Sparkle (KOTLC) {Completed}

19

Janessa did do her best that night to think about her true feelings for her friends, but the only thing she knew for sure was that she was 100% over Keefe, which is why, the next day, she had no reason to run away from visiting him, this time without Physic accompanying her.

"Snowflake! Miss me already?" Keefe grinned, pulling her into his room.

Janessa rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course, I missed you so much I cried myself to sleep."

"Aww, poor Janessa." Keefe cooed, pulling her into a too tight hug.

"Ooh does Sophie have some competition?" The ogre in the corner crooned teasingly. Janessa snorted in response.

"Unfortunately for him, he's too infatuated with Sophie. He's really missing out." Janessa shook her head, trying to hold in her laughter.

"But she's so... annoyingly oblivious. I like you better." Ro stated, scrunching her nose while picking her fingernails with a sharp, jagged dagger.

Janessa chuckled out loud at that. "Thanks, I appreciate it. In all seriousness though, Keefe already rejected me, and we're much better off as friends. I'm not sure I could keep up with someone so high maintenance."

"Hey!" Keefe yelled indignantly, while the two laughed with each other.

"I'm glad you're not being a sissy like yesterday, I'm starting to actually like you." Ro said, punching Janessa in the arm good-naturedly, though still painfully. Internally, Janessa thanked whatever god existed that she hadn't punched her left shoulder.

"Can I repeat that an ogre literally ate me? The scars are pretty obvious."

"Yeah, like I said, they're awesome. I can respect an elf with scars like that, even if your hair is obnoxiously sparkly." Ro replied, without acknowledging Janessa's tone whatsoever.

Janessa held up a piece of her hair in front of her eyes, then nodded, acquiescing. "Yeah, I really can't disagree with that."

Keefe pouted from his spot on the couch. "I'm starting to think you like each other better than me."

"We do." The two girls said in unison, before Janessa burst into giggles at Keefe's deadpanned frown. 

"Aww, sorry we're not giving you enough attention, Keefie." Janessa teased, leaning over to ruffle his hair. Keefe swatted her hand away, also laughing.

"I don't get how you could reject THIS girl for precious Sophie." Ro complained, before having a thought and eyeing the two of them. "Then again if the two of you were constantly flirting, I might murder one of you."

"No need to worry about that, Ro, since Keefe's my future brother-in-law, instead I can verbally abuse him with you." Janessa said in a cheery voice, struggling to hold in a laugh at Keefe's indignant "Hey!".

"You really do just keep getting better and better. I'll hold you to that, Sparkles." 

The nickname was like a knife to the heart, and Janessa's smile faded into a deep frown as she remembered the first one who had used that nickname. Her eyebrows twitched as she tried to think about anything else. A hand on hers pulled her back to the present.

"You alright, Snowflake?" Keefe's ice blue eyes pierced directly into her own, and she could feel herself start to breathe again. It's just a nickname. I don't need to associate it with him. It's just Ro's nickname for me. Ro's nickname, no one else's.

"I'm okay. Sorry, I got lost in thought, I'm just a bit-" Janessa started, but Keefe's expression stopped her. "Fintan called me Sparkle. That's why I got shaken up. Sorry."