Context: The fist attempt at a weekly update! So, I will do my best to keep one chapter ahead as I write and will probably be releasing every Thursday at 10:30 PM CST (So, mark your calendars/j) Other stories will of course be updating with this and I have already completed the fist chapter of SweetCreek Summers, so expect that to be out soon! All the small one-shots I have will also be released, starting with Clove's 16th Birthday driving fic coming out tomorrow!
Also, let me know if anyone wants me to start a tag list for this series. I've never done one before, but since I'm trying to get a schedule going...just let me know (either way is fine with me)
Masterlist
General Content Warnings: Mature, Angst, Possible NSFW, Cursing, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Semi-Violence, Cheating, and Slow Burn
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“We’ve arrived Ms. Min-Sinclair.” Scott said, opening the door as Poppy stepped out. The Rensler building was of decent size, especially for an architect firm located in the busier parts of New York.
Conveniently, it was somewhat close to Pulse and Poppy wondered how she never noticed that before. Straightening her jacket that was draped on her shoulders, Poppy instructed Scott to drive off and return in three hours. If Poppy knew anything, this meeting was going to last for quite some time.
She made her way into the large skyscraper, waving to the receptionist and immediately taking the elevator up to the 15th floor.
Some dinky elevator music was playing in the background as Poppy tapped her foot insistently, glaring at the doors before catching herself and taking a deep breath. This was going to be fine.
Bea was working for her now. Poppy had complete control of whatever happens to her building and Bea would only have to comply. It was going to be professional.
“Excuse me, Ms.?” A voice called out as Poppy lifted her head, snapping out of her thoughts and looking at a woman with a tight bun on her head. Her round cheeks were puffed with powder as she smiled wide. “Can I help you?” She asked as Poppy shook her head gently, stepping out of the elevator and approaching the woman.
“I’m here for a meeting with…Bea Hughes.” Poppy said, tapping her nail on the wood of the desk as the woman typed away on her computer. She picked up the phone a second later, stealing glances at Poppy who licked her lips.
Glancing around the office, it looked like each floor only had about five or six offices with at least two architects in each. It was no joke that Rensler was one of the best architect firms in the country, even expanding into a Canadian branch if Poppy remembered correctly.
A familiar voice came through the line as Poppy perked at the tone. It sounded like Bea, just as the receptionist hung up, looking at Poppy with a smile.
“You can go ahead and take the elevator up to floor 32. Your meeting will take place there.” She smiled, waving goodbye as Poppy thanked her, walking back to the elevator and hitting the button.
The building wasn’t as tall as Poppys, but it was considerably large for one firm to own. Kath Rensler did not mess around.
Finally, the elevator dinged to the 32nd floor, Poppy stepping off and approaching a large set of double doors. She raised her hand to knock, only to be hit with wind and the faint scent of cologne before she was looking up into Bea’s eyes.
She trailed her eyes a little further down, noting the silk designer vest and white dress shirt Bea wore, paired with black slacks and simple shoes. She had even brushed her typical wild brown hair out of her eyes, displaying her scared eyebrow as she cleared her throat.
Poppy shook herself out of her trance. She was going to be professional about this.
Shrugging out of her coat, Poppy pushed it into Bea’s hands as she walked past her, ignoring the cologne Bea had worn since Belvoire as she walked into the office.
Poppy was momentarily stunned. Bea was at best an experienced architect, but her office was one for a senior or manager. It had a gorgeous view of New York and was perfectly pristine.
Poppy walked around a little, noting the mini-bar, the T.V, the huge table, and the desk off to the side. It even had a balcony attached that probably took up most of the floor. She approached the table, sliding a single nail over the surface before she glanced up to where Bea stood.
She still held Poppy’s coat, looking down at it before shaking her head. “Please, come in.” Bea mumbled as she walked to the side where a small closet sat. Bea grabbed one of the hangers, placing Poppy’s coat on it and hanging it up before turning towards her.
She didn’t look Poppy in the eyes, instead, walking around towards the table and standing opposite of Poppy. Bea looked down at the designs, tapping a short nail on the surface as they stood in silence.
That lasted for a bit. No words between the two, only an awkward amount of tension that made Poppy grow more and more uncomfortable. She would have to do something to fix this.
“Hughes.” Poppy said a minute later as Bea’s head shot up. She looked at Poppy like she remembered the nickname well, before turning away. “I’m going to set some ground rules.” Poppy said sternly, picking up one of Bea’s designs from the table and looking it over.
“...Ground rules?” Bea asked as Poppy nodded.
“I want Rensler’s work, but… I don’t want to work with you.” Poppy stated as Bea winced slightly, before looking Poppy straight in the eye with a hard glare.
“Kath isn’t going to kick me off this project. Even if you did try a couple of days ago.”
“Yes, she made that clear when she accepted the contract.” Poppy mumbled as she set down the design of her building. “So, we’re going to place some ground rules so this experience can be a little more bearable.”
“...What kind of ground rules?”
“For starters, we don’t talk about Belvoire. Ever.” Poppy said as she glanced at her nails. “I want every meeting we have here to be strictly professional. Meaning no discussion about the Sterling party, Belvoire, or anything in the past.”
“...I agree.” Bea said as she left the large table, walking over to her desk and taking a seat. “Anything else?” Bea asked as she clicked her monitor to life. Poppy moved too, walking closer to the desk and taking a seat on one of the chairs sitting in front of the desk. She crossed her legs as Bea looked away.
“You’re not going to know anything in my personal life. Whatever you know about me, it should only be work-related.”
“The same goes for me then.” Bea replied, taking a pencil off the desk and twirling it between her fingers.
“Good, then that settles it.” Poppy said as Bea leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling before lowering herself back down and glancing at Poppy.
“Not quite. I’ve got some rules of my own.” Bea said as Poppy raised a sharp brow.
“You realize you work for me, correct?” Poppy asked as Bea nodded, threading her fingers together as she looked at Poppy.
“Yes, and I’m starting to be okay with that, but I’ve got some things I need you to respect.”
