𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
"Why are you standing next to a pilgrim?" Iris asks as her Wednesday stand beside each other in the quad, inspecting the place shown in the drawing where the school will go up in flames.
"What pilgrim?" Yoko's voice is heard a few steps behind Iris, causing Wednesday to shut the book and put it in her bag without a word as Iris spins slowly, not wanting to forgive Yoko for keeping the Nightshades thing a secret but also not really being that mad about it. "Iris," she then says as Iris just looks a little past her nonchalantly and Wednesday walks off, probably to find Enid.
"I'm not mad," Iris communicates with a sigh. "But was the tying me to a chair really necessary?"
"That was all Bianca, I swear," Yoko assures. "You didn't notice how loose yours were? I paid Kent 5 bucks for that."
"I just thought whoever did it didn't know how to tie a knot," Iris explains emphatically.
"Maybe that was a part of it too," Yoko nods in thought.
Weems clapping her hands and starting to talk interrupts the girls's conversation as well as the conversation of the rest of their classmates around them. "All students will report to their volunteer jobs at 10 am sharp," her grating voice announces. "Followed by a community lunch at 1:00. As you know, this year Outreach Day culminates in a very special event, the dedication of a new memorial statue in town square, which will also include performances by Nevermore students." Something something. Representatives. . . blah blah. . . volunteer slips.
"What'd you get?" Yoko asks as soon as they rip their envelopes open to see where they'll be volunteering. "Please say Pilgrim World, it's such a nightmare to do it alone," she then shows Iris her slip.
"The Weathervane," Iris displays her own.
"UGH."
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
"Go talk to him," Iris hears Wednesday's orders as they get off the indigo school bus in Jericho, Iris watching Xavier staring at a white painted wall.
"What? Why?" Iris stares at her sister who's looking around her at all sides to take in their surroundings.
"There's more to this Rowan business we have to find out. Xavier's the only one who knows anything right now," she explains before easily walking off, leaving Iris to sulk for a moment knowing she's right before walking up behind Xavier.
"Why are you staring at a blank wall?"
"It wasn't blank last outreach day," Xavier answers curtly.
"Are you seriously mad about me turning down your offer?"
"I went out on a limb for you."
"You didn't even tell me the whole thing existed!" Iris finds herself getting heated. "And I know you were just doing it as some kind of ammo against Bianca in whatever is going on between you two."
Ah, so maybe that's why she's mad. Are you seriously jealous, Iris? Definitely not. . . right?
"But whatever," she dismisses her thoughts and the topic itself. "Have you talked to Rowan since his so-called expulsion?" Iris turns to face Xavier who already looks tired of the conversation.
"Is Wednesday putting you up to this?" He starts walking away, but Iris follows after him anyway.
"Can you just answer? You owe me for not telling me about the Nightshades."
"I don't owe you anything," Xavier doesn't look back. "Not telling people is kind of the whole point of a secret society."
"Fine, then, tell me because we're friends."
Xavier doesn't answer Iris.
"Whatever," Iris acts indifferent to his silent treatment. "I'll get it out of you by the end of the day."
"Oh yeah?" Xavier seems to take this as a challenge, looking down for a split second at Iris as their paces match up.
"Yeah," Iris confirms. "Where are you volunteering?"
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
"Welcome to the Weathervane," some girl, around 20, greets Iris, Xavier, and a Gorgon girl who Iris can't remember the name of for the life of her as the three stand around the counter to go through some kind of orientation.
After a ten second tutorial on how the different machines work, how to make what order, and basic costumer service skills, the three Nevermore students are sent to change into the brown polos and red aprons they're given to wear around as they got to work, clearing tables and smiling politely.
Tyler and Iris also interact a bit, but the two don't have much in common besides Wednesday who Tyler gets a weird, dreamy look in his eyes whenever he talks about, so Iris isn't really into it.
Xavier manages to avoid eye contact with Iris the whole time which she finds ridiculous. She didn't even do anything wrong!
It isn't until she follows him into some storage room in the back where the two of them are alone is she able to have a real conversation with him.
"Why are you being so weird?" She decides to take the blunt route, realizing a second too late maybe that was a little too mean. . . for his standards that is. Considering he gets mad every time she looks at him wrong.
"Why didn't you want to join the Nightshades?" He counters as he searches through the shelves for coffee grounds or something.
"It was nothing personal," Iris doesn't understand why he's still stuck on that. "I mean, it might've been towards Bianca, but not you," she then adds.
"How come. . ." Xavier seems to debate whether or not he wants to ask the question before shaking his head - Iris likes how his hair moves with the act. . . anyway - "how come you only ever talk to me when I start the conversation, or because you want something out of me?"
Iris pauses, staring at Xavier for a moment, not really sure what thoughts are going through either of their heads. "I don't know what you're talking about," she finally says, partially telling the truth but also blanking on any examples that could prove him otherwise.
"It just feels like," he starts explaining more, "like, you rely on me to determine how we're going to feel about each other each day, and then never in put the same effort I put into us."
"I didn't realize you took this so seriously," but Iris knows he's right. She knows she tries too hard to get others to like her that sometimes she resigns all rights to have a say in their dynamic. Whatever they want goes. As long that makes them stay around for longer.
"Of course I do," Xavier finally looks at Iris, but now she's kind of wishing he wasn't. "We're friends." Iris lets herself look away. "What?" He's still staring at her.
"Do you know why Bianca hates me so much?" Iris allows herself to realize that is what's been troubling her. She's always hated being hated.
"Because she's mean," Xavier looks like he finds it silly that Iris is bringing the conversation to this. "She's jealous."
"Jealous of what though? What could I possibly have that she doesn't?"
"I'm not going to pretend to know the inner-workings of Bianca's mind," is Xavier's response - understandably - Iris doesn't really know why she's interrogating him about this.
"Yeah, I don't know, I guess. . ." Iris isn't really sure if she wants to get into this in the middle of a Weathervane storage closet, but she's come too far now. "I think she just makes me insecure, and it's like, why would you choose to talk to me when she's right there, y'know? Like you guys have history and. . . and I think I'm just waiting for you to realize that you don't want to be my friend."
"Whatever me and Bianca had is in the past," Xavier seems genuinely surprised Iris has shared all of this with him, "it means nothing now," he then assures. "We should get out there," he gestures after a moment passes of him and Iris just kind of staring at each other, Iris clearly not knowing what to do with herself after having such a deep conversation with a guy who she doesn't even know the favorite color of.
"Yeah," she manages to get out of whatever state of mind she was in, leading them to the door, Xavier following behind with a bag of coffee grounds, probably what he came for. She tries the handle, not realizing the door shut on them when she walked in, only to find it's stuck.
"The door is locked."
a/n:
awk