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Junior year of high school hadn’t been very eventful. The first term had passed the two friends by. Now it’s time for the second term. Tests are ramping up and teachers are bothering everyone about their careers.
Something that is a tradition between the two of them, is Seraphine helping Rell clean out her locker. The blonde has the nasty habit of stuffing all kinds of items in it. She notices a bundle of paper and looks through it.
‘You failed that last math test?’ Seraphine asks as she holds up a sheet.
Rell sighs. ‘I did. The lady of the house isn’t pleased. As if she wasn’t still pissed because I got my brow pierced.’
‘But it looks good!’ Seraphine protests. She reaches over and pokes at the glimmering buds in Rell’s brow. ‘It suits you.’
Her blonde friend shrugs. ‘I know. But still. I need to focus on classes, not just on my sports activities.’
Seraphine frowns. ‘You’re having a hard time focusing?’
‘I am.’ Rell admits. She runs a hand through her thick curls. ‘I have other things on my mind while attending class. Every test is a pain.’
That’s weird. Seraphine knows Rell is pretty smart and rarely has difficulties with classes.
‘What is on your mind?’ Seraphine asks.
‘Crime.’ Rell replies automatically. ‘No, just stupid things.’
Seraphine studies Rell. Her brows are furrowed and she’s been fidgeting an awful lot. Whatever Rell has on her mind, it is indeed giving her a hard time.
‘Well,’ Seraphine says. ‘Let me know if you want to talk about it.’
Seraphine has just finished up getting ready for bed. Bao is begging for either food or scratches. Since he is on a diet, Sera rubs his head a few times. On her nightstand her phone buzzes.
[10:43 P.M.]
Rell <3 : sorry i cant come over this weekend
Seraphine frowns. Is Rell seriously bailing on their annual sleepover? They hold one every week. Her fingers fly over the screen.
[10:44 P.M.]
Me: why???
Me : its been two weeks since our last one
Me : we need to catch up!!
Rell goes offline. Seraphine stares at their conversation. Then Rell’s icon pops back up and the dots appear.
[10:48 P.M.]
Rell <3 : i know
Rell <3 : and im sorry but mom is pissed
Rell <3 : she literally just walked in and threatened to take phone
Rell <3 : im on thin ice
[10:49 P.M.]
Me : why
[10:49 P.M.]
Rell <3 : mel snitched about how i failed two more tests and didnt turn in homework
Rell <3 : mom actually said i cant see you anymore outside of school
Seraphine’s eyes grow wide. Curse Ambessa and Mel Medarda. She punches the dial button.
Rell’s voice sounds croaky when she replies. Seraphine guesses she took a nap after school that turned into sleeping.
‘Your mom said that?’ Seraphine questions. ‘What the fuck!’
‘I know.’ Rell replies. ‘I don’t like it either. But I think I should lay low for some time. I need to get my grades back up and then we can hang out again.’
Seraphine huffs. ‘Can we meet in secret or something? I still want to catch up.’
Rell grows quiet.
‘Sorry.’ Rell says after a minute. ‘I heard Mel rummaging around. Anyway, I think we can meet up this Tuesday in between my last class and training.’
‘Okay.’ Seraphine agrees. ‘You better not bail.’
They decide to meet up at the local park. Rell is already waiting at the gate when Seraphine pedals over on her bike.
‘Hey.’ Rell greets.
‘Hello.’ Seraphine replies. She locks her bike. ‘Come on.’
There are no other people in sight. Together they walk down the path, relishing in the warmth the afternoon sun brings.
‘Your mom sucks.’ Seraphine announces as she kicks at a pebble. It skips over the path until it disappears under the hedge. ‘I can’t believe she said I can’t come over anymore. And that we can’t hang out outside of school!’
Rell sighs. She’s been quiet their whole walk together. Every minute she has been anxiously checking her phone, fearing to see an angry text message or a question about her location.
A gentle hand on her shoulder stops her from pulling out her phone again. She looks up and meets eyes with Seraphine.
‘She’s just,’ Rell hesitates. She scratches at the back of her neck. ‘She’s worried you’re a distraction to me and a danger to my career.’
Disbelief comes from Seraphine in the shape of a scoff, ‘Wow, okay. How am I a danger?’
Seraphine frowns as Rell grows quiet yet again. She feels like Rell is trying to ignore her, even after they went out of their way to meet up. Anxiety fills her mind.
‘Did I do something?’ she asks.
Rell immediately shakes her head. ‘No, you didn’t. Mom just doesn’t like me having friends. And we’ve been friends for a long time.’
‘Best friends.’ Seraphine corrects. ‘But okay, yeah. We haven’t even been hanging out that much. It’s unfair!’
A sigh falls from Rell’s lips. ‘I know. It’s not that I don’t miss you, or us hanging out. I am just trying to figure stuff out.’
‘Like what?’
‘Just that-‘ Rell interrupts herself, shaking her head. ‘It’s cool. A lot on my plate, that is all. I should go now.’
Seraphine’s lips are stretched in a thin line as she watches Rell jog away. Rell told her there’s nothing to be worried about. But still, she feels like Rell is hiding something from her.
She and Rell have been friends since they were ten years old. They know basically everything about each other. Seraphine shrugs. She’ll figure out what Rell is hiding from her eventually.
The arrival of Spring means it’s time for a yearly meeting of all Riot High’s sports divisions. There is a whole week dedicated to the sports Riot High hosts. The last day of the week is reserved for Athletics.
Rell’s most important part of the day is the javelin throwing. It’s not just Seraphine that has come to watch the event. A bunch of seniors crowd the tribune to watch a senior named Sejuani.
