Episode 9 - Homecoming is another word for drama, add that to the dictionary
"It's Homecoming week!" Jasmine giggled, running up to Mark so that they could walk into the school building together. Mark only rolled his eyes playfully and gave her a gentle shove. "Hey! No! Don't do that! Can you blame me for being excited? I mean, it's Homecoming week. Literally, every high school girl looks forward to this week at least once in her life. And you know what this week means?" Mark shrugged his shoulders, continuing his falsely annoying approach, and let out an exaggerated sigh, knowing the more he played it off, the more excited Jasmine would get.
"That I've won a free week of listening to you coo over how cute all the dates are?" Mark asked with a slight chuckle despite his best efforts to not blow his cover. Jasmine just giggled and shook her head, brushing her hair over her shoulder.
"No, stupid. The dance! Although, you're not wrong... But the dance is on Saturday and I cannot wait to wear my new dress!" Jasmine clapped her hands together excitedly and turned down the hallway so that she could make it to her locker. "It's a really pretty one and it's brand new. It's pastel pink with this white mesh and I'm super excited for it. I think you'd really like it. I think I'm going to do some white makeup to go with it." Mark chuckled again and they stopped by Jasmine's locker, waiting for her to open it up and pull her books out.
"Won't white just wash you out though? Maybe you should throw some pink in there to even it out, bring the outfit all together," Mark suggested, leaning against the locker next to Jasmine's as she rummaged through the mess of her locker. Jasmine paused for a second and shot him a playful glare, the kind of look that she gave him when she wasn't asking for his opinions but was going to use his advice anyway. He chuckled again and shrugged his shoulders, watching Jasmine pull out the books she needed and drop her lunchbox inside her locker.
As Jasmine slammed her locker door shut, she sighed and her playful attitude faded. "We have to talk about the club," She finally said with a sigh. She turned away from her locker, a solemn look on her face. Mark sighed and nodded his head in agreement. If they wanted to be prepared for today's club meeting, they really did have to talk about last night's text conversation to navigate the thin ice the club would be on during the meeting. "I mean, you saw the texts. Anthony and Cleopatra got into a huge fight, name-calling, and everything, and now everyone's taken a side. I don't know what it was about, I was working with Kyle on our scripts and I asked Monet, but she missed the whole conversation as well."
"To be fair, Mo wouldn't have taken aside anyway. She's not that type of person," Mark replied with a nod. "I attempted to scroll up but I didn't really find anything. Whatever seemed to start the fight seems to be pretty serious. Like, possibly school counselor serious. It's got the whole club on edge and I'm not too sure there's anything that we can do about it." Jasmine sighed, a step away from defeat, and gestured for Mark to follow her to English.
"Whatever this is about has gotten Isa and Leo on Anthony's side and Sasha on Cleo's, although I think she's the only one. Kyra, as far I could see, stayed out of it. Honestly, I'd do the same," Jasmine commented as they stopped outside of the classroom. Jasmine and Mark leaned against the wall, facing each other in an attempt to keep their conversation private. "And luckily, I haven't had the time to add Seb to the group yet so he missed it all."
"Well, don't you have English with Kyra? Ask her and see if she knows what's going on. If she doesn't, I'm sure that we can get Leo or Sasha to tell us what's happening. We can get to the bottom of this. If not, I suppose we'll just have to trust them to work things out for themselves and pray that it doesn't ruin things for the rest of the group," Mark said, hoping he sounded confident enough to be convincing. Jasmine sighed and nodded her head again, letting her eyes drop to the floor.
"It's just... School literally just started. We've just barely made it to Homecoming week. The club can't already have a falling out, can it?" Jasmine asked, glancing up again. Her eyes held a bit of sadness that Mark wasn't used to seeing. For once, he wasn't sure what the right thing to say was. He knew how close Jasmine held this club to her heart, determined to make it work. He wasn't sure how she'd be able to handle it falling apart so soon. Unsure of how well his words would work, he reached out and pulled her into a hug.
