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It had started behind a closed door, which, for Epel Felmeir, was probably a horrible idea. It was late, but Epel wanted to do this anyway. He pushed play, and the music started to play. Sweet but Psycho by Ava Max filled the air, and Epel immediately started to sing and dance along.
"OH, SHE'S SWEET BUT A PSYCHO, A LITTLE BIT PSYCHO, AT NIGHT SHE'S SCREAMIN I'M MA MA MA MA OUT MY MIND~" he sang while doing body rolls, hair flips, and hip pops. Epel was unaware that he was singing way too loud, way too late at night.
Vil was in the middle of doing his ninety minute skincare routine when he heard thudding, yell singing, and clattering coming from behind a closed door.
"What in the world is that rotten tuber doing now!?" Vil exclaimed to himself. He put down his cloth after drying his face, and approached the door. He stood and listened for a few minutes before opening the door. He could hear someone yelling something about psychos. He took a deep breath, and opened the door, unprepared for what he saw— Epel mid hair flip popping his hip like someone owed him something, while yelling about psychos. Epel froze.
"VIL! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, I PROMISE!" he panicked while killing the music. Vil stared, his face a mixture of shock and horror.
"Epel."
"Yes, Vil?" He bit his lip, genuinely afraid of what Vil might say.
"WHAT. WAS. THAT." Vil said, reeling from shock. Epel's face paled.
"I was doin' fer FUN, I swear!" Epel flailed his arms around, and then hid his face in his hands. Vil just stared. Then, another voice filled the air.
"Ahhh, c'est magnifique!" Epel's stomach dropped. Noooo. Not Rook! Not in THIS outfit! Epel was wearing a ruffle shirt, mid thigh shorts, calf socks with garters, and ankle boots. Rook raised a brow.
"Oho? What have we here?" Rook teased. Epel's face flushed redder than Riddle's hair.
"I— I— I JUST WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FUN, OK!?" Epel shrieked in embarrassment. Rook smirked.
"So, why THAT song? It's... unrefined." Vil cringed. Epel's veins looked like they were about to burst.
"STAHP INSULTIN' MAH MOM!!" Epel yelled, and then clapped his hand over his mouth. Vil was shocked. Rook was... well... not surprised.
"Your... mom?"
"Yes. My mom. Ava Maxine Felmeir. YOU KNOW WHAT, I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID ANYTHING."
Rook was delighted. "Monsieur Pommette, I knew you had the blood of a diva in your veins! I could feel in my very bones!" Rook squealed. Epel regretted his existence.
"Epel, why didn't you say that your mom was famous?" Vil questioned. Epel started to sweat.
"'Cause I didn't want to! You would expect MORE from me!" He took a deep breath. "I was practicing for my mom. Her birthday is next week. I wanted to surprise her. She's coming back from a tour."
"You're right." Vil smirked. "I certainly would expect more from you." Epel looked like he was about to pass out.
"QUICK! SOMEONE GET THE SMELLING SALTS!" Rook yelled. Epel scowled.
"I'm fine. NOW GET OUT." He pushed Rook and Vil out the door, and slammed it behind them. Once they were out of his room, he cried. It was a quiet cry filled with grief.
"I wish I wasn't in Pomefiore." His breath hitched. "Stupid magic mirror. If only I had ended up in Savannaclaw, Diasomnia, or heck, even HEARTSLABYUL WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER!" He punched the wall. He cried so long, that he cried himself to sleep.
When Epel woke up the next morning, he expected things to be back to normal. He was wrong. So, so wrong. Pretty much the entire dorm knew about what he had done last night, and that his mom is actually a pop star. Rook had told them.
"Epel! Can you get us your mom's autograph!?" An upperclassman asked.
"What about a backstage tour!?" Another voice rang out.
"Ooh! Free tickets?" A timid freshman asked.
OH MY SEVENS, SOMEONE TOLD THEM!
"Hey, would ya look at the time, I GOTTA GO!" Epel panicked, and ran out of the dorm. He ran as far as his legs would take him, and wound up in NRC's courtyard. He sat on the edge of the center fountain, shaking and panting. He didn't realize that he was, in fact, still wearing last night's outfit.
AW SHOOT. I DIDN'T EVEN CHANGE— OH MY SEVENS, THIS IS SO HUMILIATING.
He looked around, panicking, hoping no one would see him. Too late, because the person that saw him was none other than Riddle Rosehearts.
No. NO.
Riddle approached Epel with a look of concern written all over his face, and sat next to him with his hands folded neatly in his lap.
"Epel, what's wrong? Did Vil force you into something again?" He asked as his eyes were flickering back and forth between Epel's face and outfit.
"No. 'Tis all mah fault. Stupid Vil caught me havin' fun fer once. Was practicin' somthin' fer mah mom's birthday." Epel sniffled, wiping his eyes. Riddle's heart broke.
"Epel. What happened?" Riddle asked gently. Hesitantly.
"Well," he twiddled his thumbs, swinging his feet. " I was practicing a performance for my mom's birthday, and Vil clowned me. He said I was "unrefined" in my song choice. It was a song my mom wrote! I told him not to insult my mom?" His breath hitched. "Then, Rook told THE ENTIRE DORM that my mom is a pop star. Now, everyone expects free tickets or something."
Riddle put his hand on Epel's shoulder. "Listen to me. You don't have to change for someone. Not Vil. Not Rook. Not ANYONE." He took a deep breath. "A little while back, before my mother went to jail, I was forced to lock myself in a tiny box. I wasn't allowed to like what I wanted to like. I wasn't allowed to do what I wanted to do. I wasn't allowed to hang out with who I wanted. Or eat what I wanted. I was expected to be a robot." His voice cracked. He took a deep shuddered breath.
"But once Lilia came into my life, I learned that I can just be me. No expectations, no unrealistic rules." He wiped a tear. "So, now I'm telling you the same thing— just be YOU." Epel's breath hitched.
"Even if I'm being clowned and treated like a piece of crap?" Epel's voice shook. He was desperately trying not to ugly cry in front of Riddle— Red Rebel.
"Especially then. You look them in the eye, and say, 'you don't own me. I'm not a pet, I'm a full blown human being, and if you can't see that, you don't deserve me or my presence.'" Riddle said firmly. Epel's throat tightened, and the dam broke. Tears rolled down his face, and his arms flew around Riddle. Riddle froze. Then, after a second, he hugged him back.
"You must've really needed this, huh?" Riddle mused, stroking Epel's silky lavender purple curls instinctively.
Epel had cried about fifteen minutes when it was time to go to class. His grip on Riddle tightened, as if he was the only thing keeping him from disappearing.
"Please— please don't go." Epel pleaded, his eyes wide with despair. Riddle's heart shattered. Memories replayed in his head of himself going through something very similar— only, he was being comforted by Lilia. He swallowed.
"Okay. I'll stay." He whispered. My attendance and grades will be tarnished after this, but it might be worth it to be someone I wish I had growing up to someone else.
Epel choked back what sounded like half laughter, half sob. "Thank you, Riddle." He nuzzled his face into his shoulder.
Later that night, Epel sat in his room, reflecting back on the day. How Riddle, of all people, grounded him. How Riddle, of all people, comforted him. How Riddle had given him exactly what he needed— safety.
"Dang, I didn't know Riddle could be like that." He muttered. Then, he realized something— maybe, just maybe, that was the true Riddle. And maybe, he could start being himself.