Seraphine stands next to the tribune, reading Rell’s message.
[11:28 A.M.]
Rell <3 : meet me at our freshman spot
The freshmen spot is a large oak tree. Back in freshman year they usually ate lunch underneath it. Seraphine makes her way towards it and spots Rell. The tall blonde jogs up to meet her.
She holds out her hand, pinky in the air.
‘What’s up?’ Seraphine asks as she eyes the finger.
‘If I lose this game, I’ll tell you what is going on.’ Rell says. ‘I pinky swear.’
That is something unexpected. Seraphine thought she’d have to figure it out herself. It’s a welcome surprise.
Seraphine mockingly rolls her eyes as she links her pinky with Rell. ‘So that means I’m not going to know anything. You’re awesome.’
‘Thanks.’ Rell says with a smile. ‘But I wouldn’t bet on it. Sejuani is super good.’
Out of habit, Sera wants to pull Rell into a hug. But something stops her from it. Lately when she got close to Rell, she noticed Rell seemed uncomfortable.
Seraphine decides against hugging her friend. ‘Okay then. Good luck. I’ll be cheering you on from the tribune.’
Rell is good. Of course she is. But Sejuani is better. Rell wasn’t lying when she complimented the senior.
Sejuani has been ahead of Rell every single time. Even though it’s a few yards or even inches, there is some distance between their javelins.
‘Come on, come on.’ Seraphine quietly mutters.
Seraphine watches intently how Rell performs her winding up routine before giving the spear a mighty fling.
The javelin sails through the air and everyone follows it. Seraphine sighs in defeat as this spear also lands just short of Sejuani’s.
That was their last set. Sera sees Rell wipe her body with a towel. Even from here she sees her dark skin glimmering with sweat, her abs on display thanks to the crop top she wears. Seraphine swallows loudly.
But wait, this means Rell is going to tell her what is going on.
All the competitors of the day are asked to make their way towards the entrance. There’s a little ceremony for everyone that partook in the events and prizes are available for the three winners.
The prizes that are handed out are just for show. But Seraphine knows that Rell keeps everything she gets, even if it is in a shoebox underneath her bed.
A senior named Sivir has acquired third place. She bows her head and smiles as she receives the bronze medal.
Rell mirrors her movements as she is awarded silver.
Then Sejuani takes her turn and receives gold. A picture is taken of the three girls and hands are being shaken.
‘Good work today.’ Rell praises as she holds out her hand to Sejuani.
The tall senior turns to Rell. Sejuani shakes Rell’s hand with a reserved smile. ‘Thanks, Medarda. You were a tough opponent.’
Rell eagerly shakes the hand in return. ‘You too. If you ever feel like spilling your secrets, let me know. Your throwing technique is amazing.’
Sejuani laughs boastfully. ‘No, thanks. But keep it up, you’re gonna get far.’
The two competitors nod at each other before parting ways. Rell examines her silver medal when she hears someone come closer.
Seraphine bounces up to Rell with excitement. ‘Rell! You actually lost!’
Rell slings her bag over her shoulder. ‘Told you not to get your hopes up. Sejuani is a beast. But I guess this means I have to come clean.’
‘Oh, right.’ Sera replies. ‘I forgot that was a thing we agreed on.’
‘As if.’ Rell says with a snort. ‘Anyway, I can’t right now. How about we get together at our spot tomorrow?’
Seraphine smiles. ‘Yeah, that sounds good. It’s been a while since we went to Pantheon’s Pastries.’
Rell salutes her. ‘It’s a deal.’
Butterflies have filled Seraphine’s stomach by the time she opens the door to Pantheon’s Pastries the following day. She had spent the night imagining what Rell could possibly be hiding. It can’t be a pregnancy announcement, right?
‘Welcome!’ A tall brunette greets when Sera enters. Her name tag reads Leona. That’s right, Leona from Riot High. She’s seen her at Rell’s track meetings.
‘Hey,’ Seraphine replies. ‘I was looking for someone.’
Leona nods and points over her shoulder. ‘In the back, your usual spot. I’ll get you some tea.’
Seraphine walks over to the spot they always sit at. Rell is already there, sipping on her coffee. She waves as she notices Sera.
‘Hey. Good to see you.’ Rell says when Seraphine sits down across from her.
‘Good to see you. Hope you didn’t get in too much trouble for second place.’ Seraphine replies.
Rell shrugs. ‘Eh, not really. We had seen Sejuani at previous games, and we knew she’s good. And second place is still impressive.’
‘It is.’ Seraphine agrees.
Leona comes over and sets down a cup of tea. A cookie is on the side of the plate. Seraphine thanks her and then they are left alone.
‘Well, you know what we are here for.’ Seraphine says. She breaks the cookie in half and takes a bite. ‘Spill the tea. Well, not actual tea.’
Rell rolls her eyes. ‘Good one, Song .’
‘Thanks, Medarda .’ Seraphine chuckles.
They settle into a comfortable silence. Just Seraphine munching on her cookie and Rell stirring her coffee, even though she drinks it black.
Rell is obviously not going to start.
And so, Seraphine sighs and crosses her arms. ‘I feel like you’ve been ignoring me. And to be honest, it sucks. I miss you.’
Rell stops stirring her coffee and sets aside the spoon.
‘I’m not exactly doing it because I want to.’ Rell says with a heavy sigh. ‘I just don’t wanna fuck things up.’
‘Please,’ Seraphine
‘Okay, okay.’ Rell mutters. ‘I’ll tell you.’