"Things will work themselves out for the best, don't you worry about that, okay Jas? Now, it's Homecoming week and we've got a new member to welcome to the club. Isn't it, like, our job to make sure that Seb feels welcome at the club despite all the chaos that's happening around it?" Mark smiled, pulling away. Jasmine nodded her head and smiled at him. Mark smiled back and gestured to the door. "Now, go on. We've got class now and I still have to make a stop at my locker. I'll talk to you later, Missy."
"Don't get your hopes up too high, Good Sir of Blaten," Jasmine giggled. She opened the door to her English classroom and shot him one last time. "Have a fun time in Science, Mark!" Then, she entered and let the door close behind her. Mark gave her a wave until she wasn't paying attention to him anymore before he dropped his hand and shoved it in his hoodie pocket. He watched Jasmine set her things at her desk before heading over to Kyra's desk to talk to her. When he was sure that Jasmine was alright, he left to head to his own classroom. For the first time since before he met Jasmine, this was the first year that he wasn't in the same homeroom as Jasmine and it was at that moment that he missed her Morning Thoughts. Today's drama might prompt an interesting one and for the first time in a while, he was craving her advice, even if she was really just sprouting knowledge as she went.
Mark was quick to make sure that his stop at his locker didn't take too long, exchanging his lunch for his books, before heading over to his Science class. Whether Kyra knew what the root of the drama was or not was beside the point. Eventually, Mark knew they would find out what the root of the problem was, but he was hoping that the issue would resolve itself before then. It was hard enough to shove a bunch of people used to being alone into a room together and asking them to be friends. It was even harder to do that when so many of them shared conflicting interests and ideals. He had always known there would be drama and he was even less surprised to know that Cleopatra was a part of it. Still, there were only two ways that this fight could go. The first? Cleopatra and Anthony resolve their argument and the club's bond strengths as a whole. And the second?
It could be the very end of the Rejects Club as they knew it.
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To say that Jasmine and Kyra were surprised to find Cleopatra and Monet hiding away in the high school bathroom would be hyperbole. To be fair, Jasmine had noticed that Monet was constantly skipping lunch and when Isa had also disappeared, she knew something was up. But then Cleopatra also disappeared and the three of them seemed to become friends overnight and were straight-up suspicious. Still, Jasmine wasn't expecting to enter the bathroom to find them there, sitting in the handicap stall, talking like nothing was happening. Jasmine chuckled and leaned against the door, Kyra trailing near the entrance of the bathroom in case she needed a quick escape. Monet glanced up, a soft blush on her cheeks like she was a little embarrassed. Cleopatra was more calm, giving her a small nod of her head.
"It seems to me that skipping lunch is a very popular thing amongst our club members now," Jasmine commented with a small giggle. "Care if I join you?" Monet pretended to think about it for a second before shrugging her shoulders and shutting a big black case again, setting it up against the wall. She gestured to the new open spot for Jasmine to join them on the floor. Jasmine dropped onto the ground and took another look at the black case, realizing it was Monet's guitar case. "I had no idea you were playing guitar again, Mo." The ravenette in question bit her bottom lip, glancing at the case.
"I guess I just got motivated again," Monet replied, looking back over at Jasmine again. Jasmine smiled, understanding as much as she could, before glancing behind her at Kyra. The white-haired detective looked as though she was about to leave now that Jasmine didn't need her company anymore. Monet seemed to notice Kyra as well and moved over to look outside of the door to see Kyra. "Kyra, you're more than welcome to stay and join us if you want." Monet's question was innocent enough and Jasmine smiled again, moving out of the way so that Kyra could join them. Kyra slowly made her way over to sit down next to them, fidgeting with her hands lightly. Suddenly, the stall seemed filled up and it felt like a real lunch bunch.
"I know I've been bothering you all morning today, but a little longer won't hurt you, right?" Jasmine asked, batting her eyes innocently like she did when she wanted something from Mark. Kyra sighed quietly but folded her legs underneath herself and smoothed out her white button-down shirt and khaki pants. It was a nervous tick that Jasmine had associated with Cleopatra but she was starting to realize that Kyra and Cleopatra weren't all that different.
"It wouldn't hurt to sit here for a little while," Kyra agreed with a small sigh. Cleopatra smirked slightly as she spoke up, folding her hands together in her lap.
