Vienna {h.s.}

chapter three - pretty

edited 2/11/17

"It seems that Venice has been getting into trouble lately, and has been skipping out on class to avoid it." Vienna held in her eye roll, watching Venice grip the arms of her chair until her knuckles were white. Venice's jaw was clenched, her eyes narrowed as she glared down at a spot on the principal's carpet.

"Listen, Mr Camden. I know that as a public school, the government only pays you for how many students have been attending each day. So, I am only going to say this once.

"Give your teachers more interesting materials to teach, or stop harassing students about leaving. Because it has only been a year since I graduated here, and I have skipped out many times because of how boring Chandler's class is. You got it?"

It was a rare occurrence for Vienna to speak so much, and so boldly, to people who weren't Venice, but she had had enough of the school. She hated it when she attended it, and she didn't blame Venice for doing the same. And she knew that she was saying rude things that she probably had no right in saying, but it needed to be said.

"Miss James that was uncalled for." Mr Camden scolded her. She nodded in agreement, shifting her eyes to the spot on the floor that her sister was glaring at.

"I think we're going to get going now." Vienna announced. She grabbed her younger sister's hand, and left through the door while the principal was left objecting to it because he had more things to discuss.

"Thank you." Venice said quietly, squeezing Vienna's hand.

"Please stop skipping school." Vienna spoke, her tone serious. She understood skipping, but she also understood that graduating was a must.

"Why would I?" Venice scoffed, and Vienna grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping both of them in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I understand the occasional skip, just avoid it on test days, and just please try not to fall behind, okay? I just want you to graduate." She explained, and Venice nodded with a blank face.

They resumed walking for about a minute before a cloud tear fell, and Vienna glanced up. The sky was wearing a dark shade of grey, and the clouds looked heavy. And they were going to be walking home in the rain, and Venice wasn't going to be happy, and Vienna wasn't sure how to make her happy.

"Do you want to invite Matty over tonight?" Vienna asked to brighten her sister's spirits.

"I doubt he'll come over with the storm coming." She responded, and Vienna's efforts were shot.

She blinked in repetition, trying to come up with something to discuss with her sister. She felt disappointed as they walked in silence, and they had another twenty minutes of walking back to their house.

"Do you ladies need a ride?" A voice asked from beside them, on the road, and Vienna glanced over to see Harry. His head was peeked up from the top of his car, and he was smiling.

"Yeah." Venice admitted, Vienna silent as she let her sister lead her over to the car. Venice's eyes were squinted as she looked at Harry, a peculiar expression on her face.

"You alright there?" He asked teasingly, opening the needed doors after jogging around.

"Are you who I think you are?" Venice inquired while her confused sister slipped into the passenger seat.

"I just might be." He replied, slipping into the drivers seat as she buckled up in the back.

Vienna moved her foot to a song on the radio, ignoring her own confusion. Harry quietly tapped the steering wheel to the obnoxiously catchy beat, driving them home.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Venice offered, while they were still five minutes from their house.

"If it's okay with your sister." He bargained, and glanced at Vienna. She nodded twice, her shyness closing her off a bit.

Harry parked the car, and they walked up the drive to the front door. Vienna fumbled with her keys, trying to find the house key quickly and without making a fool of herself anymore. Venice smiled in awkward amusement of her sister as she opened the door, and ran a hand through her hair as her guests walked in.

"Thank you for inviting me tonight." Harry spoke, and Venice nodded in approval while Vienna was trying to come up with something for them to eat.

"Of course." Venice replied. Vienna popped open a bag from the freezer that held microwaveable Indian food.

"This is all w-we have." Vienna explained, feeling anxious at the fact that she wasn't sure if he would like it.

"Sounds wonderful." Were the words she received. She nodded, placing the bag on the counter.

Venice shook her head at her sister as Vienna began to prepare the meal. Venice approached her from the side to grab the bag from her. Vienna gasped at the sudden invasion, while Venice took over, leaning to whisper in Vienna's ear.

"Go. Talk with him, make him feel at home." Venice instructed, taking the salt out of Vienna's hand.

"I'm not good at talking." Vienna hissed, whispering back at her.

"Go away, I'm making dinner." Venice slapped Vienna's arm, making Vienna jump back towards Harry.

Vienna turned toward the man in her kitchen that was smirking at her before she even made eye contact with him. She cautiously approached him, before standing in front of him with her hands intertwined behind her back. She shuffled her feet, looking down at them awkwardly. Harry lifted her chin to look at him, making her suck in a breath at the unexpected touch.

"Hi." He smiled, huffing out a chuckle. He retracted his fingers from under her jaw, tucking them into his coat pocket.

"Hi." She breathed out, relaxing a little bit.

"So I haven't seen your house." Harry tried to spark up a conversation and Vienna caught the hint.

"W-would you like to?" She asked quietly, and he nodded. Vienna guided him up the stairs, and opened the door to Venice's room.

"I'm guessing this is your little sisters." Vienna nodded at Harry's assumption.

"The bathroom is across the hall from Venice's room." Vienna told him.

"Venice is your little sister's name." Harry realized, and she nodded, blushing at the fact that she hadn't figured out he didn't know.

"This is m-my room." Vienna introduced, opening the door to her grey room, the most color in it being the one color Polaroid hanging on her wall.

"What's the picture?" Harry inquired, still standing in the doorway far enough away so that he couldn't see the details.

"My p-parents on their w-wedding day."  Vienna spoke softly, her gaze turned downward as she awaited a question as to where they were. But Harry picked up on her sudden mood change and decided not to.

"And what's this room?" He asked, looking at the door at the end of the hall.

"My art studio." Vienna said, smiling faintly at the closed door.

"May I see it?" Harry asked with a smile.

"N-not yet." Vienna shook her head before heading for the living room, and turning on a movie. Harry followed her, and admired her from the side as she switched on the movie.

"You're pretty." He commented, and she turned red at the compliment.

And the night pretty much kept going like that.

^really like this chapter^