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In her billowing purple ball gown, Clawdeen Wolf sat in the dark corner of the gym turned ballroom, watching as her classmates danced about with their partners to the classical music that flowed throughout the expansive space. She sighed as she sat back in her seat, lazily swirling her plastic goblet of soda.
As the Student Dis-Embodied President, Frankie was put in charge of coming up with a theme for that year's Winter Formal. Of course she’d asked her friends for suggestions, and it was Cleo who declared that they “Simply must do a Royal Ball theme.” Everyone else had agreed, and after the plans were set into motion, Clawdeen herself had found excitement in the idea. She immediately threw herself into making her dress, as usual not worrying about finding a date to go with. At all the other dances she’d gone to she found it unnecessary, as she typically just danced in a large group with her friends, care-free as if they weren’t in a room filled with the entire school.
But “Royal Ball” didn’t exactly call for booty-bumpin music. Or big dance groups. Or apparently even acknowledging your friends at all. From what she could tell, it was basically a ginormous group date for the entire student body, of which she felt like a well dressed third wheel. She sunk lower into her chair, the shame making her wish to disappear like Spectra whenever she got caught eavesdropping. The only comfort she had was knowing that she had the prettiest dress in all the room. Not that anyone had even seen it.
Silky royal purple fabric cascading down in ruffled layers, each layer dotted with tiny gold crescent moons and stars. Her bodice was tight fitting , the bust accentuated with a thin gold trim. Her sleeves, light and sheer, glittered with more golden embroidery, the pattern more or less random, though she tried her best to make it seem otherwise. As pretty as it was, it was a nightmare to walk around in. She’d had fun making it, but there was a reason she didn’t like wearing long dresses, especially in heels. As such she wore a rather simple pair. No one could see them anyway, and walking around wasn’t as terrible as it could have been.
Can’t say the same for Cleo though, she thought, as she caught sight of her friend on the dancefloor, practically falling into Deuce as the two attempted to dance. While Cleo looked gorgeous in her rather simple silk dress, Clawdeen couldn’t help but snicker as she watched her stumble around in her impossibly tall gladiator heels, Deuce barely managing to catch her.
The scene distracted her enough for her to not notice the presence looming ever closer to her, up until it started to speak.
“Clawdeen!”
The werewolf jumped slightly in her seat, as she turned her startled gaze onto the culprit.
“Oh! Romulus! Hi.” She quickly composed herself.
“You’re not dancing,” he stated rather plainly as he stood above her, seemingly surprised to see her. Like most of the other guys, he missed the ball in “ballroom” and wore a simple brown and purple tuxedo. Her brother had tried the same stunt, up until she caught him and made some quick, but effective alterations to it. They both knew that Draculaura would throw a fit if he didn’t match her, so she had essentially saved their relationship.
Clawdeen sat up straight, not liking the way he was hovering over her. “Oh yeah well you know...can’t exactly ballroom dance by yourself.” She instantly regretted saying this.
His bushy eyebrows shot straight up. “You don’t have a date? I find that hard to believe. If I had known I would have asked you.”
And I would have politely declined, she thought, struggling to keep the discomfort from showing on her face.
“So you did ask someone then,” she stated, keeping her tone light and casual. She’d known Rom for more than half of her life. He was Clawd’s childhood buddy, there was no reason for her to feel weird with him. But the feeling only grew as he settled down in the chair beside her, much closer than she’d like.
“Believe it or not, I actually asked Gory,” he responded with a chuckle.
“Oh?” From what Clawdeen had known, the two weren’t really all that fond of one another. What could have prompted him to ask her?
“Yeah,” he said with another chuckle. “Clawd had me wondering what vampire girls are all about, you know? And from what I can tell…” He shook his head. “It’s not much.”
Ew. Clawdeen took a swig of her now flat soda, hiding the grimace from her face. In all the time she’d known him, Rom had always reduced girls down to their species. The idea of him doing that with Draculaura made her blood boil slightly.
“So where is Gory? Shouldn’t you be dancing with her?”
