Chapter Thirteen
Wither into the Truth
Luella had a day off. She had woken up to an ache in her thighs and shoulders from the days before training which she tried to ignore.
She hung the clothes that she wore yesterday back in her cupboard, they could last another wear before washing. Today she wore loose shorts and a jacket made of a comforting material for an unproductive day.
She let her black shirt lay untucked as she closed the door to her room, checking the main clock at the back of the room. 8:39 am. There were twenty-one minutes left of breakfast left before the cafeteria would be shut until lunch.
"Morning Lue," Terra greeted, standing up from their seat on the couch, in a skilled homemade dress and green cardigan. "I figured I'd wait for you, so you know, no lonely suite."
Luella smiled at the loving earth fairy in appreciation, off to a nice start. "Thanks," she replied. "Often a light sleeper." She grabbed her book from the wooden counter she had left it on, holding it to the side with one hand as the two girls left the suite.
The last flickers of the horizon shone upon the girls with grace making them squint in the chilly air as they walked down the cobbled path. The morning was always Luella's favourite— the breeze and light made Luella feel like a flower being reborn.
But it felt dim again as they entered the cafeteria. Only small crowds still lingered chattering until they grew boredom.
Luella spotted Aisha, Bloom and Musa at a table fiddling with the remains of their food with a fork. She looked back over to Terra as they grabbed one of the last few trays, sliding it across the table and picking their breakfast.
"Do you have practice today?" Luella asked, starting a conversation, trying not to drop her book while she carried the tray of buttered toast and fruits.
Terra swallowed the strawberry she plucked into her mouth before replying. "No, not today. Though I was enjoying it. I don't think any of the girls do."
Luella nodded in return as they approached the table with their friends, all greeting each other. Luella took a free seat on the side of Bloom and Musa as Terra sided with Aisha.
Bloom was on her phone, tilting it to her subconsciously, her eyes glued as her fingers pressed quickly against the screen, her food pushed aside.
Musa had a grey hooded jacket with three coloured stripes near the shoulders. Her headphones lay wrapped around her neck as faded music played when only you were close you could hear.
She was talking with Aisha, who looked energised compared to the rest girls. Her hair was damp but still in braids, probably from an early morning swim; Luella still hadn't figured out where.
Then Bloom proceeds to stand up, shoving her phone into her pocket and picking up her tray. She wore the same clothes Luella had seen her yesterday in: a red leather jacket matched with a black jumper. Maybe she just hadn't bothered to change. "I've got to go, see you back at the suite," Bloom rushed, rambling away from the cafeteria as Musa and Luella filled the seat gap.
"Somethings going on with Bloom," said Luella before taking a bite of her toast.
Aisha crossed her arms on the table and leaned in, "we'll find out today in our spare time."
"How about Dane?" Terra brought up. "If Bloom been texting him constantly, he has to know what she's doing."
"How are we gonna get it out of him?" Musa questioned.
"Strangle him with plants?" Luella said jokingly, wiping the crust off her mouth.
Terra furrowed her eyebrows at the girl, "Riven told you about that?"
Luella reflected on her friend's action in confusion, "about what?"
But before the earth fairy had a chance to reply, Aisha carried on about the Bloom situation. "We'll think of something, I'll text you."
The four girls nodded in agreement and went on to talk about other things like one of Terra's many trips around Alfea or the difference and better music tastes of the group.
Luella was happy with the suit she got stuck with, fairies of each kind. Personalities are outbreaking in different ways. It was nice to have a conversation without drama — it made Luella feel as if there weren't Burned Ones coming closer to the school by the hour and if Bloom wasn't hiding secrets. Also that she had feelings for a specialist.
Her book lay forgotten on the side as she chatted.
At last, a moment of rest.
-
There was nothing to do in the suite.
All her friends were out except for Musa who was with Sam, she didn't want to know what they were doing.
Her eyes wandered around the room, looking for something to grasp her out of her boredom. Maybe someone...
A knock came on the door.
"Musa?" Luella questioned, knowing she was the only suite member inside.
A head poked through the door, "Not Musa, but sure can provide entertainment."
"Riven?" Luella said in surprise, her eyebrows raised.
He smiled, coming fully into the room. "Don't look that surprised to see me. It hurts," he stated, taking a look around the room.
"You don't seem the type to throw surprise parties," Lue replied.
Riven thought about it for a moment as his attention focused on a photo.
