All Saints

Les potins

The next day at schools was awfully weird, full of sympathetic smiles on teacher faces and stares from other students. Simone was the first person to talk to her. She practically jumped at her wrapping her arms around her tightly and whispered a chants of "it will be alright." In her ear.  Dahlia awkwardly patted her back. Michèle pulled Simone off her muttering a sorry for her friend. For a few seconds they just stared at her awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. "My Mama said you guys are all invited for dinner after school." Michèle says linking her arm with Beaufort. Normally, she would be quick to say no but her craving for a warm, home cooked meal got the best of her. "That sounds nice." She replied back shyly.

The teacher turned around and the class was up to mischief already. The blonde boy in the very front desk in which at one point Dahlia knew his name but now couldn't care to recollect, turned swiftly passing the paper to Dupin and Descamps behind him. It seems like everyone was dying to read the paper because Annick snatched it midair, her eyes fixated on the teacher who dragged her white chalk across the green board. She fiddles with the pages but Dahlia being sat behind her was at a disadvantage where she couldn't really tell why the girl intercepted. Annick leans in and tosses the paper back to its owner. The teacher turns around and the boy puts his hand up flinging the paper behind him to whom ever trying to escape trouble. The paper landed onto Michèle's desk with a thud. It was the look of horror on her face as her eyes traced the printed words that intrigued Dahlia from her coma of sorrow. Michèle let out a gasp and Simone started to look around uncomfortably not knowing what to do in the moment. The teacher had caught on and starts walking towards Michèle, "what filth are you reading in my class Michèle?" She peered over her taking the paper in her hand. "Look to Ex millionaire Etienne Beaufort's wife to get away with murder... oh." She reads under her breath, her eyes dart to the Beaufort girl. "Office now and do not bring gossip to my class again Madame." She warned innocent Michèle rolling the paper into a tube in her hands. "It wasn't mine I swear, it's Albert's" she points to the boy at the front who was pretending to be busy writing notes. The teacher shakes her head, "Alright boy off you too, out now." She points to the door in which the boy huffs scowling at Michèle for snitching on him. Michèle and Albert walked out the classroom towards the principal to plead their innocence.

Dahlia eyes burned holes into the newspaper that waved about in her teachers hand. That way she wouldn't have to meet the eyes of her suspicious classmates. She felt as something in her chest was burning, was it humiliation engulfing her pride? If she wasn't so numb she would cry and let the tears trickle down her cheek into pool on her desk. Let it dampen her work if only it meant she could cry. She try to tug a smile but every muscle in her face was weak. She couldn't pay attention to anything, noiseless words would float out of the teachers mouth no matter how hard she tried to focus over the ringing in her ears. The words on the board turned into random words until it was just a string of ABCs and then a total blur of white chalk. She clutched onto her pencil to remember that she was feeling and that it was her mind playing foul tricks on her. All she could do was stay still, tell her self it will pass and everything would fade from her grip. Descamps couldn't help to watch although he wasn't the only one, every one had an eye on the ex millionaire heiress Dahlia Beaufort.

Simone took her by the shoulders and shook her violently a look of immense worry drawn over her face. Descamps who usually was the first one out the classroom put his jacket on as slow as possible his eyes fixated on the girl. Simone looks up and scowls a Joseph, "Dahlia are you okay hellooo." Dahlia snapped her head up gasping her mind pounding with a headache. A cold worm drifted down her back making her shiver, "yes I'm fine." She sprung from her chair holding the edge of the desk as if she would collapse.

Simone and Annick were talking about something to do with frogs and science besides Dahlia who was clutching on to her red bag that hung off her slumped shoulders. She was listening to the fuzzy sound playing in her ear. They were outside in the alley between the school building and the bricked fence. The sun blared into her eyes adding to what was becoming a migraine. She shifted to side into the shade her back leaning on the school wall. Her hand picked off the fading trim on her leather satchel.

Michèle had returned unscathed from the principles office from the whole misunderstanding and stood amongst her classmates. Descamps shifted towards Dahlia, "What do you want, I'll steal them it's all up to you." He shrugged leaning on the wall awfully close to Dahlia making her shudder at his sudden presence. He stared down at her waiting for her to look up and reply but she was too busy staring at someone else. Her heart was pounding and stiffening at the sight of her friend. Michèle observed them her eyes narrowing in skepticism. Dahlia was quick to walk off and stand next anyone but him. Michele's eyes tailed after her. She now stood next to Annick which wasn't the best of choices since Michèle and Annick were not the best of friends. Her whole life was upside down and the last thing she wanted was an interrogation from Michèle or worse a shrilling. There was nothing substantial going on between Descamps and Beaufort therefore she had nothing to confess.

The students were discussing the what now she knows it was a scheme to steal the frogs for science in which Annick herself was very passionate about. Frogs or no frogs Dahlia didn't care, how could she? it was merely trivial compared to everything else in her life. With a long hard sigh she fished out the packet that Descamps had gifted her at the park and brought it to her lips, "You smoke now?" Michèle eyebrows quirked at the change in character. She nudged the other boy standing next to them for a lighter doubting Laubrac owning one. The boy hastily grabbed his lighter and put the flame at the end of her cigarette propped in her pink lips. Joseph's eyes hung off her in amusement. Once the flames catch on she steps away from them. She inhales as if it would take her sorrows and heal her bleeding heart.

She looked down with her hollow eyes at the burning stick between her fingers, "Unfortunately it seems so." She muttered as if she was talking to herself. With an absent soul she put it to her lips and stared off into the distance unable to meet his eye that bore into her body. Eyes held the weight of the world with them. She was afraid they would see right through her act of nonchalance, that they would know that she has spent every day crying wondering where it all had gone wrong.

They had decided to steal the frogs after all, how and when Dahlia did not care to know. She was shuffling out the courtyard with Michèle who was discussing their dinner plans. "7 call me before just in case something happens." Michele's advised the girls and they nodded obediently. The group dispersed into their separate ways. Dahlia's shoulders slumped finally being able to breathe steadily. Under the eyes of hundreds constantly was suffocating. Shop owners would stare at her from beyond their shop window as she passed. Everyone was looking at her as if she had gone completely mad. She couldn't help but cry as the tears slipped past her cheeks dripping off her chin. She cried in silence. The sound of shoes slapping onto the cobble stones behind her grew louder until someone yanked her around. She spun around the shock halting the tears leaking from her eyes. It was an out of breath Descamps, he leaned forward to catch his breath. Once his terrible panting stopped he looked up to her soaked face. She whipped her face with her sleeve quickly, "what you can call my name you know?" She asked irritably shaking her head in disapproval of his actions. Without a thought in his brain he pulled her into an embrace wrapping his arms around her tightly as if she would fall into fragments if he let go. He was just acting out on his instincts all of sudden. He smelt like his dad's cologne, almost musky. She rested her face across his chest as his hand stroked the back of her head with care. Before she completed melted into his hold she pulled them apart, "now what was that about?" Her face completely beet red and heart was surging in her chest. "Just because of you know your papa... can friends not hug each other," he shrugged an excuse at her, "don't get too emotional about it now." He scoffed at her as if she was the one acting strange. "Alright," she raised her eyebrows quizzically, "I'm going now." Shuddering from the cold she turned to her street. Descamps slapped his face at his actions. He didn't know where that came from, he was loosing his cool composure.

Chapters coming soon...