“Oh, she ran to the bathroom with some friends of hers. I’m guessing she’ll be gone a while. In the meantime though…”
He leaned towards her, his sculptured face mere inches from her own. Clawdeen swallowed the tight lump that formed in her throat. She leaned away, slightly, but all she could smell was his generously applied cologne.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I danced with you for a bit.”
There was a glint in his green eyes, one she recognized immediately. It was longing, not the innocent and sweet kind, but one of hunger. Irritation flooded through her in an instant.
“Okay, you need to back up.”
He blinked rapidly, slight shock forming on his face. “O-Oh sorry.” He sat back quickly, his smooth demeanor wavering. He tried to recover it, but she could tell she’d thrown off his game.
“Like I was saying though,” he continued, with notably less confidence. “I’d love to dance with you...show these guys what werewolves are all about, you know?”
No, she didn’t know. At previous dances, Romulus often wormed his way into her dance group, always hanging by her side. Lost in the haze of dance fever, she had never minded it, just another friend trying to join the fun. But she minded now. The way he’d approach her, the look in his eyes. She’d never even considered that he might have a thing for her. Clearly he was the type of guy that was used to always getting a yes from girls, being fawned over, and loving the attention. Hell, even her little sister Howleen had a thing for him at one point. All Clawdeen could see in him however was that mangy little puppy from her childhood who had pushed her into a mud puddle once and laughed uncontrollably afterward. She’d gotten over it, but even that memory fueled her anger in that moment.
“No thanks Rom,” she stated flatly, averting her eyes to her now empty cup. “Not really in the mood for a dance.”
“Come on,” he pushed. “Just one dance, that’s all. Don’t you want to show off your dress? I know you made it yourself, you gotta show everyone how talented you are!”
His hounding was about to make her snap.
“Rom I-”
“Excuuuuse me Romulus.”
They both paused at the new voice. New to the conversation, but all too familiar to Clawdeen. She looked up, surprised to see Toralei Stripe standing before her in a rather smart suit in varying hues of black, gray, and red. She too seemed to have missed the mark theme wise. She had one hand in her pocket, and her signature sly smile spread upon her face. For whatever reason or another, the werewolf hadn’t seen much of her for the past few weeks. Taking a break from her typical catty shenanigan she supposed. But still, she was surprised to see her at the dance at all.
Romulus peered at her, confused. “Uh...Toralei right?”
“Yup.” Her sharp teeth glinted as she grinned. “And I just came cash in on the dance that I was promised. You up for it Wolf?”
Clawdeen blinked, exasperated. She hadn’t offered anyone a dance as far as she could remember. Toralei gave her a very pointed look, and she understood at once what she was trying to do. While she appreciated the save, looking at the sneaky feline now, she had to wonder if she was really a better option.
“Well you’re gonna have to save it for later,” Romulus said, his tone far from pleasant. He stood, blocking Clawdeen from her view. “She’s actually about to dance with me-”
From the corner of her eye, Clawdeen could see Gory walking back in through the gym entrance, vampire friends in tow. She stood suddenly and slipped past Romulus to Toralei’s side.
“Oh look,” she exclaimed, ignoring the slighted look on his face. “Looks like Gory’s back. See you on the dancefloor Rom…”
Wordlessly, Toralei took her arm and led her away, leaving Romulus looking embarrassed and even slightly enraged.
“Woof.” Toralei whistled. “He’s a piece of work, huh?”
Clawdeen said nothing, her head swirling trying to process what had just happened. They walked on, with no apparent destination in mind, Toralei still gripping her forearm a little tighter than necessary.After another moment or so Clawdeen paused in her steps, Toralei following suit. They were on the other side of the gym now, near the DJ booth where Holt Hyde stood, head resting in his hand with a look of complete boredom on his face. As bored as he looked, his outfit was far from it. It was as though he’d found a whole new fashion category altogether, one she could only describe as being “jester-chic”. A fitted suit vest in bright mismatched colors, with glittering sequined trims, and a small jester hat with silver bells on the tips.
Toralei snickered beside Clawdeen as she began picking at her teeth. “Nice to know I’m not the only one that thinks this blows.”
Clawdeen narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Oh come ooooon.” Toralei eyed her incredulously. “This dance is boring as hellll. I doubt anyone here can honestly say they’re having a good time.”
