Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“That fucking snake. Typical,” Haley mutters, staring at her phone. 

“What is it now?” Emily asks without looking up from her sewing. 

“Remember Chloe?” 

“Chloe with the nail tutorial channel?” 

“Yeah. Well I got an email from the smoothie sponsor saying they decided to go a different direction and it seemed way too sus. So I did some digging, right, and look at this!” She stands abruptly from the couch and marches over, waving her phone in Emily’s face. 

Emily squints at the screen and barely has a moment to recognize the image as a pretty brunette holding a smoothie. 

“That SNAKE stole my fucking sponsorship!” she spits, taking her phone back. “And after I got her on the Girly Girls podcast!” 

“Oh no not the girly girl’s podcast,” Emily echoes sarcastically, returning to her sewing. 

“This is what happens when I try to make friends!” 

Haley huffs and stomps away but Emily calls back to her, “You know I meant real friends not–” Haley’s door slams and Emily rolls her eyes. 

She leans back in to focus on her project when the door opens again. “ I have Alex!” she shouts from down the hall. 

“GIIIRRRLL FRIENDS!” Emily shouts back, only to be answered by a slamming door again. She sighs, eyeing the soon-to-be skirt splayed under the sewing machine.

Emily knows she’s being a nag. It’s the same thing as always, but Haley has always stubbornly insisted on learning every lesson the hard way, and this one just wasn’t sticking. Every betrayal only made her more prickly, and it meant that the only people who stuck around long enough to befriend her were just in it for themselves.  

A moment of silence passes where it seems like Haley’s outburst is done. Emily stretches her hands and leans back in, only to hear a knock at the front door.  

Emily growls and puts her face in her hands. “Oh sweet Yoba,” she mutters before putting on a smile to open the door. 

It’s Penny. Her face is swollen like she’s been crying but she puts on a smile for Emily. 

Emily’s frustration is immediately displaced by concern and confusion. 

“Hi Emily,” Penny says weakly. 

“Penny? Are you alright?” Emily looks her over, then leans out the door to see if there is some sort of emergency outside that they missed. Penny is never here except to get her hair cut twice a year. 

“Um, yes and no I guess,” she says with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I don’t…” she shakes her head, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and folding in on herself, “it was silly of me to come.”

“No, no, hey,” Emily soothes and reaches for her, placing her hands on her shoulders. “Whatever it is, I'm sure some nice tea will help.”

Penny fidgets for a moment, picking at her lips as she considers the offer. “Yeah… yeah, okay. Thank you.” 

Emily opens Haley’s bedroom door and pokes her head in. 

“Emily! I was filming a video,” Haley hisses as she stops her recording. “What if I was live-streaming?” She angles a sharp brow at her in an interrogation Emily has no time for. 

“Shh! Penny is here and she needs help,” she whisper-shouts. 

“Penny?” Haley grimaces in confusion. “Okay? Have fun with that I guess?” 

Emily growls and rolls her eyes, entering her bedroom with the intent to drag her sister out.

“Woah woah!” Haley puts her hands up defensively. “Why me? Don’t drag me into this.”

Emily stops with a huff “Surprisingly, I’m not. She is. She’s asking for you specifically, Yoba knows why.” 

“Penny?”

“Yes.”

“Is asking for me?”

Emily takes a deep breath again to steady herself. “Yes.”

Haley purses her lips in thought, her eyes narrowing at the open doorway. “Okay fine, I’m curious.”

“Thank youuu.” Emily tweaks her shoulder affectionately. 

Haley waves her off and stands from her desk, following Emily out. 

Penny is sitting at their kitchen table nursing one of Emily’s gross teas. When she spots them approaching she hurriedly puts the mug down with a clank and stands, the chair screeching against the floor as she does.

Haley immediately clocks the blotchy redness under her eyes, and that her normally prim hair is in a messy bun. She slouches in a too-large cardigan with one of her long grandma skirts. 

“Hi?” Haley starts. 

“Hi… um…” Penny fidgets with the sleeves of her cardigan. “I’d like your help. Please.” 

“With what?” Haley sneers, not bothering to mask the suspicion in her tone. 

“I… need you to make me pretty.”

Haley glances sidelong at her sister and they share a mutually bewildered expression. 

“Make you pretty…” Haley echoes, “are you asking if I’ll do your makeup or something?” 

“Um… sort of, I just...” Penny shifts uncomfortably, pulling at her cardigan even more so the sleeves swallow her hands. She inhales sharply and looks up, blinking hard. When she speaks again her voice cracks like she is close to crying again. “I just don’t want to be alone for the dance this year.”

Haley sighs and looks away. She’s always been a sucker for tears.

But Penny isn’t done. “You’re the girl every guy dreams about, Haley, please, can you…” she sniffles, “can you teach me how to be pretty?”

Haley is, unfortunately, even more of a sucker for flattery. With that goes her last hope of getting out of this.

Emily jumps in to quell the waterworks. “How about we all sit down and have some tea!” she says brightly, guiding Penny back to her chair, before suddenly speeding out of the room. 

Haley blinks in confusion and a sense of abandonment as the kitchen clock ticks loudly. “Emily!” 

“One sec!” Emily calls back as she runs down the hall. 

Haley turns back to the weepy girl sitting at the table. “What’s… um. What’s all this about?” she asks hesitantly, taking a seat across from the redhead. Haley’s never at a loss for words, but Penny’s behavior is equally unusual. 

Actually, she’d always admired that Penny seemed to be on a whole other planet where boys and looks didn’t matter. She was just herself, and good at school, and would probably become a real teacher one day. 

But a girl is a girl. 

Penny looks down into her mug. “I’ve been trying to get a certain guy’s attention and it's just not working.” She wipes at her cheek again and sniffles. “And then earlier I was talking to my mom about the dance and she—“ Penny’s face scrunches up and she sniffles again hard before taking a shaky breath. “Sorry. We ended up arguing. But basically she didn’t see a point in me going since I never get asked to dance anyway.” 

“That bi—,” Haley starts, but is interrupted by Emily flitting back into the room with a box of tissues. 

“Sorry! We were out, I had to get more from the closet. Here,” she hands Penny a tissue with a sympathetic expression, putting the box down on the table in front of her and taking a seat. 

Penny takes it gratefully and blows her nose. She regains some of her composure, chuckling softly to herself. “Sorry, I’m such a mess.”

Haley taps her acrylics on the table, quietly fuming at Penny’s mother. 

“That’s okay,” Emily reassures.

“Who’s the guy?” Haley asks. 

Penny takes a moment to catch up to the question but eventually stammers, “S-sam?”

“Sam? Isn’t he with that emo guy?” 

Penny’s face twisted in confusion. “Sebastian? No, they’re just friends.”

“Hmm.”

“So you need help seducing Sam? Is that it?” Emily asks. 

Penny smiles sheepishly. “I guess so, though I wouldn’t put it that way.” 

“You said you’ve been trying to get his attention, what have you tried?” Haley asks, all business now as she folds her arms on the table. 

“I feel like I've dropped all of the usual hints. I even brought up the dance!” 

“I’m honestly not surprised.” Haley rolls her eyes. “The man has a hamster wheel for a brain.”

“Haley!” Emily chides. 

Penny chuckles. “Everyone has their quirks. I know he’s not the smartest but he’s always been kind to me. I think if anyone asked me, I’d like it to be him.”