Rell looks more nervous than Seraphine has ever seen her. Even her games don’t get her freaking out like this. In an attempt to comfort her friend, Sera takes Rell’s hands into her own. It seems to only worsen Rell’s demeanor.
‘Seriously,’ Seraphine presses. ‘What’s going on? I just want to know so I can try to help you, or at least sympathize.’
‘I don’t know if you can sympathize.’
The blonde avoids looking Seraphine in the eye. Underneath the table Sera can hear how Rell’s feet tap the ground with every bounce of her leg. A nervous habit.
‘Rell, please .’
Amber colored eyes finally meet hers. ‘Seraphine, I’m pretty sure that I like boys and girls.’
Whatever scenario Seraphine had thought of, this wasn’t one of them. Which is weird. Why did she just assume Rell is straight?
‘Okay.’ Seraphine eventually replies. ‘Thank you for telling me.’
Rell’s fidgeting stops. ‘You’re not freaked out?’
Seraphine frowns. ‘Why’d I be freaked out? If anything, I’m just a little sad I wasn’t there when you were figuring it out.’
‘You were there.’ Rell says. She averts her gaze. ‘You were there, trust me. I just didn’t let you know.’
The silence they settle into isn’t a comfortable one that Sera is used to. She can tell Rell is blaming herself for it, for making things awkward. That isn’t how it is at all, if anything, Seraphine is making it awkward. She should say something.
Sera squares her shoulders. Rell’s hands are still in hers. Seraphine looks at them. Her black nail polish is chipped. Her fingers are longer and slimmer than her own. When Seraphine moves her fingers, she can feel the calluses that got formed by years of chucking spears around.
Focus. No reason to suddenly think about how Rell’s hands perfectly fit into her own. Seraphine tears her eyes away from Rell’s hands in her own. Her pale skin is in stark contrast with Rell’s dark skin.
‘So,’ Seraphine starts. ‘Any crushes I should know about?’
Rell’s face flushes. ‘U-uhm, I don’t know.’
‘Sorry, too soon?’ Seraphine asks. ‘No worries. We can just talk about them at our annual sleepover.’
The way Rell’s shoulders sag tells Seraphine enough.
‘You’re not coming over. Again.’
‘W-wouldn’t I just make it awkward?’
Seraphine feels anger building up. ‘Why would it be awkward? Rell, just because you’ve come out to me, doesn’t mean we can’t hang out.’
‘Yeah.’ Rell sighs. ‘You’re right. But it’s not just that. I need to look out at home. But I promise we’ll hang out at school.’
Monday arrives.
In between the second and third period the two of them are hanging out. Well, if walking each other to their lockers and classes can even be considered as hanging out.
Rell is leaning against the lockers while Seraphine rummages through her bag. She puts the books she doesn’t need in her locker, trading them for the ones she does need.
‘Hey!’
They turn and see Leona approaching them, pushing herself through the crowd of students. When Leona reaches them, she pulls out something from her pocket.
‘We got this special going on. We've got too many bags of the coffee beans we grind and use. If you collect five stamps, you get a bag. One order equals one stamp.’ Leona explains. She holds out the paper to Rell.
‘O-oh, thanks!’ Rell says. Her voice is higher than it usually is. ‘That’s very considerate of you.’
Leona fishes a second piece of paper from her pocket and extends it to Seraphine.
‘It counts for tea too. But if you don’t want the beans, I’m sure Pantheon won’t mind giving you some food instead.’
Seraphine takes the paper. ‘Thanks Leona!’
Leona’s watch beeps. She checks it and grimaces. ‘I better hurry now, Miss Fiora doesn’t like it when people are late.’
‘Y-yeah, bye. See you.’ Rell stutters. She smiles awkwardly as Leona waves at her before jogging away.
Rell’s cheeks are flushed. She’s fidgeting with the ring around her thumb, stealing glances at Leona walking away.
And realization hits Seraphine like an eighteen wheeler.
‘Oh my god .’ Seraphine says.
‘Oh no .’ Rell replies. She begins to creep away from Sera.
Seraphine grabs Rell by the shoulders. ‘You like Leona!’
Rell cringes under her touch. ‘Please, consider how loud you are talking.’
Seraphine clasps a hand over her own mouth. ‘Oops. Sorry.’
Then she drops her arms to her side. She continues to walk with Rell. She can’t stop glancing at Rell. Why is she so obsessed with who Rell likes?
‘Didn’t you like Sett?’ Seraphine asks.
Rell sighs. ‘I did. But well, he graduated. Ekko’s still cute, of course.’
Seraphine giggles. ‘You have a weird type. It’s either tall and beefy, or short and dorky.’
‘You have no idea.’ Rell mutters under her breath.
‘What was that?’ Seraphine asks, not quite catching what Rell said.
‘It’s nothing.’ Her friend replies. Rell gives her a bright smile. ‘Now, how about we go pick up some food after school?
They meet up at the local food joint when they have finished classes. Seraphine is snacking on some blueberries while Rell is busy devouring a sandwich.
The door to the restaurant-- If you can call it that-- opens and in walk some of Riot High’s popular girls. In the lead is Kai’Sa who notices them. Instead of looking away from them with disgust, she strides up to their table.
‘Hey,’ Kai’Sa greets. ‘You two are Seraphine and Rell, right? I think we volunteered for the school play together last year.’
Seraphine nods. ‘Yeah, that’s right. How are you?’
Kai’Sa beams at them. ‘I’m good. It’s my birthday today, actually.’
‘Oh, congratulations.’ Rell pipes up.
