Show Stoppers

Quite a Day

Chapter 5: Quite a Day

Chloe picked at the glitter still stuck to the arts classroom table. Any other time she would be far more careful of her nails, but Saturday's events had completely destroyed her manicure, that was something you didn't have to worry about with a Miraculous. Sabrina was assembling a new collage beside her. Chloe appeared prominently, but Sabrina did as well now too. Most of the pictures were older and the contrast between them was pretty stark, but it made Chloe smile a little nonetheless.

Chloe tapped her pencil against the flip pad in front of her, leaving a small line of tick marks until in frustration she tapped too hard and let the pencil spiral out of her grip across the table. She flopped after it, head-desking full force.

"Chloe?" Sabrina leaned in to peek over Chloe's arm, trying to make eye contact.

Chloe stayed where she was, turning her head only enough to look up at Chloe sideways,"I'm just exhausted Sabrina. It was so much easier to cause drama than to BE drama."

Sabrina absently toyed with one of her bangs. "Well, Saturday was a little intense. I can't believe we did that." She was keeping the braided look for now. Chloe had noticed other students stealing second glances.

Chloe turned her face back down to the table and waved a hand while mumbling into her flip pad,"It's not just that. It's everything." She stretched her arms out across the table then turned it into a slow arching stretch to bring herself upright. Her eyes landed on Alix who was dashing splashes of paint over one of her wall-sized works. Well, it mayne not paint, it didn't really do much more than tint the existing colors.

"Ogre troubles?"

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Sabrina,"Noo~ If you must know I haven't spoken to him since Saturday, nor do I intend to." She flipped back a couple pages in her book. Cryptic shorthand covered the pages, the start of her own work over the last few days. Potentially useless work, but she was going to see it through. She wanted to see SOMETHING through.

"Oh." Sabrina shifted the positions of a couple pictures against her background, shifted them again and then again back,"What happened?" Frankincense bloomed to Chloe's senses.

"No." Chloe took up her pencil again and made a cutting motion,"I do not like this conversation, let's have another." She turned her head to catch Sabrina's gaze,"You weren't self conscious at that cafe. We stood out among all those people and you didn't clam up once. Why not?"

Sabrina very nearly repeated her characteristic 'Oh.' but Chloe glared her out of it. Instead she bit her lip,"Well, it wasn't really me out there in all that you know? I'm just Sabrina. Glasses and sweater vests," Sabrina adjusted her glasses,"Out there that was Miss Raincomprix, classy lady about Paris." Sabrina extended an arm slowly gesturing and giving her head an aloof toss.

Chloe smiled at the theatrical gesture,"Well Dahhhling, I am SO glad you could spare time to have lunch with me." She took Sabrina's hand in a loose fingered shake and they both had to stifle a giggle fit.

Chloe spotted Alix giving them a look between bafflement and disgust so she stuck her tongue out at Alix too before dissolving into even more sincere giggles. Alix rolled her eyes and turned back to her giant wall-painting. Chloe was getting a handle on herself when something stopped her short. Alix was sweeping a purplish light across her art and as she did it exposed a cascade of vibrant pinks, purples, blues, and greens that disappeared again when the light passed.

Like a flash, pieces fell in place. Chloe followed the logic to the end and ran it backwards to be sure. She hooked Sabrina by the collar and drew her in close,"Sabrina. You told me you could never dance up on stage, but tell me this: Could Miracular?" Chloe turned Sabrina's head to look at Alix's work.