Chapter Text
“A letter?” He asked. His voice bored and borderline annoyed, much like a haughty celebrity who couldn’t believe some lowlife was bothering them.
Swan stood with a stiff posture, the wings on his back tucked in tightly. His blue hair was in a tight bun, the black practice leotard he wore accentuating his bright azure pupils- shaped as four pointed stars- that glared down at them.
Swan’s face was probably the most unimpressed it could’ve been. eyes narrowed as he looked down at them. white ear-wings fluffed in annoyance at the interruption, Arms crossed.
And yet Yin, eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched, held out a chalk white envelope, with cheeks dusted a faint pink color. It was amusing, really. Yin glanced at the sealed letter as though it was the sun on a cloudless summer day, and they were staring straight at it. Eyes glaring and pupils dilated as it burned them.
“It’s not from me.” They divulged. keeping their voice steady despite the numerous eyes on them. Still holding the envelope out. Yin gestured over their shoulder, to the entrance of the room, where a pale, brown haired lady- around Yin’s age- stood hiding by the door. Her eyes widening as she saw the gesture. “Not technically… Her name’s Cheryl.”
Some of the people warming up or decimating pointe shoes by the barre began to, more obviously than they were before, glance over at where Yin stood. Swan’s wings fluffing up in confusion, or maybe curiosity. Who cares, they were just there so that their ‘friend’ didn’t have to face the rejection herself. At least that was what Cheryl had told them. It was stupid that Cheryl would even try. This wasn’t even really about Cheryl shooting her shot though… they didn’t care to think about that at the moment though. They had a task to complete.
“What is this, middle school? She sent some friend as the messenger?” Swan scoffed, shifting on his feet. His gaze flicked over the envelope, his ear-wings softly fluttered.
lowering the outstretched hand to their side, Yin sighed. Their fingers fiddling impatiently with one of the pointy edges of the paper. They tried their hardest to not roll their eyes, even to them it was a childish way to ask someone out. It was an even more childish way to embarrass someone. “Apparently.”
“I don’t have time for such childish behavior.” He told her, his tone bitingly irritated.
Yin bit inside of their lip. Usually they wouldn’t have been so annoyed that Cheryl of all people asked them for a favor, she used to ask for hundreds of favors. They used to not mind, used to even like that they had a way to be useful to their ‘bestie’.
But… Cheryl was not a person they liked anymore. They just haven’t directly told her that. Seriously. How can you tell someone you’ve known for half of your life to just leave? Yin sure as heck didn’t know.
Though, Yin mused, how can a person plan to humiliate someone they’ve known for their whole life? Especially when they still share such good memories with one another.
She should hurt as much as they did…
‘Focus, Yin.’
They realized their gaze had fallen to the floor. Forcing their eyes back up to meet Swan’s. The ballerina studied them like a roach under a microscope. Yin could just shoot their own shot. It would piss Cheryl off… but…. That didn’t seem to have a high success rate. And what they had planned would be more entertaining if it worked.
“So, go tell your friend-”
“… Listen…. I’ve heard a bit about you-” They started, huffing at their own mumbly voice. quiet enough to not be overheard. “I’ve known her for a long time and she genuinely has a really big crush on you… so…”
Swan was already rolling his eyes. Wings fluttering in annoyance. He glared as if he hoped it would turn them to stone. Maybe even planned to say something snarky. Ugh, maybe they should turn to stone, or turn tail and book it.
“Can we fake date so I can get back at her.?” Yin finished quickly, quietly. Their face flushed from pure embarrassment.
Swan’s eyes widened hysterically, like his face slack from surprise. Wings frozen mid flutter as he processed their words. “What.”
They stood there silently, staring at him with more confidence than they actually had at that moment. Fake it till you make it. The dancer stared at them incredulously, his pupils burning into their skin. Both pairs of wings tucked tightly as he leaned against the barre. His reaction was all Yin needed to know that he heard exactly what they said. It was almost rewarding to see the infamous Swan stumble.
Swan glanced over Yin’s shoulder, presumably at Cheryl, and back to them. His demeanor slowly changed, as if attempting to sweep his surprise under the rug. The wings on his back gave a short flutter.