“So I’m guessing you haven’t tried just asking him yourself?” Haley asks. 

Penny’s face drops as she shakes her head. “I’m not sure I could ever be confident enough for that. But Haley, you’re pretty enough that you never need to ask.” 

Haley flips her blonde hair behind her shoulder and sits up straighter. “It’s true.”

“Sure helps to have a gay best friend though,” Emily teases. 

Haley pulls a face at her, sticking out her tongue. “You just hate to see me get my flowers.” 

“Uhuh,” Emily dismisses, a sly smile hiding behind her mug. 

“Well,” Haley turns back to Penny. “Flattery will get you everywhere,” she says matter-of-factly. “I’ll help you.”

Penny’s green eyes light up with hope. “Really?”

“Yeahhh don’t push your luck.” Haley stands from the table. “You ready to start now?”

“Start?” Her eyes go wide and she looks around helplessly, getting a shrug from Emily. “Uh, sure, I suppose.”

“Follow me, Barbie-in-training,” Haley says dramatically as she struts out of the kitchen, “we’re going to make you irresistible!”

Chapter Text

Haley’s room isn’t what Penny expects, though she supposes she’d never really given it much thought. 

It’s just as pink and girly as one might think, but there is camera equipment everywhere, and it’s sort of messy but in an odd pattern. It looks like everything within sight of a camera tripod is pristine, and any space outside of that has the clutter typical of someone who doesn’t leave their room much. 

Haley seems to realize it. She stalls in the middle of the room, a crack in her bravado showing in a flash of horror on her face.  “Um, sit… sit there,” she points to a plush desk chair in one of the camera-ready portions of the room. 

It’s an interesting enough change that makes Penny suddenly feel calm, like the situation has turned on its head and it’s Haley that needs comforting somehow. She settles into the chair as Haley clears a large white board and drags it closer. 

“Okay!” Haley says resolutely, her cocky demeanor back in full force. Penny sits up straighter, ready to learn. “So we’re gonna break this down into four categories.” Haley turns to write on the board as she rattles off the list. “Hair. Makeup. Confidence. Dress. I would talk about shoes but, we’re dancing in the woods so there is - tragically - no point.” 

Penny shifts uncomfortably, the realization dawning on her how much work this would take. But what did she expect, Haley to wave a magic wand? 

“Let your hair down,” Haley commands suddenly. 

Penny moves to do it automatically, then freezes, second-guessing if Haley is serious. Haley widens her eyes and nods as if to say get on with it so she does.

Her hair is wild and frizzy. She doesn’t want Haley inspecting her like this but supposes it’s necessary. She runs her hands through it nervously as Haley comes closer with an intense focus in her painted eyes. 

“Why don’t you ever wear your hair down? It’s pretty,” she says candidly, reaching to lift it like Emily does when she is cutting her hair. 

“Oh um…” if she was about to say anything it’s gone from her fuzzy brain by the time Haley is running her hands through her orange locks. She feels embarrassed, but – not really in a bad way?? If that’s possible. 

Haley doesn’t stall on her hiccup. Maybe she didn’t care what her answer would have been in the first place. “We can work with this. I want you to start wearing your hair down, guys like that.” 

Her hands leave Penny’s scalp and she almost sighs in relief. It feels like she can think clearly again. “It’s not really practical,” Penny objects weakly. 

Haley crosses her arms and lifts a perfect eyebrow at her. “Okay?”

“Right.” Beauty was pain, and inconvenience, and surely a number of other sayings that Penny never paid much mind to before, assuming she would never be beautiful anyway. 

“We could curl it or something. I’ll talk to Emily about that. For now,” she walks back to the board and taps the second line with her pink dry-erase marker. “Makeup.”

“I don’t think I can wear makeup without my mom noticing.”

Haley looks up to the ceiling and takes a deep breath. “Not even a little?”

“I don’t know. Probably not.”

Haley chews at the inside of her cheek for a moment. When she speaks again she is tempering her annoyance for Penny’s sake, which seems like a big deal for her. “And why does it matter if your mom knows?”

Penny shifts uncomfortably again, hiding her hands in the safety of her cardigan so she doesn’t pick at her nails. “I don’t… really want her to know I’m trying. Usually it’s better… if I’m trying something I might fail at… to not tell her about it.” 

Haley narrows her eyes at her as she mulls over her words. “Gotta be honest, Penny, the more you say about Pam the less I like her.” 

Penny releases a sound somewhere between a sigh and a nervous chuckle. “Okay…” What else could she really say?

“Which is impressive, B.T.W, because I already didn’t like her,” Haley adds with a flip of her hair. “Anyway, not your fault. Come back when you aren’t as–” she circles a splayed hand indicating Penny’s swollen eyes. 

“Red?” Penny fills in. 

“Yeah– and we’ll make a plan for next time, maybe I’ll see what small stuff I can teach you and take it off after.”

Penny only nods. She feels like she is being difficult, and Haley unexpectedly accommodating. 

“So three,” Haley says with another sharp tap to the board. “Confidence. I want you to watch me carefully, okay? Shoulders,” she stands straight and taps her shoulders to demonstrate. “No slouching. No making yourself smaller. We are a force of nature, there is a reason all the hurricanes have girl names.”

“That’s not true anymore you know, the World Meteorological Organization started alternating to masculine names years ago.” 

Haley stalls, blinking at Penny as if rebooting. “Okay I’m all for fun facts, Penny, but I’m doing a presentation here.” 

“Sorry,” Penny nods and makes a point to show she is focused on her presentation. 

“Anyway, force of nature, take up space, and the world is your runway.”

Penny suppresses the urge to request a different metaphor, since the world being a runway actually seems that much more terrifying. 

“And we strut, strut, strut,” Haley demonstrates that too, each word punctuated with a long stride through her room, her skirt swishing playfully around her legs. Then she stops and turns with a flourish of her blonde hair and a hand on her hip. “Like that.” 

“I can’t do it like that,” Penny answers automatically.

Haley sucks her teeth in frustration. “Penny, do you want to die alone?” she snaps. 

“Yoba that escalated quickly,” Penny mutters. 

“Okay, you're right I'm sorry. But don't argue with me, I'm not patient!” Haley folds her arms and actually pouts.  

Penny feels a smile fighting to curl the edges of her lips. “I can see that.”

Haley suddenly leans over her bed and snatches a heart-shaped pillow, chucking it at Penny in one swift movement. “I have reasons for my demands!”

Penny giggles as the pillow bounces off her arm. “Yes, please don’t let me stop you.” 

“The trick is that when you’re practicing you do it to the extreme, and then we’ll dial it back to something that's more you.” 

The way she speaks about it makes it seem like practicing walking is a totally normal thing Haley does, and Penny wonders just how much of her cool beauty is a conscious effort. Then her mind catches up to the rest of what Haley said. Why would she want to make Penny more Penny? “I thought the point was to make me more like you?” she asks. 

“You’re very good at flattery Penny, I might have to keep you around. But no.” Haley approaches her again and sits on the edge of the desk so they are almost eye-level. 

It’s funny, in Penny’s mind, Haley is always taller than her, while in reality Haley might actually be the shortest person in town. Maybe there was something to the whole, confidence and taking up space thing. Or she just normally wore incredibly tall heels.