‘Thanks,’ Kai’Sa says when Seraphine congratulates her too. ‘I’m throwing a party this weekend. I’ve been inviting people who seem cool. Would you two like to come?’
Their first party as juniors, how exciting!
But apparently it’s not meant to be.
'Thanks for the invite but I can’t be there.’ Rell apologizes. ‘I got a strict curfew at the moment.’
Kai’Sa smiles brightly at Rell. ‘No problem! Maybe next time. What about you, Sera?’
Seraphine glances between Kai’Sa and Rell. She really wants to go, but Rell is basically her comfort human. Seraphine is a lot more introverted than people think. She’s got this. If she doesn’t try it, how can she improve her social skills?
‘I think I will.’ Seraphine eventually says. ‘Thanks.’
‘No problem.’ Kai’Sa replies. ‘See you around.’
When Kai’Sa has returned to her friends, Rell grumbles as she slumps down in her seat. She has set her sandwich aside. ‘This sucks.’
Seraphine hums in agreement. ‘Myeah. I am going to miss my tall bestie. You’re always so easy to spot in a crowd.’
‘I’m not that tall.’ Rell protests. ‘You are just super short.’
‘Hey!’ Seraphine exclaims. She throws one of her blueberries at Rell.
Rell catches the berry in her mouth. ‘Hmm, thanks. Anyway, don’t have too much fun at your first junior party.’
‘I’ve got a good feeling about it.’ Seraphine replies.
Seraphine regrets accepting the invite. She can already hear the music when she walks up the driveway to Kai’Sa’s house. Actually, calling it a house isn’t accurate. It’s basically a mansion. Then again, Rell’s place is also huge.
Rell. Oh how Seraphine misses her awkward beanpole.
The front door is left ajar. Seraphine opens it and steps right into the party. The music reverberates throughout her entire body.
‘Ah, watch out!’ A blonde girl warns.
Seraphine manages to avoid the girl. A few droplets fly out of the girl’s cup. Seraphine’s nose scrunches when she smells the alcohol.
The mystery girl disappears out of the door after muttering her apologies. Seraphine returns to checking out the party.
It looks like underage drinking is something everyone is doing. Seraphine sees at least ten bottles of alcohol, all with a percentage in the double digits.
‘Here you go, doll.’
Seraphine is startled when a cup is pushed into her hands. She looks up and meets eyes with a senior she thinks is named Evelynn.
‘Oh, thanks. I don’t really drink though.’
Evelynn smiles. She pats Seraphine on the shoulder and nudges the drink closer to Sera’s chest.
‘I gave you a drink because you looked like you needed one.’ Evelynn explains. ‘Enjoy.’
Before Seraphine can protest some more, Evelynn is swept into another girl’s arms. Seraphine gasps as the two kiss each other.
The girl who initiated the kiss notices Seraphine. She breaks away from Evelynn and turns to Sera. Within seconds she has thrown her arms around Seraphine’s shoulders.
‘Behave, Ahri.’ Evelynn says. Then she turns and disappears into the partying crowd.
Ahri—Seraphine assumes— giggles as she notices how red Seraphine’s face is.
‘What, never kissed a girl?’ Ahri asks. Her face is close enough for Seraphine to feel her warm breath. ‘It’s fun, trust me.’
‘I haven’t.’ Seraphine manages to say. ‘Is it fun?’
Seraphine can’t ignore the way Ahri is looking at her, it’s hypnotizing. She does wonder how it would feel to kiss girls. Sera considered it before. But with Rell coming out, it’s been on her mind more and more.
What would it be like to kiss Rell?
Ahri’s lips are soft against her own. Seraphine decides to ignore the question she just asked herself. Instead, she throws her arms around Ahri’s neck and pulls her closer.
Laughter reverberates against Seraphine’s mouth. Ahri pulls away from the kiss and caresses Seraphine’s cheek.
‘Fun, isn’t it?’ Ahri asks.
Seraphine gulps. ‘I’m not sure yet.’
Ahri hums. Then she nudges Seraphine out in front of her. ‘I got you. Go on.’
‘And do what?’ Seraphine asks.
‘Go, be gay. Kiss girls.’ Ahri says as she waves at Seraphine. ‘Talk to Akali or Neeko. They will not turn down a pretty girl asking for kisses.’
Since Seraphine has no idea who Neeko is, she goes looking for Akali. And Akali isn’t hard to find. She’s wearing Riot High’s football jacket with Akali embroidered on the chest.
The girl is leaning against the wall, spectating the party while taking sips from her beer. She nods at Seraphine as she walks up. ‘Hey.’
‘Hi, I’m Seraphine.’ Seraphine introduces herself. ‘And you’re Akali. It’s on your sweater.’
Akali chuckles after taking a swig of her beer. ‘That’s me. What can I do for you?’
‘This is so weird to ask but,’ Seraphine exhales slowly. ‘But could we kiss?’
‘You wanna kiss?’ Akali asks. She scratches at the back of her head. ‘I mean, sure.’
‘Thanks. I’m just trying to figure things out.’ Seraphine replies.
Akali grins as she sets aside her beer. ‘Well, I’m happy to help.’
Kissing Akali is definitely fun. Where Ahri was soft and intimate, Akali is passionate and eager to deepen the kiss. Seraphine lets Akali take the lead.
Rell . How would her lips feel?
Seraphine gasps. She pushes Akali away, her heart racing. Akali looks confused and a little hurt.
‘S-sorry,’ Seraphine stutters. ‘It’s not your fault. I am just thinking and I don’t like what I’m thinking about.’