“why would I agree to that?” He asked and raised a nonexistent eyebrow, uncrossing his arms to rest a hand on his hip.
Why would he? Yin barely even made eye contact with him before this. They weren't supposed to even be in this part of the studio.
“I dunno. She pretended to be my friend while talking and doing things behind my back…. I.. I. if you agree I’ll do whatever you need me to. Run errands, buy things, whatever.” They offered, averting their gaze. Was it a bit much to be offering to do errands or chores or whatever else, probably. But Yin would be a liar if they said they weren’t petty enough right now to do anything to get back at that backstabbing bi-
“Fine.” Swan stated, shocking Yin out of their trance. He gave them a hard stare before continuing, “I’ll think about it.”
Their eyes snapped up to meet his, a bright smile breaking out across their face. Yin shoved the letter back towards him. Clarifying softly, “I replaced her letter, just message the number when you decide.”
He snatched the letter out of their hand, raising a brow, his gaze barely lingered on its stupid heart shaped sticker before he made a dismissive motion at them and walked away. Graceful steps over to the other side of the room.
Yin turned on their heel and started walking to the practice room’s door. Not bothering to linger around any longer. Unbelievably flabbergasted, absolutely confuzzled.
That wasn’t supposed to work.
Not even anyone else in that room thought that would work, at least that’s what they assumed from the few wide-eyed dancers watching them leave. A few leaning over to whisper to a friend. Of course, they hadn’t Actually asked him out. But nobody needed to know that part.
Their gaze landed on their ‘friend’ outside the room, Cheryl stared at them wide-eyed, jaw slack, complete disbelief on her face. They wished they could take a picture.
Yin stepped out of the room without bothering so much as to glance her way. They turned and headed down the hall of the studio, a tap-tap-tapping sound behind them, Cheryl bounced up to their side and grabbed their arm. Her face was absolutely beaming, bright as the full force of a firework bursting in Yin’s face. Now they weren’t thinking of a tiny firecracker, no, no, no. It was like being the target of one of those BIG fireworks. And absolutely annoying.
Yin gently pushed her off their arm. Though, Cheryl didn’t falter.
“He said yes? Did he say anything else? Did he agree to a date? what-” Cheryl shot off questions, left, right, front, and center. Not even bothering to give Yin room to breathe.
It… reminded them of when they were close in middle school. Always a bright, joyful light. One that used to shine with them rather than against them.
and then it reminded them of how much it hurt to see the group chat.
“He did… kinda…” They said, drifting off farther down the hall as Cheryl finally faltered. Before that annoying, never reaching her eyes, a smile made its way back to her face.
She, once again, was bouncing by Yin’s side. Grabbing their arm and bursting their personal bubble. Staring at them as a scientist does a lab specimen. “What do you mean?”
“He agreed to go out, just not with you.” They uttered, their eyes darting over to watch as her eyes darkened and her smile finally melted away.
“Excuse me?” Cheryl gasped, grabbed their arm. Eyes burning into Yin as they crawled over their form uncomfortably. “who’d he agree to go out with?”
“Swan said he’d think about going out with me-”
“You?” Cheryl’s face scrunched, gaze flickering over their face, searching, analyzing, before she sighed. She let go of Yin’s arm and pressed her hand against their back, and patted gently. They straightened their posture immediately. Her face relaxed, upturned eyebrows looking almost pitying.
“Don’t you think it’ll be the same situation as graduation? I mean, Swan does seem like that type to-”
“Cheryl. That was years ago-”
“Yiiiin,” She drawled out, her voice as silky as if she were talking to a stubborn toddler. “The cute, popular ones never go for the ones like you unless they have an ulterior motive, you remember this, Hon.”
Yin had to fight the urge to roll their eyes, taking in a breath so they didn't physically cringe at the pet-name. They remembered, quite vividly, in-fact. However, instead of trying to argue and fight against her, Yin gave Cheryl a soft smile. A hand raised up to grab her arm and give her a comforting look.
“I think he deserves a chance. This isn’t like back then, we're mature adults, aren't we?.” Yin forced the soft smile to stay on their face. Their words dully pointed at Cheryl. “Besides, he was nicer than we thought he was. Even though he thought the letter was from ‘someone like me’.”