”Penny, listen to me. I don't wanna make you different. It's like, right now, you're barely even yourself. You’re like, what's that saying? A diamond in the rough or whatever. I'm trying to chip away at the stuff that isn't serving you so we see more of your shine.”

“That’s… unexpectedly sweet.” Penny smiles at her, and realizes just how much lighter she feels compared to this morning. 

“I contain multitudes,” she sighs as if the weight of her impressiveness is just too much to bear. “Now— shut up and give me your cuntiest strut.”

“Haley!”

Chapter Text

“Bye Emily, thanks for your help!” Penny calls as she rushes to the door, seeing herself out. 

Emily sighs, looking between the front door and the hallway wondering what Haley could have done to scare Penny off. She approaches her open bedroom door cautiously, but Haley is applying lipgloss in her vanity as if it was any other day. 

“Haley?”

“Hmmm?” Haley answered absentmindedly.

“What happened with Penny?”

“She had to go for a library thing.” 

Emily narrows her eyes suspiciously, leaning against the door. “Okay…”

Haley turns to look at her with a blank look on her face. “What?” 

“Well that’s it? How did it go? Why did she just rush out of here, you could have walked her out.”

“Oh yeah.” Haley shrugs and turns back to the mirror. “You know I forget to do stuff like that. She said she could see herself out, I don’t see what the big deal is. It went well actually.” She puts down the lipgloss and moves on to a pair of tweezers. 

“Really?” Emily enters the room and settles on her bed. 

“Yeah, I’m surprised,” Haley says slowly with her mouth open as she tries to pluck an invisible hair under her eyebrow. “She’s super uptight but like,” she shrugs, glancing over at her, “I dunno. I had fun.”

“Do you think Penny could be a frieeeend?” Emily teases.  

Haley rolls her eyes. “No. Don’t start with that. For all I know we will never speak again after this.”

“You’re such a pessimist,” Emily groans.

“And you’re disgustingly optimistic.”

“Thank Yoba for that, huh? Anyway, what’s the plan? Or– deal, with this makeover thing?” 

Haley puts down her tweezers and turns towards her. “She’s coming back Wednesday and she’s gonna bring her dress. I wanna make a plan for her hair too.”

“Ooo okay, exciting!”

“Yeah, there’s something bothering me though.” Haley twirls her hair in thought. “I don’t know what to do about her confidence. Like, there isn’t really a bootcamp equivalent of that, you know? And right now it’s– “ Haley grimaces as her explanation.

Emily looks around, considering. “What if you did like a little photoshoot or something? As a test run of the makeup and stuff. Maybe if she saw herself how she really looks it would knock some sense into her”

Haley gasps. “I love a photoshoot!”

“I KNOW you do.” Emily stands again and smacks Haley’s arm as she passes. “You’re welcome,” she sings, prancing out of the room. 

“Yeah, yeah!” Haley calls back after her dismissively.

That night, Penny is lost in thought, watching her ultra-processed Joja brand dinner spin in the microwave. 

Who does she think she is, asking for help from Haley of all people? At best it’s overstepping and desperate, and at worst… maybe Haley was going along with it as some kind of horrible prank. Maybe when she allowed her to put makeup on her, she would paint her face green and record it to post online. 

The ding of the microwave sounds out in the empty trailer, mocking her. She pulls out her phone and stares at the text from Haley she sent when they exchanged numbers. She almost doesn’t expect it to be there, like she imagined everything.

But it’s there. It’s there, and today really happened. It was fun. 

Her mother doesn’t come home until the saloon closes. Penny has the thought that maybe she could have gotten away with makeup after all.  

Wednesday comes. Penny almost talks herself out of visiting the sisters’ house. 

Emily welcomes her warmly but Penny doesn’t miss the expression that flashes on her face when she spots the plastic Joja Mart bag carrying her Flower Dance dress. It’s the disposable kind that Emily probably hates because it’s killing the planet, but her mother insists they don’t have money to waste on reusable bags (much less a proper garment bag). At least she doesn’t seem mad, just… pitying. Which is moderately better. Penny is used to pity.

She changes into the dress and Emily gets to work, asking her questions despite the pins balanced between her lips. 

It feels a bit like having a bird or butterfly fluttering around her and she wonders if this is what Cinderella felt like when the birds and mice made her dress. Maybe that was the way to look at this. Like Emily and Haley were her fairy godmothers.

She smiles to herself at the thought, and the rest of the time spent with Emily is pleasant. When she’s changed back into her regular clothes again and her hair styled, Emily releases her to Haley’s custody.

Haley had been conspicuously absent the entire time, so it’s with some measure of anxiety that Penny lightly raps on her bedroom door.  

The blonde opens the door swiftly, and looks almost surprised until she schools her expression into her usual cool smirk. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Penny smiles shyly, “Emily said to come speak to you, she has to go to work.”

“It’s 2 already?” Haley checks her phone to confirm. 

“Yeah almost… are you still… um… if it’s a bother I don’t–”

Haley groans and rolls her eyes, pulling her into the room. “It is a bother, but you’re lucky I love a good makeover. So are we doing makeup today?” she asks as she closes the door. 

Penny stands awkwardly in the middle of the room but gives her a determined nod. “Yes. I want to do it.” 

Haley smiles at her approvingly for her show of bravery. “Your hair looks good. Have you been practicing the hair flips and stuff I taught you?” 

“Oh, um, thank you,” Penny feels her face get hot and she shrinks away behind her styled bangs, toying with them with one finger. “No… I couldn’t really but I understand the concept.”

“Okay then show me. Give me a giggle and a hair twirl.” Haley sits in her armchair expectantly. 

“Right now?” Penny squeaks. “It’s embarrassing.”

“If it’s embarrassing now how are you ever going to do it in front of a boy?” 

She’s got her there. Penny’s smile drops as the same desperation that drove her here in the first place comes clawing back up. “I don’t know… I mean, I don’t have a reason to laugh right now so it’s awkward...”  

Haley sighs heavily and stands. “Okay pretend I’m your blond airhead.” 

She’s referring to Sam of course, but Penny almost laughs, blindsided by the perfect opportunity to tease Haley. But she shouldn’t. That would be rude when Haley is being so (strangely) kind. Maybe it’s Vincent rubbing off on her. “Mhm,” she eeks out between tight lips, hoping to move past it. 

“What?” Haley asks, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.  

“No, nothing,” Penny says with a sneaky smile. 

The realization dawns on Haley belatedly and she jumps across the room to her bed, where she grabs another pillow to pummel Penny with. 

Penny shrieks with laughter, trying and failing to run away from the assault. “But you’re so well-suited to the role!” she adds breathlessly, getting hit twice by the pillow until Haley starts laughing too. 

She lets up and launches the pillow back towards the bed. “You’re bitchier than I thought you were,” Haley remarks with a smile. 

Penny leans into Haley’s vanity mirror to readjust her hair from the unexpected pillow attack. “Thanks I think. You’re nicer than I thought you were.” 

When she looks back at her the blonde appears stumped. “Touche.” 

Penny’s smile widens, and just as she feels she could laugh she capitalizes on the opportunity. She straightens and girlishly twirls a lock of her hair with a bubbly giggle, just like Haley showed her.

The silence that follows is painful.

Haley practically looks… flustered? And then impressed, which is honestly just as confusing. But she gives her a modest clap. 

“Was it really okay?” Penny asks, fidgeting with the ties to her skirt. 

