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Cordelia watched on as her best friend stood on stage.
Internally, she had to curse Harry Bingham for talking her into this. Verbally guilting her to how sad he would be if she didn't work the play. Yet despite her refusals and the long hours spent on the production, it was beginning to pay off. It was the annual school play, and even from her place in the curtain, she could tell it was going great. The only thing which could possibly distract from the play itself being the horrid smell.
The stench had come a couple of weeks ago but then, out of nowhere it had just disappeared. The residents of West Ham hadn't gotten that liberty for long, because only a week later, the odor was back, and worse than before.
It really fucking stunk.
Allie's hesitant nudge grabbed her attention as she noticed it was nearing the end of the play.
"Get the curtain," Cordelia ordered. With that, the two girls hastily parted ways, ready to signal the end of the production.
⎯⎯⎯⎯
"You did great." The voice of her sister, Vera Bates, pulled her gaze from the papers she was studying. Cordelia's brows furrowed as she stifled a laugh.
"I stood backstage and pulled a curtain." The younger girl deadpanned. To her words, Vera let herself chuckle at her sister's antics.
"You co-directed a play," she reminded. Cordelia rolled her eyes once again, urging herself to stand. Cordelia clicked her tongue, pulling out her phone to check the time. As the backstage door opened, she scrunched her nose in disgust. Could the class trip come any sooner? She was sure the smell would kill her if it didn't. "Are you coming home with me tonight?"
Cordelia looked to her sister, head cocking. She gave her a reassuring smile. "I think Harry promised to give me a ride home." She checked the time once again. "I'll uh- I'll see you at home." With this, she gave Vera a hug and watched on as Vera left the building.
Once Vera left, she figured, it was time to find Harry.
She noticed Will making a beeline for the dressing rooms.
"Hey, Will have you seen-" But in that instant, as she neared the boy, her words got caught in her throat. Her eyes followed his gaze. "Oh."
Because while she had found Harry, it was definitely not in the way she wanted to. Through the creak in the door sat Kelly, and Harry's head peeked out from under her dress as she noticed the two standing there.
A look of guilt crossed Harry's face upon noticing Cordelia, but before he could even say anything, she was gone.
⎯⎯⎯⎯
That night in the car, Harry noticed how Cordelia said nothing.
This was definitely far from her regular because as he'd known since childhood, Cordelia could talk nearly anyone to death. Anyone except him. And an eerie silence pursued the two as he drove her back home after the party. He noted how this was far from normal too because whenever he had had a party she would always stay over. He dismissed this.
The silence continued to pursue them as they drove down the street she lived on. But when the car stopped, the girl looked towards him.
"Since when are you and Kelly a thing?"
With this, his mouth turned sour. Harry scoffed, looking away from her. "We're not a thing." Yet despite him trying to assure her this, his words came out harsh.
Cordelia went unfazed, eyebrow quirking at his actions. "Really?" He looked to her again, eyes immediately diverting from her gaze.
"Why are you up my ass about this, Cordelia?" He spat.
She let out a chuckle, rolling her eyes as she got out of the car.
"Goodnight Harry," her voice showed nothing, and she wouldn't look at him. Yet as Cordelia walked up to her door without paying a second glance, he began to felt guilty.
Why was he feeling guilty, it wasn't as if they were dating. It wasn't as if she even liked him. So he couldn't understand why she had seemed so frustrated with him. And as she paid him one last glance, Harry let out a sigh.
⎯⎯⎯⎯
"You sure you have everything? Toothbrush? Extra underwear? Tampo-"
Vera Bates rushed to cover her mother's mouth as the three of them stood in front of West Ham high. Cordelia let out a chuckle as she glanced between her mother and sister.
It went unsaid that her father would not be coming. He never came to these types of things, Cordelia had to remind herself. But while she understood both her parents were busy with work, it made her sour to think her father never put in the effort to show up.
"Hey, this is gonna be great!" Vera's cheery voice snapped Cordelia from her thoughts. She sent her sister a smile. "You get to go explore-" Vera was cut off by her mother.
"And you're getting out of this wretched smell." The three shared a look before Cordelia took in a breath, picking her backpack up from the ground.
Her mother pulled her into a hug, patting down her daughters' hair as she savored the moment. "You know I love you." Her muffled words caused the girl to smile and her mother pulled away. She held Cordelia at an arms distance, observing her daughter. "You know your father loves you too." This time, as her words wavered and Cordelia took it upon herself to wrap her mother in another hug. She kissed her on the cheek before pulling away.
Next, Vera tackled her sister, arms grasping at the young girl. Vera pulled away, smoothening her shirt before the two laughed.
"If you need absolutely anything. I will always pick up the phone," Vera reminded beaming at Cordelia. Cordelia rolled her eyes as Vera cut her off before she could even speak. "Even in the middle of the night."
With this, Cordelia stepped away from the two, looking from her mother to her sister. "I love you guys." And as the other students bid their goodbyes to their parents, Cordelia stumbled onto the bus.
Her eyes scanned the bus seats and as she noticed Kelly beside Harry, leaning her head on his shoulder, she turned away. She hadn't spoken to Harry in two days, and she couldn't prevent the odd envious feeling bubbling in her gut. Cordelia bit her lip, eyes focusing on the people in every seat, scanning for someone worthwhile to sit with.
"Dee!" A voice spoke up, grabbing her attention. And as her eyes traveled to the back of the bus where Grizz sat smiling at her, she rushed down the aisle to take a seat beside him. "There's my travel buddy."
Cordelia smiled at the nickname he had given her in kindergarten when they sat together on the bus for their first field trip. They had sat together ever since. "We doing the usual?" She smiled up at him, pulling a set of headphones from her pocket as she offered one up to him.
"You know it."
And as she cozied herself beside him, plugging the headphones into her phone and pressing play on her music, she closed her eyes.