Akali’s pout changes to a smile. She pats Seraphine on the shoulder. ‘Hey, don’t worry. If you wanna talk about it, just hit me up.’
Seraphine mutters her thanks. Her head is spinning and she’s more confused than ever.
She can’t possibly like Rell like that, right?
By the time Seraphine is back at home and tucked into bed, she’s finally realized it.
Seraphine has developed a major crush on Rell.
The buzzing of her phone wakes up Seraphine. Seraphine grumbles as she reaches out, tapping around the area she left it. When she finds it, she clicks on the device.
[10:28 A.M.]
Rell <3 : hey wanna come over tonight
Rell <3 : mom isnt home and mel owes me
Seraphine smiles broadly.
[10:31 A.M.]
Me : you bet!!!
It’s evening before Seraphine even remembers she figured out she likes Rell more than her best friend. Maybe she shouldn’t go.
Then she remembers how frustrated she got whenever Rell canceled. Sure, it’s scary to think about how Rell makes her feel whenever they get close. But, it has been a month since they last did a sleepover.
And it has been ages since Rell hosted it. Ambessa Medarda usually is against Rell having Seraphine over. Lately though, Rell has been excelling at school and Ambessa isn’t at home. As long as they play it cool, Rell’s sister Mel isn’t going to snitch.
Seraphine’s cool. Totally not having a sexuality crisis. She’s calm. She repeats the thoughts like a mantra.
Dad drops her off in front of Rell’s driveway. She hugs him before she grabs her bag and makes her way up to Rell’s house.
The gravel crunches beneath her shoes. She kicks at one of the pebbles and watches it skip away. It reminds her of when she was with Rell a few weeks back.
She squares her shoulders as she reaches the door. Seraphine’s totally got this. She rings the doorbell.
‘Hey, come in.’ Rell says as soon as she opens the door.
Seraphine follows Rell inside, taking off her shoes at the entrance. She steps into the slippers Rell keeps around for her.
‘So, what’s our plan for dinner?’ Seraphine asks when she enters the kitchen.
Rell leans against the counter and taps her chin. ‘Pancakes?’
‘I don’t know,’ Seraphine says. ‘Last time you made it your mission to get batter everywhere but the pan.’
‘I promise I’ll behave.’ Rell replies.
The grin on her face doesn’t do much to comfort Seraphine. But she is hungry, so she’ll just ignore it.
They start to gather the supplies they need, singing along with music Rell has put on. Pentakill has some serious bangers. Seraphine decides they definitely need some fruit along with the unhealthy pancakes.
‘Call down the reckoning!’ Rell suddenly shouts.
Seraphine looks up from the apple she’s been cutting. Her eyes widen in horror as Rell takes a spoonful of batter. Before Seraphine can exclaim a ‘fuck’, Rell has catapulted the batter at Seraphine.
‘Rell, you fucker!’ Seraphine yells. She grabs the nearest glass of water and splashes it over Rell.
‘I didn’t pinky promise!’ Rell howlers. She’s doubling over from laughter, happy tears streaming down her face.
As if Seraphine could stay mad at Rell.
‘Ugh.’ Seraphine groans. ‘Let’s just finish cooking, and then I’m borrowing your shower.
Thankfully Rell has buried the hatchet. Or in this case, the spoon. They finish cooking and eat in front of the TV.
‘Don’t go alone.’ Rell says in between bites of her pancake. ‘Aaaand she’s dead.’
Seraphine snickers as she puts some apple on her own pancake. ‘As if you would survive in a horror movie.’
‘I’d probably get killed the stupidest way.’ Rell admits. ‘Maybe not right away, but I think I’d fuck up and go out like an idiot.’
‘I would just let myself get killed.’ Seraphine says with a shrug. ‘And then I’d look on from the afterlife what everyone else does.’
Rell frowns. ‘Don’t haunt me.’
Seraphine mimics a ghost. ‘Hoooooh, I think I will. But first, I’ll haunt your shower.’
When Seraphine has finished her shower, she walks out of the bathroom into Rell’s bedroom. She glances over at Rell as she attempts to rub dry her long hair.
‘Ew, are you still eating spoons of peanut butter?’ Seraphine asks as she lets herself fall down on Rell’s bed.
Rell swings a spoon above Seraphine only to pull it out of range when Seraphine swats at it. ‘Ew, are you still short as fuck?’
Seraphine sits up. She grabs the spoon from Rell and licks it clean. ‘Shut up.’
The blonde takes back her spoon and sets it aside together with the jar of peanut butter. She rests her head in her hands and sighs.
‘What’s up?’ Seraphine asks.
Rell plucks at her toenails which are painted black, obviously. She glances up at Seraphine.
‘Nothing. I was just thinking about how it’s been a while since we hung out.’
Seraphine folds up the towel and throws it to the side. She shrugs. ‘I mean, I wanted to hang out. You’ve been ghosting me.’
‘You know how mom is,’ Rell protests. ‘I needed to do makeup tests and training took more time because of the yearly meeting.’
The pink-haired girl sighs. ‘I know. Still, it would’ve been nice to go to the party together.’
Rell flinches. ‘Yeah. About that.’
Seraphine doesn’t like the way Rell is avoiding her eyes all of the sudden.
‘What about it?’ Seraphine asks. She crosses her arms and tries to keep a straight face.
Rell wets her lips. ‘I heard you were kissing girls.’
Seraphine’s face grows pale. Curse Riot High and the gossiping bitches that attend it. Well, she should have expected news like this to travel.
‘I did, yeah.’ Seraphine finally replies.
