B e l l e D ' V o i r e
The class, as a whole, made it roughly halfway before mischief managed to ensue. Belle was sure that, with any other similar ragtag bunch, the practical jokes and bad-taste misdeeds would be shared among the members equally; but for the Crestwood Hollow Social Conscience Class of 2016, they needed only the one reliable troublemaker, and the one reliable victim.
They spiraled into the bushes nearly as quickly as the situation itself had spiraled out of control, Jonas and the other students reacting far too late to prevent any carnage. Stood rigid, a group of frozen bystanders spectating an inevitable conclusion, they listened to pained yelps and muffled grunts, before the two emerged: scruffy, panting from exertion and anger, and Sebastian visibly smoldering. Belle looked at the boy's lightly burning jacket with an intense curiosity that she doubted evaded Aiden's eyes as Sebastian quickly stripped it from his torso to fan the flames out; each whipped ember seemed to be a new connection dropping into place. And then Winter did something that Belle thought extremely foolhardy, perhaps even outright dangerous - she confessed to what Belle couldn't help but believe to be the truth. Too many piece, dropping into their places oh-so-neatly...
The danger Belle had theorized made itself apparent as Aiden immediately sought to quell Winter's outburst, holding a lighter out as both a threat and plausible deniability. His words were sinister, but compelling, and Belle knew she didn't want her secret out, either - it was so young, and as Winter hadn't called her out by name, she knew she couldn't have exhibited anything at the dance - which meant something must have happened to cause her...development. She stepped in.
"Aiden-" she pleaded, placing a hand lightly on the boy's shoulder - a noticeable heat coming through the fabric of his hoody - and pulling him back slightly, "come on. She doesn't mean anything by it, she's just freaked out. Sebastian is being a dick, but you just burnt him and I think we've all had our fair share of fire for a good long while. Winter is scared, and upset - we all are - and we need to get to the campsite and get some food and drink and not explode in the midst of all the stress that's floating around."
Belle moved back, wary that she had overstepped her bounds. She had definitely shown a new side to her - a commanding, dominant side, one she'd been exploring since she'd began testing her influence - but she hoped that only one or two of them would pick up on that. On the ground around her, Belle was painfully aware of several ants, a couple of centipedes and a few beetles that had edged closer and now rested on or near her feet. Carefully, she issued a retreat command, while making a show of shaking the couple bugs that had climbed onto her off.
"Winter, come this way." She said, extending a hand and a comforting, patient smile. "I know it's difficult, but fantasies are a common method of self-made therapy or even repression. All I remember of my genetic experiments are cloud-castles manned by wizards - but I've got the medical records to know better." She paused as Winter accepted her hand and stepped into her, and Belle led her back along the path, shooting Aiden, Sebastian, and most importantly Jonas an icy glare over Winter's shoulder as they re-started their walk. "There may be some missing truth about the dance, but I know it will come out," she said, murmuring at a near-whisper to Winter, "and until then, we have to be careful about any...accusations."
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