Harridan

Kieran stood in front of Magnolia, sitting on the sofa, smoking. Smoking was Magnolia's tell; she only did it when she knew she did something wrong. Kieran was heavy with the ordour of sweating in soccer practice - and didn't trust the school showers - and immediately picked up on the shift in the air. "Rie, we need to talk," she began. Magnolia's laptop that was on her lap was moved to the coffee table, along with her cigarette to the ashtray. "It's about the cottage." Kieran's lips parted as she undid her ponytail. "I sold it."

Kieran furrowed her eyebrows whilst combing her hair to neaten it. Magnolia sighed then picked up her cigarette and took a few long puffs on it. Kieran watched the cigarette smoke disperse about their living room. Hearing those words didn't register at first, but Kieran's expressive, heart-shaped face slowly... tediously... contorted. Magnolia stood up and her curvy figure was revealed under those jeans. Kieran took heavy, measured steps away from the glass coffee table.

Please say something, Magnolia gestured. "Anything. I want to know how you feel." Kieran's chest heaved a deep breath and a jagged exhale came afterward. "Something, Kieran! Anything!"

"I-I hate you," Kieran asked more than stated. Her dark eyes looked from the burning cigarette up to Magnolia's appalled mug. "H-how could you d-do--" Kieran began panting, looking around chaotically. The walls darkened and the lighting throughout the house tinted. "My entire life was in there," she breathed softly.

"No, it wasn't! I was the one who took care of you! I birthed you when your father wanted an abortion! I fed you! I clothed you!"

"Congratulations," Kieran countered coolly. "You know the basics of parenting."

"What is the matter with you!" Magnolia's fair face was starting to burn a bright red. "As cold as lard! Speech therapy, musical therapy, Sign Language lessons, special-needs schooling, and nothing!" She stepped right up to her daughter, glowering her eye-to-eye. "Find some anger, o-or some pain, but fucking find something!"

"I can't," Kieran replied weakly. Tears burnt her eyes as they looked over the blackening room. "Please stop."

"Look at me! Give me something!" Kieran fought back her tears as she shook her head. Magnola gripped her jaws, forcing Kieran's face to point right at her own. "You can't hide behind that snark forever, now show me what's lurking in there!"

"Ma, s-stop..."

"Emote, you fucking brick!" Magnolia started crying but never teared her face away. "I can't go on believing you feel this way towards me."

Kieran swallowed hard feeling her strain slipping on the shadows that darkened their home. "You want a pity party? Is that it? What do you want to mope about first?"

"Kieran! Stop doing this! You're crying over a fucking building. That's more than I've ever gotten from you." Kieran shook her head albeit muffled from the firm hold. "Give a frown. Cry for me. Scream. I'm your only family. Doesn't that piss you off!"

"You're not family; you're a biological inconvenience!"

Kieran gasped and coved her mouth. It was too late! The shadows seeped into the walls through the socket. The blast demolished walls! Mother and daughter were blown to opposite sides. Kieran bashed her head against the stone fireplace and fell to the ground. Magnolia banged into the wall and hit the glass table where Doreen's urn fell and splattered too. The smoke alarm's blare was soft underneath the raging fire's roar.

A weak groan came from Magnolia as she sat up, cupping her forehead. She blinked off her tears from the ash and cinders, shifting on the hot carpet. The rafters creaked before giving away, making her screech. On the other side of the singeing frame was the motionless Kieran. Magnolia coughed lung-fulls of smoke as she scampered across their living room. The carpet was piping hot and charring to a blackened crisp. Her arms seared against the ground when she leopard crawled towards the front door. Huffing and puffing, she pushed herself out the door. She looked back inside, seeing Kieran, then sprinted.

Inside, Kieran moaned and rolled over. Looking around, she found herself surrounded in fire. She let out a series of coughs before sitting up. She blinked off the daze and took in the shadows running rampant along the walls and ceiling. "M-ma...?" Kieran groaned, trying to stand. She staggered into the wall then jumped from the blistering heat. Kieran started panting, looking around. "Ma!"

Kieran held out her hands, drawing the shadows towards her. She grunted her strain to pull it in. The wispy darkness absorbed clean into her. She started crying when her teary vision cleared up enough to see the living room was empty. More of the roofing's frame crashed into the living room, demolishing the coffee table. Jumping back, she fell back onto the soldering floor. Coughing from her sharp gasp, she hunched over.

"Gran, please help me," she mumbled.