‘Why?’
Yeah. Seraphine is wondering that too. She looks down at her hands. Rell’s right hand is so close. All Sera needs to do is reach out. But she’s terrified to do so.
‘I just felt like it.’ Seraphine eventually mutters. ‘It was a party. It was fun and an experiment.’
Rell scoffs and crosses her arms. ‘Wow, okay. You just make out for the fun of it.’
‘Yeah. Why would you care?’ Seraphine questions. She is starting to feel agitated. It’s not Rell’s business who she kisses.
‘I don’t like it.’ Is all Rell gives as a reason.
And Seraphine bursts.
‘It’s your fault!’ Seraphine exclaims. She no longer cares about being quiet. If Mel wants to snitch, she can. Sera will bear the wrath of Ambessa Medarda.
‘What do you mean?’ Rell asks.
‘You just had to come out!’
Rell’s cheeks heat up from anger. ‘What the fuck is that supposed to mean?’
Seraphine jabs her finger at Rell. ‘You just had to make me start thinking about you together with another girl! A-and it made me confused and I made out with those girls to see what it is like!’
‘That’s absurd!’ Rell replies, now also raising her voice. ‘You’re jealous because I would be close to another girl?’
‘No!’ Seraphine shouts. ‘I’m jealous because I don't want you to be with another girl, or a boy!’
Rell frowns. ‘What?’
Seraphine face palms. ‘I’m saying that I like you, Rell!’
She peeks through her fingers when Rell doesn’t say anything. The blonde is staring at her, her jaw dropped.
‘You like me?’ Rell finally asks.
‘Yes.’ Seraphine confirms.
‘That’s,’ Rell leans back. ‘Okay. I’m not sure what to say.’
Seraphine’s heart plummets. Of course Rell doesn’t like her the same. Just because Rell is into girls too, doesn’t mean she likes every girl. And definitely not Seraphine
She pushes herself off of the bed. ‘I need to go.’
Rell follows her. ‘Wait, Sera!’
‘No!’ Seraphine shouts back. ‘Just forget it, okay?’
She has gathered her stuff within seconds. By the time she marches down the driveway, Rell’s shouts can barely be heard.
Hot tears stream down her face as she calls her dad. She doesn’t need to say anything. A quiet sob is all he needs to say he is on his way.
Rell hasn’t chased after her. Stupid Seraphine with her stupid feelings. Rell made the right decision by letting her go.
A honk interrupts Sera’s downward spiral. Seraphine shakily exhales when she walks up to dad’s car. She opens the door and gets in.
‘Thanks for picking me up.’ Seraphine mutters. She fastens her seatbelt and wipes at her eyes.
Her dad reaches over and squeezes her shoulder. ‘Of course. And don’t worry. Friends have fights. You and Rell have been friends for ages. You’ll work it out.’
Two weeks pass by without Seraphine realizing. She hasn’t spoken a word to Rell the entire time. When she notices the blonde Sera just clamps up. She ducks out of sight before Rell can even notice her.
Whenever they have class together, Seraphine does her best to stare straight ahead. Even when Rell drops a pen near Seraphine, she ignores it. Instead of having lunch with Rell she sits with Kai’Sa and the other girls of the cheerleading squad. They are twice as loud as Rell. Suddenly Seraphine misses the quiet.
Since their childhood she hasn’t been apart from Rell for this long. At least, not on purpose. Whenever they weren’t seeing each other because of holidays, they’d facetime and call every day.
But, it’s better like this. Right?
It isn’t even eight when Seraphine heads up to her bedroom on Monday. She flops down on the bed after scratching Bao behind his ears.
Seraphine scrolls through her social media feed. It is filled with pictures of people in fancy attire. That’s right. Tonight is prom. With all the stuff surrounding Rell and midterms, Seraphine forgot about it.
Rell . They were going together. They agreed to it back in sophomore year.
Seraphine sighs as she rolls onto her stomach. She looks up Rell’s page. The blonde barely has pictures up. Most of them are Seraphine in embarrassing situations.
She grins when she sees the most recent picture. It’s her with Rell at Luxanna Crownguard’s halloween party. Seraphine went as a fairy while Rell dressed up as a knight.
It was all fun and games until the visor on Rell’s helmet got stuck, making it impossible to reach the lever. Taking it off took quite the amount of butter. In the picture you can see how both of them are glimmering from the grease.
The doorbell rings. Seraphine doesn’t bother to look up. Dad must have ordered something again. Bao gets up from his spot on her bed and goes to scratch at the door.
When the door to her room is opened, Seraphine looks up and sees dad.
‘Rell is here to pick you up.’ He announces.
Seraphine sits up immediately. ‘She is?’
Her dad frowns. ‘Yeah. Or haven’t the two of you made up yet?’
‘It’s difficult.’ Seraphine sighs. ‘I should go.’
Seraphine catches a glance of herself in the mirror. Her eyes begin to widen in horror. She looks back at dad, who is already giving her a thumbs up.
‘Don’t worry,’ he promises. ‘I’ll stall for at least ten minutes. Hurry up.’
Seraphine pulls open her closet and immediately spots what she is looking for. She takes out the garment bag. Out of the bag she pulls a cocktail dress. It’s a gorgeous turquoise that goes well with a set of earrings she bought a while ago.
She steps into it. Luckily, she can get the zipper back up by herself. Some light make-up is all she has time for, because she can hear her dad whistle downstairs. It’s a sign they agreed on ages ago.
Careful not to trip in her heels, Seraphine makes her way down the stairs. Out on the porch she sees Rell.
