Chapter 2 - The Standard, should it really be followed?

Among the strangely dressed beings in school uniforms, Chloe found herself holding a piece of cake. Did that scene sound familiar to you? Chloe couldn't say for sure. Maybe it was just a figment of his imagination, or was it the effect of the bullets?

"Hey... What are you doing? - Cristian questioned.

Chloe directed her gaze to Cristian, whose snobbish expression still stared at her with a slightly comical smile. That habitual attitude of his continued to confuse her, but perhaps it was just another strange aspect of this peculiar world.

"You've got a piece of cake too, throw it, it's fun!" - Cristian said.

Chloe paused to ponder for a moment. Some intuition advised her not to accept that suggestion, leading her to choose a different path. Would it be voices? Who, in fact, was talking to her? And what was that feeling of being watched? It was uncharted territory for Chloe, but determined to act differently, she moved her arm back and quickly threw the piece of cake directly into Cristian's face.

"You... Did you find that funny? You idiot! Cristian said with a clearly nervous look.

[Chloe is scared.]

Turning her face to the side, Chloe waited to be reprimanded. However, before anything could happen, a blue-haired female silhouette emerged in front of him.

- What do you think you're going to do, Cristian? Ruby interjected, confronting him before he could take any action on Chloe.

Watching Ruby stand in front of him, Cristian stepped back visibly offended. However, something prevented him from confronting her. The discussion was clearly not something he wanted to participate in. He simply wiped his face and turned around, walking past the other students. Meanwhile, Chloe watched him walk away, feeling something inside her grow. Was it empathy?

"You did very well. We don't see people that dedicated every day. Congratulations. Ruby complimented, she then walked past Chloe staring at her from head to toe.

A sudden feeling enveloped Chloe, a sense of accomplishment? She couldn't fully understand it, but she enjoyed the feeling. A gentle warmth rose in her chest, leaving her craving more, much more.

"Thank you for trying to defend me, but you didn't have to risk it for me. Alice said, she left the pile of cake still bruised by the blades.

Chloe watched the girl, whose gaze, though sad, was enveloped by a serene smile that caught her attention. Did she feel guilty? It was a sensation that was beginning to emerge within him. She considered approaching Alice, but this opportunity would be postponed as a figure with a television head entered the room, capturing everyone's attention. Quickly, everyone made their way to their desks, and Chloe instinctively did the same.

A program began to be broadcast on television. Chloe watched him calmly, finding him somewhat boring and boring. Its content was uninteresting and not at all dynamic, making it hard for Chloe to pay attention. In addition, something else captured his attention: four stares fixed on Chloe. One was neutral, another seemed worried, a third carried anger, while the last seemed to look at her with some interest.

[Chloe is anxious.]

The day passed quickly and Chloe got up to get ready to leave. While thinking about what she would do when she got home, she was surprised by a bump. It was Cristian, who walked past her on purpose, with a look full of anger. This made her apprehensive. Chloe didn't quite understand what had happened, something that made her a little sad. But what would that genuine feeling be? Chloe couldn't tell.

Shaking her head to try and push those thoughts away, she looked around and realized that the room was empty, leaving her alone. Deciding to leave, he made his way to the exit door. However, something caught his attention: a slightly larger figure blocked his path. As she stared at her, Chloe was faced with Ruby, whose steady gaze fixed her intensely.

[Chloe is apprehensive.]

Ruby was an elegant, beautiful girl with a chiseled figure. Her presence evoked the image of a model student, a rarity that stood out. To Chloe, she looked like something out of a fairy tale, a true princess: serious and determined.

Chloe remained in awkward silence, her eyes meeting Ruby's, and they both stared at each other without exchanging a word. As Ruby looked at her coldly, Chloe returned the gaze with a confused and somewhat fearful expression.

"Although you look a little fearful, I can see potential in you. For some reason, it piqued my interest. Maybe I can help you develop better. What do you think? Ruby asked, holding out her hand to Chloe.

It was an unusual situation. In front of her was a stunning girl. Chloe could see the embodiment of the ideal pattern reflected in his eyes. She thought that maybe she had found the right person to look up to, maybe it was that pattern that the sheep mentioned so much. Why not follow his example? Determined to see how far she could evolve alongside someone like Ruby, Chloe reached out, accepting his proposal without hesitation.

Chloe was now like a friend to Ruby; their days together were filled with normalcy. Ruby was a focused girl, and it was difficult to interact with her when the subject was not serious. This was a bit tricky for Chloe; however, she remained steadfast in following the same path as Ruby.

As the weeks passed, Ruby's influence caused Chloe to change her style. She abandoned her more introverted way of dressing and started wearing a uniform that was always well-pressed and very well maintained. Her hair was now slightly combed to the side in a social manner, and her once curious look gave way to a more serious and focused look.

