Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

SBP: Part Eight

The restaurant was full that night, crowded and buzzing with energy. Mabel Marvelous sat by herself in one corner of the restaurant, waiting almost impatiently for her date.

Gideon was thirty minutes late. He had never been late, not once, but Mabel didn't really care - she didn't care unless he didn't show up at all.

After a few minutes, Mabel reluctantly pulled out a makeup brush and a compact mirror from her purse, and she began to touch up her eyeshadow.

Someone coughed.

Mabel peeked over the edge of the compact mirror and froze - Pacifica Pines stood in front of the table, not Gideon.

As politely as she could, Mabel snapped the compact mirror shut with her hand. "Pacifica Pines," she said with forced cheeriness. "How are you this evening?"

"Oh, I'm fine." Pacifica put her hands behind her back as Mabel slowly slipped her makeup brush back into the purse but kept her mirror in her hand. "Um, how are - ?"

"Just fine." Mabel gave Pacifica one of her signature smiles. "Where's Gideon, may I ask?"

"Oh, um, about that -" Pacifica took a deep breath and looked Mabel right in the eyes. "Gideon doesn't want to date you anymore."

Mabel dropped her compact mirror into her water glass.

"Yeah, um, he's kinda, you know, done with the whole dating thing." Pacifica tried to give Mabel a smile in return. "Besides, you know, we're only staying for the spring."

"But spring doesn't end for at least another month," Mabel reminded Pacifica. Underneath the table, her gloved hand curled into a fist.

"Sorry," Pacifica apologized. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Of course not," Mabel lied, forcing another smile onto her face. "It's just a break-up, Pacifica. These things happen."

"Okay, good!" Pacifica looked relieved now; under the table, Mabel's fist began shaking. "Great! Once again, sorry, but hope you have a good rest of your evening?"

"You too." Mabel kept the smile on her face.

Pacifica smiled back and turned around, walking out of the restaurant.

Mabel scowled at the girl's retreating back. She fished her compact mirror out of her water glass, stuffed it into her purse, and stood up, knocking her chair over. She began to walk out of the restaurant as well, just mere minutes after Pacifica Pines had.

As she passed the cash register at the front, the waiter asked, "Leaving so soon, Miss Marvelous?"

Mabel shot him a look. "This night never happened."

"Of course, miss." The waiter looked confused, but Mabel stormed out of the restaurant before he could ask any more questions.

~

"He loves me . . ."

Rip.

"He loves me not . . ."

Rip.

Mabel ripped an invitation in her hand to shreds, an invitation she had planned to give Gideon. One by one, she threw the pieces of paper onto the forest floor in front of her.

". . . he loves me not," Mabel finished, staring at the lone piece of paper in her hand.

Then the tears came.

With a realization, she wiped the tears running down her cheeks away and stared into the sky. Only one thought crossed her mind.

Pacifica.