Poppy didn’t respond, looking at Bea who was staring at her with a serious expression on her face.
“You’re going to stop trying to get me kicked off this project. Don’t use your lawyers to find some loophole or dirt on me cause it’s not going to happen.” Bea said as Poppy scoffed, leaning back in her chair as she glared at Bea.
“It’s only because you’re inexperienced.”
“Bullshit.” Bea stated, sternly pronouncing the word as Poppy scrunched her nose.
“You’re taking that tone with me?” She asked as Bea shrugged.
“You tried to get me fired only a few minutes into the deal. Besides, you’re used to playing dirty.” Bea stated as Poppy scoffed again.
“You’re already making this unpleasant, Hughes.” Poppy warned as she drummed her fingers against the arm’s chair.
“The rules haven’t started yet and if you expect me to comply with yours, you have to comply with mine.”
Bea leaned back, looking at Poppy with an unrecognizable gaze. It seemed she had changed from Belvoire.
“I’m not inexperienced. Kath has already told you and you’ve seen my work. Something tells me you don’t want to work with me because of something else.”
“That’s ridiculous. Don’t make false assumptions.”
“Don’t get me kicked off this project. You won’t be happy with anyone else’s designs.”
“Stop that.” Poppy growled, tightening her grip on the armchair as Bea raised a sharp brow. “I picked this company because of its reputation, not because of you or your designs. You don’t know what I like or what I want Hughes. I suggest you start speaking differently towards me now that I’m your boss.”
Bea swallowed tightly. It probably wasn’t a good idea to try and challenge Poppy, even if they were setting ground rules at the moment. She nodded a second later, tilting her head lower as she took a deep breath.
“...Sorry, you’re right. Look,” Bea grabbed a spare piece of paper from her drawer, scribbling on the surface and writing down some things.
Poppy watched in curiosity and annoyance as Bea finally pulled away, holding out the paper that looked like a mini contract. Poppy raised a sharp brow at the stupidness of the situation.
“Your terms.” She pointed at the top. “My terms.” She pointed at the bottom, sliding the sheet to Poppy. “Sign your name and then we can start.”
“This is childish Hughes.” Poppy said, looking down at the make-shift contract with little enthusiasm.
“Do you want the ground rules or not? I’m trying to make this simple.” Bea mumbled, sliding Poppy a pen as she took it slowly.
Written down in black ink, everything from their conversation was included as Poppy rolled her eyes, scribbling down her name on the sheet before pushing it back to Bea. “Just so you know, this will definitely be going on my review of the company.”
Bea rolled her eyes, signing her own name on the mini-contract before sliding it back in her desk. “Whatever, now we have ground rules. Strictly professional. You get what you want and I get what I want.”
“And what exactly do you want?” Poppy asked. She wasn’t dying to know, but it seemed like Bea really needed this project for something.
“Ah, sentence number seven, no personal questions.”
“Sentence number twelve, work-related matters only.” Poppy challenged as Bea scoffed, spinning in her chair as she looked away from Poppy.
“...Kath has me in line for a promotion. I’m not telling you which one, but if you’re satisfied with the project, I get a new title.” Bea concluded as she spun back. Poppy wasn’t entirely sure on how Kath gave out promotions, but it was probably a big deal if Bea was this serious about it.
Though, what did she know? This Bea was new to her.
“Right, well, let’s get started then.” Poppy mumbled as Bea nodded, pulling up some files on her computer and turning it towards Poppy.
“Good, I’ve already looked into some designs and how we can do this efficiently. I figure we group the floors by a certain characteristic you want each to have. We should-”
“No, we’re looking at each floor individually.” Bea paused her clicking, looking at Poppy who was expressionless.
“...Pardon?” Bea asked, pursing her lips as Poppy pointed a silver finger nail at the monitor.
“I’m not half-assing this project Hughes. We start from the bottom and we’ll work our way up.”
Bea threaded her fingers together and judging by the way she adjusted herself in her chair, she was already fed up with Poppy. So quickly too. The tips of her ears that could be seen through her hair were a faint red as Poppy re-crossed her legs.
“Let me get this straight, you want to go over every single floor design of a fifty-six story building and want to ‘okay’ each one?”
“Yes.” Poppy stated plainly.
“Are you insane?” Bea subconsciously asked before she snapped her mouth shut, dragging a palm over her features before shaking her head. “I mean, surely you don’t want to go into that much detail for every floor.”
“I surely do. I didn’t work myself to death for a measly architect to tell me what I want for my building. If you can’t do it, I’ll take my business elsewhere.” Poppy said. It was kind of a low blow considering Bea obviously needed to keep her as a client, but Poppy didn’t care. She was tired of people telling her how to run her company and she certainly didn’t need someone to tell her how to design it as well.
“No, just… gotta give me a minute to strategize.” Bea mumbled as she stood from her chair, walking over to her large table in the middle as she sifted through papers. Poppy turned to look at her, pointedly avoiding looking at Bea’s figure as the girl continued to sort through papers. It seemed like a master’s program and life in an architect firm didn’t do much to destroy her figure.
Clearing her throat, Bea came back to her desk, taking a seat and looking at Poppy.
“We’ll start with what you want. You’re the boss.” Bea said in a rather sarcastic tone as Poppy rolled her eyes. She’d have to ignore some things she supposed.
Bea held out a small design of the floor plan for the first floor. It only mapped out entrances, placement of an elevator that was subject to change, and window areas.
“I’m assuming this will be your lobby.” Bea said, pointing at the design with a pencil. Poppy nodded, leaning closer to get a better look as Bea traced a path from the main entrance towards the elevator.
“You’ll probably want to section off parts of this area to make way for any security measures you want and possibly-” She circled a spot in the middle of the design. “You’ll want to install some type of desk here for your receptionist.”
Bea went on, going through sections of the first floor of what Poppy could expect. She included the spots for possible bathrooms, sections where emergency stairs could be installed and a possible replacement of the elevator or the addition of one.
When the area was fully mapped, Bea pulled back, smiling as she looked down at the floor plan. “That should cover the first floor.” She said, holding the sheet out to Poppy who slowly took it.