While Clawdeen could personally say she wasn’t having much fun, it seemed a bit unfair to say no one was. Draculaura seemed to be having a great time with Clawd as he swung her around everytime the music reached a crescendo. Not minding their moves all that much, Lagoona and Gil seemed to be having a pretty great conversation, most likely about the swim team. And even from across the room Clawdeen could see the loving gazes Ghoulia and Slo Mo exchanged as they slowly shuffled their feet. It wasn that the dance wasn’t fun. It just wasn’t fun to be alone.
“I’ll be accepting that thank you now,” Toralei stated flatly, eyes gazing straight ahead, unamused.
Clawdeen scoffed. “For what?”
“Uh, saving you from that hound?”
Clawdeen crossed her arms and looked the other way, her lips pouting slightly. “I was fine. It’s just Rom, I’ve known him for forever…”
“Apparently not as much as he’d like,” Toralei snickered.
Clawdeen bristled. “Alright fine! Thank you! You can leave me alone now.”
Toralei put her hands up, her lips quirked into a playful smile.
“Hey, I’m just messing with you. I’m sure he’s a wonderful dancer.”
Clawdeen glared at her, warning glinting in her golden eyes. Toralei sighed.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop playing with you. Just trying to have a bit of fun.”
“If you’re not having a good time, why don’t you just leave?” Clawdeen snapped, her irritation officially hitting it’s peak.
“Why don’t you,” Toralei quipped. “All you’ve done all night is sit in a corner by yourself! Excuse me for trying to give you some company…”
The werewolf chuckled humorlessly. “Oh, is that what this is? You really need to work on your hospitality then.”
Toralei laughed, the sound surprisingly light and cheerful. She reached up and slung her arm over Clawdeen’s shoulder. It was an oddly friendly gesture, but for some reason she didn’t mind it.
“See? I’m never bored when you’re around Wolf.” For some reason the way she said this made Clawdeen’s anger melt away. She relaxed, their small quarrel now feeling like more of a playful banter.
Toralei inclined her head toward the wolf, her green slitted eyes shining with interest.
“Not to be blunt, but I find it pretty hard to believe one of the most popular girls at this school didn’t get asked out.”
Clawdeen raised her thick eyebrows. “Could say the same thing to you.”
Toralei let out a short laugh. “Oh please. With my reputation? Why do you think I only go after new kids? Besides, you and your ghouls are the only ones who are willing to put up with me.”
Now Clawdeen snickered. And, despite her better judgement, she responded honestly to the werecat’s question.
“Most dances I end up going with my ghoulfriends. I think most everyone around here expects that by now. And besides, there aren’t any guys here that I’m really...into.” Or any at all.
“Huh.”
Toralei slipped her arm from Clawdeen’s shoulder and moved to stand in front of her.
“Well I don’t have a date...and you don’t have a date…” She held out her slim clawed hand to Clawdeen. Her claws glinted in the light from the fake chandeliers overhead, painted a metallic black. “...Wanna dance?”
She wasn’t quite sure why, but Clawdeen burst out laughing. “Are you serious?”
Toralei frowned, her face not unlike Romulus’s when she’d rejected his attempt mere moments earlier. “What?”
Clawdeen giggled. “Isn’t this exactly what you just ‘saved’ me from.”
Toralei rolled her eyes. “I’m not a creep.”
“Debatable.”
They both giggled.
Laughter drifting off, Toralei raised her eyebrows. “But seriously though...don’t you wanna dance?”
Her hand was still outstretched. As much of a nuisance Toralei could be, Clawdeen could recall a number of times in which she genuinely enjoyed the werecat’s company. And hell, some of her antics were kinda funny whenever they weren’t targeting Clawdeen herself. And it's not like the other students hadn’t seen them hanging out before…
Clawdeen took a deep breath. “Alright.” She placed her own clawed hand in Toralei’s. “You try to pull anything, I swear-”
“Ugh, I’m trying to ‘pull’ anything.” Toralei began to lead her to the dance floor. “I’m literally just asking for a dance.”
