[center][hr][hr][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019bd99e-507c-766e-a54f-d226abc119ef.webp[/img][/center][hr][hr]

It was a few days past Christmas, and April stared at her phone, her finger hovering over a contact. Her time at CAGE had been somewhat of a blur, the memories hazy from the changes in her medication. But with the Contest of Champions over, she finally had the time and space for self reflection. She’d flipped out on Vicky back then. She didn’t want any antagonism hovering over her head when she returned to school after break, and she didn’t want to put her friends in a position where they’d feel like they had to pick sides. 

So she took a breath and decided to follow her father’s advice. 

[hider=@Vicky][color=42A9FF]Hey Vicky - hope your Christmas went well! Do you have time for a call? I wanted to apologize for CAGE[/color][/hider]

Victoria lifted her face out of the books she was tunnel visioning on when her phone buzzed. She did not expect the name that showed up on the screen. Curiosity won over apprehension in the end and she read over the text.

Not wanting this particular conversation to simmer out lest it would make things worse, she dialed back immediately before she even made up her mind how to say what she wanted to say. [Color=00ffff]”...hey, April-”[/color] the rest of her words froze halfway up. She wanted to say that the apology was hers to give, but at the same time felt like it would be hijacking the contact April initiated. Her mind finally resolved to continue with something neutral. [Color=00ffff]”-Christmas went well, thank you. How about yours?”[/color]

She hadn’t anticipated a reply back so quickly. April had expected she’d get to stew in anxiety over how Vicky would respond - or if she would respond at all - for hours, days even maybe. Not everyone was as chronically attached to their cellphone as she was. The time she had spent with an old flip phone at the start of the school year, following her phone’s tragic accident in the flooded bathroom, had been a nightmare. So when her phone started to ring, she almost threw it across the room, so startled as she saw Vicky’s contact ID. 

She hit accept on the call, and placed it on speaker phone, and set the phone down on the bed. She wanted to be able to pace during this call if she needed to - just to keep her body moving, help her process any of the feelings that came up. [color=42A9FF]“Um, it was good, yeah - it was really good, we had a nice time, Danni was super sweet and cut my hair for me, our Appa made cinnamon rolls and - yeah, it was, it was good!”[/color] 

April bit her lip, her heart practically ready to burst from nerves. [color=42A9FF]“Listen, like I said in my text… I’m really sorry about how things went down at C.A.G.E. I was in a really bad place mentally and I lashed out at you to feel better. We don’t have to agree on things, but I shouldn’t have treated you like that. So… I’m sorry.”[/color]

[Color=00ffff]”Is Danni ever not sweet?”[/color] Vicky answered, her tone carrying a hint of fondness, before sobering up. [Color=00ffff]”Hey. You don’t have anything to apologize for. I kind of deserved all that. I saw something that I either don’t understand or like on a system and I made you a lightning rod for airing it out. You didn’t deserve that, so… I'm sorry, too.”[/color]

At first, April had believed that. She’d told herself that she hadn’t started the conflict with Vicky, that she hadn’t asked for any of it. It had taken her a while to realize that it didn’t matter if she had been the one to throw the first stone - that she had still participated in it and escalated it. She struggled when it came to treating those she felt had wronged her with empathy, more than either of her brothers did. She didn’t know if Vicky’s apology made her feel any better, if it fundamentally changed things between them, but she was tired of the fighting. She was tired of feeling like her relationship with Vicky was a problem that needed to be managed every time they’d hang out in a group setting. She still didn’t understand why she’d been singled out, why she had to be the lightning rod that caught her wrath. A month ago, she would have asked. 

But now, she just wanted it to be over. [color=42A9FF]“He’s always sweet,”[/color] April admitted. [color=42A9FF]“Even when he’s upset, it’s always from a place of caring. He doesn’t - he doesn’t get angry the same way I do.”[/color]

She was silent for a moment. [color=42A9FF]“Thanks. I appreciate it. Um. You cool with starting over?”[/color] she then asked. [color=42A9FF]“Not that we ever really started to begin with - I dated your best friend for a few months and I don’t think we ever really said a word to each other until… yeah. So. I’m April. It’s nice to meet you. Again.”[/color]

[color=00ffff]”I’m-”[/color] Tenth of a second pause. If Victoria was honest with herself, she didn’t see the point of making acquaintances with everybody. Maintaining a larger social circle was taxing, even. She was content never speaking to Zarina either, before she dipped. But perhaps, in this case, she should make an effort, if only to make it easier on the DDs, so Danni wouldn’t have to look over his shoulder again before acknowledging Vicky’s existence. [Color=00ffff]”-Yeah, okay. I’m Victoria. Guess I’ll be seeing you around?”[/color]

April couldn’t really tell over the phone whether Vicky was just humoring her or not. She tried not to fixate on it too much - tried not to care about the opinion someone else held about her. The phone call had been short and not as terse as she’d expected - honestly, she hadn’t really been sure how Vicky would react at all. She’d sent her a Christmas present, though, so maybe that meant something? But she didn’t know. She didn’t understand the other girl now anymore than she had before. She tried not to overthink the last line - there was nothing meant by it, there was no sinister motive, no hinting at some crisis to happen… They were just kids deciding not to fight anymore. She took a deep breath and nodded. [color=42A9FF]“Um, yeah, sure. We go to the same school and you’re friends with my best friends and brothers so… would be hard not to. That’s part of - part of why I wanted to end this stupid fight between us. So um. Yeah. That’s… that’s all I wanted to say. And um - thank you for the gift. I didn’t expect it.”[/color]