Bea leaned back in her chair. If only all of the floors could be designed so easily and quickly.
Poppy looked it over, before she took both ends up the paper and ripped them apart. Bea promptly fell back on her feet, staring in shock as Poppy placed the torn design back on Bea’s desk.
“Start over.” She stated as Bea glanced down at the shredded papers.
“Excuse me?”
“Are you hard of hearing Hughes? I said start over, I didn’t like the design.”
“Wait a minute. That design was flawless. It was like every other design I’ve-”
“And that’s the problem.” Poppy moved out of her chair, walking away from Bea who reached to pick up the torn pieces of her design. She stood by the large window, back turned towards Bea who glanced at her.
“I don’t want this building to have the look of every other building you’ve designed. Didn’t Rensler and you promise to deliver something unique?”
“For a lobby?” Bea snapped, trying to calm her voice as Poppy looked over her shoulder at Bea. A chill ran down Bea’s spine as she swallowed hard.
“If you see this as just some lobby, maybe I should have picked Pillson instead.” Poppy responded as Bea groaned.
This…this was going to be a nightmare.
-------------------------------------------
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Poppy demanded, standing on top of the staircase and glaring down at Bea who was conveniently holding bags of dry cleaning. Poppy’s dry cleaning. “Where the hell is Taylor and what did you do to her?”
Bea rolled her eyes, setting the dry cleaning on a table while also balancing a cup of froyo in her hands. “She had a big test and I decided to help her out.” Bea smiled, holding up the froyo towards Poppy who scoffed.
“You’re deranged if you think I would ever accept anything from your filthy farm hands.”
“Fine, not like this is real food anyway.” Bea ruffled in her bag, placing the fro-yo to the side and pulling out a small plastic box. She lifted the top, revealing a large amount of fries as she placed a few in her mouth.
“What the hell are you eating? You did not bring that starchy substance into the Zeta house.” Poppy walked down the stairs, glaring at Bea who was still chewing on her fries.
“Um, I did and they’re delicious, thank you.” She held the box out to Poppy who reeled back. “Oh, you’re afraid of a potato now?”
“I want you out of this house.”
“Sorry, I told Taylor I’d help her out. That included…” Bea whipped out her phone, scrolling with one thumb as Poppy glanced at her. Bea was wearing a short sleeve black top, revealing the string of chinese characters on her right and left bicep with a large red plum blossom branch on her right forearm. Poppy gulped. She wasn’t a fan of tattoos, but surprisingly, they looked extremely natural on Bea.
“Taking up your dry cleaning, giving you your fake froyo, making sure you take your pills, and walking you to class.” Bea smiled, pocketing her phone and looking down at Poppy. “But I didn’t agree to the name calling, so save your insults.” Bea stated, taking another fry from her container before closing the top.
“You must be insane if you think I would let you in my bedroom.” Poppy growled as Bea picked up the bag of dry cleaning with ease. Taylor usually had to drag it upstairs.
“Well, you can take this up yourself if you want.” Bea said, holding it out to Poppy who only glared at it. Like she would drag that bag up the Zeta stairs.
“Did you forget about what I said the other day?” Poppy demanded, stomping her diamond-encrusted heel against the tile as Bea raised a sharp brow.
“About making me regret enrolling at Belvoire?” Bea asked as if it weren’t a threat. “I remember and hate to break it to you, but I literally don’t care.” Bea shrugged, walking past Poppy and stepping up the Zeta stairs.
Poppy let her jaw hang for a second before snapping it shut and chasing Bea up the stairs. “You don’t think I was serious Hughes? I would have already committed murder by now if it weren’t illegal and orange was my color.” Poppy hissed as Bea turned around on the staircase, smiling down at Poppy who took a step back, but almost lost her balance.
She steadied herself quickly, but not before she noticed Bea jump a little, reaching out before she dropped her hand. Poppy smirked before she schooled her expression.
“I don’t believe that.” Bea said simply as Poppy glared at her.
“You don’t believe me when I say I want you gone and six feet under?”
“No, I believe that. I don’t believe orange isn’t your color.” She smirked as Poppy felt her face heat in anger.
“You stupid-” Bea continued walking up the stairs, skipping some steps with her long legs as Poppy moved quickly to keep up. Arriving on the third story, Bea stopped, glancing around the closed doors before she walked up towards the largest one, concealed by a shiny ivory paneling.
She pushed it open by its gold handle, revealing Poppy’s room which was painted in gold and white.
Bea whistled under her breath, walking around the area as Poppy finally caught up with her. “Get out of my room!” She hissed as Bea placed the bags on Poppy’s bed. She glanced around, noting Poppy’s couch in the corner, her pristine desk, and her queen sized bed. Judging by the size of the room, she probably had a huge bathroom and closet too.
“Being the president of Zeta has its perks, huh?” Bea asked, smiling over at Poppy who was crossing her arms angrily.
“Go to hell.”
“I thought I was already here.” Bea mumbled to herself, walking around and stopping near Poppy’s desk. A few papers were scattered on top, but otherwise, the desk was clean with only a single pencil placed on the side.
Bea reached into her pocket, pulling out a bottle of pills that were Poppys as she turned back towards the girl.
“Dry cleaning, done. Froyo, unsuccessful but I’m not going to feed you. Pills, again, not going to feed you.” Bea pulled back out her phone, checking off the list as she pocketed it again. “Time for class.”
“What the fuck? I am not a dog. Taylor is my assistant and I’m firing her when she gets back.”
“Well, not my problem if your schedule is so sectioned.” Bea mumbled, tapping her fingers against Poppy’s desk. “...I’m serious though, I’m not going to cower around you Poppy.”
She turned towards Poppy, stepping closer as the girl uncrossed her arms. “You can try to get me kicked out of Belvoire, but I’m not leaving. Your reign is over.”
“You think you could have my job? The students of Belvoire are going to eat you alive.” Poppy snapped as Bea smiled.
