"I'm never going to talk to you again." Sal grunted in regret, unable to forgo divulging such humiliations she had as a dancer and now this aurum is never going to let her live it down.
"I'm only teasing you" June cackles, pinky twirling in an 'x' motion, repeating 'wrong' to let the other continue dying in embarrassment.
"highly unlikely, I feel threatened."
Why did she even agree to '20 questions'? June gave no mercy even if all Sal asked were 'favorite color, pet' and the like.
"Okay I'll be nice with the last one, What was the call about?" She asks, face dark and expectant, a teenager waiting for gossip. She lent her phone just a few minutes earlier and the hollow left the cafeteria with the excuse of 'it's too noisy' when in fact there was only music playing.
To Sal this was no gossip, this was something serious, life-risking and she would never put Cerise's on the line just for some stupid get-to-know-you. "I'm afraid that is too personal" She shrugs, hoping that the aurum would understand and she's glad when she does.
She thinks of another question and she hopes- really hopes for no more weird guesses "How do fireflies poop?" Again Sal is swallowed up by the ground with a groan, a series of hideous laughs emit from the goddess-like figure which disturbs the sleeping Wendy.
Unlike June who was easy-going and weird, Wendy was hostile despite her cute face and the hollow is nervously flapping her little wings as the other stirs awake. "Good afternoon bum, you've got a call" The aurum holds up her shoe, soon bursting like a dam when Wendy takes it, holds it beside her ear and greets "Hello?"
The victim isn't fazed and Sal is still waiting for anything else before she takes the attention again. "Guess what?" Again, June starts, giddy in her seat as she directs the camera straight to the hollow's face.
"I'm not drunk enough to hear the news, just shh-"
"Sal is joining us."
Her eyes snaps toward the phone, glowering at Sal through the radiation of the screen. 'it's eyes are sharp but it looks ridiculous' She thinks to herself, visualizing the hollow as a fly. "What exactly do you mean?"
"Velvet is equal to three" The given information disseminates in her brain, taking one out and placing another piece in which formulates the perfect brew of anger, betrayal and such. Both are quiet, their silence too loud to bare as they await her response, having different types of anticipation on their head for the reaction.
On the other hand, Wendy had a lot of questions. She's exhausted enough from all the dancing and then her only dance mate adds a stranger to their promised 'partner for life' like they didn't consider a lot of downsides for it. June just broke a promise, she wasn't going to let that pass. "you didn't even ask if I'd agree! we're two dancers here June, It's not just you" Wendy pauses from going off, sighs and continues, "I feel betrayed. If she's better than me are you just going to kick me off? "
The other two at the table are still silent, the thrill fading as she took too long to respond. June taps the stop on the phone and the hollow glows in embarrassment after realizing that she's been filmed.
Wendy said none of it. She's keeping to herself like every other time, she knows that her friend knows but always doesn't address it. A fight has never gone down between them, only banters and light bullying, no real harming of each other's feelings. They don't risk what they can't get through.
And Sal isn't stupid either, she decides she's had enough for today, piling all the negative effects she's had on swans since she entered Faradiso. First off the driver, then almost at the coffee shop, and for honey's sake! she'd be fully ignored if it wasn't for the girl in front of her. She takes her bag, standing up and one of them is upset. "At least leave a number?"
"I'm sorry, I need to go" She stammers when she caught something- someone in the corner of her eye.
"June let's go!" the crowd shouts and it only makes the hollow more uncomfortable.
They part ways at the entrance with June's figure fading, Sal treaded in haste as she remembers something crucial. She'd tried contacting Cerise after informing both their fathers of who she'd seen stalking her inside ZM, Cerise didn't answer any of those calls and she only hopes she sees that one text.
The way back seemed to be further than it should be, every step was so slow even as she let herself run just to find out if Cerise is safe. Aurums spat at her, cursing as she bumped into them in a hurry, not bothering to give an apology. And when she caught sight of the building, it now seems so close. Too close for her liking, it felt like a trap and she was still going for it. Sal heaves, taking a quick break and what she thought was close was still too far away. A wolf-hollow gives her half a bottle of water, and she's too breathless to thank him before he's out of sight. She was still one vicinity away and fuck those swan taxi drivers.
Near the sidewalk was a waiting area for passengers, empty taxi's lined up and Sal slams the last cab door when she finds a swan. No use if they can't see her so she'll resort to having her heart pound from her chest.
Curse these damned parks and their long walkways! She screams in her head, running again and doubling her anxiety when a dog from an alley runs along with her. She's almost there, past the doors indicating a 1, 2 then 6 then 8. Sal curses, letting her heart rest as she came to a stop in front of the door. "Where!" she hears from inside, a twist away on the doorknob and it would click loudly, letting her in.
But she doesn't.
Sal hides behind one of the tall bushes. She takes it all back, praying and hoping that Cerise doesn't read the text and that she doesn't even dare come home because Sal knows all too well that Cerise doesn't sound like that.