It was common to see Chloe focused on her classes, her grades were now much better and the sheep's demands were no longer there. These were strange times for Chloe, as if every day she had to work harder and harder, something she had observed a lot in Ruby. It seemed like she couldn't stop, as that would mean falling behind. So, Chloe couldn't afford to walk, she had to run, because in front of her would always be Ruby. At that moment, Chloe felt a kind of envy surrounded by a lot of admiration. The girl only saw Ruby and wished she could be someone on the same level as her.

Walking the halls while reading a book, Chloe worked on her thoughts. It was a common thing for the girl now. However, something snapped the girl out of his thoughts. An argument? Chloe thought. She then peeked down the hallway while hiding and saw Cristian, Andy, Alice, and Ruby all together about to start a heated argument.

"Why are you doing this, man?" What's your problem? Andy questioned as he confronted Cristian.

Apparently he was again disturbing Alice.

"What's that like?" Are you looking to pick a fight again, Andy? Forgot what happened last time? - Cristian retorted.

"Guys, don't fight. Didn't we used to be friends?" Alice said.

"Friends?" Make no mistake about it, Alice. That ended the day Cristian thought taking his personal problems out on his friends would be a good idea, and Andy, instead of putting his mind in his head, chose to be neutral like a coward. Ruby speculated.

A slapping sound rang out, and Cristian unleashed an assault aimed at Ruby for the first time. The girl, for her part, closed her eyes tightly after receiving the blow. Tears could be seen down her face as she clasped her hands and took a deep breath. Almost instantly, she recovered and went back to facing Cristian. His gaze showed no anger or any kind of negative feeling; She looked at him normally. That alone was enough to make Cristian feel a huge sense of guilt.

"I... I'm sorry. Cristian said, his voice shaking to denote his distress, barely able to stand. "I didn't want to... I'm really sorry.

The atmosphere was heavy, everyone looked at him with different looks. The strange situation forced him to leave the others behind. He backed off and quickly left. On the other hand, everyone was silent as he walked away.

"As much as he acted like an asshole, the way you treat us isn't nice either, Ruby. You should think better about who you have around you. That way, you'll end up alone, just like now. Andy said as he walked away.

Alice was clearly upset. She had not been able to resolve this situation, which made her distressed. I didn't want to stay there either. So he left with Andy. Thus, only one person was left in the empty, gray hallway: Ruby. She stood still, silent, until, after a few moments, you could see her body trembling, almost imperceptibly.

"Is she crying?" Chloe wondered at that moment. Maybe it wasn't right to approach Ruby, maybe it would be better to leave her alone. Or maybe comforting her would be a more appropriate option. Settling on the latter, Chloe approached the girl. She walked normally, wanting to announce her arrival and not show that she was hiding watching the whole clash. Then he stopped behind Ruby and remained silent.

"Were you here all along, Chloe?" Ruby said, casting a corner glance at Chloe.

[Chloe nodded.]

"So you've seen everything. No need to worry. It was supposed to be that way. It was a moment we needed to get through.

Chloe didn't understand what Ruby meant. She then approached Ruby, and upon noticing the approach, Ruby looked away, trying to hide her face. They stood side by side for some time. Chloe decided to make eye contact with Ruby, who now looked normal, her focused gaze staring ahead, as if nothing else mattered. However, Ruby noticed Chloe's look and knew that the girl was intrigued about what had just happened.

"Do you want to know what happened, Chloe?"

[Chloe nodded.]

"We used to be great friends. Ruby said after a short sigh. "But then, something happened. Cristian was strange. He eventually declared himself to Alice, who at the time liked Andy. She didn't quite know how to react and ended up refusing him. As you can imagine, things didn't go very well. Cristian was a little sad and began to take out his frustration. Andy and I tried to intervene, and the two ended up fighting. I tried to convince them to stop and ended up messing it up.

Chloe was beginning to understand the situation, but she didn't want to insist. Far from it, it didn't matter anymore. At this point, they should focus on their goals. Let go of the past. Focus only on the pattern to be followed. Ruby couldn't go on like this. That was the only thing Chloe could think about. Then, she took Ruby's hands, showing that she was there. He wanted Ruby to go back to her pattern of acting. This simple gesture made Ruby regain her composure. She then took a deep breath and turned back to the classroom. Chloe followed, convinced that she had done the right thing.

Turning her back on her past, Ruby now focused only on the future. She remained determined in her goals to be achieved, pressing forward tirelessly, no matter how difficult it was. Chloe went on her way, finding in Ruby's company a constant reminder of the pattern to follow. Her inspiration was there, more vivid and focused than ever, propelling them forward together.

[Chloe is happy.]

A few years passed, and with them new worries gripped Chloe.

