Thin As Water

9.

"Heya Haze-" Raven stopped abruptly when she realized that Hazel was holding a sobbing girl in her arms. "Daisy?"

Daisy responded by burying her face deeper into Hazel's shoulder.

Raven coughed slightly. "I'll come back, yeah?"

"Wait, Rave, can you get me a cup of water or something? She really needs to drink something and calm down."

Raven went into their bathroom and filled a cup with water, then brought it to Hazel who directed that she set it down on the desk.

"I'll come back in 20 minutes, ok?"

"Ok, thank you Rave."

Raven gave Hazel a smile and left.

Hazel turned her attention back to the girl who was holding onto her like a life raft. "Dai, I need you to tell me what's going on. Take your time, it's ok." She tried to adjust Daisy so that she was sitting up, but when Daisy's bottom touched the bed Daisy let out a yelp.

Hazel frowned. "Did you get in trouble, Daisy?"

Daisy nodded, then shook her head, then hid her face in Hazel's shoulder again.

Hazel sighed and pulled Daisy onto her lap like she used to after she finished giving a spanking. Daisy had gotten taller over the summer so it took a minute, but the familiarity (and the fact that Daisy was no longer contorting her spine to hold onto Hazel) seemed to calm Daisy down. After a few minutes of Hazel rubbing her back, she stopped sobbing and took a few deep breaths.

"That's it Dai, good job." Hazel encouraged.

Daisy opened her mouth to speak but started coughing instead. Hazel reached over to her desk and picked up the glass of water for her friend. Daisy sipped the water shakily.

"Now, can you tell me what this is all about?" Hazel asked gently.

"Lil hates me."

"What?"

"Lil hates me."

"No, I heard you, but why do you think Lilian hates you? I'm sure she doesn't."

Daisy took a deep breath and told Hazel everything. Her joking with Tatum, the fight with Lil, the spanking, and how she'd run out of the room. Once she'd finished, Hazel let out a long sigh.

Daisy looked down. "I'm sorry. She was right, I shouldn't-"

"Stop right there if you please." Hazel gently lifted Daisy's head back up. "Dai, this isn't your fault."

"It is. I shouldn't have said those things."

"Nothing that you said was too out of the question."

"I called Tate a lesbian in front of Lil." 

"Ok, well that might be questionable, but not out of the question."

"What?" 

Hazel cracked a grin. "I have no idea."

Daisy couldn't help but smile for a moment.

"Look, Dai. Lil is, well, she's sensitive to things. I may not know exactly what's going on with her mom, but I do know that her family isn't so used to joking around as your family is. Your father can be serious and strict, but if he is like how he is in class, then he probably has a sense of humor. If James is any indication, that family doesn't have that."

Daisy held back from rolling her eyes. She knew that Hazel had had a crush on James, but her friend was clearly over that at this point. She did see her point, though.

"Lil does have a sense of humor."

"Lilian's humor is very innocent. She doesn't find things funny that you or I might find funny. And I sincerely doubt that her family is tolerant of, well, a lot of things."

"You're right. I shouldn't have-"

"Nope, no apologizing. You are not in the wrong here. Lilian is, I believe, in denial. You're growing up, Dai, and so are your friends. I know you five aren't close anymore. Lil doesn't understand why Tina is changing, and she's taking it out on you. Am I right?"

Daisy sighed. "You're right."

Hazel held back a smirk. "Now, do you feel ready to go back?"

Daisy looked down. "Will you come with me?" She blushed, it sounded so childish.

Hazel pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Of course."

Raven entered the room. "You feeling better, Daisy?"

Daisy let go of Hazel and smiled at Raven. "Yeah. Sorry that I was disturbing you."

"I swear to god Daisy, you apologize one more time and I will call in an intervention." Hazel rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I don't mean to!" Daisy protested, then clapped a hand over her mouth, which caused Hazel and Raven to burst into laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hazel?"

"Yeah?" Hazel turned around a few feet from the door to Daisy and Lilian's dorm to see that Daisy had stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Can...can you go in first and make sure she's, um, calm?"

Hazel nodded in understanding. "Yeah. Of course."

The older girl tapped gently on the door and opened it. In the dimmed light, she could see Lilian lying on her bed, crying into her pillow.

Hazel let out a long sigh, and most of her annoyance at the girl vanished. "Oh, Lil." She walked into the room and sat down gently next to the girl, and started gently rubbing her back. Lil flinched but then relaxed as she saw who it was. 

"Do you know what happened?" Lil hiccuped as she removed her tearstained face from the pillow.

Hazel nodded seriously.

Lil felt tears welling up in her eyes again. "I'm so sorry, Hazel. I didn't mean to lose control."

Hazel put an arm around Lilian and pulled her close. "Shh, it's ok. We all lose control sometimes. I know I did. The creek incident, remember?"

Lil nodded silently. 

"And I fought with Raven loads, and now we, well, we're still friends. It's ok."

Lilian shook her head. "No, it isn't. I abused my powers and Daisy probably hates me now."

"I don't hate you."

Lil looked past Hazel to see Daisy in the doorway. "Daisy, I..." She trailed off and felt the tears spilling down her cheeks.

Daisy came into the room and pulled Lil into a fierce hug. "I know. I forgive you."

When Daisy finally let go and Lil regained her breath, she grabbed a tissue and wiped at her eyes. Suddenly, she paused and turned to Hazel. "Are you going to report me now?"

"Report you?" Daisy asked curiously.

"To the headmistress for abuse. Hazel can do that."

Daisy turned to Hazel in surprise. "You can?"

Hazel nodded seriously. "I can. But I have one question for you, Lilian."

Lil felt her stomach disappear. "Yes miss?"

"Did you report me for swearing after the creek incident?"

Lil looked slightly confused. "No, of course not. You know I didn't, you didn't get in trouble."

Hazel gave Lil a small smile. "Do you remember what you said?"

Lil shook her head. 

"You gave me a second chance. And now, I can finally repay you."

Lil felt a few more tears fall as Hazel pulled both her and Daisy into a hug, but these tears were happy ones.

AN: If I never clarified this, Daisy's father is Hazel's literature professor. Hope that helps make things make sense.

Please leave a comment! And shoutout to @NouKG2 for reading!