Lexine managed to ignore the three for at least half of the day. It did, however, feel like they were stalking her. They were in all her classes and even the same free period she had with Ceeret before lunch (she saw them in the school library). All this while she successfully pretended not to see them. They were here for her. To take her to that school. What drastic measures were they speaking of? Were they going to drug and kidnap her? She shook her head at the thought. As long as she stayed in crowds and had Ceeret most of the time, she would be fine.
The bell for lunch rang and she and Ceeret returned their books to their respective shelves. on the corner of her eye, Lexine noticed the three guys getting up as well. They had not touched even one book the entire time.
They just hunched over the library table, whispering furiously to each other. The one with gray hair mostly listened to what the other two were saying. (Not that Lexine was looking at them or anything). Why would they even be in a library if they were not going to read a book the whole period? Bufoons.
Lexine ignored them and followed Ceeret out of the library. She was not going to give herself a migraine thinking about people she did not even know. Ceeret snapped a finger in front of her face snapping her out of her trance. She frowned, "What?"
"You are being grumpier than usual. Did your mother kill someone and make you help dispose of the body? Or did she make you do the killing to keep her hands from being dirty?"
Lexine sighed and shook her head at Ceeret's antics, "Why do you always think the worst of my mother Cee? At first, if someone looks at you you seem like a sweet girl you know. But then, in reality, you are the devil's incarnate," she slapped the back of her head, "spewing these claims. You know what. It was more than one body. Is your filthy little mind happy now?"
Ceeret pouted, "You are being sarcastic right." this made Lexine frown even harder. "I am sorry Lex. Turn that frown upside down. It's not my fault your mother's height terrifies me. She literally towers over me and does not smile much, just like you." Ceeret pulled on Lexine's arm. She suddenly felt bad for her words. She was somewhat sometimes inconsiderate of Lexine's feelings and that was due to the fact that Lexine showed little to no emotion most of the time. The times she did, she was just so childish that Ceeret almost had a whiplash seeing the two different sides to Lexine. "Sorry, Lex," she said.
Lexine sighed, "Not another bad word against my mother."
Ceeret made a motion of zipping up her mouth and throwing away the key. Lexine's heart warmed at that. Of all the incorrigible characters that Ceeret had, she was a good friend. At least she could give her that.
They walked to the cafeteria and sat at their usual spot. During the beginning of high school, Ceeret tended to sit with her fellow cheerleading squad. After a few months, the conversations grew dull. She had no interest in the different types of nail polish or which color looked great on her tanned skin. Most of all, she hated whenever her lunch was filled with people sucking each other's faces off at their table.
From then on, it was Lexret against the world (as Ceeret always liked to put it.) Lexine pulled out her sandwich from her backpack and looked up at Ceeret munching away at a hamburger quite messily.
"I still can't believe you are a cheerleader. I mean... look at the way you eat." she gestured at the sauce around Ceeret's mouth, all over her fingers, and the one that had dripped on her shirt. That was sure to leave a stain. "You, my friend, are disgusting."
Ceeret shrugged and wiped her hands on a serviette. "If a burger is good, It's good. And since the topic has come up, what is up with you and the boys who I brought to the office today."
Lexine rolled her eyes, "The topic had not come up."
"Well, I brought it up and I have already asked the question, so spill." The look in her eyes said that she was just about to lie, "And do not even dare lie to me Lexine or so help me I will give Wilbert your phone number."
Lexine cringed at the memory of Ceeret's cousin. He was short, round as a ball, and had a smell that Lexine was sure belonged to the nineteenth century. For some weird reason, he had developed a crush on Lexine.
Whenever he visited Ceeret, he would take every chance there was to give her some wilted flowers, a dead bird, and even once, some feathers as gifts. He was very much peculiar. Lexine never visited the Adler Manor whenever he was around.
She bit into her sandwich and rested her head upon her left palm as she chewed. If she told Ceeret then she would berate her on the passing of this 'incredible' chance to go to a good school, furthermore an Elite school.
Ceeret cocked a brow at her, "Well...? I am waiting Lex." Then again, having Ceeret knowing something could come in handy if those guys decided to do something bad to her. Her head spun at the thought. This made her tell Ceeret everything that had happened. From the letter to the wardrobe and her refusal to join the school. At the end of the story, Ceeret sat quietly and Lexine poked her to get her attention. Ceeret hit her with her backpack.
"What the hell is wrong with you bitch?" she hit her continuously with her backpack.
"Says the halfwit hitting me with a bag with a fucking heavy history book in it." people were beginning to look at the two of them.
"Shush. I am trying to hit all the stupid out of you." Ceeret said and continued her assault on her friend for a few more seconds. When she sat back, Lexine frowned at her. Her arms hurt from protecting her face from the 'monster' and she was sure there was a bruise on her left cheek. "Now tell me the real reason you do not want to go to that school. I remember when we were freshmen that's all you talked about. Getting into a better school and all that. Why then don't you want to go"
Lexine shot her a harsh look but Ceeret did not even flinch already used to the glares that Lexine threw at her. "That does not work on me and you know it. Now spill."
"Some of us grew up Cee."
"Oh don't give me that load of bull. I am not your mother."
Lexine's heart clenched at that. Ceeret was another who always seemed to see past her lies. Of course, her mother could detect whenever she lied, but Ceeret could always seem to sense when she was in distress. "Fine." she sighed and ran a hand down her face, "I don't want to leave my mother alone. I mean, dad already left us, I do not want to leave her too. I do not have a sibling that can stay with her if I leave, you know."
Ceeret nodded grimly. To other people, Lexine was a sort of a cold friendly person, always ready to help but not willing to become close friends. To people Lexine hated, she was a terrible person and they could not stand being around her.
The moment the two friends were having was cut short when the school bell rang. A frown graced Ceeret's face and she flipped her red hair behind her before standing. "Let's go to class now. We don't want to be late." Lexine nodded and slung her bag over her back and they went to their class.
Ceeret looked back at her, "And for the record, I think your mom would prefer if you went to the school if it would mean you got a better future."
****
S/T:
Ceeret: (Hits Lexine using her text book.)
Lexine: Ouch! What was that for.
Ceeret: (shrugs) I wasn't done hitting all the stupid out of you