“It was, I’m impressed,” Haley assures, actually seeming like she means it.

Penny feels relieved, and proud, and can’t help but beam at her. “Thanks, I have a pretty good teacher.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Haley waves her off and rolls her eyes, turning to her makeup storage to rifle around in it. “Sit down, we don’t have all day.” 

Penny dutifully sits at Haley’s vanity. It’s already covered in makeup and brushes but Haley has multiple stacked bins of additional products all around that Penny inspects idly. 

“Do you ever do your makeup? Do you know anything?” Haley asks as she sets down a couple more brushes and begins to evaluate her canvas.  

“Umm… I’m okay with mascara, I know what a lot of other stuff does but I've never been able to get it right. Like eyeshadow, blush.” 

“Eyeliner?” 

Penny grimaces. “Oh I don’t like eyeliner. It’s so heavy and the pencils scrape.” 

“I have a feeling that comes from using your mom’s makeup, Penny. It’s come a long way since the 80’s.” 

“I suppose that’s true. Not too much though right?” Penny asks, side-eyeing the brown liquid liner Haley picks up as if it were a scalpel. 

Haley sucks her teeth in annoyance and simply glares at her with piercing blue eyes.

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Penny says with a sheepish smile, twisting her hands in her lap. “I trust you.” The words slip out, though she isn’t sure she means them. 

“Mmhm,” Haley hums indignantly, “close your eyes.” 

Maybe she does trust her, because she automatically shuts her eyes and tilts her face upwards.

Right away this feels different to when she was at Emily’s mercy. 

Maybe it’s just because her eyes are shut, but this time she feels the scrutiny like a tickling sensation in her scalp that spreads down to her neck. She almost flinches when Haley’s cool fingers meet her skin, stabilizing her hand against Penny’s cheek as she leans in. Haley’s breath ghosts over her face. 

“Don’t move,” Haley chides, though there is a smile audible in her voice. This close her voice seems deeper somehow, rich in Penny’s ears. 

Penny wants to nod and stops herself. The sensation of the eyeliner dragging against her eyelid is odd, but certainly better than her mom’s abused pencil liner. She squeezes her own hands tightly in her lap, barely daring to breathe. 

Haley touches up the end of her painted line with a few deliberate strokes and pulls back. The absence of her heat and breath is a reluctant relief. 

“Don’t open your eyes yet, I need it to dry,” Haley orders. 

She must be fanning her hands at Penny’s face because there is a light woosh of air tickling her eyelids that sends Haley’s fruity perfume wafting at her. The sensations are overwhelming, almost distracting her from Haley’s next words. “I pulled out some clothes that might fit you so we can do a little photoshoot.”      

“A photoshoot?” Penny squeaks, fighting to keep her eyes from shooting open. 

“Penny!” Haley says with an exasperated laugh. “Can you stop reacting like that to literally everything? Yes a photoshoot, not only is it necessary but it’s my price for making you over. Non-negotiable, or whatever. It won’t kill you.”

A price? What does that even mean? She did say she was only doing this because she loves makeovers. But what if it wasn’t just that? What if Haley was planning to post her online as some kind of project?

“Open,” Haley says before Penny can ask, sharply cutting off her thoughts with the sight of Haley’s blue eyes scrutinizing her intensely. 

Penny blinks, just trying to breathe. She’s going to die. Why is it this intense to have Haley so close?

Haley’s eyes narrow and she leans in again, a steady hand adding another touch of the eyeliner to her eyelid as Penny struggles to keep her open eye from twitching. She notices Haley’s lips move, breath coming in choppy sounds as if she’s talking to herself under her breath. 

It’s almost endearing, or… something. Something? No, what about the posting online? Penny’s getting distracted. 

“Close,” Haley says louder to her and Penny shuts her eyes again. Haley shifts around to her other side. 

“Haley?” Penny whispers cautiously. 

Haley hums distractedly as her hand returns to her face to paint her other eye. Penny waits until the eyeliner lifts again before asking, “You won’t post it online will you?” 

Haley stiffens, her breath disappearing again. “Why?” she asks sharply. 

Penny twists her hands nervously. “I just wouldn’t… I appreciate what you’re doing and that you’re… online and all that but…” 

Haley makes a sound between a sigh and a groan. “Open your eyes. Do you want it posted online?” she asks, lips a firm line.

“No…” Penny answers meekly. 

Confusingly, Haley’s annoyance seems to ebb away, her shoulders and jaw relaxing. “Okay, that’s fine.

“Really?” 

Haley raises a perfect eyebrow at her. Right, it was a bad idea to question her. Penny nods and looks down. 

Haley sighs, and when she speaks again her voice has softened considerably. “Do you want to see?” 

Penny looks to the side, meeting Haley’s eyes in the mirror then back to her own face. One eye is incomplete, the other decorated with a modest brown wing that she could never imagine replicating correctly. It’s sort of a marvel how much of a difference one little line makes in making herself feel made up. She turns her head back and forth to closer inspect it, her lips subconsciously stretching into a grin. “Okay let’s do it,” she accepts before she can second-guess herself.

“Yeah? You wanna do a photoshoot?” Haley asks excitedly. 

Penny meets her sparkling ocean eyes in the mirror. Her excitement is infectious and she finds herself wanting to make Haley smile more. “Yeah, why not?”

Chapter Text

Oh no. 

It’s the first thought that Haley has when Penny exits the closet wearing one of her sweaters. 

Haley’s face falls as she is totally devastated – with no idea why, because Penny looks gorgeous. 

Penny is cute. She’s never not been cute. But with her hair and makeup done and a properly styled outfit, she’s practically glowing. 

She’s still wearing the white midi skirt she came in, but now with a soft three-quarter sleeve sweater loosely tucked into the skirt. The blushy pink of the sweater makes her hair and freckles pop even more than usual.

Haley swallows, reliving the moment that Penny had giggled and twirled her hair at her. If she did that again now looking like this, Haley is certain even she would fall to her knees. No boy stood a chance. 

Haley turns abruptly on her heel and begins collecting the necessary camera equipment with utmost focus. “Looks awesome, Pen!”

“Really?” she asks shyly, turning herself in Haley’s mirror. 

Haley doesn’t know how to answer. Normally she might say something about how much of a miracle worker she is, but that feels cheap now. And Penny is a total flight risk as is. She settles on an approving hum and a change of subject. “I was thinking, since I’m taking photos that I won’t care about uploading for once, I want to use a 35 millimeter.” 

“A 35 millimeter? Like one that uses film?” Penny asks, folding her arms and cocking her head, curiously eyeing the camera in Haley’s hands. 

“Mhm.” Haley nods happily, holding the camera up proudly. “I even have a darkroom.”

“No way.” Penny smiles with a kind of genuine fascination that shakes something loose in Haley. Like this shouldn’t be happening. Like people don’t react this way unless they want something from her. No one shows interest otherwise. 

She tries not to let the thought sour things. After all, she’s been clear enough that this means nothing to her. Just a bit of fun getting to do a makeover and practice shooting someone besides herself. So she plasters on a smug smile. “Yeah. My very own darkroom. Tragically it means we’ll have to wait a while to see them fully but you have to come back for your dress anyways right?” 

“Yeah, Emily said it would be a few days at least.” 