"Welcome to the wondrous Bathroom Picnic. Where, normally, we have a blanket and another member, but Isa hates my guts now so she's not here," Cleopatra chirped, her tone upbeat and out of place in a rather sad message. Jasmine sighed and leaned her head against the wall. It was unlike Isa to act like this but then again, she was genuinely surprised by the whole argument now.
"Isa was supposed to be here as well, but she wasn't happy with Cleopatra. They seemed to start fighting though so I told them they could work it out by themselves if they couldn't spend the lunch period in the same room. And thus, it's just Cleopatra and me now." Monet shrugged her shoulders and leaned back against the wall. Jasmine smiled and leaned against the plastic wall, opposite Monet, stretching her legs out in front of her and onto Monet's lap. Monet scoffed and shook her head lightly but she didn't attempt to make Jasmine move.
"And you called it a Bathroom Picnic?" Kyra asked, tilting her head to the side as she reached up to adjust her ponytail. Cleopatra was quick to nod her head but the whole lunch bunch must have been Monet's idea because she was the one eager to respond.
"Bathroom Picnic, yeah," Monet agreed, shooting a sideways glance in Cleopatra's direction. "Isa came up with the name but Cleopatra was really the one who inspired it." She gave the Gothic girl a small smile. "I mean, Cleopatra suggested that we bring a blanket, like in a picnic, and we've been calling it the Bathroom Picnic since then." Cleopatra nodded her head to agree and Jasmine smiled. Shifting her position so that her legs rested comfortably on Monet's lap, she shot her sister an understanding look. Leave it to Monet to start a cute little lunch bunch like this. Jasmine could tell that she was very passionate about it and right then, she found that Monet had found something she was invested in again.
"I love that idea," Jasmine smiled, folding her hands on top of her knees. "And you've been practicing guitar here again as well? You haven't played all summer." Monet nodded her head again, but her gaze drifted from Cleopatra to the guitar case propped against the back wall. Cleopatra spoke up this time.
"Yeah, Monet's been playing for us a lot recently," Cleopatra said, resting her elbows on her knees. "She's a good player." Monet blushed slightly and looked down brushing her hair out of her face. Jasmine smiled but inside, she was confused. Monet hadn't played all summer and now she was playing for Cleopatra and Isa. It didn't really sound like the Monet she knew. Then again, the Monet that Jasmine wouldn't have lost motivation on something she really cared about.
"Yeah, trust me. I know. She's very good. Monet's been playing guitar longer than she's been in martial arts, actually," Jasmine chuckled, jabbing Monet lightly in the stomach with her toe. The raven-haired girl grunted and pushed Jasmine's foot away carefully with a small pout.
"Monet and Isa disappeared from lunch before you did, Cleopatra. Why did you suddenly decide to join them?" Kyra asked, turning her attention to the Gothic girl across from her. Cleopatra turned her attention from Jasmine lazily but she took her time responding to Kyra. It was a serious question. After all, while Cleopatra might be an outcast like the rest of the Rejects Club, she never seemed to have an issue with being alone. She had never had a problem finding a place to sit.
"Perhaps the cafeteria noise became too much for me. After all, the bathrooms are much quieter." As is what typically happens in a conversation between Kyra and Cleopatra, her words were very carefully chosen. Each word was clipped and it seemed like Cleopatra was unsure how to take the conversation. The junior detective nodded her head, as if the conversation was good enough for her, and fiddled with the buttons on her gloves again.
"You know, your lunch group is a really good idea," Jasmine commented, glancing over at Monet. The girl blushed again and she glanced over at her guitar case again. "I mean it, Mo. This is a really great idea. It gives people a good chance to interact with each other and feel like they fit in. I'm proud of it." Monet's blush deepened and she averted her gaze once more.
"And the chaos is very real right now," Cleopatra pointed out. She shifted again and crossed her legs in Indian style. "I'm just really glad it's Monday." Kyra glanced over, surprised, and cocked her head in confusion.
"You're not a fan of weekends?" Kyra asked, confused. Cleopatra nodded her head once and Kyra let out a humorless laugh. "I would have pegged you as someone who enjoyed the weekends. Don't you have a history of shoplifting and other petty crime?" It was Cleopatra's turn to let out a dry laugh, the emotion never making its way to her cheeks.