She cupped her ribs that landed on the hot ground. Kieran's eyes looked around, coughing more persistently. She caved onto her knees, looking for an exit. Her mind ran through memories of Doreen walking her through her capabilities, from her days with her speech delay, to her early days of high school. All the while unable to slow her coughing fit. Kieran closed her eyes, feeling her body give in.

The next thing Kieran knew, a firefighter was dragging her out the front door. She pushed herself out of his arms then fell to her knees. The firefighter helped her to the ambulance and its oxygen supply. Magnolia was with another firefighter, watching them hose down the construct, completely unfazed. The high schooler balled a fist. In response, the darkness around Magnolia and the firefighter morphed into tentacles, slithering for them. Wide-eyed, Kieran started taking deep breaths to calm down. The tentacles swiftly dissolved.

Magnolia was humming to herself as she strolled down the hallway. She let herself into Kieran's room to find Blaine giggling while rummaging through the closet. Kieran was at the flip-top vanity with her detangler spray and matching brush. "So," she sang, letting herself in, "where're you girls going? What are you doing? Who're you going with?"

Kieran didn't bother to shake her head and continued working her unruly hair. Blaine held up a red studded leather jacket with a hum. "Just dinner with my parents," she stated. "We won't be out too late."

Magnolia arched an eyebrow, but Blaine went back to paging through the closet. Magnolia looked to Kieran for support. Kieran didn't slow from tending to her hair. Magnolia coolly backed out of the room, leaving the door wide open. Kieran rolled her eyes, at last, as she moved to half slam it closed. She looked to Blaine expectantly. "This's ridiculous," she mumbled, gesturing to what she wore and her free hand tugging at the bustier crop top, revealing her illicit navel piercing.

"You look fine," Blaine countered. "Although would it kill you to wear your hair up?"

"Let's not find out."

Blaine rolled her wide, green eyes then returned the jacket to the rack. "Hm," she hummed then continued scanning over the contents in front of her. "This one," she decided and handed Kieran a satin baseball jacket with an eastern dragon on the back.

"That's not on the nose at all."

Blaine clicked her tongue at Kieran. "I'm sure Logan will appreciate it as a bonus, but Chinese dragons symbolise good fortune. God above knows you need all the luck you can get with your Carrie White-Hell spawn hybrid ass," she concluded then tossed the jacket to Kieran. Thereafter, she bounced out the room.

Kieran swallowed hard as she covered up her piercing. Before leaving, she took one last look at her eyes in her mirror. "Hell spawn is accurate." There was no sign that her eyes will go perfectly black with no whites at all. That was no comfort. Defeat followed out of her room and into the ever-present lavender in the house.

She buttoned the jacket up enough to hide her piercing, but not enough to hide the studs on her black bustier crop top. Magnolia shot her a warning glance as Blaine fell instep with her. James nodded awkwardly at them but Kieran's eyes focused on the door. Right beyond was the round-a-bout driveway and Blaine's cutesy sunshine yellow Fiat 500. The two exited the lavender-heavy mansion for the car. Kieran stripped of the jacket as they cruised off - palms sweaty, heart starting to race. She peeled down the visor to keep tabs on her kaleidoscopic eyes.

Blaine's driving was as untamed as Kieran's hair; well above the speed limit she motored and took easily turns sharply. Kieran was used to it, since she taught Blaine to drive. Having the chief of police for a father also came in handy when getting out of tickets. Kieran looked over at Blaine with her blondish-brown hair pushed behind her ears and tied in a low ponytail. The two girls swayed and leaned from her harsh driving, right through town.

Kieran swallowed hard when the yellow number pulled into the parking area of Mad & Milky. Blaine was grinning like the Chesire Cate under that shocking pink lipstick and turned her beam on Kieran's heaving chest. "You're a failed abortion and I wouldn't have it any other way, Kieran Arclight." The abrupt comment made Kieran scoff a weak chuckle. "In the immortal words of the iconic Wednesday Addams, 'if he breaks your heart, I'll nail gun his'."

Still Kieran shook her head. "I can't believe we're doing this."

"Oh, come on! It's a date, not an orgy. Although..." Blaine purred. Even narrowing her eyes seductively, they were huge! Under the humour on her full cheeks, Blaine had a glimmer of rue as Kieran joined her side.

She linked her index finger with Kieran's as they went into the establishment where ice cream was on tap and the burgers were killer! A single cherry red wall among the other white ones were telling enough of that, especially with the white writing on it reading: Cheaper than Therapy! The most impressive feature, though, was the cupcake conveyor belt! Serving creations just as outrageous as the milkshakes. The joint's name - most believe - was well earned!

