Work Text:
"You're going.”
“But–”
“You're. Going."
Xiao Yueqing let out a yell. Miss J however just continued to stare at her, completely unimpressed and looking borderline frustrated, her brows were creased and her fingers drawn together as she massaged her forehead.
Good.
That meant she had succeeded in irritating the other women. Meant she was perhaps one more step closer to getting out of attending the stupid ballet that Nice was performing. She didn't want to go. She rather be here scrolling away at her phone, watching the newest episode of her current drama. Doing anything other than attending Nice’s performance.
Attending it meant that she had to sit still for what, almost a whole hour and a half? Pretending that she was starstruck by her boyfriend's beautiful heart gushing performance. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl.
Xiao Yueqing turned back to Miss J, “You can't make me go. I already went to the one he had last week, you can't make me go to two in the same month!”
Sharp blue eyes turned to her immediately, Xiao Yueqing felt herself tensing up from the stare alone. She stood her ground though—she had been doing so since she started all of this and she would keep that resolve to get herself out of this whole disaster of dating Nice, of being the hero Moon. Her resolve was all she had and she clung to it with all her might. She would not back down.
“Can't make you?” Miss J's voice was cool. “I didn't think you understood what I was saying. This was in your contract, you have to go. Your Nice’s girlfriend I won't have you tarnish his image when you signed up for this.”
His image.
Not her. Xiao Yueqing. Not Moon, but Nice.
She would be like this forever, confined and locked away, used only whenever she was needed for her presence of being an accessory for a man who couldn't tolerate her. For a man who only acknowledged her when she was needed to keep his image perfect.
The sound of Miss J's phone goes off and Xiao Yueqing looks at her as she takes a big breath, rubs the bridge of her nose again and picks up the phone.
Xiao Yueqing smiles.
But then the icy glaze is back on her. “This is the last one of the season,” she says, “and you're going.”
Then she's gone, leaving Xiao Yueqing with a familiar deep dread that seems to grow everyday.
Miss J is true to her word.
Moon looks up the performance online the next day. The website reads that this performance is the last of the season and that Nice and some other dancers will perform accompanied by an orchestra. She scrolls through the information, not processing the words just more skimming than anything. At boredom, she clicks on the link attached to the orchestra. It takes her to the orchestra a page, on top of the website is the bold printed words:
We invite you to see our orchestra on this Saturday at—
“What are you looking at?”
Moon jumps, hugging her phone tightly to her chest, she snuggles back into the couch cushions and peers up at Little Johnny. Right. She forgot he was here.
Sometime a few months ago The Johnnies had found themselves at her front door. And Moon at the sight of the adorable creature that was Big Johnny had let them in and now it's been a habit for them to come visit every time Nice is gone. Moon has slowly been realizing she liked the company— but she would never admit it out loud.
Big Johnny scrambled off from where he was perched on Little Johnnie's shoulder landing gracefully on her lap. Her fingers connected with soft coarse fur and she rubs soothing circles on his back. She lets out a sigh, her shoulders relaxing at the calming reparative motion.
“I don't know who relaxes more when you do that, him or you.” She's going to respond but before she can get a word out a plate is offered to her. “Cookie?”
She stares at Little Johnny who grinning from ear to ear to the cookies which she's guessing is chocolate chip and totally not raisin. She hates raisins, he knows this. As she brings it into her mouth the smell of the chocolate intensifies, nearly making her drool.
“Thanks.”
Little Johnny smiles. “ No problem I've been trying out recipes because someone keeps trying to eat all the snacks.”
On cue big Jonny burps. She stifles a laugh as Little Johnny scolds his son. This was fun, having company with someone other than Nice. Having someone's want to hang around her while she's not Moon.
“So what were you looking at?”
The whole time that the Johnnies are here Little Johnny was always kind and bubbly the whole time he was here, a little noisy at what she's doing while he's here but who really isn't noisy at other people's lives. She has a whole fan base that wants to know everything and anything about her and Nice's ‘relationship’ which is just a perfectly crafted lie, she's a perfectly crafted lie.
Kind Moon. Loving Moon. Pretty Moon.
She is kind when she wants to be, she is loving to people she feels deserve her love, she is pretty but for herself and no one else she doesn't need to please anyone.
But the one she hates the most: Moon’s deeply in love with Nice.
But she is not in love with Nice.
She will never be in love with Nice.
The thought alone makes her want to hurl. She doesn't though, just clears her throat and focuses back on Johnny and the words he just said.
Then at the imitated reminder of Nice and that stupid performance that she has to go to she scowls. “ I was looking up Nice's stupid performance for this Friday.”
Little Johnny beam. “Oh! I know that one! Cyan told me they have a super good orchestra playing, they're supposed to be the best of the best! Oh and did you know that Dragonboy plays with that orchestra sometimes? He honestly doesn't seem like the type but Queen says that it's probably his PR manager who makes him go.”
“I don't even know much about him,” she grumbled. “ I don't even want to go. It would be fun if I wasn't forced to be there."
Little Johnny furrows his brow then his face lights up like he's come up with a particularly interesting idea. “How about me and a Big J go with? I'm not too sure about Queen and Cyan, their schedules are usually really packed but I can probably go.”
The words make the dread in her stomach settle. " You could?"
He scratches the back of his head nervously. "Yeah..my manager would like me to get out of the apartment more."
Moon thinks of Miss J and how she's a pain in the ass who rarely lets her go anyway if it has nothing to do with Nice. But screw her and screw Nice. Xiao Yueqing can enjoy this. Enjoy the friendship she made somewhat herself and not let them ruin this tiny happiness she has.
"You know what? Let's go together so you can sit next to me."
"Cool! Wait...I really don't know that much about ballet."
She snorts. "Me neither, I only pay attention when I have to. But come one." She swings her legs off the couch. "You're helping me find an outfit."
Big Johnny jumps on his shoulders and he does a salute. "Yes ma'am."
Xiao Yueqing laughs. He's dorky, funny, and kind. She's glad she has a friend in his place where she felt like a sore thumb sticking out. The Johnnies like her for herself. Not for her hero persona.
For herself.
The warmth she gets as they laugh together is a nice feeling and it's entirely her own.