She pulled her to a spot towards the middle of the appointed dancefloor. There was a good amount of space between them and the other students. Toralei looked at her, silently asking if that spot was okay. Clawdeen nodded curtly. She suddenly became very self aware. Was her hair still okay? Had she gotten any stains on her dress without realizing? She was near certain monsters were giving her weird looks, and realized it may have been because she was about to dance with Toralei, the school’s most notorious bully.
If Iris can dance with Manny in peace, I should be able to dance with Toralei. Even just thinking it sounded odd.
Oblivious to her partner’s internal struggles, Toralei placed one of her hands on Clawdeen’s waist. The other gripped the wolf’s hand. Feeling awkward, Clawdeen placed her own on the werecat’s shoulder. All at once, she realized she had no idea what she was doing. Never had she ever ballroom danced. She wasn’t even sure if she'd ever so much has seen a video of it. Regardless, Toralei began to slowly guide her.
Oh okay. She’s leading.
Clawdeen did her best to follow. Oddly enough, it seemed like Toralei knew what she was doing. Not that the steps were very complicated, just a simple waltz, with wide steps going in a circle. Still, there were a few times Clawdeen stumbled, Toralei going just a little too fast. And though her heels weren’t the highest, she did not want to bring that cliche of stepping on your partner’s toes to fruition. Eventually they found a good rhythm that suited both of them.
“Not so light on your feet, eh Wolf?”
Clawdeen scoffed, and Toralei’s grin grew.
"Yeah well...you’re too good at this.”
Admittedly not the best quip. Not even an insult, more of a compliment than anything. But seriously? Of all the dances for the werecat to be good at, it was waltzing?
Toralei snorted. “Try this for too good.”
She tightened her grip around Clawdeen’s waist, then dipped her downward, spinning her in a graceful circle. Clawdeen held on for dear life, her stomach seizing at the sudden motion. She’d be damned if she fell in front of the entire student body. She huffed as Toralei righted her and they fell back into the rhythm.
“Maybe warn me when you do that?!”
“Alright...I’m about to do it again.”
And she did, this time catching Clawdeen even more off guard. Her balance floundering, the wolf wrapped her arm fully around Toralei’s shoulders. If she was going down, Toralei was going down with her. Amazingly they didn’t fall. Toralei supported her weight with ease, which was rather impressive considering their size difference. Where Clawdeen was tall and a bit bulky, Toralei was thin and lithe. Not short per say, but the difference in their height was notable.
“Toralei, seriously!”
The werecat threw her head back and cackled. The sound filled Clawdeen’s chest with irritation along with something...lighter.
“Okay okay I’ll stop, I promise,” she giggled breathlessly upon seeing her partner’s unenthused expression. “But you’re really gonna tell me that wasn’t fun?”
Now that she survived, Clawdeen could admit to herself that it was. But rather than answer, she presented the werecat with a question.
“So how did you learn to dance like this? No one can waltz by themselves.”
Toralei quieted, not answering right away. They turned in another circle, the motion slightly dizzying.
“My dad’s a dance instructor,” Toralei answered after a few more moments of silence. “Before he got his studio and his license, he used to practice teaching me and my siblings.”
Huh. It took a minute for this information to settle in Clawdeen’s mind, whether from the dizziness she was beginning to feel from constantly dancing in a circle, or the bright lights and loud orchestrated music that was assaulting her enhanced senses. She realized after another moment of silence it was none of those things.
Toralei had never spoken of her family before. As silly as it felt to admit, Clawdeen had kinda assumed she didn’t have any beside Purrsephone and Meowlody. This new information greatly challenged her perception of the werecat, which must have been the reason she was rather secretive about it in the first place. Everyone knew the story of the abandoned werecat who had been left alone in an alleyway as she watched all of her siblings be taken into loving homes, and who lived on the streets up until landing in juvenile detention and met her best friends. But no one knew much beyond that, and that must have been how Toralei liked it.
The silence between them lasted a bit too long for comfort, and Toralei was fully avoiding her gaze. Clawdeen realized she knew very little about her dance partner, despite knowing her for going on four years.
The music began to wind down, the lights above dimming so the only lights in the room were the light blue string lights that strung all the walls. All around them, couples smiled shyly at one another, before stepping even closer, leaning against one another as they shuffled their feet and swayed along to the new soothing rhythm of the music.