Donnie and Logan were already sitting at one of the leather booths, away from the conveyor belt, sniggering at each other until the girls joined them. Effortlessly, Blaine leaned in and kissed Donovan on the cheek. Kieran, meanwhile, slid into the other side of the booth, barley looking at Logan in front of her. "What are you two laughing at now," Blaine pressed as she sat next to Kieran. "NBA trivia?"

"You know we talk about other stuff too, right?"

"Really? Enlighten me, then, what that was about," Blaine directed to her boyfriend.

Donnie looked down to his phone in his lap. "Shaq memes," he admitted.

"Boys," Blaine jeered. Logan small smile at Kieran in front of him and she gave a weak smirk. Blaine poked her in the thigh at noticing. "Anyway," she purred, shamelessly looking to Kieran. "Rie and I were just talking about their new chicken, waffle and bacon milkshake."

"Gross," Kieran stated.

"Agreed," Logan added.

"Give me the mini waffles any day," Donnie said.

"You guys suck!"

"Not as bad as your taste buds," Donnie replied. Blaine shook her head at him with her lips pulled aside. "Babe, last week you ate a butter chicken roti with berries in it." Logan cringed in disgust. "Before that, it was my mom's linguini and red velvet cupcakes."

"That doesn't that bad, actually," Logan pointed out.

"She was going back and forth between them."

"It's a girl thing!"

"It's not," Kieran voiced.

"What do you know? You're 5% girl, 99% the Omen."

"You clearly don't value your life," Donnie chorused. "No offense, Rie." Kieran only did a double take at him. A bushy eyebrow arched subtly at him, but it was enough to notice. "Wha-what?"

"Only designated people call her that."

"O-oh. Sorry, I--"

Kieran shrugged. "I don't mind," she said softly.

"You don't," Blaine voiced then looked back to Donnie. "Did you bribe her, or something?"

"Two copies of the latest Spirit + Synergy, and coupons to the Bad Girl Bible stall at ComicCon," Kieran joked. Her dark eyes shifted back to the basketball player. "Rie is fine."

"I love Spirit + Synergy," Logan commented. "Who's your bind?"

Kieran's eyes flickered wider at him. "Alternate Supreme Jacinth."

"Mine's Shadow Demon Number 4." Logan took her in smugly. "Number 4 and Number 6 almost killed Jacinth!"

"Number 4 didn't know she was a Shadow Demon or an umbramancer until Number 6 was murdered."

"Please make it stop," Blaine pleaded. "I don't know what you're talking about, I just know it's making my brain bleed!"

"Spirit + Synergy is the ultimate in sci-fi/fantasy graphic novelization," Logan began eagerly. "It's Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball Z, Multiverse of Madness, Warcraft and Dr. Who wrapped into one thing. The lore is amazing, the art is out of this world, and I'll give credit where it's due, Alternate Supreme Jacinth is epic."

"She better be is she re-started reality on a dare," Donnie argued.

"Small point: who's the main character here?"

"Alister Beyond, he's a star charter who-"

"Ohmygod," Blaine exclaimed to Logan. "I'm sorry I asked." She flipped open her menu and began skimming the items. "And I thought your Bad Girl Bible obsession was odd," she directed to Kieran.

It was Donnie's turn to ask, "what's Bad Girl Bible?"

Blaine gave another Cheshire Cat grin as she sized up Kieran's modesty form next to her. "Think Vogue and borderline lesbian Playboy, but goth, emo, grunge, with just a hint of Sports Illustrated and Top Gear." Kieran rolled her eyes, making Blaine chuckle. "And who reads physical magazines in this day and age?"

Before Kieran could counter their waitress, Janine - a grade eleven at New Bristol High - came up to them in the Mad & Milky uniform. Despite how topsy-turvy the menu and interior were, the uniform was a sharp departure yet worked well. A white food service shirt with black pants and a cherry red waist apron. The crazy items on the menu were hurriedly skimmed over before being ordered. Janine wondered off elsewhere, leaving the table in quiet.

Logan shifted slightly and combed his spiky hair aside, earning Kieran's dark eyes. Shoulder length hair, little no-dimple smile and an odd scrawny build. His status on the basketball team was showcased by that towering height. Kieran laced her fingers on her leather skirt, looking at her fingers not giving any sign of her capabilities manifesting. Apart from her nails always shaped like claws and always black, even though she never wore nail polish. That started, one day, at the cottage. Just seeing Doreen using her blue fire on a cockroach scurrying across the floor made Kieran's fingernails dye themselves black. An apparel they never shed since.