"Is that the true standard?" Chloe wondered, a question that haunted her constantly. She felt exhausted, her present days immersed in an empty existence. Day after day, it was the same scenario: confined to a cubicle, the constant buzz of voices and requests made her stressed. His vision blurred, a deafening hum began to echo in his mind, adding to his anxiety. Slowly, Chloe picked up her pack of candy. "How many are left?" she thought, accustomed to consuming them in excess. Slamming the package against his hand, one last sunbullet landed in his palm. "Will it be the last?" he wondered again. He put it in his mouth and swallowed, feeling things slowly return to normal.

"No, no, that's still not good. I urge you to redo this. We need to be impeccable. The world expects this of us. If the world desires, then we must be perfect. Everything we do must be perfect. Otherwise, who will be perfect? - Said a figure in a tie. His somewhat eccentric appearance resembled that of a middle-aged man, slightly overweight. His face was like a mosaic of banknotes, tied together by a string.

Chloe turned her eyes, now tired and unfocused, to that demanding figure. It was demanding a lot again, and our lead time was short once again. Her eyes then turned to the woman receiving the charges: Ruby. She stood firm, though her face was not visible. Ruby nodded at each statement and apologized to the figure. Her posture was still firm, as Chloe remembered. After hearing every word, Ruby said goodbye to the figure and then went to a room and closed the door.

[Chloe is Holy Evil.]

After a few hours, Chloe noticed that Ruby still hadn't left the room. "Maybe I should see how she's doing? She's been busy lately," Chloe mused. With this idea in mind, he went to his room. When she arrived in front of the door, she waited for long minutes, as if something was keeping her away. It was a strange feeling. Then he knocked four times on the door and waited for some answer. Nothing. That was all I got in return. Chloe felt something strange, brought her hand to the door handle and opened it slowly.

The door opened silently. Chloe peered into the dark room and saw nothing but the immensity of darkness. His tired vision struggled to focus. Then he turned on the light and found Ruby lying on a table. "Maybe she's sleeping," Chloe mused. He approached Ruby and observed her once-beautiful face, now covered by a considerable layer of makeup, used to hide signs of tiredness. Ruby's countenance was serene, looking happy. Chloe shook Ruby for a few moments, but got no response. Next to her was a glass and several boxes of candies similar to the ones Chloe consumed daily.

The signs were clear, even for someone like Chloe. She sat on the floor next to Ruby and waited for a few moments, looking around with an empty face she was looking for something. It was then that Chloe noticed some pictures on top of a bookshelf. In one of them, he had Ruby by his side, the day they both joined that company. Their faces looked satisfied at the time. Next to it, there was another photo, where Cristian, Andy, Ruby and Alice were. It seemed that Ruby still hadn't been able to put her past behind her. Perhaps the stress of the routine had made her even worse about herself.

[Chloe is sad.]

The girl took her hand to her pocket, she took out her cell phone and swiped the screen, looking for something, her face was empty, the sloth no longer sent her messages, for fear of getting in the way, on the other hand, the sheep praised her for following the right and convinced path every day. Chloe didn't feel comfortable with these compliments, and dropped her phone on the floor, sad to realize that she could no longer be by the side of the one she admired so much. "Could this be the quickest way to leave this pattern?" he thought, sliding his hand down the rope attached to his collar. I didn't feel like removing it. His eyes then fixed on the lamp hanging from the ceiling, and an idea popped into his mind.

Many reflections flooded Chloe's mind, dissatisfied with her current situation. The standard did not live up to their expectations. Seeing the "sheep" satisfied did not bring him contentment. The loss of her inspiration hurt more than anything, leaving her aimless, without motivation, and without a goal to strive for. He missed the one who was his pillar. In the midst of this whirlwind of feelings, Chloe was determined to finally win her freedom.

Chloe is... Dead.

A tragic, swift and somewhat anticlimactic outcome? Did you deserve such a conclusion? Why do you once again find yourself in this situation? Perhaps failure is something intrinsic to your soul, a burden you must carry forever? However, even then, you don't really seem to want to resist. You feel something more, don't you, Chloe? I have not yet witnessed its full potential, this is not the end of it.

Bob then absorbed Chloe once more, revealing a new path for the girl, possibly a new choice, a new perspective. Do you really want to wrap it up here? Of course not.

In the blink of an eye Chloe saw herself in a car, an urban vision accompanied by a quiet and contagious radio music, through the window all that could be seen was a vast area of buildings and shops, a gray vision was how it could be defined what was seen by Chloe.

And here you are, ready to play your part once again. I hope you can find a new meaning. Not everyone can live so many choices. Choices have consequences, and you can't run away from them. They always find you.

Author's Notes: Chloe doesn't remember the events, she will always make new choices in each journey, the way of reading is interpretive, but I assure you, nothing is here by chance, I try to give a somewhat serious view, I hope in some way I can help.

Chapter 3 in progress.