slipped away into a blissful dream. But it wasn’t a dream. This was real. The bodies rocking around her and the beautiful decorations and her perfect dress and Anna’s hand in her own--it was all real.

“Yes,” Joan said, processing what Anna had asked her. She frowned. “I’m sorry. I promised.”

“No, that’s okay!” Anna said quickly. “It’s just that after prom, a few of us were going to go to--”

“OKAY.” Joan said, pulling away and hugging her hands in close.

Anna blinked. “Um. What?”

“No, no, if you want to go off with your friends, I understand. I-I-I don’t want to spoil anything.” Joan sputtered out, feeling her heart sink back into the black abyss it had finally climbed out of for the first time in fifteen years.

“What I was going to say was,” Anna said, taking Joan’s hands again and pulling her back against her. She began to sway again. “If you’d like to, after prom, we could stop at the Blazer for awhile.”

Joan blinked. She suddenly felt embarrassed about how she had jumped to conclusions so easily, that just goes to show how much she truly trusted Anna, but Anna didn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve never been there.” She said, unsurprisingly. She didn’t go to many places.

“They have the BEST fries!” Anna stated, grinning.

“I’d love to.” Joan said.

“Then it’s decided!”

A smile was starting to come to Joan’s lips, one that felt like it would stay there for the entire night no matter how hard she tried to smother it. After years of vicious bullying and constant teasing and unfriendly looks, she suddenly found herself wrapped in attention and warmth. Anna or Jane or George didn’t hate her or were afraid of her like Mama had said at all. More than that, they seemed to actually like her. They were talking to her and being nice to her and making her laugh, and none of it seemed forced in even the slightest way. They were making her forget, for all these hours, how miserable she had been and how miserable she truly was. The pain was numbed.

For once in her life, for the first time in fifteen years, she truly felt happy.

“Thank you.” Joan whispered, breaking another few peaceful seconds of silence between them.

“What for?” Anna asked, tilting her head slightly.

“For everything.” Joan clarified. “For taking me to prom. For the limo. For being so nice to me.” The tears were coming back, but she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to blink them back this time. “I know you don’t like me like that, and I know it’s only one night, but…” She looked up at Anna, her eyes sparkling. “I’m glad I got to be your date tonight.”

“Me too.” Anna said, taking Joan by surprise.

“R-really?”

For a moment, Anna frowned at her disbelief, but then she shook her head and chuckled slightly.

“Of course,” She said. “I’m having the best time with you.”

“B-but what about Katherine--” Joan stammered, her voice catching in her throat.

“Katherine isn’t here right now,” Anna said, wiping away the tear that rolled down Joan’s left cheek. “Tonight, you’re all that matters to me. I’m going to make sure this is the best night of your life. And the nights and days and everything else after that. You aren’t alone anymore, Joan.”

That’s what broke Joan.

The girl whimpered, bottom lip quivering, and a cascade of sparkling silver tears began pouring down her face. Anna cupped the back of her head and brought it to press into the crook of her neck for security. Joan cried steadily, thanking her over and over again through squeaking sobs.

“How about this?” Anna said when Joan began to quiet down and was able to pull her head back. Her makeup was slightly smeared, but Anna still thought she looked amazing. “We dance for a little longer, see what poor fools get elected as prom king and queen, and then head to the Blazers for a bite to eat. And I’ll have you home by eleven.” She smiled warmly. “How does that sound to you?”

Joan nodded.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Joan squeaked. “Maybe eleven-thirty…”

“Whatever you want.”

“Eleven-thirty.”

Anna smiled even more. “Wonderful.”

They fell into blissful silence as the song began to wrap up. Joan’s eyes were starting to sting, but she didn’t care. She tucked her head underneath Anna’s chin and rested her head on her chest, relaxing. Anna swayed them both gently, acting as a protective barrier that Joan never wanted to be away from.

The song soon ended and the two of them parted. George and Jane bounded over to them, with George grinning his head off and tapping his feet energetically. Jane rolled her eyes at him fondly, then smiled at Joan and Anna.

“I saw you guys dancing,” She said. “You were really good for your first time! This one,” She jerked her head at George, “tripped on MY FEET and dragged me to the ground when he fell the first time we danced together.”

Anna and Joan laughed. George was not fazed by his girlfriend spilling embarrassing things about him. In fact, he seemed a little proud.

“It’s going to be funny to tell our kids one day!” He said.

“Oh, you,” Jane rolled her eyes again and poked his nose. “Oh, Joan. Your makeup smeared.”

Joan blinked and lifted a hand to her face. “Oh dear,” She murmured in dismay.

“Not to worry!” Jane waved a hand. “I have some makeup in my car. I can help you fix it.”

“Really?” Joan said. “Thank you.”

“No problem, lovely!” Jane said. She gently took Joan by the arm. “Anna, I’m going to borrow your girl for a moment. George, don’t do anything dumb.”

“Yes sir!” George beamed. When Jane and Joan whisked through the crowd and out into the parking lot, he sighed lovingly, “I love her so much…”

Anna laughed and patted his back. “I can tell!”

Meanwhile, in Jane Parker’s blue Hummer, Jane was dutifully applying fresh makeup onto Joan’s youthful face and thinking back to some of the things she overheard Anne Boleyn saying about her when she was over at the Boleyn residence to hang out with George. The young girl before her didn’t look ugly at all, despite what Anne had said, nor did she look like a freak. Her eyes may be a strange color, but they were the most beautiful shade of blue Jane had ever seen before.

Jane suspected that, deep down, Joan actually enjoyed the kind of pampering she was giving her in the car, despite the distrust in her eyes as Jane drew near with a mascara wand. Not that she needed anything more, but still. Little Miss Five Minute Skincare had obviously missed out on a lot of the girly stuff that had saturated Jane’s existence since birth.