“That’s the difference between you and me. I don’t need the students to fear me, but that’s the only way any of them would even give you a second look.” Poppy growled, taking a sharp step forward and glaring up at Bea.
“You think you’re unique Hughes? These idiots like shiny things to play with until it gets a little wet and all of the rust shows.”
“Lucky for you, rust takes awhile to show and I’ve got time to stick around.” Bea reached forward, Poppy taking a step back as Bea curled a piece of Poppy’s blonde hair around her slim finger. She let it fall as it curled.
“We’ve got time, Poptart.” Bea said as Poppy snapped out of her trance, looking at Bea as Poppy pushed her hair back. She was fuming at the condescending nickname as she sharply inhaled.
“Time for what?” She hissed.
“Enough time for you and I to keep this going and see what happens.” She said as Poppy barked out a laugh.
“The only thing that is going to happen is you leaving my room and leaving me the fuck alone.”
“So you don’t purposefully bump into me almost every day in the quad?”
“Where would you get that messed up delusion?”
Bea sighed, patting her pocket with a smile. “Taylor gave me your schedule. It’s almost the complete opposite of mine, but you apparently wait in the quad for a while.”
“I’m the queen of Belvoire. I need to make my rounds around campus.”
“And I just happen to be out of class for it.”
Poppy rolled her eyes so far back, Bea wondered if they would get stuck inside that fascinating brain of hers.
“The world doesn’t stop when you’re not the center of attention, Hughes. Maybe next semester you should take a course on how to be humble for once.” Poppy quipped back as Bea laughed. She took a step back from Poppy, swinging on one foot as she glanced around the room again. Oddly enough, for a Queen, Bea would have thought that there would be… more to her room.
It was pretty, sure, but it certainly didn’t look very lived in. The bed was neatly made, the closet was stacked full of clothes, shoes, and designer bags, but other than that, Bea didn’t see a single photo in sight.
When Bea had got to her dorm, she decorated it to her heart’s content. Hanging up some pictures she bought and even framing a couple of her mom and dad so she wouldn't get too homesick. Those had to be stored somewhere besides Bea’s desk since it actually made her more homesick.
Poppy’s space was clean, organized to perfection, and looked a little too robotic for Bea’s liking.
“Yeesh, you should hire an interior designer or something, Your space looks pretty empty.”
“I don’t like useless gadgets.” Poppy commented, brushing off her pink fur jacket as she straightened her white blouse. “Now, leave my room.”
“You mean you don’t want to braid each other’s hair and tell each other about our crushes? I thought that’s what you and Taylor did all the time.”
Poppy held back a gag, walking over to her door and widening it in case the message wasn’t clear to Bea. “Again, Taylor is my assistant, not my friend.”
“You don’t seem like you have many friends who like your company Poppy.” Bea smirked, walking closer to her as she leaned against the door. She towered over Poppy, smiling softly down at the blonde who only glared.
“Your idea of friends and mine are completely different SweetCreek. Unlike you, I know how to use people to my advantage, meanwhile, you swim around with deadweight.”
“Right, Zoey is deadweight while you hang out with five Alpha bros who make up one brain cell together.” Bea smiled, leaning a little further down as Poppy scowled, smelling Bea’s soap as she cleared her throat. She smelled like oranges and Poppy was definitely not immune to the tangy scent.
“New Money is deadweight. The Alphas at least have some influence on this campus while Wade is swimming with the fishes.” Poppy retorted as Bea shrugged.
“Well, when we come for your crown, don’t come crying to me.”
“Like Wade would even break the top 100. You and her are both jokes to Belvoire’s good name.”
“Good name? You treat students who weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouths like trash. I think you sullied Belvoire’s good name a long time ago.”
“News flash, SweetCreek. If you ever do overthrow me which is effing unlikely, the system will go back to how it was when you graduate. You aren’t going to change anything.” Poppy punctuated every word as Bea glanced to the side. She actually looked like she was considering Poppy’s words, before she sharply inhaled and the cocky smile returned to her face.
“Maybe you’re right Poppy, but change has to start somewhere. So, I’d like to present a proposal to you.”
Bea leaned even closer, gently touching Poppy’s chin with her pointer finger as Poppy reeled back slightly. The touch sent all kinds of feelings through Poppy as she willed them down. She was about to cuss her out as Bea stood up straighter.
“I’m giving you the chance to back down. You and I don’t have to do this and it certainly won’t have to get dirty, unless… you’re into that.”
Was… was she flirting? Poppy stared at her dumbfounded as she tightened her grip on the door handle. “You have got to be one of the most idiotic people I have ever met. I’m not backing down from anything Hughes.” She let go of the door knob, stabbing a finger against Bea’s chest.
“I have sacrificed everything for this title and some measly farmhand is not going to steal this from me. You’ll be lucky to even step foot in the Zeta house when I’m done with you.”
Bea pursed her lips, before widening her eyes a little. She didn’t look intimidated in the slightest, in fact, she looked like she was having fun. “So, rushing Zeta is out of the question?”
Poppy’s temper snapped, letting out a shriek as Bea took a startled step back. “ARGH!” She screamed as a few of the Zeta girls ran into her bedroom. Bea only waved to them as they stared in confusion before Bea blushed red at the scene that Poppy had made.
“Hey, look at the time. See you later Pops.” Bea smiled, rushing past Poppy who whirled to watch the brunette go.
“Who the fuck does she think she is?!” Poppy screamed as the Zeta girls all shrank back. Poppy heard the downstairs door slam, probably Bea rushing out with a shit-eating grin on her face, believing that she had finally gotten to Poppy.
Poppy walked back to her door, slamming it in the Zeta girl’s faces as Poppy’s hands curled into fists. She wanted to seriously punch something, specifically Bea Hughes’ stupid face, but instead Poppy sharply inhaled, taking a seat on her bed as she glared at the floor.
She couldn’t lose her title. She wouldn't lose her title. Especially to a nobody like Bea Hughes who was too charming, flirtatious, and cocky for her own good. Physical attraction aside, Poppy had had it with the brunette.