"S-so," Logan stammered. "How did you guys become friends?"

Blaine gave a heart chuckle as Janine set a peanut butter, banana and bacon milkshake in front of her. "Hoo, this was hilarious! Sad, but hilarious," she replied. "So," Blaine went on, looking at Kieran shrivel in the booth. "Grade three, halfway through the semester, Ms. Blake announces we have a new student. This chick walks in, and you could see she was crying. Like in the literal sense of cry me a river."

"Wait, what," Donnie asked.

"To this day, I still don't know. I just assumed it was because she was nervous," Blaine stated. "For a whole week, she said nothing! Absolutely nothing. To anyone! And Katherine Harto would not stop telling people she was a retard. Also," the student body president deflected, "I completely forgot her name after Ms. Blake told us. But! One day, I found her crying in the library. This chick was talking to our librarian in Sign Language. I asked Mr. Godfrey if we had any books on Sign Language and he actually helped me learn. The one day I sign what's your name? Bear in mind, I had only been doing this for, like, a day. I recognised the letter K when she signed it, but that was it."

Kieran, shifting awkwardly in her seat, took a long, long sip of the cherries in port milkshake in front of her with Logan looking between them. "You learned Sign Language for her?"

"Yeah," Blaine said as if it were nothing. "I felt bad for her; everyday she would vanish and then re-appear out of nowhere, and nobody knew where she went. During reading time, we were signing across the room, and she told me Katherine and her little plastics were making fun of her because she had a boy's name. And what do we know about nine-year-old Blaine Sulkin?"

"You were a little terrorist," Donnie commented.

"I hated when people, Katherine especially, made fun of my name and-- wait, was that sentence correct?" Donnie and Logan only looked to each other, thinking. "Anyway," Blaine sighed. "Rie and I became friends because we both have boy names," she finally answered. "I was also a little chubby bunny so, in retaliation, I sat on Katherine's chest until Ms. Blake intervened."

"I mean, you guys are a really an odd pairing," Logan said. "Until Wednesday came out, it was weird seeing you guys together."

"Most girl duos are like this, I guarantee it. Some are just more subtle about it, but Rie and I are two extremes that just work. Also, did you just call me Wednesday Addams," Blaine hissed.

Logan looked between Blaine and her bright blue dress and the huge, glitter pink bow in her hair, and Kieran's deep-set scowl that was worsened by the thick line of eye pencil on her under eye. Logan stammered as he continued looking between them. Donnie rested his folded arms on the table.

"They're messing with you," he stated and Logan relaxed.

"Bold of you to assume Kieran has a sense of humour," Blaine stated. Kieran's expression didn't lighten up as she turned her dark eyes on Blaine. "The heinous thoughts she's having."

"Guys," Donnie jeered with a smirk. Kieran looked back at her deep red milkshake, giving the faintest glimmer of a smirk. Blaine nudged her shoulder into Kieran's, giggling. "Now what's the big announcement," he pressed with a mouthful of mini waffles.

"Oh yeah!" Blaine lightly pushed her peanut butter, banana, and bacon milkshake slightly away from her and pulled Kieran's towards her to take a sip. "Mayor Heathcoat is having a father-daughter dance. I thought you'd want to take Macy, and I thought Rie would like to come with my dad and I... again."

"Me and Macy slow dancing to Dance with My Father Again? Really?"

"You take you sister to father-daughter dances?"

"I think it's adorable," Blaine commented. "So, ignore Logan." Logan shook his head then took a mouthful of his lemon meringue milkshake. Donnie gave a small smile to her. "The theme is dynamic duos, but I was thinking we could do the three musketeers, or Alvin and the Chipmunks," Blaine went on.

"Oh God," Donnie exclaimed. "I just introduced her to the Emperor's New School. Macy's going to make me dress as the Kuzco to her Yzma."

"Hm, reminds me of Halloween; I was a Luvabull and he was Nikola Vucevic." Donnie blinked at her surprised. "What? Surprised that I actually take an interest in the Chicago Bulls?"

"Basketball in general."

"Well, you like it so of course I took an interest in it. Just don't ask me about stats. I'm still trying to figure soccer stats for Rie." Rie stirred her milkshake before taking a small sip. "Besides, you put up with my presidential duties; it's all about balance."