It made sense, though. From the rumors she heard and from everything Anne griped about, she didn’t have a normal upbringing like most people should have. Something much darker lurked beneath those silly stories.

Something terrible has happened to this girl.

And, judging by the “hideous” hand-made flannels Joan apparently wore quite often to school, her mother hadn't been much of a fashion mentor either.

Once Jane had achieved the smoky eye effect she wanted, she applied some gloss to Joan’s lips. The girl had quite an amazing tone to her mouth. Pity it was drooped in a sullen pout at that moment.

Jane leaned back to admire her handwork.

“Well?” She adjusted the rear view mirror down so Joan could see her reflection. “How does it look?”

“Pretty…” Joan murmured. “But it feels like I have dirt on my face.” She pouted adorably again.

Jane laughed. “Makeup has that effect, unfortunately.” She said. “But you look lovely. Now, come on, let’s get back inside.”

They journeyed back into the prom, chatting idly as they went. Joan was smiling again, but her hands kept twitching like she wanted to rub her eyes. This was probably the first time she’s ever worn mascara, Jane realized.

“Wow,” Anna murmured breathlessly when Jane and Joan got back to their table. Even George looked a little starstruck at the newer, better makeup applied to Joan’s face.

“Do I look alright?” Joan asked shyly.

“Better than alright!” George said.

“You look beautiful.” Anna added. “Gorgeous.”

Joan blushed bright red. “I’m glad.” She said. “Because this black stuff is making my eyes sticky. And itchy.”

“That’s mascara, sweetheart.” Jane corrected her.

“It’s AWFUL.” Joan said. “Do girls wearing makeup always have to feel this? How do they do that? I’d rather pluck all my eyelashes out!”

Jane, Anna, and George laugh. After a moment, Joan joined them, giggling.

“I’m going to go grab a drink,” Anna said, parting from the group and going over to the bufett temples.

“Excuse me?”

Anna spun around and found herself facing a young woman, maybe a Year 12 or Year 13, with tassels of red hair and striking smoky grey eyes. Her dress was scarlet, accenting her hair perfectly.

“Sorry,” She said, smiling slightly, “I just had to ask before I made a fool of myself. Are you two a couple?” She nodded in Joan’s direction.

“What? No!” Anna barked. The laugh came out more harshly-sounding than she meant, making her instantly guilty. But she was right- she wouldn’t date Joan. She was too young for one, and for another, she was already with Katherine.

The redhead was devouring Joan as the girl giggled over something George was saying, effortlessly adorable.

“No, we’re not a couple,” Anna found herself repeating as the redhead purred her appreciation. “But Joan” Anna couldn't resist. She really wanted Joan to open up to new people. “…Joan’s a total stud.”

God, that felt a lot weirder to say than she expected. She did NOT like that.

“Really?” The redhead’s gaze shot to Anna’s face and then back to her object of attraction. “Joan?” She teased the name with her tongue. “God, she's cute. Do you think I have a chance?”

Anna shrugged and sipped her drink to stifle a giggle. To be honest, she didn’t actually know. She had never ever seen Joan with anyone romantically before, making her believe she was a raging asexual or mother-superior-in-training.

The reality was that Joan was left tongue-tied by male and female nudity alike. Two years into high school gym, and Anne would say she STILL averted her eyes when changing out with other girls in the locker room. She was just hopelessly shy when it came to all matters sex-related.

“She may play hard-to-get.” Anna finally said.

“Ah,” The redhead nodded slowly. She chuckled. “Thank you.” Then, like that, she glided back off into the mass of writhing limbs that was the prom. Anna respectfully waited ten seconds after she left to snort her laughter.

“You’ve got some fans, Jo,” She said, walking back over her friends.

“What?” Joan blinked up at her innocently.

“I think someone has a crush on you.”

Joan’s face flamed red instantly. She stammered on a reply, but all her words came out squeaking.

“O-oh.” She choked. “Nice?”

Anna chuckled and patted her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it was nothing. And you can always say no.”

Joan nodded. A second later, the music switched to an upbeat Lady Gaga song. George began to bound excitedly.

“Oh, I LOVE this song!!” He yelled. “Let’s dance!”

Anna glanced at Joan, who appeared to be a little more confident at dancing. They all moved to an emptier spot on the dance floor and began to dance.

“Come on, Joan!” Jane encouraged, noticing that Joan was just bobbing her head to the beat of the song. “Shake that bony white ass!”

Joan was flabbergasted at that, but was motivated to get a little more into the song. Anna, Jane, and George all clapped and cheered for her as she did so.

Unbeknownst to them, Maggie watched on with Bessie at her side. Bessie’s amethyst purple dress went with her bleached white hair surprisingly well, but Maggie wasn’t sure if that was intentional or not, seeing as Bessie’s head was filled with quite a few moths. Anthony was somewhere in the crowd near the food temples, lost in the cluster of black tuxedos so much like his own, fetching drinks like Maggie had asked.

“God, just look at them.” Maggie sneered in disgust, watching Joan dance like an idiot and Anna, Anne’s younger brother, and Anne’s younger brother’s girlfriend actually make it seem like they liked her. “Couldn’t you just vomit?”

“I can’t believe Anne is missing this.” Bessie said, wide-eyed. Maggie definitely saw flickers of longing and jealousy in her dark brown eyes; she wasn’t exactly very subtle with her big gay crush on Anna von Cleves.

“Trust me, doll,” Maggie said dismissively. She shot a smirk at the stage. “She isn’t missing a thing.”

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