She needed to think of a game plan soon before Bea and Wade infected the whole school with their goody-goody act.
“Oh my gosh, please let this end.” Bea mumbled, leaning against her table as she was currently surrounded by multiple pieces of shredded paper and several pencils that were worn down to their nubs.
She had ditched the stupid blue vest, forgoing looking professional as she had rolled up her sleeves high on her arms, exposing her sleeves of tattoos as she wiped her forehead. Pulling away, Bea was sweating even though the room was well-conditioned.
Poppy had gone to the restroom, leaving Bea alone in her office as she promptly began to curse when Poppy left.
After the first rip of the lobby design, she had ripped about four more, each one taking Bea longer to suggest and each one increasing Bea’s desire to strangle Poppy. She was being impossible, over a freaking lobby design.
Bea walked to her desk, the monitor flashing the time which read 7:00 PM. They had been at this for five hours already and Bea wanted to go home since her dog sitter/neighbor, Polly, would be heading to her shift at 8:30 PM.
Bea slid open the bottom drawer, pulling out a lollipop from a large bag as she unwrapped it. She liked to have something in her mouth to keep her busy instead of nibbling on her pencil or pens. It was a bad habit and luckily she had a speedy metabolism so lollipops for days.
Poppy returned to the office, looking stylish and obviously unaffected by the temperature shift in the room as she reclaimed her spot near the center table.
She picked up a design, Bea expecting her to shred that one too, but instead Poppy set it to the side, leaning lower near the table and looking it over carefully.
Fiddling with the lollipop in her mouth, Bea slowly walked back over to the table. So far, for the past two hours, it had just been Bea agreeing with whatever Poppy said and complying to her every wish. The ground rules were in place and Bea was following them. Though, she was always good at following rules set by Poppy.
Maybe she remembered that….
Bea mentally slapped herself, hitting her stupid brain as she cleared her throat. “Did… did you like that design?” Bea asked as Poppy glanced up at her.
Her eyes were the first thing Bea noticed. Always a gorgeous brown that Bea always liked. She was never a fan of the desire to have blue or green eyes. In fact, Bea always liked either deep brown eyes or light brown ones. Magically, Poppy’s eyes felt like both at once.
Then her lips, a gorgeous rosy color that she probably hasn’t changed since Belvoire. If she remembered correctly, it tasted like strawberry and it had the ability to make Bea feel like she was living on a cloud.
Lastly, Bea noticed her hair. The long blonde locks had grown even longer, parted stylish down the middle with long slightly curled bangs that framed her narrow face well. She had kept up with dying it continuously and somehow, it didn’t look dry or thin at all. It looked all too natural on her.
She was probably the most gorgeous girl that Bea had ever seen in her life and she had seen quite a few women in her time, yet none of them matched up to Poppy.
The thoughts should have never occurred, but Bea couldn't help it. It was Poppy and Bea… Bea still knew her like the back of her hand. No matter how hard Bea wanted to forget.
“This one is… better.” Poppy said, picking up the paper and handing it to Bea. She was obviously unaware of how Bea had been analyzing her and that was for the best. Bea didn’t need to be labeled as creepy in front of the blonde.
She took the paper, looking it over and reaching for another piece. She scribbled some more designs, before handing it back to Poppy whose eyes lit up.
“This is…good.” She concluded, smiling softly at the paper as Bea let out a deep sigh.
“Great. The lobby is good then?” Bea asked as Poppy nodded.
“Yes, I think this is… perfect.” She admitted before setting the design to the side. She glanced at her expensive watch, eyebrows raising before she looked up at Bea. “I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” She said as Bea nodded, sucking on her cherry lollipop as she glanced outside.
New York had already begun to set as the city was a little darker now, lights taking over as Bea sighed. “Yea, if we start on the next one, we might be here all night.”
“You have plans somewhere?” Poppy asked, before she paused. “You don’t have to answer that.” She said, obviously remembering their ground rules as Bea shrugged.
“No, I’ve got a dog sitter right now and I have to get home to take my pups on a walk. It’s not really that personal.” Bea said as she walked over to her desk, moving the mouse to shut off her computer.
“Alright, then we can schedule another meeting in a few days. My assistant should send you the details regarding the contractor.”
“Got it, he already has actually. Very speedy that guy.” Bea said, noticing a couple of new emails in her inbox as Poppy nodded. She tapped her sharp nails against the table, awkwardly standing there as Bea glanced at her.
“Your coat.” Bea said quickly as Poppy turned to look at her. Bea stood, making her way to the small closet and pulling out Poppy’s tan velvet coat. “Here’s your coat.” Bea said, holding it out to Poppy who walked up to her.
She took it, carefully avoiding Bea’s hands as she glanced up at the brunette. They locked eyes for a split second before Poppy sharply inhaled. “Alright, I’ll be scheduling another meeting in a few days. Good night Hughes.”
Poppy headed towards the door as Bea clenched her fist. She pocketed her hands, spinning on her shoe as she watched Poppy leave, coat hanging from her arm as Bea called out.
“Do I have to call you Ms. Min-Sinclair?” Bea asked as Poppy stopped herself from pushing open the double doors. “It’s really long to say and…” She really didn’t have many other reasons, but every time Bea had to stop herself from saying Poppy’s name during their meeting, she felt herself die a little more. It was an obnoxiously long name for Bea to continuously say and… she had never said it before till now.
Poppy glanced behind her, looking over at Bea carefully before shaking her head. “It would be best if you addressed me as Ms. Min-Sinclair.” Poppy stated as Bea’s face fell slightly.
“Got it, sorry for asking. You can… You can call me Bea though.” She said as Poppy stiffened slightly.
A moment of silence passed between them, before Poppy pushed open the doors. “Goodnight Hughes.” Poppy said, answering Bea’s question as she let the office doors close with a thump.
Bea stood alone in her office now, facing a very uncomfortable air of silence as she slowly ran a hand over her features. She went towards the mini closet, grabbing her messenger bag as she walked over to the table littered with architect designs.