“Cool, okay. So, ” she says purposefully, putting the camera down and moving to drag her ringlight over to her sitting backdrop. “I think you’ll be best over here since you can sit. It’ll be harder to be awkward that way.”

Penny laughs just as Haley realizes that was probably rude. “Sorry,” she mutters, glancing up at Penny but she’s just smiling. 

“It’s fine, I appreciate you compensating for the,” she waggles her arms, the sweater waving loosely, “ awkwardness. It’s not like I’ve ever modeled before either.” 

There’s a tightness in Haley’s chest at Penny’s rapid acceptance of her antics that she can’t quite explain, but she finds herself smiling as she tries to focus on setting up.

It gets a little easier behind the camera, Haley losing herself to professionalism and hyperfixation, focusing on getting the perfect shot. Even when she moves in to adjust Penny’s pose and hair, she doesn’t think twice about it. 

But every once in a while there is a breathtaking moment that’s more than the exhilaration of a perfect shot. 

One moment she is feeling a satisfaction deep in her bones at how she’s gotten the light to shadow Penny’s cheekbones perfectly. Then her eyes catch on Penny’s half-lidded eyes. Emerald eyes that would upstage any piece of jewelry in her closet. Eyes she’s seen glittering with tears from sadness to laughter already in such a short time. 

She stalls long enough that Penny moves, her eyes meeting Haley’s as she cocks her head in silent question, a loose smile on her pretty lips. 

It’s a shock like lightning. 

Oh no.   

Haley manages to make it through the rest of the photoshoot, and as much as she doesn’t want to, she walks Penny out afterwards. Penny’s nervous about how the photos came out, and Haley knows she needs to reassure her. This was about building her confidence after all. 

“They’re really good, Penny, you’ll see.”

“Really?” She stops and turns to her at the door. 

Haley scoffs. “You’ve really got to stop second-guessing me, Pen.” 

“Right, sorry.” She gives her an apologetic little smile, her made-up eyebrows quirking up in a middle furrow. “Thank you again for all of this. And I… I’m having a lot of fun.” 

Haley opens the door and leans against it, sunlight and a spring breeze flowing in. 

Penny’s admission feels genuine. Penny, despite Haley’s fears and expectations, has always been genuine. It makes her want to lower the walls around her heart but she can’t. 

“Yeah, I’m fun to be around,” Haley says smugly. “Get practicing your makeup skills, I’ll see you next week.” 

“Yeah… see you,” Penny says with a small smile, stepping out into the sunlight. 

Haley can’t look at her anymore, as much as she wants to see how the copper in her hair shines. She closes the door and leans back against it heavily, packing every strange thought and feeling from today away and refusing to consider what they might mean. 

With the thud of the closing door, Penny is suddenly just Penny again. Except she isn’t, because her hair is styled and her makeup done. The mascara feels a little heavy and she is keenly determined not to wipe at it. 

She stands straighter, trying to hold on to the scraps of confidence she had built up under Haley’s tutelage. She didn’t have to go back to her normal life just yet. Maybe she could do something different for a change. Maybe a walk. Maybe research clothing? Or take the makeup off of one eye and try to recreate it with the supplies Haley spared her.

She is slowly making her way from Haley’s house when the sound of a door shutting echoes through the street again, this time coming from the house next door.

Panic spikes in her chest. She feels ridiculous suddenly, all painted up and trying too hard. But shouldn’t she want people to see her like this? Even and especially Sam, if it was him coming from next door? 

“Penny!” 

It’s Jodie. Penny feels a little relieved and a little disappointed. 

“Hi Mrs. Jodie!” Penny turns and calls back to her as the woman catches up to her. 

“Nice warm day today, huh? Oh did you just get your haircut? It looks very nice!” 

“Thank you,” Penny says automatically, pointedly not correcting her. Easier to pass it all off as getting her haircut than what was really happening. 

‘Oh no, not a haircut ma’am, just getting a makeover to seduce your son.’ She cringes inwardly at the thought before forcing herself to focus back on the woman in front of her. 

“I should really see Emily again soon, my roots are growing in so fast. Anyway while I’ve got you here, Vincent keeps going on about something he apparently…” 

At the mention of her student, Penny is a teacher again. Once more it’s an odd sort of relief that’s simultaneously disappointing. There’s comfort in the normalcy. But maybe she’d held out hope for change too. 

Jodi walks with her through the plaza until she is basically almost home, so she abandons any pretense of doing something different today.  Her legs carry her up the trailer steps and into the dingy bathroom where her reflection waits. 

It’s not the same as when she looked in Haley’s mirror. For the first time it occurs to Penny that maybe it isn’t about the hair and makeup. 

Maybe she just likes who she is around Haley.

Chapter Text

Haley develops Penny’s photos three days after the shoot. 

Getting lost in the process is usually something so calming, and it mostly is, until she has to actually look at the developed photos. 

The same prickly dread from that day settles in her gut. 

Penny’s eyes look darker in the low red light, more piercing. Haley’s glad there aren’t any of her looking directly at the camera. 

Seven photos hang over the sink dripping. One of them in particular keeps catching her eye. It’s one where Penny’s eyes are nearly closed, but her lips are quirked up into a smile, her teeth showing just a little. Her hair looks so soft and shiny. 

Haley takes the photo down again. It would be weird to keep one for herself… right? 

A week after the shoot, Haley sits on the couch staring at her phone.   

“Are you waiting for Penny?” Emily teases as she passes through the living room with a laundry basket on her hip.

“No!” Haley snaps. Sure she’s been sitting on the couch scrolling on her phone for twenty minutes, but it’s definitely not because Penny will be arriving soon. 

“Uhuh. Well I’m glad, maybe you can answer the door for once.”

“You know now that you said it I’m literally gonna run away the second I hear a knock.” Haley rolls her eyes. 

Emily doesn’t answer her, instead disappearing down the hall with the folded laundry. 

Haley sighs and drops her head back to look at the ceiling. It’s getting hard to think straight. 

It’s always been harder to make friends with girls. Not just because they’re always so catty but it just doesn't come naturally to Haley. Guys are easy. Just flirt with them. Even with Alex, things are always playfully flirty. Then with girls she just freezes. She always ends up feeling like she has to impress them somehow. She’s awkward, and mean, and then too friendly, or she infodumps to fill the silence and everything falls apart. At least when it comes to other influencers, she can rely on favors and her follower count to carry her, but how the hell do girls become friends otherwise? 

She has to wonder what’s going to be the thing that pushes Penny away, because she is officially invested in her if she is even waiting for her like this with her stupid heart pounding.

A knock comes at the door and Haley almost yelps in surprise. She turns and grips the arm of the couch, looking between the door and the hall. 

Seconds tick by where the echo of the knock fades. “EMILYYYY” Haley calls out, because surely shouting for her sister is less embarrassing than getting the door herself. 

Emily doesn’t even shout back. 

Haley stares at the door, then slaps the couch arm as she stands. “That fucking bitch,” she mumbles to herself as she gets the door. But when her hand grips the doorknob a jolt of nerves shocks her. She stands frozen and forces herself to take a deep breath.  

She opens the door, sunlight spilling in behind Penny. 

“Oh, hi Haley!” She smiles sweetly. She seems a little surprised to see her there, which is fair. 

How do people even greet people? How does Haley greet Penny when she’s smiling at her like that? 

