UNRAVEL • lizzie saltzman

- dances and intrusions

Penelope Park, great. If I ignore her, she won't question my existence. That's what I'll stand by.

I walk over to the table scattered with assortments of party decorations and place down the streamers next to the box of confetti. Penelope is at the opposite end of the table, doing god knows what, but she seems content with..wait is she making little origami hearts and flowers from pink glittery paper.

Who is she because that can't be Penelope. She would be caught dead doing something so cute and fiddly. Penelope Park is that you?

I scoop a handful of white balloons with birthday symbols into my jacket pockets and turn around to find Mg over by the catering but a raspy voice sneaks up on me. "You look tortured."

I stop in my tracks and face the girl, realising that her attention is still trained on the folding and origami making, too engaged in her business to acknowledge me. "What did you just say?"

Penelope places down another perfectly made heart and finally looks at me, her brown eyes narrowing. "You don't look like you want to be here. I saw the damage you caused to the girls bathroom, I can only put together that Dr. Saltzman settled for a less harsh punishment which brings you here."

Is it kind of strange that Penelope isn't blackmailing me or fleeing at the sight of me. Last encounter we had, I almost broke her wrist at the expense of my mother and she threatened to expose me to Dr. Saltzman. News didn't travel back because he never mentioned anything about the incident, meaning she never told him. Was it a lie?

"Ah, so you do have a brain back there, Park."

She smiles sarcastically and dips her head down to pick up a pink flower origami. "You like flowers?" She twirls the small work of art in her hand and raises her eyebrow.

"Not particularly a big fan but I do appreciate a pretty flower. Why?"

Penelope extends the flower out to me, refusing to connect our eyes for whatever reason. I slowly reach for the flower, waiting for her to yank it away and laugh crudely in my face but she doesn't, despite expecting it. I pluck the origami from her palm and look at it from every angle. It's pretty, but I don't trust her. It has the potential of being a trap.

"It's a Gladiolus, supposed to grant you strength. Looks like you could make due with a little extra strength in your corner." Penelope explains, her cheeks warming with a pinkish glow.

I tuck the origami piece into my pocket and smile (smile? no what's happening to me). "That's.. actually very thoughtful of you, but I'm a little confused." Penelope tilts her head, staring immensely at me. Yes, whack her with the harsh truth.

I continue. "-with a stone cold heart much like your own, I find it difficult to believe that you would ever wake up and choose to be kind to me, out of all people."

Penelope's eyes harden in irritation, I shift on my feet and consider running the opposite direction. Maybe I pushed too far. "Is that how you think of me? That I'm heartless and not capable of being nice?"

She is offended, I can pick apart the expressions I've seen one too many times. I have driven many people in my life to get offended by a backhanded joke. Recognising the expression is like child's play at this point.

I match her gaze with my own, drawling out a quiet response. "Not that you have ever given me reason to doubt that you aren't heartless, but I believe what I said holds some truth to it."