She threw a couple in her bag, specifically picking up the one that Poppy had okayed and placing it carefully in a folder. She would have to do a lot of communicating with the contractors so it would be best if she prepared for that.
Walking over to her desk, Bea ensured everything was off as she opened up some drawers to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. Sitting in a drawer was the contract she had made Poppy sign. In perfect cursive, Poppy had signed her name, Bea’s right next to hers as she picked it up.
The contract was going to be harder to follow than Bea had thought. It was a little impossible to not be curious about Poppy's personal life. It had been two years after all and there was little news in the media about it.
Sighing, Bea placed the contract back on the desk, shutting it tight before she walked away from the desk. She walked up the small steps, flicking off the overhead lights and shutting the door, locking it tight, and heading towards the elevator. She was exhausted, but she needed to take the dogs out and also needed to cook some dinner.
It was hopefully going to be an uneventful night considering the day she had.
-------------------------------------------------
Poppy stood in her elevator, holding her coat close to her chest as she sighed.
That meeting obviously could have gone better, but at least it was somewhat bearable after the ground rules were set.
She didn’t enjoy it, but she didn’t want to run towards the hill after speaking with Bea for more than thirty minutes. She had even left satisfied by one of Bea’s designs, though, she probably made it harder than she should have.
Honestly, Poppy felt a little bad with how harsh she had acted with the designs Bea had made. Some were obviously gorgeous and Poppy would have been fine with them, but if Bea promised complete satisfaction… she should have expected this.
The elevator reached her floor as she stepped in. Tevon was still sitting at the front desk, glancing up at Poppy nervously as she entered.
“Ms. Min-Sinclair, I should-”
“I'm too tired tonight Tevon. I’m just going to complete some work and then head home. You can retire early.” She interrupted the boy who stood to take her coat.
She handed it to him, cutting him off as she opened her office door, instantly hit by a familiar scent of strong cologne as she glanced inside, holding back a gag as her eyes widened.
Standing in the center of the room with a bouquet of roses in hand, Don cockily smiled, hair sticking straight up as he puffed out his chest.
“I’m sorry to disturb you so late in the evening doll, but there’s something I’ve got to tell you.”
This is a one-shot Boppy fic inspired by@timetravesty canon (yes, I consider their fics the real canon).
Disclaimer: This fic is not connected to @timetravesty au but is influenced by and based on it. Also, I'm new to writing so don't expect much.
I make fanfics and scenarios using songs or ost, so I recommend that you listen to the linked songs when it appears before you read the following parts. I already expect that the sound cues of the ost will not align with the scene, so I encourage you to play out the scene again just by listening using your imagination. The ost themselves are great on their own to make you feel when a particular scene starts to happen or ends (how it plays out), but either way I'll just add some notes for guidance. Please do tell me if it's unnecessary to do if ever I make another fanfic.
"We'll just head out for a night walk!" Bea exclaimed as she put on her coat and opened the door for Poppy. "Okay, don't stay out too late, or we'll lock you out!" Momma Hughes replied from the kitchen.
The pair stepped out, taking in the night's cold breeze in SweetCreek. Bea stares at Poppy's back as the latter walks in front of her, obviously occupied with thoughts. Well, her family did just bombard them with questions; it's the first time Bea took Poppy to her hometown, after all.
Dinner was... fine; it was definitely bearable before the "future plans" question. The Hughes went gaga over Poppy's arrival, treating her like a princess visiting a mere family's farm and possibly the first woman Bea introduced at home in a long time.
Bea can't count how many times her family voiced out that Poppy's so pretty and how she did a great catch. She can't blame them. Bea still can't believe she wakes up to that face every day. They talked about how they met, not including their first meeting in Belvoire. How Poppy's a big CEO and Bea was just her architect. Of course, the whole family loved it, to the point that they asked the question the couple's been avoiding this entire time.
"When are you guys getting married?"
Bea sighs heavily before walking faster to keep up with the blonde. She takes her hand, gripping it softly but firmly. The act caused Poppy to get out of her head and look at the brunette now by her side. She feels a gentle press on her hand as she processes Bea's guilty eyes.
"I'm sorry about dinner. It went a little overboard and-" Bea stopped as Poppy cupped her right cheek and smiled. "It's okay. I guess they got a little too excited."
It's the same smile that infiltrated Bea's heart and thoughts, haunting her multiple nights. Making her long for the queen, who everyone thought was heartless.
Bea mirrored the gesture, then moved forward while still holding Poppy's hand, "Come on, let me take you somewhere special."
They went off track and passed through the fences. It's scary, especially for Poppy, since they're passing through a thick forest in the dark.
"Where are we going, Hughes? I swear if I come back home with mosquito bites and ah-!" A sharp sound echoed.
Poppy instantly hugged Bea's whole arm and closed her eyes against her shoulder. Bea laughs, "Relax, Pops, I just stepped on a stick."
Poppy looked up and glared at her before smacking her arm. "Ow!" Bea cried and rubbed the pain lingering on her sidearm. The blonde tried to lead the way or find any direction that may possibly save their lives but failed. She does, however, find this day to be her last if they stay here.
Bea's just entertained how the princess is trying to find a way out with horror on her face. They were in the middle of the forest without any light or path to follow, so it was only natural.
"I can carry you there if you want," Bea offered and pointed at her back. It was dark, but she could still resemble Poppy rolling her eyes and expression.
Even though she considered accepting the offer, right now, she just wants this to be over with. "Just take me away from here, idiot; I don't see special anywhere. Unless I actually went here with a serial killer." Poppy scowled.
Bea just chuckled and led her by the hand once again. "Just trust me. You won't regret it."
Poppy just followed, now the one staring at the figure's back. The statement made her wonder, when did she truly regret going with Bea?
Never.
Bea is the only person she trusts that makes her genuinely happy.
Even if it means walking with her in a dark, creepy forest at the moment.
"We're almost there..." Bea announced, not hiding her excitement about reaching their destination. "We're here!"
Poppy couldn't see properly since it was blocked by the taller frame, but she detected the decrease in trees. Bea notices and steps out of her way, letting go of her hand as Poppy takes in the scenery before her, subconsciously stepping forward.
