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[right][hr][color=gray][b]School Auditorium [color=white]|[/color] Palm Beach, Florida[/b]
September 28th, 2018[/color][hr][/right]
[indent][i][color=FFB6C1]I want to die.[/color][/i]

Mara audibly groaned as she crossed her arms, her focus in the auditorium nearly fading into a blur as her teeth began to grind together in anxious annoyance. Had she not been so unbelievably surprised she knew she would've been beyond angry. It wasn't just the concept of [i]forcing[/i] students to attend their little Homecoming spectacle but the fact they had decided in their infinite wisdom to pair her with the worst person to ever exist in the history of King's Academy. Diablo Fernandez. The Devil of Palm Beach. [i]Caligula.[/i] In Mara's mind, this decision was a slight against everything she had ever worked for at King's Academy, a mockery of her accomplishments in Academic Decathlon, Debate Team, and National Honor Society. To [i]force[/i] her to do something without her consent was in no way acceptable by any definition. 

On this day, Mrs. Sanders had made an enemy of Marlene Lubitsch.

As Mara composed herself, the unease of her peers beside her growing with their own confusion and discontent, Marlene looked over to her friend and classmate – the supposed Class President – as if Victoire Bailey had an answer for her or anyone else.

[color=FFB6C1]“What the literal fuck, Vic.”[/color] Mara muttered under her breath as she pushed her glasses back up to her face. 

Before her other friends could take notice of her mood, she grabbed her bags and moved away from the crowd to confront the one person who was supposed to help arbitrate for the students in assinine situations like this. Mara didn't particularly care that it seemed like Vic was just as shocked as everyone else or was trying to compose her thoughts away from the bulk of students who were equally outraged and confused that this idiotic stunt had been thrown on them. As she pushed herself to Vic's location, she nearly found herself screaming. Fortunately, she decided to not to scream at the only ally she had in the Student Council.

[color=FFB6C1]“I can't believe this shit.”[/color] Mara stated as she pushed her back against a nearby wall. [color=FFB6C1]“Are we really being held [b][i]hostage[/i][/b] because our class year is filled with assholes and neanderthals?”[/color]

Victoire raised a curious eyebrow at her, only breaking away to throw a glare at some approaching students. Only when they quickly diverted their course would the brunette give Mara her attention once again. [color=00BFFF]“Are you actually surprised, or did you forget one of those assholes totaled my car?”[/color] She asked, shaking her head lightly. [color=00BFFF]“The real tragedy is that I had no idea this was going to happen, but who do you think everyone’s going to go and bitch to?”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“Well, not Mrs. Sanders. Obviously.”[/color] Mara quipped, obviously annoyed that the teacher essentially ran away from the crowd of students without answering any questions.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the brunette took a few seconds to recompose herself. It wasn’t like her to be so aggravated, but all she wanted to do was scream. Punishing the majority for the actions of a few was an easy way for the faculty to get on her nerves. She had the utmost respect for authority, but Victoire disliked getting fucked over by anyone, period. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, shaking her negativity away.

[color=00BFFF]“Obviously. But business as usual… if they’ve gone ahead and made the announcement, then there’s nothing I can do but lay there and get fucked over.”[/color] She huffed. 

[color=FFB6C1]“I don’t exactly think our class year has the balls to protest when it’d put our GPA in the hole, either. Thank you, Marisol Castillo.”[/color] Mara sighed, [color=FFB6C1]“At least you have a scapegoat.”[/color]  

Victoire let out a single, rather loud laugh. 

[color=00BFFF]“Unlike some people, I don’t cower behind insecurities. I don’t need to resort to physical violence, either,”[/color] She scoffed, appreciating the laugh at least. [color=00BFFF]“It’s not my fault that the so-called ‘bad bitch’ of the school doesn’t have the balls to claim what’s hers.”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“Personally? I blame Caligula.”[/color] Mara replied, groaning at the mere thought of him showing up to her house in a suit with his smug little grin. She visibly gagged at the concept. [color=FFB6C1]“[b][i]Ech.[/i][/b] And I’m stuck with him in this dumbass experiment. Kill me, Vic. Kill me now.”[/color]

Bringing up her left hand, she curled in three fingers, her pointer aimed at Mara. She made a small ‘pop’ sound with her lips, letting out a small sigh as she looked down at her hand. [color=00BFFF]“I think I got the class clown. We might have to make a suicide pact.”[/color] She muttered. 