Cheryl’s eye twitched, ever so slightly. She only let out a deep sigh. Much to Yin’s disappointment. They were hoping she'd give them a reason to storm off and ignore her for a few days before she wormed her way back into contact, again. Her hand thumped softly against their back and she gave them a small, pitying smile, and nodded.
Despite the warmth she projected, Yin could feel the underlying malice of it. Cheryl then pulled out her phone and waved them off, muttering the typical good-byes and telling them to drive safe as she hurried to class.
Yin walked to the dance studio’s entrance. Down the halls past the classes and rehearsals. The studio’s doors flung open as they shouldered through the entrance, relaxing as they made it out of the building. The air outside was a comfortable chill with their sweater on, they were almost tempted to take the sweater off just to feel the cold. The sky was dull, clouds covered most of the sky, it was typical for this area to be fairly cloudy, especially during the fall. They walked across the concrete parking lot to find their car, seating themself behind the steering wheel and borderline banged their head against the steering wheel. An annoyed groan filled the near silent air.
Yin heard a phone ping,
once.
twice.
They sighed.
Call it a step too far, or whatever. Yin pulled the phone out of the middle compartment between the seats and tapped on the notification, the phone screen opening up to a group chat. The group chat Cheryl had set up for all of her friends.
All friends, except Yin.
It truly hadn’t been hard to get their hands on one of that girl’s old phones, Cheryl changed phones nearly every time a newer version came out. She hadn’t even set a password, let alone reset it before tossing the phone into a drawer.
The damn thing was still good as new. Yin had convinced Cheryl to let them have one of the slightly newer ones— it had been a while since they upgraded their phone, still having the same one from nearly six years back when it recently took a bad fall, that stuff was expensive—, she practically just tossed the electronics at them. Besides, that girl had no reason to believe that Yin would be nosy enough to go through her profile. No, no, they were ‘besties’. She could just give it to them, look at how generous she was, giving her old phones away for free.
Cheryl had just made a teeny, tiny mistake. By not resetting her old phone, after they had charged it, notifications started popping up. Yin probably wouldn’t have even bothered to check the message if it hadn’t had their name in it. It hadn’t been pleasant to see a text pop up with their name in it, complaining that Cheryl had invited them along for something.
That was how they found out.
There was a whole group chat.
Not completely about Yin, no, they weren’t important enough for the chat to revolve entirely around them. But it did show everyone’s true colors….
What sucked was that they weren’t even wrong.
Yin still technically followed Cheryl around. Helpless as a puppy. They found out months ago and still hung around her. They couldn’t bear to cut ties with her…. They had tried before and…. It just felt impossible when Cheryl begged them to stay.
At least until Yin had recently found them talking about graduation. it was more the grad party afterwards but still.…. If Yin had found out years ago when it happened they would've turned it into a bad knockoff of the movie Carrie. Maybe not to the whole murder extent though….
They ended up just keeping their old phone, using Cheryl’s old phone to do a little digging. And they found out Cheryl had orchestrated the whole event. The ENTIRE prank they pulled on them.
That wasn’t important. Yin had definitely, totally gotten over that incident a while ago. It’s fine. It’s completely fine.
What was important was the tantrum Cheryl had thrown in the chat. Now. In the present. Because they were so over what happened in the past. Her and her friends had been confident that Yin would be humiliated by Swan. Even bringing up that he’d always turn people down rather coldly. Their smile stretched as they read messages about how Yin had ruined Cheryl’s chance— as if she had a chance— the latter whining about how horrible it was that Yin would even try to go out with Swan while knowing about Cheryl’s crush— extremely hypocritical of her. Most notably, they said that they needed to come up with something quick.
Goodness, those girls were stupid. Why even send Yin to be the messenger like kids in school, makes everyone look bad, not just them.
Yin stared at the messages with a small pinch of guilt, that pinprick that told them this was low, perhaps too far. They wondered why their chest ached for someone who hurt them.
Yin sighed, and let their head fall back against the car seat’s headrest. closing their eyes as they sat in silence, a hand running through their hair before they plugged the keys into the ignition.
Phase 1: nearly complete? They didn’t know if they even really had a plan.