Clawdeen tensed, and she could sense Toralei’s agitation. They met each other's eyes, Clawdeen’s glowing slightly in the darkness. Toralei shrugged and lowered her eyes.
“It’s...just a dance.”
“Right.”
“We were already dancing…”
“Yeah…”
Neither of them moved for a few seconds. Clawdeen decided to take the initiative herself. She had still been holding Toralei’s hand, the other still on her shoulder. She slung them both loosely around her neck and stepped closer. There was still a couple inches or so between them. Slowly Toralei wrapped her arm around Clawdeen’s waist. Her grip was loose and hesitant, but just like before she began to lead with a light sway. They shuffled about, looking everywhere but at each other. In the meantime, Clawdeen’s keen eyes swept across the room until she had located all of her friends.
There was Draculuara with her brother near the center of the room, the vast height difference between them making for an amusing slow dance. He was leaning over as far as he could, enough so that she could wrap her arms around his shoulders, him holding her tiny waist in his large hands. Still, they smiled sweetly at each other, unaware of how ridiculous they looked.
Not far from them were Lagoona and Gil, mouths still as they embraced, their foreheads both pressed to Gil’s water tank helmet. Lagoona planted a sweet kiss against the glass, leaving a pink lipstick mark.
Frankie had grooved her way towards the DJ booth, slow dancing as best as she could with Holt, who was seemingly bouncing with chaotic energy. After a few more minutes of trying to slow him down, she pulled a pair of earmuffs out of thin air and placed them over his ears. In a puff of smoke he disappeared, leaving a dazed Jackson Jekyll in his place.He quickly caught his bearings, and clumsily began to dance with Frankie, who giggled girlishly.
It took her a while to locate Cleo. She looked about in the distance, squinting through the dimness. Toralei led her around in a circle, and it was then she caught sight of her mummified friend. Just a few feet away, in the exact middle of the gym. She’d finally found her balance in her stilt-like heels, and now leaned lovingly against Deuce's shoulder. They spun in a short circle, and as they made their way around, Cleo caught her eye.
At first she smiled warmly, but it quickly gave way to confusion. Then absolute shock. She lifted her head from Duece's shoulder, her icy blue eyes wide with questions. Clawdeen simply shrugged, painfully aware of how odd it was. Toralei had tried numerous times to sabotage the fear leading squad, and as the captain it was Cleo who had the most to lose if any of the werecats shenanigans were successful. In a weird way, dancing with her almost felt like a betrayal. She swallowed thickly, averting her gaze from Cleo, despite the mummy’s silent attempts to demand an explanation. With the heat of her best friends glare on her, Clawdeen began to sweat. She looked down at Toralei with a forced smile.
“Maybe we should move a bit,” she suggested as nonchalantly as she could manage. Toralei obliged, but not before sticking her tongue out at Cleo crudely. Clawdeen could hear the mummy’s offended gasp as Toralei led her away to a less crowded area of the dancefloor, near the perimeter. After situating themselves they resumed their respective positions, though this time with a lot less awkwardness.
“She is too easy to bother,” Toralei chuckled. “Serves her right, she needs to mind her business.”
Clawdeen blew a stray curl from her face, irritation slithering slightly in her gut.
“Geez, it’ not like you haven’t tried to ruin her life on several occasions,” she chided sarcastically.
“It’s never been anything that serious-”
“You keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night.”
“Oh come on,” Toralei objected. “Name one time I took it too far.”
Clawdeen snorted. “As if we’d give you the chance.”
Silence hung between them again. After a few moments, Toralei sighed, the sound carrying a sense of defeat.
“Okay, I admit,” she started begrudgingly. “Sometimes I get carried away.”
Clawdeen merely raised her eyebrows.
“I can’t help it sometimes, you ghouls are just too fun to mess with.”
As infuriating as that statement was, the sincerity in her voice was what caught Clawdeen off guard. It suddenly occurred to her just how much Toralei hung around them. Though never invited, she always wormed her way into whatever situation they found themselves in, whether it be across the country to Boo York, or across the seas to Scaris. Why would she go through the trouble if she genuinely disliked them? No doubt she was as vindictive as it gets, but there must have been more to it.