[color=FFB6C1]“If only. They’d have to go with each other to prom. Wouldn’t that be just the [i]best.[/i]”[/color]

[color=00BFFF]“Better than anything else I could imagine,”[/color] She agreed, bringing out her notepad with her ‘to do’ list. [color=00BFFF]“I’ll have to add ‘get a dress’ to my plans for today since it’s now ‘mandatory’ to go.”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“Same. Was planning to stay home, but you know, I’d like to graduate on time.”[/color]

[color=00BFFF]“Doesn’t look good on your transcript to fail due to missing a dance, now does it?”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“I guess not. I hope Marisol is happy she’s responsible for this.”[/color] Mara replied, as she eyed the crowd in the auditorium, thankful that they were busy complaining amongst themselves rather than rushing in to interrupt her and Victoire’s conversation. 

Rubbing the back of her head where she had gotten injured, the brunette followed Mara’s gaze for a moment. She wasn’t entirely sure if she agreed as that would be giving Marisol way too much credit in her opinion. Another cog in the grand scheme of things, though the faculty certainly jumped on the opportunity. Narrowing her eyes, she lifted her gaze from the crowd, deciding that if she kept her head low, she could probably avoid getting too many questions. Optimistic, but it was all she had at the moment. Instead she focused her attention on Mara once again. 

[color=00BFFF]“Considering she didn’t get paired with her ‘man,’ I doubt it.”[/color] She mumbled as she closed her notepad, stuffing it into her bag. 

[color=FFB6C1]“She didn’t get paired with anyone in her little ‘group’. I guess that’s the silver lining in all this shit. If there’s any silver lining at all. Which there isn’t.”[/color]

[color=00BFFF]“Misery loves company, I suppose.”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“Yeah. I guess it does.”[/color] Mara replied, trying to find the humor in the entire situation, though she admittedly and a lot more on her mind than being upset at the faculty.

As the blonde-haired teenager paused for a second, thinking back to the idea of going out to buy formal wear for Homecoming and not knowing the first thing about it she took a light breath to contemplate her nerves. In middle school she had not even shown up for Sadie Hawkins and every occasion she had the [i]chance[/i] she had avoided it unless her parents “encouraged” her to do so under their supervision. Victoire was more experienced in this matter, or at least that was how she figured it with Victoire’s ability to make appearances and direct things. Though, this was a question she never wanted to ask, especially not with the current events happening around them. But she didn’t have the time to be sheepish.

[color=FFB6C1]“So, would you mind showing me the ropes in this dress finding thing? Since you’re going out to look.”[/color] Mara uttered in the least awkward way she could possibly do so under the current circumstances.

Victoire’s eyebrows shot up at Mara’s words. [color=00BFFF]“...’the ropes’, huh?”[/color] She repeated her words slowly. [color=00BFFF]“What, you never had the fortune of making an appearance at a dance?”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“Not really, no.”[/color]

Mara knew the question would come up sooner or later. The last time she had participated at a dance was at her uncle's wedding, an event that had been nine-or-so years removed from the present. As far as Mara could remember, that was back when she was in elementary school and she had decidedly avoided repeating the occurrence for her entire time as a student since. For a girl like Victoire she was sure that it seemed insane and ridiculous. Shit, it probably was, but it was Mara's truth.

There were a million things that Victoire could say, but she chose instead to sigh.

[color=FFB6C1]“Well, at least you aren’t laughing hysterically.”[/color] Mara muttered, noticing Victoire’s immediate reaction.

[color=00BFFF]“Mostly because that’d be much too [i]cliché.[/i] So I take you dress shopping, it’s followed by a promise for a ‘makeover’ and that handsome young man you’ve been crushing for will finally notice you at the dance.”[/color] Victoire recited the tropes in a rather deadpan voice.

[color=FFB6C1]“Do I really look like [i]Rachael Leigh Cook[/i] to you? [b]Augh.[/b]”[/color] Mara groaned at the concept.

[color=00BFFF]“No, but shit, Mara, you’re two steps away from the plot of literally any teen movie from the nineties.”[/color]

A sigh left Mara's lips as she rolled her eyes before looking back to Victoire. [color=FFB6C1]“I live to be a stereotype. Apparently. So are you going to answer the question or is this ‘make fun of Mara’ day?”[/color]

Victoire looked Mara up and down, lips in a slight frown. “[color=00BFFF]No, you don’t look like Cook at all,[/color]” She responded in earnest.

[color=FFB6C1]“Well no shit, [i]Queen Victoria.[/i] I’m blonde for starters, unless you haven’t noticed. Razor sharp wit aside, are you dragging me off to dresses “r” us after school or not?”[/color]

Nodding, Victoire beckoned for the girl to follow her. [color=00BFFF]“Come along now, let’s see what I can do, then,”[/color] She told her, shooting her an amused smile. [color=00BFFF]“You’ll be the belle of the ball in no time.”[/color]

[color=FFB6C1]“Whatever you say, your majesty.”[/color]

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