Seraphine wants to fall down on her knees and thank whatever power is out there for the existence of Rell. The blonde looks amazing in her dress. The white cloth is embroidered with tiny sunflowers that perfectly match Rell’s hair.
‘Uhm, are you okay?’ Rell asks.
‘I am.’ Seraphine replies hastily. ‘It’s just that..’
She looks at Rell again. Even though it’s a formal event, she is still wearing her stud bracelets and her Doc Martens. Seraphine surpresses a laugh when she notices Rell is wearing mismatched socks.
‘You look nice.’ Seraphine eventually says with a bright smile.
‘Thanks. I hope the dress isn't too much.’ Rell replies. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘
'Not at all.' Seraphine says. 'Let's go?'
Seraphine manages not to yelp when Rell places her hand on the small of Sera’s back. Rell leads Seraphine out of the door. They reach a black Porsche Cayenne. Behind the wheel sits Mel. She gives Seraphine a nod.
‘Good evening.’ Mel greets.
‘Hey, thanks for driving us.’ Seraphine replies.
Mel smiles. ‘No problem. Hop on in.’
Seraphine walks to the back door. Rell jumps in front of her and pulls it open.
‘Wow,’ Seraphine mockingly gasps. ‘Rell, you’ve finally gotten manners.’
‘Oh, get in before I kick you in.’ Rell groans in return.
The drive over is quiet. It seems Rell and Mel have the unspoken agreement to just sit in silence. Seraphine doesn’t mind it. This time, the quiet isn’t something that feels bad.
Mel drops them off at the entrance. When Rell walks past the driver window, Mel rolls it down.
‘Behave.’
Rell rolls her eyes. ‘Yes ma’am.’
Mel then reaches out to squeeze Rell’s arm. ‘And enjoy yourself. You too, Seraphine.’
Seraphine salutes. ‘Will do!’
‘You’re sure your dad can pick the two of you up?’ Mel asks.
‘Yup!’ Seraphine replies. ‘All good. Thanks for the ride!’
Mel drives off. Before she’s even back on the main road, she has already run a red light. Seraphine snorts.
‘Good thing you don’t have a driver's license. I feel like you’d be a worse driver than Mel.’
‘You can say a lot about Mel and her driving, but she’s always on time.’ Rell says.
Then, she steps out in front of Seraphine. She glances up and down her frame.
‘I didn’t say this before but, you look really, really pretty.’ Rell says. And she means it from the bottom of her heart. ‘That’s an amazing dress.’
Seraphine smiles. She hooks her arm through Rell's, bumping her head into the taller girl’s shoulder. ‘Thanks, you clean up nice too.’
Rell snorts. ‘Wow, thanks.’
Together they make their way inside the building. They spot several familiar faces. Two seniors named Irelia and Riven are having an argument near the drinks, scaring everyone away.
A red haired girl is using the distraction to pour some questionable looking liquid into the fruit punch. Rell makes a mental note to stay away from it.
Then Leona walks past while holding hands with a pale girl that is slightly shorter. Seraphine recognizes her as Diana. She’s seen them together before, always in stark contrast with one another. Even now, they are opposing each other. Leona wears a bright orange dress while Diana wears a dark shade of purple.
Leona notices them.
‘Oh, hey!’ She says. ‘Seraphine and Rell, my regulars and juniors!’
Rell smiles. ‘Hey!’
‘Hey, Leona.’ Seraphine greets. ‘And Diana.’
‘Hello.’ Diana replies.
Rell and Seraphine still have their arms linked, their bodies close together. Leona’s eyes light up as she sees it.
‘Oh, you two are here together too?’ Leona asks. She raises her hand, which she holds Diana’s hand with. ‘That’s awesome!’
Seraphine looks back and forth between the tall senior and the pale senior. ‘You two are a couple?’
Diana leans out in front of Leona. ‘Is that a problem?’
‘Oh!’ Seraphine exclaims. ‘No, no! Not at all. I’m just amazed that you two found each other. Everyone always says you’re so different, like the sun and the moon.’
Leona smiles brightly. She pulls back Diana and kisses her atop of her white hair. ‘Well, the moon and sun have an eclipse, don’t they?’
Diana tugs at her girlfriend’s hand. ‘You promised me a dance.’
‘I did.’ Leona confirms. She nods at Seraphine and Rell. ‘You two enjoy yourselves!’
The two begin to make their way to the dance floor. They seem blissfully unaware of how other students are looking at them, at how they hold hands. Or maybe they know and just don’t care. With Diana, Seraphine decides the latter option is more likely.
Rell and Seraphine are still standing aside when a shrill voice draws everyone’s attention.
‘I didn’t spike anything!’ The redhead they saw before exclaims.
In front of her stands Professor Graves. He has a bottle in his hand, empty of any previous liquids.
Graves takes off his glasses and starts to clean them. ‘So if I test it and the punch for alcohol, there won’t be any?’
The redhead sighs. ‘This party is lame.’
‘Alright, Du Couteau, how about you go outside, huh, the party is lame after all.’ Professor Graves mutters. He watches the girl until she’s marched out of the hall.
He clears his throat, looking the bystanders in the eye. ‘Shoo, kids.’
Everyone returns to what they were doing before. Most of the attendees are out on the dance floor and mingling with each other.
Seraphine walks towards a clutter of benches and sits down. She pats the seat next to her.
‘We should talk.’ Seraphine says.
Rell sits down next to Seraphine and nods. ‘Yeah, we should talk. Uhm, would you like to start?’