Clawdeen grinned suddenly. Toralei eyed her suspiciously “What’s with the smile?
“Just admit you like hanging around us, Stripe.”
Toralei sputtered, halting her feet. “What? If you mean pissing you all off, then yeah, I do!”
“Are you messing with me right now?” Clawdeen inquired, still smiling.
Toralei paused. She let out a small snicker. She leaned forward slowly, closing what little distance there had been between them. Clawdeen’s breath caught, and she was reminded of when Romulus had done the same thing. Toralei pushed herself up onto the tip of her toes so her mouth was level with Clawdeen’s left ear. “Trust me Wolf,” she whispered, and the werewolf could hear the sly smirk on her lips. “This is all for you.”
Clawdeen stiffened. Her entire body became warm, starting from her ear where Toralei had just spoken.
“I...What?”
“It’s always for you.” Toralei stated earnestly, looking directly into her eyes. Her own cheeks were red, and gone was her signature smirk.
They’d completely stopped dancing at this point, though they were still holding one another. Her words swam about Clawdeen’s mind like a ball in a pinball machine, never settling long enough for her to make any sense of them.
“You...play these pranks, bully my friends and my sister for that matter... for me?”
If she sounded angry, she hadn’t meant to. But given Toralei’s expression, her words must have sounded a bit harsh.
“I mean, not always-”
“Why do you think I’d want that?” Clawdeen asked. She removed her arms from the werecats shoulders and backed away, mostly to catch her breath.
“Clawdeen, just listen,” Toralei hissed.
At that moment, the slow music died down, and the lights came back up. Holt had returned, and stood on the stage, holding a microphone in his hands.
“Alright par-tay PEOPPPLEEE!,”he shouted, his ear piercing voice rattling after the calm quiet music that had been playing before. Clawdeen winced.
“In about twenty! More! Minutes! We will be wrapping up this year's Winter Formal Ball! Until next time, when we can play Actual! Good! Music! This has been your beloved DJ, Holt Hyde!” He began to walk off the stage until a faculty member hissed something at him.
“Oh, and one more thing! Please pick up after yourselves, and don’t forget any of your belongings. GOOD NIGHT EVERYBO-DAY!”
The gym erupted into applause. It seemed like everyone else really did have a really decent time.
Clawdeen stood like a statue, finding it hard to swallow. She needed fresh air, and she needed it now.
She pushed past Toralei and made her way to the exit, making sure to stop and grab her jacket from where she'd left it. She heard a few voices call out her name-maybe Toralei’s was among them, she wasn’t sure. She exited the gym then turned left, opting to not leave through the main entrance of the school. Her face was still burning, and her thoughts still raced about in circles in her mind. But when she stepped through one of the side exits it all halted. Her face cooled immediately, and her thoughts froze entirely.
She took a long deep breath, her eyes wandering naturally towards the moon. It was half full, though she felt it in her blood without even having to look at it that her transformation was due in about half a month. She sighed, wrapping her jacket loosely around her shoulders. Toralie’s words were just beginning to creep back into her mind when the door beside her burst open.
“Clawdeen!” Several voices shouted at once. And there were her friends, their faces an array of confusion and worry.
“Are you okay?” Draculaura asked, her teeth chattering ever so slightly. She had Clawd’s suit jacket wrapped around her shoulders, though it seemed to do little to warm her up.
“We saw you runnin’ out of the gym, and wondered if somethin’ had happened to ya,” Lagoona added.
Before Clawdeen could answer, Cleo crossed her arms and asked, “Why on Ra were you dancing with Toralei?”
The other girls gasped. Various questions asking the same thing spewed from their mouths, causing Clawdeen to grow warm again. She shook her head and motioned for them to stop.
“It wasn’t anything serious, it was just…” She groaned. “Romulus was being an ass, and she offered me a dance to make him back off. And it worked, so everything is fine.”
She loved her friends, she really did, but she wanted nothing more than for them to leave her alone. They knew her better than anyone, and she always told them everything (for the most part) but she needed to work this out for herself before she could tell them anything. But for that she’d need…
Toralei.