Donnie squeezed her hand with that awe-struck admiration Kieran saw him often wear. It always made Blaine grin uncontrollably. Sometimes, like she did there, she would blush so much, her emerald eyes weren't just pronounced; sometimes they looked ready to pop out of her head. Her blonde-brown hair pulled into a bun with her pink bow only put more emphasis on how madly in love she was.

That teeth-baring grin only glowed in comparison to Kieran's steady sips of her deep red cherries in port milkshake. Blaine's dreamy green eyes drifted onto her counterpart and she was snapped from her daze. She looked between Kieran and Logan then back at Donnie. "Hey, let's go have a smoke?" Not at all subtly she gestured to Kieran.

Wordlessly he led her out of Mad & Milky's front doors, leaving Logan and Kieran behind. Logan sighed then looked to Kieran. "Blaine says that you-you like, er, pineapple on your pizza." Kieran continued to stir her milkshake but her eyes darted out the window to Donnie's car, where he and Blaine were smoking. No doubt it was Donnie's stash of clove cigarettes. "That was stupid," Logan voiced. "Sorry. It's just that you're so..." Kieran's dark eyes slithered back onto him. "I don't know what to say, 'cause you're kind of..." he sucked in a nervous breath "... mean." Kieran let of a soft, dejected exhale then laced her fingers around her milkshake.

"I'm not as mean as I could be, and I wish people appreciated that more."

Logan gave a humoured scoff at that. He started stirring his milkshake too, but his was served with a long spoon for meringue it was served with, in place of cream. Kieran noticed the small smirk reveal more admiration on the Taiwanese student's expression. She looked back at her milkshake, then across the establishment to the cupcake conveyor belt. Red velvet; lemon cream; vanilla; chocolate; blueberry aligned with more innovative flavours like: mixed spice; chocolate and jalapeño; and chicken and waffle.

She felt Logan's eyes on her, taking in the jaded, crestfallen resting face that made most people steer clear of her. The thick eyebrows that paired well with the long, abyssal curls. "Can I ask you a personal question?" Kieran's thick eyebrow flicked upwards very briefly. Her equally noir eyes focused back on him. "Sign Language? What was that--"

"We're not getting into it," Kieran hissed softly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Kieran sipped her milkshake again, stealing a glimpse at Blaine and Donnie in their back and forth with the cigarette. Again, a caterpillar brow arched. "Have you ever done that?"

"What? Smoke?" Kieran looked back at him. "Yeah, a couple of times." He watched her faint fascination with the basketball captain and the student body president. "You've never done it?" She shook her head in spite of herself. Logan sniggered, earning blood-curdling, seething eye from Kieran. "So, have you never vaped, o-or had alcohol or... anything?"

"I'm not a nun."

Logan gave a nod of impress then watched her look down at her skirt, making the thicket of curls fall off her shoulders and trail down to her ribs. "You have really nice hair." The forced, weak smile was telling. "May I," he asked, holding his hand out.

"Do you value what's left of your life?"

Logan desisted but had a growing smile of his sharp, narrow face. "You're not really into this, are you?"

"I'm sorry," Kieran answered in a whisper after she shook her head.

"Yeah, well, Donnie and Blaine twisted my arm too." Kieran looked out the window to see Blaine and Donnie done with their cigarette and now just laughing with their arms wrapped around each other fixedly. "It's like those two were genetically modified to find each other," Logan commented. "He's always at her meetings, charity stuff, bake sales. And every basketball game, archery tournament; she's just always by his side. You know, the team actually calls her 'SOL' because he's at his best whenever she's there?" Kieran tilted her head at him. "Source of Luck."

"Hm," Kieran replied. "In a decade, those two will have a saint-like horde of mini-me's, in one of those white-wall-red-door-tree-swing townhouses on Calloway Street, working white-collar jobs and the envy of the PTA and Homeowners Association."

"What about you," Logan pressed. "Where will you be?"

"Living off the land, among the fae in the woods as a folklore." Logan gave a curt, forced chuckle. "And I'll be a wise-cracking, discontented aunty on weekends."

Logan started laughing at her. Kieran gave a small smile in reply. Blaine purred suggestively as she slumped into her seat next to Kieran. She tossed an arm over Kieran and slid closer to her. The smell of the clove-scented cigarette they were smoking filled Kieran's nostrils. Donnie slid back into his seat too, resuming his plate of mini waffles. Blaine snatched a waffle from him then turned her attention to Kieran and Logan softly ogling each other. Blaine only smirked Donnie.

