Rings of Saturn | h.s. soulmates au

Rings of Saturn - 6

October 3 - Late Afternoon

Margot had really done it this time. Forget crossing the line, she had practically plowed through it at high speed with a semi truck. Phoebe had been weary of her roommate since the summer, but never, ever did she think she'd be packing up all of her belongings rapid fury halfway into the semester.

Phoebe tried to keep the process separated from her emotions, but couldn't stop the tear or two that leaked from the corner of her eye as she gathered all her books and notes. She was angry, furious with Margot, and her fingers trembled from the violation and utter vulnerability she felt.

It had been a normal Tuesday night, Phoebe lost in the darkness of black matter under the glow of her desk light, when Margot came barreling in.

"Good, you're home!" she'd shouted, startling Phoebe so badly she jumped out of her chair. Phoebe lost count of how many girls trailed in behind her roommate, but they crowded around and trapped her against her desk.

"W-what's happening?"

"I brought my friend over--the Seeking Seer, remember?--this is Charice." A tall girl stepped out of the crowd of girls, her thick hair piled atop her head. Instinctively, Phoebe shrank back against her desk as the girl twice her size approached her. "She's gonna help you with your mark."

"I don't want any help," Phoebe bit out quickly, swatting Charice away as she reached for her arm.

"Oh stop it," Margot laughed. "Of course you do." Charice made again to take Phoebe's arm in her hand, but she shouldered her away before shoving her way through two girls blocking her way from the door. "Don't let her leave!"

Margot's voice was shrill as her posse prevented Phoebe from escaping. One girl caught her around the waist as two others held her by the arms. She struggled against them, but there was no use; every attempt to wiggle her body free was met with a tighter hold.

On Margot's command, they spun her around to face Charice. "Why are you doing this?" Phoebe asked desperately. Fear radiated through her; she knew whatever Charice was going to tell her would break the fragile shell of nonchalance she'd built over the weekend.

"You may not want to know who the one is, but I do. Besides, Char needs to practice her sight. Don't you, Char?"

"Sure do," Charice smiled, but the toothy grin felt menacing to Phoebe.

"Excellent." The way shadows cast over Margot made her look positively evil, a wide grin spreading over her lips as her eyebrows pointed devilishly.

Charice reached for Phoebe's marked arm, successfully this time as the two girls held her still. She pushed her sleeve up, her long nails digging into Phoebe's skin and scratching all the way up. Phoebe hissed in pain, causing her audience to laugh.

Smearing the trickle of blood over her mark, Charice pressed her thumb over the raised skin hard. An explicable heat prickled through Phoebe's flesh causing her stomach to tighten uneasily. As Charice opened her mouth to speak, instinct kicked in; Phoebe fought for control of her body, violently thrashing until she was free. She hardly made it to the door before she was hauled to the floor by Margot, her grip rigid around her waist as she shouted for Charice to hurry up.

Charice knelt before Phoebe, Margot pressed tightly to her back to keep her still. The process resumed, Charice smearing the trickle of blood around Phoebe's mark.

"So? What do you see?" Margot's voice had fallen two octaves, her blonde hair disheveled and loose in her face, the mask of country club darling completely slipping away. Phoebe started humming loudly as she closed her eyes, doing all she could think of to drown out anything that was about to be said. But it was no use once Margot grabbed her chin so harshly that she was yanked into the moment.