"I'm sorry Reese, but it's too much for me." Magenta said quietly.
Blue made Magenta promise him to let him know if she felt uncomfortable at any point. He waited outside the classroom for her. He paced back and forth behind the classroom door, trying hard not to eavesdrop on the conversation just in case Reese did anything to her. Blue didn't trust Reese anymore at all if he ever did before.
"Magenta please," Reese begged.
"Give me another chance. It won't ever happen again. I'll be there for you, I'll be with you," Reese tried to convince her.
Magenta shook her head.
"I'm not sure you will. You hurt Spider, really badly when you didn't need to. I saw that look in your eyes. You looked like you wanted to kill him. And that was scary. How can I be sure you wouldn't do the same to me?" Magenta said sadly.
Reese kept trying, kept begging but it was no use. When he saw it was a losing battle, he finally said, "Alright. I understand. Know that I'm here if you ever need it."
Magenta smiled weakly, waving goodbye. She moved towards the door.
She knew she was making the right decision, and it didn't matter however lovesick she felt. Facts were facts. Reese could have killed Spider. Magenta did not advocate for violence, even if she did prank Blue often, she didn't want the situation to blow up to violence.
"Would you at least let me kiss you goodbye?" Reese asked with puppy dog eyes.
Magenta shook her head, the tremble and fear coming back to her. Now the mention of Reese and intimacy with him did not thrill her. She realized she only wanted to be with him because he was popular and good-looking, but not for his personality. She didn't even know him.
"All good?" Blue checked with Magenta as she came out of the classroom.
"Yeah, let's go." Magenta said.
After Magenta left the room with Blue, Reese pulled a paper out of his pocket.
Snarling, he crumpled the paper with his fists and tore it into pieces viciously. He waited for ten minutes, and then he stalked off to find the person whose fault all of this was.
"I won this time." The person said.
"No way, Sherlock." Reese gnawed on his lip and threw his head backward.
"Give me the money. If you don't, you'll have to say bye-bye to your happy life at this school."
The person danced in circles around Reese, and Reese rose in fury to meet the person head to head.
"Are you kidding me? Do you know who I am? Do you know what I can do to you?" Reese swept his arm over the campus.
"I know exactly who you are. And you know who I am. That's why you're going to shut your mouth and do what I tell you to do." The person bared their teeth right back at Reese.
Reese backed down and nodded.
"Fine. I'll get it to you. You promised to help me for this last one though," Reese passed something to the person and they nodded.
"Consider it done."
They shook hands and parted ways.
---
"High time for our ShelMag date!" Shelby said to Magenta as they rested in the common room on Saturday afternoon.
"Yes duh! What should we do?" Magenta asked.
"Shall we go on a dinner date?" Shelby said.
"Yes! We can dress up all fancy and go out for a good dinner!" Magenta loved the idea and she jiggled her body in her chair.
They wrote up a small list of places in town they wanted to go to and in the end settled for a mid-high-end western dinner place called The Bridges. It was the first time Magenta felt less tension and stress in a while, ever since being asked out by Reese.
"Where are you going like that babe? It's too much," Jasper said to Shelby as they stepped out on Saturday night.
"Just a girls' dinner date!" Magenta promised.
"That better be all! Don't talk to strangers." Jasper said.
"Yes, dad!" Shelby quipped.
Jasper pulled Shelby in for a kiss when she said 'dad' and at her dumbfounded look, he said, "Uh-huh. Call me dad one more time."
Magenta laughed so loudly at that, and Blue was not far behind.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Blue asked tenderly.
"I'm…not good but I'll be better. And I am already doing better because of you guys." Magenta said.
"Group hug!" Shelby declared.
The four of them squeezed into a hug, laughing. Their troubles were momentarily forgotten with their hearts resting close to each other.
It was a big change in their group dynamic. Since the Reese incident, Blue had been protective of both Magenta and Shelby, more so Magenta. It was a clear difference from before when they all were pranking and playing around. Now with a real imminent threat in their midst, Blue was like a guardian angel for Magenta.
"Be careful," Blue nudged Magenta, her hip close to his. Magenta smiled at Blue and nodded.
As they walked off campus, Shelby started the topic first.
"So, Blue has been a sweetheart recently has he not?" Shelby said.
"Yeah, he's been there for me." Magenta said.
"And?" Shelby prompted.
"And, I'm confused. I thought I liked Reese but I didn't know him at all. I was attracted to him and followed my emotions at the moment. Blue…we've been fighting since we were little kids and nothing changed until these past few months. It's a lot to take in. I think I need some time, and I'm glad Blue is giving me the space."
Shelby could see the affection forming in Magenta's eyes whenever she mentioned Blue. Internally screaming she made a note to tell Jasper about this update.
"Aw, Mag. I'm glad you know what feels good for you right now. I love you. I'm here for you. I'm sorry if I seem pushy and ask too much." Shelby was reflecting on her previous words too.
Words had power, as did actions.
Magenta and Shelby enjoyed their dinner, the cream of chicken soup and breadsticks being their favorite part. They pretended to have a bread fight, much to the chagrin of the waiters.
"I had so much fun!" Magenta said, as they finished up and were going to the final course of dessert.
"No way! Lemon cake and ice cream!" Magenta was so overjoyed at the sight of her favorite foods. Her mouth watered and she couldn't wait to taste this gourmet-style dessert of her favorites.
"To best friends forever!" Shelby raised her glass of juice.
"Yes to best friendship!" Magenta toasted with her.
They ended the night by walking back to their dorm and singing karaoke on the street.
"We've been through the fire and the rain! We've been through all the pain! We're never gonna stop, never gonna drop!"
Magenta and Shelby leaned on each other, singing like drunk uninhibited people. Magenta felt her eyes becoming droopy as they neared the driveway up to Oakstone Academy. Shelby yawned, the mood changing to fatigued dizziness.
The garden around them spun into a kaleidoscope of blurry shapes and colors. Shelby and Magenta dropped to the ground at the same time, both losing consciousness as the darkness embraced them.
The guards stationed at the bottom were missing. The guard post light was off, on a rare occasion. Four figures emerged from the bushes from the forestry side of the driveway. Two dragged Magenta into a taxi away from campus and two dragged Shelby into another taxi going up to campus.
Just as they shoved Magenta and Shelby into the taxis, Blue came jogging into view from his night run. Blue recognized the red hair and the bodies immediately. He yelled for help as he sped towards the taxis. The taxis slammed close and veered in opposite directions. In a split second Blue had to decide whether to chase the taxi that went up the campus or out.
Blue took off running, to find a taxi for himself and to chase after the people who took Magenta.