"You did your homework. I'm impressed," Cleopatra commented. "But because you asked, I haven't done anything like that since Bailey left for boarding school. Rather a dull thing to do when you're alone." Kyra blinked and it took Jasmine a minute to remember why Kyra didn't know who Bailey was. Between skipping a grade and being homeschooled for a year, there was a chance that Kyra would have never come face to face with Bailey, nor know what her relationship with Cleopatra was like.
"As, yes. I remember. You skipped Freshman year," Cleopatra continued. She smiled and although it seemed cheap and fake, no one seemed to judge her for it. "Bailey Michal has been my best friend since before Kindergarten. Last year, her parents seemed to get fed up with her so this year, they shipped her off to some old-fashion boarding school. And she hopefully has no plans to return to this purgatory." Monet started to laugh but she bit her lip to hide it. Kyra didn't seem fazed by Cleopatra's blunt response and she shrugged her shoulders. Jasmine didn't get the chance to see how she really felt, however, considering the fact that Kyra's gaze remined on the floor.
"You know, I don't think that school is a prison unless you make it out to be," Kyra replied, looking up back and meeting Cleopatra's eyes. The other girl just smirked and chuckled, shaking her head.
"Then you, my dear, know nothing of high school then. They are, in fact, the worst years of your life," Cleopatra smirked. Jasmine rolled her eyes and reached over, gently smacking Cleopatra in the arm. Cleopatra turned over, arching an eyebrow, but she seemed to be too surprised to actually say anything.
"You're making it way more dramatic than it is," Jasmine explained with a sigh. Then, she turned to face Kyra. "Kyra, honey, it's really not as bad as she says. Besides, you have us. High school is only hell if you've got no one to be friends with. And you've got us so that's no problem." Kyra studied Jasmine for a second, confirming that she was telling the truth, before nodding her head and dropping her gaze to her hands once more. Jasmine wasn't surprised by Kyra's distrust. After all, no matter how mature Kyra acted, she was still supposed to be a Freshman and she still thought like one. Everyone she had grown up with was Freshmen now and through Kyra into the mess of people she didn't know was like being the new actor on a cast of people who had spent years together. Jasmine could understand how she felt.
"I highly doubt high school can be any worse than anything I've seen," Kyra finally said with a shrug of her shoulders. The nonchalant tone she used seemed to have piqued Cleopatra's interest.
"Then I'll suppose you have some pretty interesting stories then," Cleopatra commented. Kyra shrugged her shoulders again and Cleopatra turned to lean against the red plastic wall. No one spoke for a while, sitting in comfortable silence. But when they did start to speak again, it was Cleopatra who started the conversation again. "Hey, Monet, if Isa decides to quit showing up, I can start bringing the blanket to sit on. I'm sure I've got one that will work." Monet didn't respond, her gaze focused on a spot on the floor that Jasmine couldn't quite figure out. Cleopatra gave her a minute to respond but when she still got no answer, she frowned and snapped her fingers in front of Monet's face. Jumping in alarm, Monet was quick to grab her wrist and twisted it. Cleopatra let out a surprised yelp and jerked away, trying to pull her wrist back. Just as quickly as it happened, Monet snapped back to reality from whichever little world she had floated away to and let go of Cleopatra's wrist, biting her lip. She made eye contact with Jasmine before she too turned away from Jasmine's gaze and stared at the floor again.
"I- I'm sorry... I'm s... sorry... I'm so, so sorry..." Monet whispered softly. She pushed Jasmine's feet off of her lap and pulled her knees up to her chest. She buried her head in her arms, continuing to whisper. "I'm so sorry, Cleopatra... I... I didn't mean... I'm sorry..." The Lolita didn't respond, cradling her wrist against her chest, as if it had been injured when Jasmine knew for a fact that it wasn't. She opened her mouth to try to defuse the situation but Kyra beat her to the punch. The young detective grabbed Monet's hands gently, giving them a soft squeezing and running her pleather-covered thumb over the back of Monet's hands comfortingly.
