Puppets in Uniform ~~ An Apply Fic

𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕪

Liana walked in to our room ten minutes after we woke up. She was smiling, her eyes smiling.
"Good morning!" Liana greeted all of us, her voice higher and in all truth brighter then normal. She was playing a role, the kind that will lead her down the same past as me. 

Valerie gave her a look, and she just walked past to her bed. She stared at it for second, shook her head and grabbed her book bag. Valerie gave me a sharp look, almost a non-verbal warning.
Don't say anything about last night. I rolled my eyes at her just listening to the chatter of everyone else's conversation. 

Liana was acting strange. The way she had when I first met her. In a strange way, it reminded me of when I had just lost my mother. I had put up these walls of steel, my dad helps me and sent me to therapy for a short while. I wanted to talk to her as well, I didn't want her going down the same path as me. 

Besides that, Valerie made a point of keeping me from pushing Liana too much. She was playing peacekeeper, and I had a feeling she hated herself for it. 

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Biology was boring, History was filled with glares from Emily and her friends. I was deserved of it, but she certainly got her karma as well. The other girls knew about the fight, even though no one said anything about it. 

I was walking through part of the east wing, going to art class with Ms. Harris. That's when I heard Zaynab talking with Anya. 

"I don't know what to say to her! She beat up a student to defend me... I've never been worth that much to anyone. Much less someone who has been somewhat of a stranger to me for about 2 weeks!" She was clearly bothered by it; Anya was nodding her skin glossy in the sun light.
When I peeked in, she froze, Anya smiled and waved at me.

"Zay, stranger or not, no one deserves such poor treatment." She smiled at me, making me feel happier too. It cleared up some of the awkward air between, probably even made us a little closer.

Once I was down in the basement, the strange iron smell filled my nostrils. Ms. Harris was always quick to explain she got the short end of the stick and received a "revived" dungeon.

I don't think anything in here has been alive or revived in here for a long time.

Lance ran up to me like a happy golden retriever. His brown curly hair flopping everywhere.
"Hi Rhea! How are you?" Lance asked, already pulling out my seat for me next to his friends. Adam waved at me, paint covering his cheeks in green splotches. 

"I could be better, how about you?" I replied, beginning to work on the piece. Ms. Harris, similar to other teachers, was giving us an assignment to grasp how to better support us in art. I was thinking of doing a painting as per regular, with watercolor and pastels. 

Pastels, due to their oil content were bright against watercolors, even helping to "regulate" them somewhat.

"Same here. Miss Collins dumped a ton of homework on us, Emily wouldn't stop crying over it. Dad won't send her to therapy, says it's all in her head. Thank God he doesn't know I suck dick." Lance explained it so casually, and Adams face went partially red out of the corner of my eye. My pencil went across the canvas easily. 

"Lance, this isn't Sunday morning brunch... please...save the gossip for dinner." I sighed, collecting supplies. The sketch was only a stick person, and it was so light it wouldn't really help. 

Soon, the form of a woman appearing, but she had holes in her flesh, tiny things crawling and pulling out of them. Her expression was both euphoric and horrific at the same time. 

It felt like pushing my emotions out onto the canvas, but I don't think anyone else would share my sympathy. 

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I hate Thursdays. Particularly now. Liana was letting the fight get to her even now. I thought she may get it over it, but that may have too apathetic on my part. I needed to talk to her.

Dinner was coming to a close as the sound of the clattering of dishes slowly faded out, the students began to drag themselves off to bed. I instead dragged Liana back to the balcony from before. 

Valerie gave me a stern look about to get up, but then Anya gave her an even sterner look. She said something to her, making her immediately deflate. They walked away, chatting with Zaynab about something. 

"Andy what're you doing?" She asked, instead I pulled her around the cringy velvet rope to the balcony. The window opened with its iconic squeak, and once we were outside, I stopped.
Her hand was warm though, so I still held it. No other reasons...

"Okay. We got into a fight. I tried to give you some space- more like Valerie me- regardless, I want to know what's up? I did something that hurt you, and even though I can't go back and fix it. I can still try and prevent it from happening again." She frowned; I squeezed her hand once more. The balcony wall was cold beneath my butt, but I still sat down on it.

"My mom... she left when I was a kid. I don't know the reason, my dad never told me- he doesn't tell me anything anymore." Liana began, little breaks coming in between her words. I didn't want her to cry! "When you were late... I realized how worried that made me, and it reminded me of my mom, I was already attached to you for some reason, but then I remembered we've only known each for two weeks and I was being so overbearing an-" I put my hand over her mouth, stopping her rambling immediately. She looked down at it, sighing and relaxing once more.

"Liana, I'm sorry I was so late. I'm sorry that I hurt you so much just because I was tired from detention. I can't take back what I said or did. I'm like you too. My mom died when I was 12, she was always so sweet and caring, I had no idea she had heart cancer. Her heart was too big for her chest in a sense." We both smiled, and I removed my hand from her mouth. Along with her other hand still holding mine.

"She sounds like she was a wonderful person, and I'm sure she loved you very much." Liana smiled at me, her eyes shimmering with a layer of water.

Tears were pooling up in my eyes also at actually having to talk to someone about my mom. Someone who wasn't my dad, who wasn't trying to "fill her space". Liana noticed, pulling me in for a hug. We both clung to each other, like we're both about to drown. 

—-
The girls noticed me and Liana coming back late immediately. They all acknowledged what happened, even talking with Liana over it. But Valerie snorted, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"She was shitting her pants with worry!" Valerie teased, looking over at Liana with a funny look. Liana glared at her, sticking out her tongue.

"No, I was not!" She denied.

"You were watching the door like a golden retriever with separation anxiety." Zaynab added, closing her prayer book. Anya nodded, both of them smiling at each other sleepily. Liana shook her head again, blush covering her cheeks. 

"Liana, it's okay. Thank you. But wait till Spring. That's what I put my money on." I teased, laughing when her face turned even redder. She huffed, going over to her bed and lying in it. The other girls laughed as well.

I had Andy fluff for a rainy day. I used it for the rainy day. This is going to be the definition of either "hurt/comfort" or "it gets better before it gets worse". Or both. Also, rivals to lovers- Emily x Andy? Jk jk. Or am I?

I am.

Lindy??? ;)

Sorry, Isla hit me with a shoe from another state- no Lindy. 😖