4 Kahe Näoga

"What did you say?" Coraline could feel all the noise become amplified in her ears, "Who-"

Before Coraline could grab onto the girl to press for an answer she had slipped past her and headed downstairs.

'Dammit,' she quickly trod down the stairs—the girl avoided her stare for the entirety of the dinner.

A seat was saved for Coraline next to Vivianne while the girl was five seats across from her. She angrily chewed on her food while shooting intense glares at the dense girl.

What was the point in bringing it up if she wasn't going to get straight to the point?

Vivianne took notice of her friend's strange behavior and nudged at her, "What's wrong with you," she looked around trying to see where Coraline was giving such nasty looks to before saying, "You don't like the food?"

The dining room was so loud that when Coraline noticed Vivianne's talking to her she had to bring her ear closer to her and have her repeat it once more.

"The food you idiot! Do you not like it?"

Coraline met Vivianne's eyes with an expression that wrote, "Why wouldn't I? I helped make it," all over it.

Alternately she responded to Vivianne by saying, "No the food is good, why do you ask?"

Vivianne replicated her face, "You have a stank face."

Coraline soften her face after seeing Vivianne's, "Do I," she smacked her cheeks with both of her hands trying to soften her brows.

Her friend realized that it wasn't the food and something else was preoccupying Coraline's mind.

Vivianne took a deep breath, "You do," then left Coraline to her own as she kept on eating her food.

When Coraline was like this—no one else can make her stay grounded. She was floating elsewhere in her mind.

Slowly the kids finished eating and started to scatter.

Soon enough, it was just Coraline and the girl with black hair. She had finished eating some time ago, and she sat inertly in her presence.

Coraline decided to hear the girl out instead of being filled with annoyance. In truth, what would she do even if she learned the name of the gossiper? If she went straight to her in anger she'd just be adding more salt to herself.

"Let's start over, what's your name?"

"Phoebe," she raised her head up to Coraline with newfound confidence, "I don't know her name but I know where you can find her."

Coraline lightly drummed her fingers on the table, "How will it help me even if I knew who it was?"

"You can turn the tables on them, Ms. Hugues," she held out a crumbled slip of paper towards Coraline.

She took the paper and read what it wrote, "Anita Graves," her eyes trailed to the bottom where something was scantly printed, 'A Place For Teas & Girls.'

Coraline waved the paper in the air, "What's a tea party going to tell me, Phoebe?"

For the first time the girl cracked a smile, "Many things," she pointed at the paper Coraline daintily flung around, "How do you think I knew where you're suspect was camping out? She's smart, a place full of young and old women. Women like Mrs. Athitama."

Enid Athitama was a woman who became known for her 'loud mouth,' she somehow had all the news you needed to know on anybody you wanted to know.

At a price.

Surely, a woman like her would know Coraline was nothing like the rumors said about her. Yet, that wouldn't stop her from profiting off of it. If anyone was a guest at a tea party—Enid was one of them.

Coraline remembered her because she was barely reaching forty yet had the tongue of one. All the older women flocked around her, Coraline thought she took on those traits to be accepted and find a circle of her own.

Phoebe rose from her seat dragging her chair on the floor, "It's not a hard place to get into," she looked Coraline up and down, "They definitely bring you inside—they love any type of drama they can get."

Coraline slipped the paper inside the empty space of her chest and where her fabric began, "Thanks."

Thinking about her, this was some valuable information. Coraline didn't necessarily need to go there to find out who the rat was but it was just the place she needed to spark the announcement of her marriage.

Phoebe left Coraline to her own as she rested her head on the table. What she needed wasn't people telling her what she should do to fix it, she wanted comfort.

Something she always had trouble finding.

After resting her eyes in the oddly hushed dining room, Coraline decided to see her friend off before she left.

"Vivianne," she cupped her hands trying to call out for her. After a few back and forth she could hear her calling her name as well.

"Coraline!"

Coraline dropped her head onto Vivianne's shoulder, it didn't matter if she was to be married but the reason behind it—is what weighed her down.

Vivianne's light beaver brown curls flowed down on her and covered her from the outside world. Her hands were even lighter as they held Coraline's back and her breath slowed, allowing her to feel at ease hearing her friend's heart rhythmically beat.

Nothing's changed since they were young. Vivianne always had a way of knowing how to solace her friend.

Like the time before they became friends. When they were both we're fourteen—Vivianne spotted Coraline being forcibly dragged into an alleyway followed by three older boys.

Coraline crazily kicked her feet and thrash her head around trying to bite on their arms. To the point, her hair was flying around like explosions.

No one else had seen the disturbing scene but her. Vivianne who was struck with fear quickly tried to get herself to search for large stones around her. It was like her body was emplaced in quicksand.

Vivianne composed herself and started searching through the dirt to collect any heavy stone or rock she could find.

Her breath was hot and she could feel her hand become drenched in sweat. After grabbing a handful she raised the biggest one with one in her left hand.

Typically Vivianne had a very shy personality, she wasn't one to instigate or confront. She was the child that would share her favorite toys because her retaliation was held in a spell of silence.

But that day her gut told her to do something.

The screams of Coraline were gnarly but Vivianne knew no one would come in time.

With a stone raised, she clenched her jaw and threw the first one at the head of the boy who was holding Coraline's hands tightly together.

The second older boy who was pulling at Coraline's hair saw Vivianne with the next stone being raised. He let go of her hair and tried coming at Vivianne next, "You bitch!"

She clenched her fist and threw it head-on at the boy's nose, he fell down immediately screaming in pain that his nose was broken.

She had more stones but only one more boy was left and he had already run past her without looking back at his friends.

Vivianne hiccuped trying to swallow back her fears and took Coraline by the arm. Vivianne looked at the two boys who were now at their feet, "I- If you guys come back I'll come back with my father!"

The two began running away from the alleyway in tears, only Coraline was chuckling as she cried harder than she did before.

Once they reached a land of grass far away, the two fell down to their backs. Coraline inched closer to Vivianne and melted her sobs into the chest of the kind stranger who saved her. Her hair unraveled on the ground that hugged them back.

Vivianne's fears began to erase itself as the girl surrounded her vision. She softly whispered into Coraline's ear repeating that it wasn't her fault, she caressed her head telling her that it was all alright.

A day neither of them will forget since after that they were glued to each other like glue. They got used to that and became more open with one another.

Vivianne started to come out of her shell and became resilient to those who were cruel.

While Coraline learned how to truly be loved by someone that wasn't going to want something back for their kindness. She felt okay going against standards of what 'beautiful' was since there was no reason to please anyone before herself.

Their friendship healed all the bad things they learned—and replaced it with something new. Something that had a prosperous effect.

"Vivianne," Coraline looked up to her with pleading eyes.

Her friend softly smiled at her and let out a dramatic sigh, "I'll go with you," scruffling Coraline's hair even more.

Coraline let out a quiet "Thank you," as the two hugged for a bit longer.

It was scary for Coraline to all of a sudden 'grow up' and become a woman. Having Vivianne by her side made it all feel less scary and less lonesome than it would've been.