𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚅𝙴𝙽 ➭ 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗇 𝗁𝗎𝖽𝗌𝗈𝗇

ninety-seven; frenemies

Elliott walked into Winona's bedroom with a big dumb grin on his face, "Winnie!"

She was laying on her bed, scrolling through the internet boredly, "What's up, Eli?"

"I am going to prank Kurt so bad," He announced, catching her attention enough to make her shut the laptop and sit up.

"No way," She beamed, "Give me all the deetz!"

"Deetz?"

"Details! Tell me everything!" Winona grinned.

He went into deep detail about his plan to trick Kurt into thinking he was going to be taking over the band to psych him out as a prank. By the end, she was giggling on his shoulder, insisting how funny that would be— Before they headed their separate ways and she went to work.

( — ✿ — )

Winona showed up at Kurt's place, fully prepared for them to go get lunch at a cute little restaurant in town. Once she walked in, she saw Santana filing her nails and Rachel frantically inspecting her hair in a compact mirror.

"Kurt, you ready to go?"

He nodded at her, before looking to the others with a smile, "All right, ladies, remember, we got band rehearsal tonight."

"Kurt, I'm sorry, I just... I can't," Confessed Rachel casually as she prepared to make her exit.

" Wait, what? Why?"

Rachel rolled her eyes subtly, "Santana, don't start with me right now. They're auditioning my understudy today, and I have to be there. "

"And?" Winona sassed, unconvinced that ditching Pamela Lansbury was completely necessary.

"I told them it's ridiculous because it's not like I'm ever gonna miss a performance or anything. Just... It must be an insurance thing, right?"

"Hey, well, hold up. If Berry's not coming, then neither am I," Santana retorted, arms crossed over her chest.

"Guys, we're in a band.  We have to practice."

"Kurt, I would think that you would understand all the emotional stress that I'm under right now, and I need you guys to just be a little supportive."

Rachel grabbed a pair of sunglasses and headed for the door, before turning around to speak.

"It's just... it's really hard being a star."

And she was gone. That comment however, left their jaws on the floor.

"What a bitch," Santana remarked, "I knew this would happen. Funny girl inflated her ego, and now she's acting all special. Well, I think someone needs to knock her down a peg."

Kurt shrugged, "Well, you could come to lunch with us and brainstorm a way to do it."

"Sounds lame," She scoffed, "Actually, I have somewhere to be, so I should probably go."

As suspicious as that sounded, Winona and Kurt still made their leave and headed for the restaurant.

When the duo was seated and with their food, Kurt didn't hesitate to start ranting his insecurities about Elliott.

"I don't know, Kurt, don't you think you might be overreacting?"

"If anything, I'm under-reacting," He shrugged, "Starchild is trying to take over the band. The soul of Pamela Lansbury is hanging in the balance."

She bit her lip to hold back a smile, nodding, "Go on."

"It all started when Elliott scored an interview in The Village Voice, and he said, I feel so alive right now. Nothing means more to me than my band."

"Isn't that good?"

"He's calling it his band, Winona," He deadpanned, "And then, not five minutes ago, I get a text from him that says, "Oh, my God, I just wrote a new song that we have"... in all caps... "got to do." I mean, he's a psychopath."

Her phone buzzed several timed, prompting Winona to check it, and excuse herself, "Kurt, I gotta go. But, look, if you're really concerned about Elliot, don't let on, even for a second."

He nodded reluctantly.

"Remember the old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

( — ✿ — )

A common pastime of Elliott and Winona's is sewing. They're both indefinitely talented at it, and all around their tiny apartment, there are hand-sewn pillows and other projects they've made across their time in New York. Elliott's sewing machine sat by the door, and he was sat there, making another nice outfit for Pamela Lansbury performance or something, while Winona stuck with hand sewing in her tiny bedroom.

Suddenly, there were three tiny knocks on the door, and Elliott opened it curiously. When he did, Rachel threw him into a hug in desperation.

"They kicked me out."

"What?"

"I had nowhere else to go."

Elliott pulled away from the hug, calling for Winona, who rushed into the room confusedly.

"Can I stay with you guys for a bit? Santana and Kurt kicked me out."

"Kicked you out?" Winona gawked, "Oh my god, yeah, of course. Elliot, would you make up the couch for her to sleep on?"

He nodded and got to work, Rachel immediately stopping him.

"Wow, it is so chivalrous of you to make up your couch for me— But after last week's traumatic events, the only way I could recover is by sleeping in a real bed.. and not some lumpy surrogate."

Winona narrowed her eyes from the kitchen, slightly frustrated with the idea of her begging for a home, and then bossing her saviour around so she doesn't have to sleep on a couch. Still, she poured a glass of water for Rachel and took it to what was now her room. She sat on the bed with her, handed her the drink and flashed a sympathetic smile.

"So, tell me exactly what happened."

And, regrettably, she did— refusing to leave out a single detail. Winona slowly nodded at every point she made, holding back a yawn so she didn't offend the Berry.

"Not only did she audition without telling me, though, she used Don't Rain on my Parade! My song!"

"Uh Rachel, you don't own the song."

"No, that song is Ms. Streisand's as long as she's on this planet," Rachel argued, keeping her voice calm and quiet, "But let me tell you something... when she goes, it's gonna be my responsibility to sing it."

Pretending Rachel didn't sound like a lunatic was difficult, but Winona just nodded instead of getting any further into the situation with her. Instead, she nodded and politely excused herself to bed.

It was gonna be a long few weeks