Her hair is back into its usual low bun but her outfit is cute, a V-neck tucked into a midi floral skirt. Haley almost gets to inspecting her shoes before realizing she still hasn’t said anything.

“Hi,” she blurts, belatedly smiling before settling into her usual smirk and leaning against the door. “Come in, I guess.” Cool, casual. 

“Thanks,” Penny mutters before squeezing past her. 

Emily (the traitor) returns to the living room as if nothing happened with Penny’s dress in tow. “Pennyyyyy!” she squeals, “I’m so excited, get this on quick.” She practically throws the garment at her and Penny chuckles. 

Haley settles back on the couch, to Emily’s apparent amusement. She quirks an eyebrow at her sister as Penny heads off to change. 

Haley ignores her and gets back on her phone. 

“Hmmm?” Emily questions, coming behind the arm of the couch to elbow Haley’s head. 

“You’re a bitch.” Haley throws her arm up to swipe blindly at Emily but she dodges it. 

“You need to learn to answer the door. You’re twenty-one years old.”

“I know how to answer a door.”

Emily is quiet for a moment. When she speaks again her voice is lowered to a conspiratorial sort of whisper. “You’re still not running away.” 

“Okay yeah and if you want it to stay that way you can shut up about it,” Haley snips, glaring forward into empty space. 

“Alright, alright. I’m glad you’re hanging out with us, anyway.”

Haley returns to her scrolling as Penny emerges with her dress. She debates looking up at her, but obviously Emily doesn’t give her a choice, jumping up and down excitedly about it.

“Doesn’t she look beautiful?” 

Haley bites the inside of her lip and looks up. Penny is blushing fiercely at the attention, but smiling and twirling the dress. Haley isn’t sure what all Emily did to it since she didn’t see it before it was tailored, but it actually fits, unlike a lot of Penny’s clothes. 

The dress suits her. A little collar like the polos she loves to wear, but flowy sleeves that cap at her wrist add more romance to her usual style. 

Once again Haley scrambles for words. 

“Yep,” she says far too late, then has a small internal crisis about it. Yep. Since when has she ever said that? Yep is for losers. Yep is lame. Well Alex says yep but he’s a guy and it’s different.

“Thank you Emily, it really is perfect,” Penny says sweetly, apparently unbothered by Haley’s blunder. “I love the changes you made.”

Haley sinks further into the couch as Penny returns to the bathroom to change. 

She can feel Emily’s eyes on her again, but she isn’t saying anything. Neither are saying anything. Haley chews harder on the inside of her lip. 

“Are you good?” Emily asks eventually, finally breaking the tension.  

Haley sighs explosively. Everything she’s pushed down comes bubbling up and as soon as she opens her mouth she can’t stop. “No. I don’t know what I’m doing here. I’m gonna fuck this up. And I know it’s important to you that I make friends and now this is important to me too and I hate it. This is terrifying how do people do this?” Haley snaps her mouth shut as her eyes widen in horror. 

Emily blinks at her, frozen like she’s being confronted with an animal that will attack if it senses her movement. 

“Okay…” she starts.

“Shut up!” Haley squeals and hides her face in her hands.

Emily laughs. “I don’t understand why you’re having such a crisis about it, this is a good thing.” She comes to sit beside her on the couch, patting her knee in what is probably meant to be reassuring but it takes everything in Haley not to smack her away. “Most people make friends by just being themselves, Hale.”

Haley puts her hands down and turns to her with a deadpan scowl. 

“What? Seriously, just keep doing what you've been doing. Penny, against all odds, seems happier around you.”

“Wow, thanks,” Haley deadpans. 

But Emily’s words slowly work into her brain and sort of change everything. It’s validation. She isn’t crazy, and Penny might genuinely like her. 

Haley’s nerves are raw when the bathroom door opens again and Penny emerges back in her regular clothes.  

Haley shoots up from her seat. “Well– um I guess it’s time to look at your photos!” 

“Sure.” Penny smiles.

“Penny?” Emily interrupts. 

Haley takes a deep breath. What now what now? This couldn’t be anything good. What was Emily up to? 

“It’s going to be dinner time soon, did you want to stay for stir fry after?”

Haley stares daggers at Emily that she pointedly avoids by looking at Penny. 

Penny blinks in surprise before her smile slowly returns. “I’d love to!”

Great.

Following Haley into her darkroom just confirms to Penny what she’d already known forever: Haley is so cool. 

They slip inside quickly and shut the door, momentarily stuck in complete darkness. 

The blackness feels heavy. It’s suddenly hard to breathe, especially knowing Haley is in the darkness somewhere too. She can hear her shifting, and then a click. Suddenly the room is lit in a deep red light. It doesn’t illuminate much but it’s better than the prior total darkness. 

The air still feels heavy. 

Haley clears her throat and steps forward. Only now does Penny notice the series of pictures hanging. Pictures of herself, she thinks with a start. 

She clamps her hands together tightly and moves to join Haley. 

“So this is it!” Haley says quickly and folds her arms. “I’m… not sure why I brought you in here I guess it’s just… kind of cool,” she mumbles sheepishly, looking at the pictures instead of Penny. 

Penny smiles at her change in behavior again. Every instance of Haley’s shyness chips away at the mental image of her as this mean girl who would ever be capable of pranking her. She watches as the blonde squeezes her own arms in a self-soothing gesture. 

In this light the moles dusting her arms are darker. Her hair looks different too, and Penny finds herself admiring the luster in it. Then she snaps back realizing she should probably say something. 

“How does it work?” 

Haley looks over at her surprised. “Developing?”

“Mhm,” Penny nods encouragingly. 

Haley’s face lights up again like when she was explaining makeup theory. “Well so first I start with the film, right…” she moves excitedly to show her and Penny is flooded with warmth, and then a realization. 

Everyone thought Haley was dumb. Dumb, vapid, mean. Haley was popular, but… did anyone really know her? 

Penny feels a sense of protectiveness take hold and she suddenly wants to hug her. Instead she zeroes in on Haley’s smile as she goes on about the development process. 

She wills her careful attention to convey what she can’t with her words. I see you. I hear you. You matter.   With a shaky exhale Penny thinks, Haley matters a lot.

Chapter Text

A knock on the darkroom’s door shatters their cozy bubble. 

Haley stops short in her rambling. “Yeah?” she calls out to her sister as she stows away her film box. 

“Ten minutes!” she answers through the door. 

Haley's heart sinks. How long had they been in here? She was doing it again; launching into a hyperfixation and probably pushing Penny away in the process. She trapped her in this dark and humid little glorified closet and talked her ear off, and now Emily was going to subject her to tofu and… Penny would never come back, surely. 

Haley clears her throat. “Sorry, um. I’m talking too much, it’s your turn.” 

“No, that’s alright. I did ask, to be fair.” 

Penny is too nice. Haley gives her a rueful smile. She sort of feels like thanking her but isn’t sure if that would make sense. What would a normal person do? “Do you have any hobbies?” she asks. Hell yeah. Totally normal. She hides her victorious smile by walking to the door. 

“Oh um…” Penny says quietly. She’s fidgeting again when she joins her. 

Haley lets her through and clicks off the lights, quickly shutting the door behind her and blinking in the bright light of the hallway. When she meets Penny’s eyes she’s also squinting and getting her bearings. 

It’s so silly for some reason Haley finds herself chuckling, and then Penny is laughing too. She has a sweet little laugh that reminds Haley of a bird. It’s a good laugh. 