It's an open field surrounded by trees and a beautiful lake that reflects the shining moon above them perfectly.
Poppy was speechless, proving once again that Bea Hughes does not disappoint.
The brunette smirked and seated an arm over her shoulder. "I knew you'd like it." She then placed a kiss on Poppy's head, proud that she took them here.
Poppy held the arm around her as she faced the owner. "What? Who said I liked it? For all I know, there might be insects swarming around my legs right now."
"Oh, there are." Bea declared, then spun the lady around fiercely but safely. Poppy was startled and confused by her sudden actions and was about to turn around to express anger, but suddenly, the ground lit up.
(The orchestra drops here)
Fireflies emerge from below. Lighting up the surroundings slowly but surely. Poppy shifts left and right, ensuring it's real, not wanting to miss anything. The hem of her dress brushed the tips of the grass as she spun around, causing more lights to come out. Despite hating bugs, Poppy tries to reach out to the fireflies flying out to the lake in the moon's direction.
It was a sight so magical, she had to make sure it was real. Then it hit her, turning to the person that brought her here. Bea was frozen in place as her heart stopped when brown eyes met hers.
Bea already anticipated this. She discovered this place when she got lost in the woods back then. Thankful it happened until now.
What she didn't expect was how someone made it a million times better.
The love of her life, with the right smile, the right lighting, the right...everything. If only she could stop time.
They stared at each other long enough that the fireflies disappeared into the sky. But they don't care because the most beautiful thing right now is her.
Poppy rushed to kiss Bea, and the latter caught her flawlessly by the waist. The perfect kiss in the perfect moment.
Poppy stops and moves slightly away. With her arms around her neck and forehead against each other, she holds Bea's gaze and speaks...
"I love you, Bea." She confessed with all sincerity.
(Song stops here...)
Expecting a reply, the Asian was taken aback when Bea let her go and went beside the lake.
Poppy watches intently, wondering what's wrong as she meets the brunette's back once again.
Without the fireflies around, the only light that shines is the moon that lies in front of Bea.
Poppy stepped closer but halted, "I talked to your parents last week."
Bea said, still looking in front and admiring the moon's reflection. The sudden mention of her parents made Poppy feel uneasy.
The last conversation she had with them was her declaring that they stay away from her and that with or without their acknowledgment, she chooses Bea Hughes.
It's no secret that her parents disapprove of her relationship, let alone her sexual identity. That's why it took her a while to understand and accept that what she felt for Bea was not as "shallow" as she thought it was.
Even though Poppy acts strong and cold most of the time, Bea knows she still cares about her parents; and how much it would mean to her for them to support their relationship.
That's why Bea didn't pop the question just yet.
"What did you talk about?" The woman behind her asked.
"You." Bea looked over her shoulder to see her reaction. As she expected, Poppy takes this seriously.
Bea turned fully to confront her current girlfriend, eager to know what she had to say.
"I'm serious, Bea." Now face-to-face, Bea softens her look and walks closer to her.
"I am. You wanna know everything?"
Poppy just nodded, so Bea proceeded to explain.
"I asked for their time, and they agreed-"
"Lies, they wouldn't let you talk to them that easily." Poppy interrupted.
Bea takes note of Poppy's deadly stare and sighs. There's no point in filtering her words from now on in this case.
"Fine...remember the errands I did for the last few months? Yeah, that was for them." Bea rubbed the back of her neck as she received the disappointed look from Poppy.
"Why? What's the point? You were stressing over them this whole time?" Poppy asked while Bea took and kissed the back of her hand.
"Because they need to know how amazing their daughter is."
"Wha-"
"Let me finish, Poppy," Bea demanded as she slowly lets go of her hand. Now determined, she put on a serious demeanor and closed the distance between them until the blonde needed to tilt her head up.
"I confronted Anna, Piers, and even Art, but that's for another time," Bea remembered; she did her best to track the teacher only to realize he was the easiest to handle.
Poppy's eyes widened, bewildered by what Bea was about to say, so she stayed quiet.
"I told them that their daughter...is amazing. She's one of the most intelligent and hard-working people I know, if not the most. Perfecting the mindset of being the perfect rich man's daughter. Although sometimes she may burst out, and some of them might've been my fault, but that's because she sacrificed a lot just to meet your expectations. And I hope she did because now we all know her as the youngest CEO to rise up this high in New York without relying on you. That's why I commend you for raising such a clever, powerful, and independent woman who's undeniable beautiful and capable. That's what you trained her for her whole life, right?"
Bea raised Poppy's chin as it stooped down while she talked, rubbing her thumb against her jaw.
"You saw her as the supposedly perfect daughter who'll obey every order you spat at her. But I saw her as someone who's burned out; an abused puppet controlled by your grip." Bea smiled at her weakly as she recalled how Poppy kept it all together and broke down since their college days.
It's the vulnerability she subconsciously shows when they're alone as Bea lends a shoulder and hugs her before she turns back into a cold, emotionless dictator.
"I've seen her ruthless, I've seen her selfish, I've seen her control the whole university like a heartless Queen. I've seen her risking it all for victory, even if it meant ending relationships she actually cherished just to keep mommy and daddy proud."
At this point, Poppy doesn't know if she should be offended or not but remains silent as Bea continues.
"But under all that, I've seen her cry, I've seen her angry, I've seen her tired... and I've seen her actually happy for once. And she deserves that, so would it kill you to give her a break and be proud of her? Because I am."
"You've seen her at her best, yet is still somehow unsatisfied. I've seen her at her worst, and I love her unconditionally."
"I know you just want the best for Poppy and your family. But she doesn't need parents that choose for her life anymore; she needs parents that support her and see how far she's become and will go. So now I'm begging you to give us a chance. Give me a chance to prove that I am deserving of your daughter's hand, and most of all, give yourselves a chance to be better parents."
Poppy stayed quiet the whole time; she didn't like that Bea spoke in her regard and behind her back, but she couldn't deny the validity of her words.
