rosaleen channing ↠ applyfic [ongoing]

↠two

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She had never intended to agree to helping solve the murder of her blackmailer--with the help of said blackmailer's worst enemy. It just kind of happened.

She held the cigarette between her teeth, scowling around it.

She was free now. There was no one left who could hold it above her head. "It" being that she had been crying in a bathroom stall during third period just over a month ago. But at what cost? Who could be happy over someone else's death? Their murder?

Aisha Kole sure couldn't. 

She didn't like Rosaleen--despised her, actually--but there was no part of her that was "happy". Blackmail was not cool, especially when you had as much power as Rosaleen. 

But her vulnerability in the bathroom could finally be forgotten. It was gone. No one could force her to intimidate freshmen into doing Rosaleen's homework. No one could force her to distract teachers so Rosaleen could fix her makeup.

But a 17-year-old girl was dead.

Aisha's scowl deepened as she took the cigarette between her fingers. She closed her eyes, letting the smoke fall from her lips and fade into the vibrant blue sky above. She leaned against the brick wall behind her.

"That's not very healthy, is it?"

Aisha's eyes slowly opened to find a girl standing before her. Her skin was a soft brown, and her straight black hair fell past her shoulders.

"Who might you be to judge my choices?" Aisha said smoothly, sticking the end of the cigarette back into her mouth.

"Oh, just a girl," she said, "Trying to atone for some past mistakes. Of which weren't made by me."

"And those are...?" Aisha wasn't going to play into her little tricks. She knew perfectly well who this girl was. Lucia Gutierrez. Rosaleen's greatest rival.

"I know all about you and Rosaleen."

Aisha coughed, smoke escaping from her. At this, Lucia's nose scrunched up, but she quickly covered it. 

"Like hell you do," Aisha spat.

"I'm serious. I know how much of a brat she was. It wasn't very subtle. And... I was in the bathroom at the time. You didn't notice me."

Why couldn't everyone just forget? Why did everyone keep bringing it up? Aisha had no idea. She scoffed.

"That's not very nice, is it? Insulting a dead girl? Some... certain people might think that's a little suspicious, too. Just being honest."  

"That's a risk I'm willing to take, but I don't mean it like that. In fact, I want nothing more than to solve the murder."

"That's illegal."

"So is buying cigarettes underage. I'm wouldn't be here if I didn't think you had something to offer."

"Are you accusing me of something? Because if you are, just say it."

"No, no, no," Lucia said smoothly, "I'm looking for help."

Aisha raised her eyebrows when Lucia hesitated, before dropping her cigarette on the ground and pressing her heel on the cinders.

"And I think you might be the one who can give it to me."

◈ ◈ ◈

Newfound partners, Lucia and Aisha found themselves in the library that very afternoon. They had no definitely ideas set up just yet, but they were discussing.