strong enough [crossover]

i. it wasn't always like this

trigger warnings: toxic/unhealthy relationship, sexual assault (forceful kissing, rape), and body-shaming. scenes depicting sexual assault will be bookended like this ⛒⛒⛒ so you can skip them if need be. keep in mind that the events and effects of the scene will be discussed in this and future chapters. read with caution and stay safe friends

*

-- April 2006 (8 Months Earlier) --

MJ's not sure she'll ever stop laughing.

"It's really not that funny," Silena says, pouting.

"No, it really is," MJ says in between giggles. "How could you think critiquing Mr. D's fashion choices would ever end well for you?"

Silena, whose hair is currently a shade of purple best described as grape Kool-Aid, looks close to tears. "Do you think it'll last long?"

"Not long at all," MJ assures her. Her laughter has finally died out, and her breathing is starting to return to normal. She reaches over and playfully tugs on a purple ringlet. "Once everyone sees how good you look with purple hair and starts complimenting you, Mr. D will realize it's not a punishment and undo it."

Silena perks up at that. "You think I look good?"

"Oh, you're rocking the hair," MJ says. "Anyone else would probably look like a troll doll but not you." She gestures vaguely to their surroundings. "Cabin 10 genes, I guess."

MJ and Silena are sitting on Silena's bunk surrounded by sketchbooks and scraps of fabric. They do this pretty much every Sunday — discuss the projects they're working on and debate what material is best. Most consider them a bit of an odd pairing, but MJ pays them no mind. Silena is undoubtedly one of her closest friends and nothing will ever change that.

"Enough about my hair," Silena says, waving her hand dismissively. "Have you decided what you're going to do with that jean jacket we found?"

A couple of weeks ago, a few boxes of old clothes had been discovered in the basement of the Big House. Cabin 10 was tasked with going through the clothes, and MJ had joined in to see if she could find anything fun to work with. Now she has a box full of clothes next to the foot of her bed that Dani keeps tripping over somehow. One of the pieces MJ found was a gorgeous light-washed denim jacket.

Well, gorgeous in her opinion. The back is stained with either blood or wine, hence why Cabin 10 wanted nothing to do with it. But one of MJ's greatest strengths is her imagination. When she looks at a piece of clothing, no matter what condition it's in, she doesn't see what it is. She sees what it could be.

MJ flips to a different page in her sketchbook. "Here's what I am thinking. Cut out the back, and then replace it with a patchwork made up of different strips of fabric I have leftover from some of my past projects."

"I like it," Silena says. She's lying on her stomach with her feet in the air, absentmindedly kicking as she talks. "But I don't love it. What if you replaced the cuffs with patchwork too? Carry the design into the front."

"Ooh, that could be fun," MJ says, scribbling the idea down on the page. "I'd have to cuff the jacket anyway. The sleeves are too long for me. Oh, and maybe I could swap out the pocket for patchwork too!"

Silena claps her hands excitedly. "Okay, now I love it."

"Okay, your turn," MJ says. "You still working on that dress?"

The dress in question is a passion project for Silena. Or, rather, it was a passion project. Now, after weeks of working on it on and off, it's a headache.