Admiring the Light

Ep 21

The lab seemed so empty now, the other students busy scrawling away at their work. Even Natalie at the table opposite her own was distracted by some form of work, but she just couldn't get herself to focus. These questions felt so hard.

Her face lit up as she saw a familiar pudgy figure hurry back in, but she held in her urge to call across the room. "Jackie! Back from your little nurse visit?" Guinevere pushed another worksheet across the lab bench for her friend. "Yeahh- I took a lap around the second floor, I didn't feel like coming." She nodded.

"You should've come to get me! Do you need my answers?" She had a few questions done, but the diagram of the system they were examining seemed confusing.

"I kind of just- forgot." Jacklyn shrugged, gladly snatching up Guinevere's work. "What question are we on, Gwen? Uh- seven?"

"Yeah, seven, cellular respiration." The image didn't really make any sense to her, as both girls took a good look. "What's the process?"

"Oxidation, I think it's pretty obvious." She circled pyruvate oxidation on both of their papers. "I'd rather play games than do this, but-"

"But we're getting it done, because I won't let you." Guinevere snickered.

"Can't exactly stop me?"

"NATALIE, JACKLYN WANTS A HUG!" She called to the next table over for her sister.

"The hug dealer is currently out of business, Sport." Natalie joked, not turning away from her work. Until Gwen took a closer look and saw that she wasn't actually working, she had her sketchbook out. Probably doodling more fanart of The Handmaid's Tale.

"Darn- guess I'll just have to tell Beavoux that you aren't working, Jackie..." She sighed dramatically, a playful look on her face. "She already knows I'm not, though! I never get my work in on time, but it always gets done." Jacklyn gave her a questioning stare, one eyebrow raised. "Unlike you, *Gwen.*"

"My work is always on time!! How dare you?" She laughed, circling random answers on the rest of the questions just to prove her point. "In fact..."

"Nahhh, no way you did every one. That was random!"

"Says who?" Guinevere gasped, letting her friend check the answers over. "Yeahh, those were random." Jacklyn nodded, her eyes scanning the paper.

"I'd make sure Jackie isn't lying, Sport! Might just be jealous!"

...

"Halloween is on Saturday, Sport! What are we going as?" Natalie scrolled through her phone, she'd go to the city if she could find a costume. "I say clowns, but that's just me, Sport."

"Happy clowns?" Guinevere asked. "Happy? Instead of what, Sport, scary? I'd be the joker." She laughed. "The Dark Knight Joker specifically, we love him."

"I might go with Jacklyn then, Lola might be more keen on that idea. Y'all love your horror." She sighed. "Jackie would be a kitty with me!! A couple little kitty costumes."

"AWWW, I'd do that, Sport! Kitty ears! Meow!" Natalie grinned, she'd be on board with that, going out on Halloween as a cat. "Bring Nightwhisper too! We put you in a little top hat to match her!"

"Ehehehe... aristocats costume? Me, you, and Jacklyn?"

"Nah, I wanna involve Lola somehow." She shook her head, she'd be around her friends and let Guinevere and Jacklyn have their little date.

"Big 101 Dalmatians costume? That would be goofy." Guinevere smiled. "How long do we typically stay out, just like, an hour, right?"

"Well yeah, this year I wanna swing by the haunted house, Sport!" Natalie noticed her almost immediate flinch. "Come if you want, don't if you don't. Me and Alex will probably do it, I doubt Lola will."

"I'm not a baby, I can do it. Jacklyn will love it."

"Ah, is this about looking brave in front of her?" She teased jokingly, elbowing her sister. "I think breaking down into tears in front of her would have the opposite effect of what you want."

"Hmph... I wouldn't do that, Natalie. *Obviously.*"

...

"NATALIE- NATALIEEE..."

Natalie felt her sister pulling herself into the side of her leather jacket, she almost wanted to roll her eyes at how sad the begging was. "Yes, Sport? Is there something you want to say?" She asked, a calm smile on her face.

"What's up, Gwen?" Jacklyn peeked over from the cotton candy booth outside, as Guinevere straightened up. "Don't wanna be crying in front of her, Sport?" She chuckled awkwardly. "Sport, You confuse me, if you're scared, just back out."

"I-I'm fine... Natalie..."

Not even deciding to point out the contradiction, she made her way into the line to get herself checked in to the walkthrough. "Come on, Sport, Jackie-" She beckoned for them to follow, the bells on her clown wrists distracting her as she shook them around excitedly. "Uh- yes- we're three people."

She got the $20 from her pockets, taking a spot behind the other two girls for when one of them inevitably panicked. "Now, no panic attacks. Either of you." She teased.

"Nahhh, I would never! I love horror." Jacklyn smiled, giving one of the snarling werewolf figures outside the archway a little nose boop. "Doggies!"

But Natalie could see just how tight Guinevere's whole body was, even under her pink cat onesie. "Sport, you wanna hold my hand? Or Jackie's?"

And almost immediately at the offer, her hand snapped right on to Jacklyn's hand. "Hey! Gwen! If you don't wanna do this, we really don't have to!" She smiled warmly.

"I think I can do it... uh..."

She let out a little squeal when a zombie popped right out in front of them, even though Natalie was laughing. And her eyes dropped to the ground when their little group turned the corner and had another zombie jump out. "Sport! We're only a few seconds in, are you sure you wanna continue?"

"I'm fine..." She whispered, even with her face trying to avoid any of the scares. "Are you suuuure, Gwen? I wouldn't be sad." Jacklyn tried at another encouraging smile.

"I said I'm fine..." Guinevere looked back up, probably so she didn't seem as terrified as she really was. "You don't look fine, Sport. But whatever you say, I guess."

One of those hockey masked guys lowered a rubber chainsaw just over their heads, and that got an ear piercing scream from the youngest in the party. At least Natalie and Jacklyn were seniors. "I'M ONLY A JUNIOR I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIEEE-"

"Shhh... Gwen, you're not gonna die." Jacklyn chuckled, gently trying to nudge away her friend through the passage. "Do you want to go now?"

"I think I see an exit right there, Sport, one of those chicken exits." Natalie could make out a green exit sign through the smoke and strobing effects. "Are you sure you're good?"

"I'm..." But Guinevere couldn't even finish her sentence, as she let out another scream of sheer horror. A cartoonishly ugly werewolf had gotten up in her face, tears running down.

"Alright, Gwen... probably time for you to get going-" Jacklyn practically started dragging her towards the exit that had been found, letting the foot traffic start to flow again. "Yep, there ya go... we'll go get some candy, milkshakes-"

"Ay! Wait for me, Sport!" She wouldn't go through the attraction by herself, that took the fun out of it. But a part of her had known the adverse reaction that would happen, Guinevere had needed to experience it herself. "I told you multiple times, Sport! You didn't have to!"

The tears seemed more frightened than anything, as her sister sniffled and rubbed them away. "Yeah... hah... I should've listened..." She laughed faintly.

"Did you see those breakouts? I bet the guy under the mask is scarier than the wolf!" Jacklyn smiled, getting a louder response. "Agreed, Sport! Those rubber claws really could've hurt you, with the blunt ends."

"Stop bullying me! God-" Guinevere smiled. "With that scream, Sport, you could be working there! As one of those people they catch on the security cameras to show how scary the haunted house is." Natalie joked.

"Cotton candy, Gwen? It's bubblegum!"