In the brief quiet of the booth, Kieran’s phone rang. “Of course,” she sighed. “Magnolia?” Her mother was fuming! Blaine looked passed her seat, hearing the yelling on the other end. “N-no, no. Blaine and I, we...” Magnolia didn't slow on the yelling exchange. Donnie and Logan could only watch as Kieran turned away from them and Blaine as a shadow cast over her. “Fine.” She sighed then dropped her phone back into her bag.

“She found out?” Kieran nodded. “How,” Blaine pressed.

“She and Bruce Wayne 'coincidentally' decided to have dinner at the Belvoire too. Someone told them that they never saw us come in, or the chief.”

"Your mother's a bitch," Blaine jeered then started packing her purse, growing angry.

"A chief of police for a father is kind of a giveaway too," Donnie argued. The two glowered at him. He looked between them and swallowed his mouthful of waffle, cream and sprinkles. Kieran downed the last of her milkshake then prep to leave. "Don't worry," Donnie cut in, seeing them reach for their purses. "Go. I got this."

Blaine and Kieran slid out. Blaine kissed Donnie on the top of his caramel-coloured hair. "Love you," she concluded.

"Bye," Kieran breathed to Logan. He gave a smile and an awkward wave.

She sighed followed Blaine out of Mad & Milky and back into her yellow car. Kieran sighed then leaned her head into the headboard. "Whore," Blaine hissed abruptly as her reckless driving heightened from her fowl mood. "Look at you, making fuck-me-eyes in public, you lil skank."

"Blaine..."

"Don't apologise," she began more calmly. "You had fun, and I got you out of your comfort zone. Mission accomplished," she added. Kieran gave a small smile. "What were you and General Shang talking about?"

"Twin graves for you and Prince Charming for this hoax."

"Hm. Bury me in yellow at least. And flowers! Lots and lots of flowers." Kieran shut her eyes breathing out her defeat. "Promise me, if I die first, you'll make absolutely sure they don't bury me somewhere unimaginative, like a graveyard."

"You want a backyard with a porch built over, where nobody can find you?"

"Actually, I was hoping somewhere near the cottage so I can haunt your lonely witch ass," Blaine countered. Kieran looked to see those wide green eyes focused on the road. "With a memorial tree. A yellow wisteria," Blaine answered seriously. Kieran's lips parted while Blaine didn't look away from the road. "Too soon?"

"You're being serious," Kieran said.

"I promise I'm not dying, I just--" Blaine sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to watch the people I care about walking through some grey, depressing graveyard to say 'hi' to my maggot-infested skeleton buried in some expensive wooden box people are only going to see at my funeral. Bury among those trees you love so much, Rie. That way, I'll be close to you and Ms. Doreen." Kieran bit her lower lip as they pulled up to the Georgian mansion. "That was fucking grim," Blaine deflected. "And now you have your CCTV of a mother to deal with."

Kieran looked over the front of the house, pouting her dejection before putting her jacket back on. As she stepped out, she buttoned up her jacket. The yellow Fiat sounded its horn Blaine took off. Kieran let herself into the lavender fragrance. Beyond the grey door, stood a reddened Magnolia with her hands firmly planted in her hips. Kieran was caught in a Mexican stand-off with Magnolia. James cleared his throat, leaning against the wall.

"Your grounded." Kieran dug out her phone and set it on the table next to the coat hanger. She continued for the stairs. Magnolia grabbed the jacket, ripping it open, revealing the piercing. Magnolia gasped. "I-is that?" She shook her head then raised her hands. "I give up," she confessed weakly.

"Fucking finally," Kieran commented.

Kieran made up the stairs, against Magnolia's defeated sigh. "You and James are going to the mayor's father-daughter dance." Kieran's soft stomping didn't cease. "It's not up for negotiation!"

Kieran closed her door and combed her hair behind her ears and leaned her head against the grey door. Taking in the bedroom. Grey walls and matching carpet that separated by white skirting. A light grey bedspread, with a darker grey headboard, and the blush pillows and the blanket. On the blanket laid across the foot of the bed, laid a folded paper. Kieran arched an eyebrow as she opened the handwritten message:

I thought you'd be feeling down. I hope this will make you smile; the fuel line was loose on your bike. I took it to the shop and the mechanics found a few more issues (slightly flat front tyre, throttle response, and they charged your battery a while). Don't worry, it's on me. Please smile. You look beautiful when you smile. I'll love you forever, until it hurts.

The scary thing was, it wasn't a handwriting she recognised.