Penny looks down the hallway. “Smells good.” 

Haley raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “Don’t expect much, Emily’s vegan.”

Penny gives her a playfully stern look at that. “Hey, I’m sure it’s fine. Better than my cooking anyways.”

“I mean, same, but I’d think you’d be all over that homemaker stuff,” Haley says as she leads them back out to the living room. 

“I am, I suppose. I like to cook. I'm just rotten at it.” 

“I thought we could watch a movie during dinner!” Emily calls out to them from the kitchen over a loudly steaming wok, “Make it a real girl’s night.” 

Haley automatically wants to cringe at Emily’s enthusiasm and yet– it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. She corrals Penny into the living room and drags tray tables next to the couch, Penny hurriedly grabbing the third to help. 

“Should we see if Emily needs help?” Penny asks nervously when they’re done setting up. 

Haley narrows her eyes at her and points to the couch. “No, you’re gonna sit and tell me about your hobbies.” 

Penny lets out a tittering chuckle. “Is this an interrogation?” 

Haley smiles and settles on the couch with the remote to scroll through movies. In place of an answer she cocks an eyebrow at her with a stern glance. 

“Does reading count?” Penny relents. 

“Like reading books? Yeah, why wouldn’t it?” Part of Haley feels like maybe that was meant to be a dig. Like maybe Haley wouldn’t consider it a hobby because reading was something hard and boring. 

“Oh, I don’t know, I guess it’s something I have to do for work and school too so maybe…” she trails off, looking down and picking at the trim of her skirt. 

So not a dig. 

It’s hard to shake the assumption that Penny is out to get her, or use her somehow, but Penny has just always been ridiculously kind. Haley didn’t want to think about it too much. 

“Do you only read for work and school?” she asks as she flicks through movie titles, searching for something family-friendly but not so family-friendly that Penny would’ve been subject to watching it for her students.

“No, I have my work and school reading and I have my fun reading.” 

It still feels like Penny is waiting for Haley’s attention to turn off of her, but at least they finally seem to be getting somewhere. “What kind of fun reading?” she asks, selecting The Princess Diaries on the screen and pausing it to turn towards her. 

Penny settles sideways on the couch to look at her too and it feels so casual and cozy that Haley is struck with the desire for this to never end.

“Novels, like um… crime drama and fantasy romance and, well I guess I’ll read mostly anything that has romance in it. I try to read a variety of genres and styles otherwise I get bored.” 

“Real,” Haley laughs. “Romance always makes it more interesting. Not that I read but like, for movies and reality TV and stuff. In this movie,” Haley nods to the TV, “she falls in love with her friend. It’s interesting but the real fun is the makeover, that’s why I picked it.”

“Friends to lovers, that’s a good trope.”

“Friends to lovers, yeah,” Haley muses, trying to remember what trope means. “What’s your favorite trope?”

“Hmmm,” Penny hums and lays her head back against the couch. “Maybe cliché of me but probably enemies to lovers.” 

“OMG enemies to lovers is so good! That’s what Princess Diaries 2 has, actually!” Haley replies enthusiastically, sitting up straight.

“Really? I’m sure I will love that one then. Especially if there’s royalty involved, that sounds fun.”

“Girl, you’re gonna love it I’m sure. It’s honestly kinda the better of the two. We’ll watch it next time,” she says without thinking. 

Next time. 

She looks away, not wanting Penny to see the vulnerable flash of dread on her face at just having said that. It was presumptuous to think that there would be a next time at all, with the Flower Dance right around the corner. 

“I’d like that,” Penny replies sweetly, and Haley has to keep looking away so Penny can’t see the dumb smile forming on her face. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us to get ready Wednesday?” Emily asks as Penny is getting ready to leave. “It’d be fuuuun! Tonight was fun.”

“It was, yeah, thank you so much for dinner again.”

Haley scoffs and gets an elbow to the rib from her sister before she can say anything about her veganism. But Emily notices that Penny shoots Haley a playfully stern look too.

“I just feel like I need to do this myself, you know?” Penny continues, tucking her hair behind her ear shyly. 

“Alright… BUT I’m not letting you use your mom’s old curling iron,” Emily sings and dances away to her salon supplies. 

“No, no,” Penny demures, even backing towards the door as if she might leave. 

“Haley stop her!” Emily calls back to her sister. 

Haley yoinks Penny’s dress as hostage with a chuckle and an apology. They seem to be getting along so well it warms her heart. Emily smiles to herself as she quickly digs through her supplies and runs back over with a curling wand and glove to present to the redhead.

“Is this… for me to borrow?” Penny looks at the gift with wide eyes. 

Emily shakes her head. “No, take it! I have two more, it’s fine.” 

“Are you… um.” Penny takes it from her but her voice wavers and eyes water. She clears her throat. “I’ll just borrow it.” 

“Whatever you say, angel.” Emily opens her arms wide and shoves the women into a big group hug. “Mmm group hug!” 

Penny chuckles, and Haley complains about the clothes hanger digging into her side. 

“Oh whatever you’re no fun,” Emily mumbles and passes the dress back to Penny. “Let us know if you need any help though okay? Seriously. We’re here for you.” She pats her shoulder and opens the door. It’s late, crickets and toads singing their song in the night. 

Penny smiles at her with glistening eyes and a tight smile before giving her a quick nod. “Thanks again for everything. Bye Haley!” she calls back behind her as she exits. 

Haley responds in kind, and when Emily turns to her she is giving her a knowing look that she’d rather ignore. She walks past her back to the kitchen to start cleaning. 

“That’s your new curling wand isn’t it?” Haley asks, following her. 

“Mind your business,” Emily mumbles as she gets on her dish gloves, “Unless you want to help me with cleaning up.” She eyes her pointedly and Haley just settles on the counter because of course she has no such intention. “What about you, huh? I got a peek at the fresh makeup you gave her.” 

“ That is totally different!” Haley screeches. “It’s a hygiene thing and those were just… promotional stuff I got for free anyways.” She crosses her arms indignantly. 

Emily sighs and starts filling the sink. “Uhuh.“ She expects that to be the end of the conversation, but Haley still lingers. “Okay seriously if you’re going to stand there you’re at least gonna dry, come on.” She throws the dish towel at her and Haley surprisingly relents. 

They wash and dry the dishes in tandem for a few moments before Emily breaks the silence again. “You excited for the dance?”

Haley doesn’t answer right away. “I guess I’m nervous,” she says barely audibly over the water. 

“Hmm. That’s understandable though. It’s a big deal for Penny, and you care about her.”

Haley sighs and puts down the plate she was drying. “Yeah like, what if she gets rejected or something? Or doesn’t even show up!” 

“It’s out of our hands, Hale. It’s up to her if she wants to show up or not, and if something bad happens we can always be there to support her.” 

“I guess so,” she mumbles.

Chapter Text

Something is up with Haley. 

She didn’t light up like she normally does when Alex showered her with compliments, and for the past ten minutes she keeps biting her lipgloss off and stealing glances at Penny of all people. 

“What’s up with you?” Alex finally asks her as she downs a cup of punch like it’s a shot (it’s not even alcoholic, but he’s not sure she knows that).

“Do you think Penny looks good?” she asks with her eyebrows all knitted together. 

Not this again.  

Alex sighs. “Haley, you are always the prettiest girl at the dance,” he assures tiredly. 