"You didn't mean to hurt Cleopatra. She knows that, doesn't she?" Kyra said gently. It seemed so unlike her since Jasmine was so used to hearing the girl's normally uncaring tone. Monet glanced up and her gaze shifted from Kyra to Cleopatra, who let out a small nod to agree with Kyra, before Monet's gaze jumped back to the white-haired girl in front of her. "See? She knows that you didn't mean it. You just panicked. That's understandable, okay? You're not in trouble. Now, I need you to take a couple of deep breaths. You'll be okay. I promise." Carefully, Monet nodded her head. She seemed to hesitate as if breathing might cause more damage, but she slowly started to breathe again.
"How did you know what to do?" Jasmine asked, tilting her head in Kyra's direction. Kyra only shrugged her shoulders, rubbing her thumbs against the back of Monet's knuckles until Monet was completely calm again.
"Damage control," Came Kyra's blunt response. The room was quiet again as Monet gently pulled her hands back and settled against the wall again. Kyra moved back to her original spot and rested back on her heels again. Cleopatra kept her wrist cradled against her chest, her other hand rubbing it as though she had gotten an injury.
"I am so sorry..." Monet mumbled, her eyes focused on the floor. "I zoned out and..." Cleopatra coughed and the look, Monet received when she looked up to let her know that she had apologized enough times. "Okay... So, what is it that you were saying?" The Lolita sighed and let her hands fall into her lap again.
"I was just going to ask if you wanted me to bring a blanket tomorrow," Cleopatra repeated. Monet was silent for a second before she nodded her head, ending the whole event for now. Cleopatra shot her a small smile and Monet smiled faintly back. Above them, the bell rang and it was time for the passing period.
"We've got to be heading to class now," Kyra said, voicing the thoughts Jasmine had as she stood up. The other girls nodded their heads and they picked up the few things they had laying on the floor. The Bathroom Picnic was one of the best ideas Jasmine had ever heard and she silently applauded her sister for coming up with the idea.
"Same time tomorrow then?" Monet asked, glancing over at Jasmine. Her eyes were glazed over but she managed a small smile as Jasmine nodded her head. Cleopatra spoke up next and for a second, Jasmine was reminded why they started this whole club in the first place.
"We'll have a real picnic then."
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"Seb, over here!" Kyra called as she entered the club room. Knitting his eyebrows together, Sebastian made his way over to her, asking a casual "What?" as he moved. Kyra shook her head, grabbing his umber hand and dragging him out of the room into the hallway. Cleopatra lost interest at that point. She rolled her eyes and looked back over to Monet, watching her fail to do her assignment correctly. Cleopatra could have helped her but she was really under no obligation to do such things. Instead, she just returned her attention to the sewing in her lap and leaned back into the armchair she was seated.
Contrary to popular belief, Cleopatra made a good majority of her clothes herself. She would call it a hobby but she tended to spend more time and energy on it than a person really should. It had started when she found herself a little too much free time over the summer one year and she couldn't seem to drop it now. She did it mostly for herself but occasionally, Bailey would ask for something and she'd find time to get it done. But other than that, Cleopatra hadn't done any sort of commissions until now. As the summer season found itself closing, her brother, Chris, found himself proposing to his girlfriend of five years. Mary had asked Cleopatra to make her wedding dress and while she was surprised by the request, she agreed. And now she was very invested in her brother's wedding. On top of the dress, she was also her brother's 'Best man', and she was tasked with helping to plan the wedding as well. She pretended to hate it but she really was honored. She had thought that after all of her little stunts, her brother wouldn't want anything else to do with her after he was married, but now he was making it clear that he still wanted her in his life.
"Okay, there. I finished it," Monet mumbled, closing the book and shoving it back into her backpack. "If it's wrong, I guess it'll be wrong." Cleopatra laughed slightly, her attention remaining on her sewing and making sure that her lace gloves and rings didn't fall into the cracks in the armchair.
"You do realize that if it's wrong, you're not going to be doing so hot in that class," Cleopatra replied. Monet shrugged and leaned her back against the empty armchair across from Cleopatra.
"I don't even care at this point. I'm perfectly okay with just failing the class." Monet shook her hair out of her face and played with her choppy bangs, imitating scissors with her fingers. Her attitude made it clear that she really didn't care about passing the class. Cleopatra sighed and looked up, glancing around the room first before looking over at Monet.