Luella got up from her bed and stood near Riven, seeing the photo. "That's my brother," she answered for him. "He's coming to Alfea next year."
It was her and her brother, outside their home holding training swords after a practice fight. Luella had a cut on her face but in the photo, she was laughing, clutching the sword by her side.
"I can tell," he responded. "He's got your eyes.
When they're not glowing blue."
"Thanks?" Luella laughed, not knowing what to say.
"What? I'm not joking! Look me in the eyes."
They turned to face each other as Riven held the photo near her face. She could see him look to the side where the photo is, then back to her a few times before his gaze began to hold for a moment too long.
Magix, it was hard to look away. Hard. The gaze he gave was one of admiration. All that and way more. Then, a change happened. The hazel turns into a diamond glow. A growing addiction of his.
"Wait for a second," Lue said, a grin appearing on her face. "You've got a bit of snow in your hair." Her hand reached up, touching the front of his honey-brown hair and clearing the specs of snow from it.
Riven reflected her smile, breaking out his stare and placing the photo back to the side.
"Seeing that I caught you're not exactly doing much..," Riven started.
"Ouch."
"...I thought you'd want to hang out."
Before Luella managed to reply, an echo of a smashing vase erupted. Another one, she thought.
The ice fairy walked to the noise, Riven close to her. It had come from the same room it did before: Stella's. She approached the door and bent the handle, opening it to see Musa already inside somehow.
Before Luella had the chance of greeting Musa, she had spoken. "Wanna come out now?"
For a moment Luella scrunched her eyebrows in confusion at her friend's words until they unravelled themselves.
The girl who had left Alfea was standing upon them. It was Stella. And something about her had changed — her hair was let loose on the front, curled yet messy and she was no longer wearing a dress, skirt or anything fashionable, to show off anyway. It was odd to see the princess wear something so... normal.
Stella was back with the click of a finger.
Luella's jaw hung the slightest bit open but recovered.
She turned back to Riven who watched her in curiosity as Luella made a face.
"Is that my signal to go?" He asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Lue answered, "it looks something has come up. Literally."
"Unfortunately?"
"Oh, hush," Luella said, motioning him out. "Though, if you ever feel like it, I'm up for your surprises."
"Till then, snowflake."
"It's Luella."
"Lue."
Luella rolled her eyes in a joking matter. "The door," she pushed, eager to see Stella explain herself. "I'll see you."
Once he left, she made her way back.
"Sorry," she said, taking a place in Stella's room.
Though Musa didn't seem fazed at all with her hands on her lap. She had sensed it, Luella thought. She must have realised that someone was there, now confirming it was Stella.
"New magic, not bad," Musa complimented.
"Thanks," Stella replied. The girl's voice was thicker than before, laced with an emotion Luella couldn't grab. Nervousness? Worry? Secretiveness? Relief? Maybe it was a mix of all. "I've had some practice."
"How long have you been here?" Luella asked in curiosity.
"A few days," she answered in a small voice.
Musa felt everything the light fairy could. She knew that Stella couldn't keep it in forever and because of that, she felt bad for her. "You wanna talk about it?"
Both Stella and Luella sat next to Musa on the neatly folded bed that everyone thought had been untouched.
Luella took one leg up, placing it under the other that was left to dangle off the side while Stella kept hers both down, her hands sitting on her thighs close together.
Tears had already struck the princess that had once appeared to be fearless and judgemental to most. But the girls listened, they uncovered more about Stella that day than they did since the first day they met her.
"I know that you've heard about her... Ricki," Stella had started. Luella faintly remembered; the specialist party. Riven had spilt what had happened. What he and the rest of the school, thought had happened. "Ricki was my best friend. I didn't mean to hurt her, I just lost control" — Stella swallowed — "...and it was better for my mum that people thought I did it on purpose cause at least I'm... a raging bitch or a monster. Not weak."
The girl's shoulders softened in sympathy and looked at her in sorrow as she took multiple deep breaths in and wiped her eyes, her waterproof mascara barricading the tears from inking her skin.
"That's messed up, Stell," Musa commented softly.
"You're telling me," Stella wheezed. "And the second I got home it just started again, so here I am. Until I figure out what to do next," she explained.
That was where Stella had gone, she didn't even do it purposely. Her mother, the queen, had made her for reasons Luella didn't know. But she didn't need to. She just needs to be there for her friend.