The werecat had appeared in the doorway, her face unreadable. The others hadn't noticed her arrival.
“Did she do something,” Frankie asked. She picked at her wrist stitches, something she only did when she was worried.
“Oh please ,” Cleo drawled, rolling her eyes. “It’s Toralei, she’s always up to something. Whatever it was, I’m sure she’s off conspiring with Spectra, and everyone will know about it by Monday next week-”
“Stop!” Clawdeen snapped. They all looked at her in surprise; Cleo frowned. She sighed, swiping another curl from her face.
“Everything is fine,” she insisted. “It was just a dance. Nothing else happened.” Nothing that was any of their business anyway. “I just came out here to get some air. It was...stuffy. In there.” She averted her eyes to the ground.
Lagoona scratched at her neck scales. “Well we’re glad for that then. None of us had seen ya all night.”
Clawdeen resisted the urge to scoff. Instead she smiled, hoping to ward off any bitterness she felt. “All good here.”
“Well... alright then,” Draculaura said cheerfully. “I better return Clawd’s jacket and get going. I’ll text you guys sometime this weekend!”
Lagoona and Frankie shared similar sentiments, saying their goodbyes before heading out. They slipped past Toralei without noticing her, as she had tucked herself away as they passed. Now it was just Clawdeen and Cleo.
Clawdeen slipped her arms into her jacket, the chill from outside finally seeping through her dress. She could feel Cleo’s eyes boring into her, but couldn’t bring herself to meet them.
After a while she heard a sigh come from Cleo. She crossed her arms.
“Tell me I have nothing to worry about and I’ll leave you alone.”
Clawdeen perked up, surprised. Normally Cleo would have pried and pried until she managed to squeeze any and all information she could from someone. Still bewildered, she just looked at her friend blankly.
Cleo closed her eyes momentarily before speaking.
“You know how I feel about Toralei,” she started, a tinge of anger in her voice. “She’s a rotten, conniving, backstabbing ass.”
Clawdeen peeked behind Cleo as she spoke. She could barely make out Toralei’s outline just beyond the door frame, and she was for sure she was listening to everything they were saying. Hopefully she hadn’t taken any of Cleo’s insults to heart.
“...Most of the time.”
The werewolf raised an eyebrow as Cleo’s chilly demeanor melted ever so slightly. Her crossed arms loosened, her frown relaxed. She looked at Clawdeen with unspoken sincerity.
“Look, I was fused with her for a few days. It was weird and uncomfortable, but also not that bad?” She began to pace, her heels clacking frantically against the concrete. “I could feel some of her feelings, and hear some of her thoughts. All sorts of thoughts. “She paused in her pacing and stared into Clawdeen’s eyes. “Even thoughts about...you.”
Clawdeen’s breath caught in her throat. The cold air began to conflict with the heat that flushed across her face, adding to her discomfort. Did Cleo have the right to be telling her these things? Did Toralei have to be standing right there listening to them? She should have stopped Cleo, she knew that but yet…
“What kinda thoughts,” she asked softly.
Cleo sighed again, as though she was fighting with herself about whether or not she should continue.
“Just...thoughts,” she said after a moment. “Nice thoughts. Unlike any she had about anyone else. I hadn’t planned on telling you since I thought nothing would really come of it but...Clawdeen…” She closed the distance between them and placed her hands firmly on the werewolf’s shoulders, startling her. Her icy blue eyes looked deeply into Clawdeen’s, revealing a sense of fondness that she hadn’t even known Cleo to have for her.
“You both genuinely looked like you were having a good time. I don’t know how you feel about her, but I can say for sure that she has feelings for you. Her and I don’t get along but...I’m willing to put that aside. If you tell me that everythings okay.”
Clawdeen stared at her. Cleo stared back, her grip on Clawdeen’s shoulders tightening ever so slightly. With all that she had said one thing latched on to Clawdeen’s mind.
“I don’t know how you feel about her…”
How did she feel about Toralei?
She did have a good time with her that night. Even the parts where the werecat had teased or annoyed her, she looked back at them with confusing endearment. The idea of having moments like that again with Toralei made her chest feel light in a way she had never experienced before. But these feelings were new. They were new, and foreign, and she wasn’t sure what to do with them.