Seraphine plays with a strand of hair. ‘I said some mean things to you, that wasn’t fair. I am sorry for that.’
‘And the part where you said you like me?’ Rell asks. Her voice sounds small.
Seraphine shakes her head. ‘Nuh-uh. I meant that. I still do.’
Rell chuckles with relief. ‘Okay, good. Just checking. I’m sorry too.’
‘For what?’
‘I used the wrong words.’ Rell says. ‘I made it sound like I was weirded out or something, which I wasn’t.’
Seraphine hums. ‘It’s cool. I get it.’
Their conversation is interrupted as Diana’s sharp voice echoes throughout the hall, ‘I said I am gay and here with my girlfriend, now fuck off!’
The commotion dies down as Leona pulls aside her girlfriend. Not before giving the offending guy a dirty look and the finger.
‘Ugh, asshole.’ Seraphine grumbles. ‘Remind me to step on his white shoes.’
‘I will.’ Rell replies. ‘Things like that suck.’
Seraphine sighs. She begins to braid her hair. ‘Well, I guess that’s reality.’
‘Doesn’t that scare you?’ Rell asks. ‘People judging you. And have them talking shit behind your back because of who you’re dating.’
Seraphine ponders about Rell’s question. And then she shrugs. ‘Yeah. It scares me. And it sucks. But I think I can get through all of that if it is with you. If you’ll have me.’
‘Oh, wow.’
Sera looks up from her braiding. She looks back at Rell, shocked to see tears forming in her eyes. ‘Rell, are you okay?’
Rell immediately nods, rubbing her eyes with her hands. Then, she looks back at Sera.
‘Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just… I’m just so happy, I guess?’
Seraphine melts at how Rell glances at her, only to look away and blush furiously. The lights are hitting Rell just right, making her blonde hair seem like it is glowing. The shadows accentuate how her arms are toned. Was she always this damn pretty?
‘Rell?’ Seraphine calls out, her voice wavering.
‘Yeah?’ Rell replies, looking back at her. A spotlight flashes over her, her piercings twinkling in the light.
Seraphine scoots closer to Rell, their knees touching. She places her hands on Rell’s shoulders. ‘I kinda wanna kiss you.’
‘Oh.’ Rell says with wide eyes. ‘I mean, oh! Yeah!’
It’s so adorable Seraphine can’t suppress a giggle. Then, she pushes herself up and closes the gap between them.
What is it like to kiss Rell? Awesome, thanks for asking.
How do her lips feel? Great, thanks for asking.
Seraphine softly exhales as the kiss breaks. She rests her forehead against Rell’s. ‘Okay.’
‘Just okay?’ Rell asks. She is wearing a familiar cheeky grin.
‘Oh come on.’ Seraphine sighs as she playfully shoves Rell away from her. Her heart is still racing when she looks up at Rell.
Maybe it’s the lighting. Maybe Rell’s smile is like a beam of sunlight. But whatever it is, it’s making Rell glow.
‘I’m so mad.’ Seraphine deadpans.
Rell raises her brows. ‘About what?’
‘That I’ve missed out on you for ages.’ Seraphine replies. She shakes her head. ‘It just took me too long to figure out you are amazing girlfriend material.’
Rell grins. ‘Oh, yeah. I’ve been waiting for you to figure it out for a while.’
‘A while?’ Seraphine echoes.
The blonde fidgets with her ring. ‘I might have realized I’m bi because of you?’
Seraphine’s jaw drops. ‘You’re kidding.’
‘Nope.’ Rell replies. ‘I told you, you were with me when I was figuring myself out. And how my type is also short and dorky.’
‘Well, shit.’ Seraphine deadpans.
‘But hey,’ Rell begins as she nudges Seraphine. ‘We haven’t graduated yet. There is another year of school. And then there’s summer break.’
Seraphine pouts. ‘And then you’ll be off to whatever fancy college scouts you.’
Rell shrugs her shoulders. ‘I don’t know if I want to go to college. Or at least, not something that is related to sports.’
‘You’re good at it though.’
‘And you are amazing at singing. Why don’t you become famous, huh?’ Rell replies with a smirk. ‘Maybe I should upload some of your songs.’
Sera’s cheeks flush pink. ‘Don’t do that.’
Rell begins to pull out her phone. ‘I don’t know. I feel like the world deserves to hear more from Seraphine.’
‘Okay, okay!’ Seraphine exclaims. She plucks Rell’s phone out of her hands. ‘But back to it. If not sports, what do you want to do?’
Rell scratches her cheek. ‘You know I like to draw, right?’
‘Yeah! You’re crazy good at drawing mechanically.’ Seraphine says.
‘I think I’d like to design some stuff and make it.’ Rell confesses. ‘Remember that workshop last year, with the blacksmith? I really liked that.’
Seraphine beams at Rell. ‘That sounds awesome.’
‘You’re awesome.’
‘I know.’ Sera says as she flips her hair over her shoulder. Then, she frowns.
‘Uhm. I think I should probably ask you just to be sure. But Rell?’
‘Yeah?’
Seraphine laughs when she sees Rell’s shit-eating grin. ‘Stop that. Rell, will you be my girlfriend?’
Rell gives Seraphine a quick kiss. ‘I would like that.’
‘Nice.’ Seraphine says before kissing Rell again. She nuzzles Rell’s nose after breaking away. It feels good, being close.
Seraphine sits back and nods. She stands up and looks down at Rell. ‘Would my girlfriend like to dance?’
Rell gets up and takes Seraphine’s hand into her own. A perfect fit. She gives it a little squeeze.
‘Lets dance.’