“No, not that!” she blurts, swatting him in the chest. 

“Ow,” he laughs. “Okay what the fuck is happening?” 

“Alex, just answer the question please. She looks good right? From a male perspective?” 

Unsure how much of a help he can actually be, he looks the redhead over anyway. She’s chatting with Sam, giggling and twirling her hair. It looks shinier than usual, and her dress looks pretty. “Yeah I guess she looks fancier.” He shrugs.

Haley hums in thought, staring way too intensely. 

He’s not even sure he should ask, but he does. “... Why?”

“I gave her a makeover,” she says plainly, still staring and clicking her nails against her plastic cup. 

“You… huh? Is that why you haven’t been texting me?” 

Haley finally looks at him, blinking out of whatever obsessive state had taken hold of her. “Have I been texting you less?” 

“I mean… yeah, but it’s fine, I know you get crazy into things sometimes and lock in. I just wouldn’t expect it to be Penny-” 

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs and leans against his shoulder. 

“-are you guys like, friends now?” 

“I…” she’s watching Penny and Sam again. 

Penny puts her hand on Sam’s arm with a big smile on her face. Alex doesn’t think he’s seen her smile like that before. Or maybe it’s just the lipstick. 

“I don’t know,” Haley whispers. “This is just… this is really fucking stupid, you know?” she spits, suddenly emotional and Alex only looks at her like a deer in headlights. “Like, she was already pretty before. And so nice. And he doesn’t care about that.”  

She seems dangerously close to crying, and Alex feels stranded and overwhelmed. He looks around for Emily but she is busy speaking to Caroline across the dancefloor. “Do you need a hug?” he asks instead. 

She shakes her head and looks away. “No… I think I need a minute actually.” 

“Okay yeah… whatever you need,” he says hurriedly.

She hands him her cup in a daze and he takes it, watching a bit dumbstruck as she walks the perimeter of the field to a break in the trees, and disappears into the woods.

Oh. That. Probably wasn’t smart. 

He looks down at the two cups in his hands, then helplessly in Emily’s direction again. He wonders if it would be better to stay where Haley left him in case she needs him for anything. He shifts uneasily on his feet and sighs. 

Despite sending every telepathic signal he can to Emily for help, she isn’t the one who looks his way. Penny is. 

Alex gives her a nervous smile and she immediately excuses herself from Sam to come speak to him. 

“Alex? Where’d Haley go?” 

“Oh thank Yoba,” he sighs. “Over there,” he points to the trees. “I think this is a girl thing. She looked like she was about to cry.” 

Penny gives him a reassuringly stern look that only a teacher could give and nodded, “I’m on it, thanks Alex.” 

“No prob!” 

Penny flips on a dime and speeds after Haley, and Alex breathes a sigh of relief. 

“What was that about?” Sam calls as he approaches with a mildly amused smile. 

“Honestly man, your guess is as good as mine. Something about a makeover gone wrong I think,” he chuckles. 

“Mm, girl stuff. I see.” 

Sebastian approaches them and nods to Alex before covertly winding his fingers with his boyfriend’s. “Sup guys.” 

“Girl stuff,” Sam and Alex say in unison before they all take a drink from their cups. 

Penny doesn’t notice right away when Haley disappears, but when she does she can’t focus at all on what Sam is saying. Then Alex says she seemed to be on the verge of tears and Penny is jogging through the woods before she knows it. 

The music of the festival fades into the distance and the canopies of trees swallow her in blinking shadows. 

She stops to listen. She is far enough now that she wonders if maybe she passed Haley at some point without knowing. She is about to call her name out when she hears a sound like sniffling. 

It’s coming from the right, a bit off of the mulch path. Penny carefully steps around saplings and bushes in the direction of the sound until it stops suddenly. 

“Haley?” Penny calls out hesitantly.

“Penny!” Haley gasps and clears her throat. Penny continues towards her voice, spotting bright white fabric through the trees. “I’m okay, just need a minute!” 

Penny comes upon her fanning her face and trying to make herself presentable. She sits on a mossy boulder with her white dress fanning beneath her looking like an angel – except maybe for the red, swollen eyes. 

“What happened?” Penny breathes, hurrying to kneel before her, dress be damned. 

Haley shakes her head and tries to look away but she can’t hide with Penny facing her like this. 

There was a time when Penny couldn’t have imagined she’d see someone as untouchable as Haley so vulnerable. But Haley is nothing of the impression Penny had built up in her mind. Of the vapid, mean, popular girl. 

Haley is lonely, and fragile, and loves to ramble on about her special interests. And… Haley is kind. Haley had helped her when she was at her lowest and crying, too. It’s that more than anything that doesn’t let Penny leave her side despite her objections. 

Penny takes a tissue from her purse and hands it to Haley. The blonde takes it with a murmur of thanks, dabbing her eyes. 

“What happened?” Penny repeats gently. 

Haley crumbles the tissue in her fist and drops her head. “Nothing.”

“If it has you upset, it isn’t ‘nothing’,” Penny assures, putting her hand over Haley’s fist in her lap. 

Haley looks up at her with shining blue eyes rimmed with smears of mascara and Penny’s heart clenches to see her so affected. 

“I don’t know I…” Haley clears her throat past a sob. “Just seeing you with Sam, it…” 

Penny hadn’t known what to expect, but she certainly didn’t expect that. “Sam?” 

Haley blinks rapidly and shakes her head, “No, it’s– nevermind, seriously, I’m fine.”

Suddenly Penny’s heart is racing, just as her mind starts to piece it all together. 

Sam had been nice to her. Not any more than normal, really, despite her efforts to be cute and flirty with him. She had built up speaking to him at the dance as this monumental thing that would change the course of her life forever but then it just… wasn’t. It felt like talking to a friend, with the added game of practicing what she had worked on with Haley. She was having fun with it, and it hadn’t even occurred to her that she left the interaction before Sam could ask her to dance. 

It wasn’t important. 

Sam was great and all, but he wasn’t… 

“Haley…” Penny whispers aloud. 

Haley looks at her with wide, pleading eyes seeing that she’s figured something out. “I’m sorry please forget I–” 

Penny leans up and quiets her with a kiss worth more than any words she could think to say. 

Emily stalks out of the woods in a huff, notably alone. The gang of boys that sent her after her sister and Penny all look at her with their eyebrows raised. 

“Nothing to see here, boys,” she sighs, stamping her shoes free of mulch. “Run along now. Except you, Lex.” 

“Got it, chief,” Sam chuckles and wanders away, Sebastian trailing after him with vape mist in his wake. 

“What’s up,” Alex whispers. 

Emily groans and bonks her head against his meaty shoulder. “My sister is physically incapable of making friends after all.” 

“What? Why? Are they fighting?” 

“Worse. They’re making out,” she mumbles into his suit jacket, and Alex roars with laughter. 

“You’re fucking kidding!” 

Emily starts to laugh too, despite herself. “Nope.”

“Whatever, I count that as a win.” 

“Oh do you now?” Emily smiles impishly. “Who are you gonna dance with?’

“Shit. Uhhh Emily, wanna dance with me?”

Emily laughs and pats arm. “Not this time, big guy, I’ve got a grumpy drunk to seduce.” 

“And now I’m even getting passed up for Shane? ” He shakes his head in disbelief. “Today is fucking weird.”