Unless: Sapphic romance - enemies to friends to lovers

Christmas morning

"Finally!!!!" Maria Ángeles smiled in glee "Christmasssssssss!"
"Someone's excited" Lucia chuckled, smiling at her.

Maria Ángeles just beamed at her, grabbing two presents "Open them!"

Lucia grabbed the first tiny gift, blushing scarlet. She started tugging at the bow in a careful way, not wanting to ruin it. Maria Ángeles shoved her playfully.

"My goodness, just open it!!!"

Lucia chuckled and finally opened the gift. It was a choker necklace, like the ones she loved to wear. It was all black, except for a tiny charm in it. A ballet shoe...

The other girl bursted into laughter as soon as she saw Lucia's face "Haha! Gotcha!"

"Jokes on you, I'm gonna wear it till the day I die" She replied, solemn, putting the choker on "What did you mean to do? Claim me?"

Maria Ángeles turned so red tomatoes would have been jealous, and didn't reply. She just motioned at her to open the next gift.

And so she did. Revealing...

A new sketchbook. It was gorgeous, with a leather cover and soft pages. There was a photo of the two of them on the cover, taken the day before, while they were having fun on the poor.

"How did you know I like drawing?!" She asked, blinking in shock.

"Hm, a magician never reveals her tricks!" Maria Ángeles smirked "can I open your present now?"

"I feel kinda bad for it now..." Lucia blushed "Not nearly as amazing as yours..."

The other girl just rolled her eyes "As if I'm not gonna like it... Girl, it was touched by you, I already adore it!"

Lucia turned into a blushing mess, trying to remember her own name, while the other girl unwrapped.

"You did not..." Maria Ángeles gasped, holding the gift. A pair of new leg warmers, hand knitted by her friend. One of them was black, the other was pink. Like... them.

"Like them?" Lucia asked her, smiling hopefully.

"Like them?! I LOVE them!!!" The other girl beamed wide, bouncing up and down "This is the best Christmas ever!!"

They both noticed the clock. It was nearly one am. They were both exhausted.

Lucia passed out on the couch, tired as she was. The shorter girl couldn't help but chuckle at her, and lay down beside her. Soon enough, they were both asleep. So much for a Christmas morning...

***

"Shit! Mari, wake up!!!" Lucia cursed loudly, getting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Is the sky falling?" Maria Ángeles asked, sleepy "Someone turn off the sun, it's too bright..."

Lucia cursed again as she tried to find her shirt "Mari, it's twelve am! We overslept!! We're meant to be back at school before three!!"

"Oh fuck" The other girl got up, groaning loudly "Have you seen my jeans?"

The taller girl blushed deep scarlet as she buttoned her shirt "You slept without jeans?!?!"

The both of them packed their bags quickly, trying to fit everything into them. Lucia was still wearing her choker, and Maria Ángeles wore her new leg warmers.

When they were finally ready, it was one pm. And they had another problem...

"My mother left already" Maria Ángeles cursed "Fuck!"

"The bus won't make it in time" Lucia pointed out, holding her temple "I really don't want to get grounded by Luis Felipe..."

The two girls shivered, remembering their psycopatic headmaster. Lucia couls still feel the chills running down her spine.

Suddenly, Maria Ángeles beamed "I have an idea!"

"Does it involve murder?" Lucia asked her, giving her a side eye look.

"I no longer have an idea" The shorter girl sighed "Oh, wait, I have another idea!!"

So, ten minutes later, they were both riding her bicycle, without helmets, while holding their bags.

"We're gonna die..." Lucia mumbled "And we're gonna die virgins!"

"Speak for yoruself" The other girl winked, while pedalling

"What the fuck?!?!?!"

Lucia held onto the bike for her dear life, gulping. The other girl was giggling and beaming.

"I was kidding, jeez..."

Cars honked at them and cursed loudly. They got shitted on by a seagull... twice. And they had to stop at a weird gas station where everything smelt like weed in order to pee.

But, they made it. With ten minutes to spare!

Lucia could feel the shivers making the hair in the back of her neck stand. The boarding school had become a terrifying place since she learnt about the truth behing their creepy headmaster and his eye twitch... And, of course, the Cult of Syntax...

Maria Ángeles held her hand, gripping it. Lucia squeezed it back. A reminder that they knew, and they were together. They would make it out of there.

Footsteps were heard behind them.

"Good afternoon, girls. I see you are back on time, nice..."

Lucia could feel colour drain from her face as she turned, finding herself face to face with no other than Luis Felipe.

"Y-yeah... O-of course!" Maria Ángeles gulped "Would never dream of being late..."

Luis Felipe smirks "That's some good girl. Now, off you go. Study some syntax!"

Lucia nodded, shivering "Of course, sir!"

And so they ran. They ran towards their room, breathing heavily, dragging their bags.

"It's just as if he can hear out thoughts or something!" Maria Ángeles whispered under her breath.

Lucia placed a finger to her lips, to tell her to be quiet. She closed their dorm door, then grabbed her sketchbook. The other girl looked weirded. Lucia wrote something.

He said 'syntax'

Maria Ángeles stared at her, looking scared, not saying a word. She had never been more scared in her life. She remembered the blood on Luis Felipe's shirt... His creepy phone calls.

Don't speak, I think he has microphones

Lucia wrote, nodding. How else could the headmaster have known? The other girl looked terrified. She grabbed the pen and wrote two words that made them know they'd never be safe in that school...

He knows.