"If you really want, I can look over it for you. English is my best subject, after all," Cleopatra offered, surprising herself with the comment. Monet was silent for a minute before ultimately shaking her head. Cleopatra shrugged her shoulders and looked back down at her sewing, continuing where she had left off.
"I honestly don't want to bother you with it. It's fine, really. Besides, it's not like I really care about it anyway." The two of them went silent after that. It was odd without Isa, even if they had only been getting along for a week before the fight. That stupid fight seemed to be ruining everything and if Cleopatra even knew what had started it, maybe she could understand it better. But she didn't. All she knew is that Anthony said one thing and she said another and now they were here. Glancing at the room out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Jasmine, Mark, and Sasha having their normal 'start of club' conversation. They were laughing about something, but Cleopatra didn't care to learn what. Isa, Leo, and Anthony were sitting together but they didn't seem to be doing too much talking, and Kyra and Sebastian were still in the hallway. This was just another day in the club. Cleopatra found herself recognizing her new normal. And ever since Bailey left, Cleopatra found herself making friends with the girl she had made fun of on her first day of the Rejects Club.
But if she had to admit it, Monet was a very good friend. While Cleopatra could never bring herself to admit such a fact out loud to anyone, she knew that Monet really was. After all, Monet was the one to invite her to join the Bathroom Picnic and make her feel more comfortable in the Rejects Club. They had shared many conversations that Cleopatra hadn't been expecting to have. And Monet had even stayed friends with her when the fight broke out and threatened to destroy another one of her friendships. Cleopatra didn't deserve to be friends with her. Monet was a good and loyal friend, the first and possibly the last time Cleopatra would find herself thinking that about a friend.
Or maybe she was just too busy pushing herself away to recognize it anymore.
"What are you even working on anyway?" Monet asked, shifting forward to get a better view of the sewing project on Cleopatra's lap. Cleopatra glanced up at the sudden question, setting the fabric down in her lap and smoothing it out, as though letting it sit there without doing so would suddenly ruin the whole dress. "I honestly didn't think you knew how to sew."
"Well, to answer your first question, I'm working on a wedding dress," Cleopatra shrugged. "My brother's actually getting married in February and his fiancé asked me to make her dress." She glanced down at the fabric in her lap, carefully playing with the lace lining it. "And as for your second, yeah. I taught myself to sew when I was little. I've been making my own clothes since then, actually."
"Wait, so you make your own clothes?" Monet asked, tilting her head to the side. "Like make make them? Or do you alter them? Because both are pretty cool." Cleopatra giggled lightly and folded her hands neatly in her lap again. Monet's face shifted and she moved back to her original position. "I... I'm sorry. I'm annoying, I know. I ask way too many questions."
Cleopatra frowned by the sudden turn in attitude and fumbled lightly over her first words. "It's okay... Don't worry about it. Yeah, I make my own clothes. I did used to just alter them but that was back when I was just strictly into gothic styles. But I think that Lolita's more fun when you make it yourself. All the lace and designs... I've been doing it since I was ten and I haven't regretted it since then." Monet glanced up again, her interest returning as she scanned the complex black dress that Cleopatra had selected to wear for today, like a testament to her talent that no one but Monet would know.
"Wow... That's really cool. Jassy... She'd kill to be able to do that but she doesn't have the patience for that." Monet smiled and folded her hands together, looping them around her propped up leg and leaning back against the chair again. "You know something, Cleo? You're pretty cool. I wish more people got to know that about you." Cleopatra's mask faltered for the first time in years, her smile fading. That was a compliment. When was the last time she had gotten a compliment. Chris and Mary didn't count. They were family. It was practically their job. And Bailey rarely gave her one, when she wasn't teasing Cleopatra about literally everything else. But a compliment like that? Cleopatra couldn't recall one.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" Monet stuttered, glancing back down at the floor.
"You wanna know something, Monet?" Cleopatra asked. Monet looked up again, chewing on her bottom lip. "You're a pretty great person. I, too, wish more people got to know that about you. And I do mean it." Monet blushed and averted her eyes. For a second, Cleopatra could have sworn to have seen tears in her new friend's eyes. Maybe she wasn't the only person who wasn't used to compliments.