She focused on Cleo once more, feeling new appreciation for her friend. As much as she tried to appear cool and regal, there was warmth inside her, and not nearly as self centered as she appeared. Clawdeen appreciated her looking out for her, but she could take care of herself just fine.
She smiled and nodded. “Everything’s okay. Nothing to worry about.”
Cleo scrutinized her for another moment before releasing her and taking a step back.
“Okay then. Good.”
She rubbed the back of her neck in an uncharacteristic display of sheepishness.
“I should probably go find Deuce. He’s probably wondering where I went.”
She smiled awkwardly. “I’ll talk to you later. And if you ever want to talk about...whatever, just let me know. I’ll keep this between us.”
Clawdeen bid her goodbye, and watched as she strode back inside with her usual royal sashay, Toralei still managing to slip past her notice.
A heavy and still silence ensued. Clawdeen crossed her arms around herself protectively, unsure of how to proceed. On the one hand, it seemed like Cleo had said everything that needed to be said. On the other, she felt she needed to hear it from Toralei herself.
She looked up upon hearing a deep sigh. Toralei stepped out from the doorway, her eyes cast towards the ground. Hands in her pockets and shoulders slumped, she looked defeated in a way. For a moment Clawdeen imagined herself being in Toralei’s shoes; her rival had just revealed her crush to the object of her affection while simultaneously insulting and expressing a great distrust for her. Meanwhile she had no idea how said crush felt back.
Well that makes both of us...
Toralei cleared her throat. “Well. That happened.”
Clawdeen nodded curtly. “Sure did.”
After another awkward silence Toralei groaned. “Look just-tell me what you think and we’ll leave it at that. We can just pretend this night never happened.”
“I want you to tell me if what she said is true,” Clawdeen countered.
Toralei stood there stiffly, mouth drawn into a hard line. She took a deep breath then hesitantly met Clawdeen’s eye.
“...Yes.”
“Okay...Okay.” A weird sense of relief washed over Clawdeen. Breathing became just a bit easier, and the cloud that had fogged her thoughts cleared. She could rationalize her feelings a bit better now. Verbalizing them proved to be challenging.
“I’m gonna need time to figure out how I feel,” she stated honestly. “This is kinda sudden? I mean...we don’t have the best history.”
Shame crossed Toralei’s face, but she nodded.
“And I mean...you are a jerk. Or you act like one? I don’t know. It’s like you said, you don’t have a good reputation.”
The werecat chuckled ruefully, but there was genuine remorse in the sound. “It’s...I’m working on it.”
A small smile spread on Clawdeen’s face. “That’s good to hear.” She uncrossed her arms and ran her claws through her hair, assuredly messing up the style. Not that it mattered anymore. The dance was over, and nearly everyone had left. She and Toralei may as well have been the last monsters on the school grounds. Time was ticking though, and she knew her parents would probably be worried if she made it home so long after Clawd. She took a deep breath and stepped closer to Toralei, meeting her eyes head on.
“I know I said that I don’t know how I feel...but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything,” she stated, her voice firm and sure. “I did have a really nice time tonight. I liked dancing and talking with you...but there's a lot we have to work out.”
Toralei nodded. Her normally slitted pupils had grown round and large. It was really cute and made it harder for Clawdeen to focus on her words. She held a hand out, and Toralei grasped it tentatively.
“Let’s just...take it slow,” she said softly. “See how things go.”
A smile spread across Toralei’s face, and Cladween couldn’t help but smile too.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Okay. Well,” Clawdeen raised her head up and glanced around. She could distantly hear the sounds of the last remaining staff milling about in the gym, letting her know that it really was time for her to leave.
“I need to get going,” she sighed. She met Toralie’s eyes once more and smirked.
“I'll see you later Stripe.”
The werecat let out a short laugh, a full grin on her face now.
“Not if I see you first.”
Right as Clawdeen made to move, Toralei tightened her grip on her hand. Before she could make sense of what she was doing, Toralei bowed and placed a sweet kiss on the back of her palm.
“Thanks for the dance, Wolf.”