"I'm sorry, Stella," said Luella.
"Just please don't tell them I'm here," Stella pleased.
Musa shook her head in a small motion reassuring her, "you don't have to hide. All the girls in the suite will be okay with you being here."
"You kidding?" Stella pounded back. "Do you know how judgmental they are?" Luella would defend them but yet she wasn't the one who hid all day, most likely observing and being more bored than she had been earlier. She kept her mouth shut.
Then a text came from the room as the triplet gathered in the main room of the Winx Suite. It couldn't have been Luella's because it was dead and Stella probably had hers on silent if she wanted to stay hidden.
And so, to the fairy's guesses, Musa pulled out her phone. "It's Aisha," she spoke.
The girls peered over to read the text. 'Where are you?' 'We found out what happened' and 'Coming to the suite now.'
"I can't believe everyone is listening to Aisha like she knows everything," Stella expressed, annoyance fastened in her voice. "You have no idea how hard it's been to keep my mouth shut while the suite goes to shit. I can only break so much."
"So you're the reason stuff keeps falling-"
"I have opinions," Stella interrupted the mind fairy. "And if I can't express them verbally, I'm not above poltergeist-ing."
But before Stella could carry on, the voice of Terra and Aisha became louder through the hallway. And in the flick of a hand, Stella was gone again.
The duo quickly turned around to face the other duo entering.
"Where have you been? Didn't you get my texts?" Aisha upbraided.
"Dead phone," Luella responded at the time Musa replied with yes.
"Yes sorry," Musa apologised. "Sam was here, and..."
Terra scrunched her face up, not wanting to picture her friend and brother together in their shared room.
"It's alright," Aisha heartened, holding a circular, flat object in her hand. "We stopped Bloom. I think she's losing it. I know I said we wouldn't, but I wonder if we have to tell Dowling."
A plant rumbled.
"Don't you dare," Musa commanded pointing her finger lowly at where she knew Stella was?
"No- I think we should tell her," Aisha disagreed.
Luella crossed her arms, her feet also directed to where she hid expertly. She almost smirked. "Stella has an opinion about that."
Now the two girls looked befuddled.
"I refuse to keep cleaning them up, so just tell them," Musa added on, eyeing the rest of the room in case she moved.
The duo facing them looked behind them and finally realised what was going on. Luella turned around to see Stella leaning on one knee.
"I have an opinion," Stella spoke. Terra and Aisha eye each other. "Everyone in this damn suite is so black and white. Bloom is a pain in the arse, but she deserves to know who she is, not the stories the faculty is telling her. Now we can worry about being right, or we can help our friend. Which is it?"
And with lots of debating, they came up with a plan. Parts that Luella liked and others that were still balanced. But just like Bloom, she wanted answers. Maybe not as much as the fire fairy but after time, answers to questions were needed like keys to locks.
May as well risk it all.
-
They found Bloom sitting on the bench staring away, trapped in her mind like a knot as the dark, glossy pink sky reflected off her skin. Her lips sat in a line and she looked on a verge of crying, her eyes small.
Luella's hair flushed in front of her eyes as Musa placed the circular object on the bench, making a small clink like a coin dropping. Terra had explained it would get Beatrix out, somehow. That's what Bloom was planning; Luella then knew her friend would go a long way for answers.
Bloom grasped the key (as Luella called it) in her hand which was embedded with jewels. She looked up at three in disbelief.
Three. Right — Aisha didn't agree with everything they said.
"We need answers," Luella said puckering a small smile in reassurance.
"People have been keeping them from you, and we didn't wanna be those people too," said Terra.
The fairy mirrored the girl's smile. "W- where's Aisha?" She stuttered, recovering from her previous emotions.
Terra swallowed, licking her lips. "Well, she had a lot of feelings, and, um, she didn't exactly totally agree with-"
"She's in the suite," Musa interrupted, summing it up for the earth fairy.
Bloom laughed lightly, her smile becoming wider, "I guess that's as good as I could ask for." — she stopped laughing — "so you're gonna help me break Beatrix out?"
Luella smirked already imagining the plan in her head, "Basically."
Musa snorted as Terra spoke, "That's the bit Aisha couldn't quite get on board with."
Suddenly, the quartet became a five. Stella stepped forward, out from hiding. "Yeah, well, she never really liked my ideas anyway."
Though Aisha was right. It was going to cause them a butterfly effect of problems.
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