Poppy crossed her arms and put on a neutral look as she raised a brow at Bea. "Then what happened."
Bea retracted her hand back and took a glimpse of the lake beside them. "I got what I wanted..."
"and what's that?" Poppy asked, causing her to look back. Bea steps closer to her again, grabbing her face.
"Doesn't matter cause right now I want something from you, Poptart." Bea removed her palm from Poppy's cheek and reached for something in her pocket.
Poppy just stood there, not knowing how to react as the person in front of her kneeled. She was still processing the monologue earlier, now malfunctioning as the small box in Bea's hand opened.
"Poppy Min-Nakamura-Sinclair..." Hughes whispered as the moonlight shined on both of their expressions. The blonde covers her face with a hand, finally tearing up. She tried her best not to break down earlier, but now the realization hit her hard.
It was her mother's ring.
Fighting the urge to hug her as she sobbed while both sleeves wiped the tears off her face. Bea finally asks her,
"Will you marry me?"
It took time to regain her composure, but Poppy confronted the asker with a genuine smile. With tears still running down her face, Poppy replies.
"If I were to spend my whole life with a person who annoys the shit out of me..." Bea bowed her head as she chuckled at the statement but later looked back at those brown eyes again as she continued.
"....but treats me right and makes me happy, so happy. It'd be you, Beatrice Liu Hughes. Only you." Poppy brushed away a strand of the brunette's hair and cupped her right cheek as they stared at each other's eyes in silence.
Bea will never get used to Poppy being sincere; her heart can't take it. so she cleared her throat and grinned. "So is that a yes or-?"
Poppy nudges her jaw with her fist weakly as they both laugh. Bea finally stood up and brought the ring out of the box. As Poppy watched her act, she took Poppy's hand and carefully slid the beautiful emerald ring on her finger.
"...perfect" Bea mumbled, causing the blonde to look back at her.
Everything is, Poppy thought. It was as if Bea planned everything in months and the surroundings were a paid actor.
She placed her arms around the taller figure's neck, lowering Bea's forehead to hers. Her now fiance hugged her by the waist as she swayed both of them gradually. They shortly closed their eyes as Bea kissed Poppy's forehead slowly, then the latter rested her head on her shoulder.
Bea quietly looks up to the sky, thanking the universe for bringing them together up to this moment that will undoubtedly live in their minds forever.
(song ends here)
The pair walked back home hand to hand. Poppy's fear from their first route was overthrown by the joy as she admired the ring on her finger and her fiance beside her.
They decided to tell the news tomorrow morning, and boy did it shake up the whole farm. It became the talk of the town, Bea being their unofficial town ambassador after all. Most people took it well, but who cares? The pair is too busy occupied with planning their wedding.
They naturally bickered on who should come and how it'll look, but one thing's for sure.
Context: I might try to make this a once every week update, starting on Thursdays, 10:55 PM CST, but that's only a working idea. It will really only work so long as I can keep a chapter ahead of every other one, but we'll see. 🤷♀️
Masterlist
General Content Warnings: Mature, Angst, Possible NSFW, Cursing, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Semi-Violence, Cheating, and Slow Burn
“Mrs. Rensler, I look forward to working with your company.” Poppy said, holding out a contract for Kath as she took it with a cool expression.
“Thank you Ms. Min-Sinclair. I look forward to working with you as well.” Standing up, Kath shook Poppy’s hand as Poppy did the same.
“Please, call me Poppy. We’ll be working together for quite some time.” Poppy turned, looking at Mr. Hicks and Chuck as she smiled softly.
“Thank you for your bid Mr. Hicks, I’ll see you both out.” Poppy gestured for the men to stand as they did, both looking at the floor like scolded children as Poppy walked to the side, brushing past Bea as she walked both men to the door.
Kath gave Bea a proud smile as Bea gave her one right back. Her pitch, though improvised heavily, had worked, but something in Bea made her stomach sink slightly, thinking back to Poppy’s words at the Sterling party as she gulped.
“If you didn’t hate me at Belvoire, I’m going to do everything I can to make you absolutely despise me now.”
Poppy returned to her desk a minute later, sitting down as Kath did the same.
“Now, I’ve already looked over a few of the designs you have sent over, but I want this project to be a hands on operation.”
“Of course.” Kath said, looking over at Bea who fiddled with the cufflinks on her jacket. “Bea will handle any concerns you have with the building's progress. Even though we will have a team assisting in smaller workings, you’ll be working the closest with her.”
“Yes…about that. Would it be possible to switch the lead architect on the project?” Poppy asked, leaning back in her chair as Bea darted her head up, staring in confusion at Poppy who didn’t pay attention to Bea.
“I’ve looked over Ms. Hughes’ files and… this would be her first big project, correct?” Poppy asked as Kath looked at Poppy in subtle shock.
Was Poppy serious? Was she actually going to try to get Bea kicked off of her first big assignment?
Before Kath could reply with who knows what, Bea spoke up, looking directly at Poppy.
“Not to interrupt Ms. Min-Sinclair.” Gosh, Bea despised saying that.
“But even though this will be my first time leading such a large scale project, I personally designed all of the sketches we sent over, determining your decision to hire us. I’ve also been an aid to other large scale projects, even though I was not the lead myself.” Bea stated, looking at Poppy who gave her a slow once over. She didn’t look like she was going to budge as Bea’s heart beat loudly in her chest.
She wondered if they could all hear how loud her heart was as Kath cleared her throat. “While I respect your concerns Poppy, Bea is one of the most promising architects at my firm. I fully believe you will be satisfied with all of her designs.”
Bea’s heart quickened just a little as she shot Kath a grateful smile. Poppy only sighed, picking up a pencil and twirling it between her fingers. “Alright, I’ll trust your judgment Mrs. Rensler.”
Poppy spun in her chair, looking at Bea who took a breath of relief. “Ms. Hughes, I expect great results.” Bea nodded, looking at Poppy before she spun back to look at Kath.
“I’ll give you some time to go over the contract and I’ll be stopping by your office in a few days to begin discussing designs.” Poppy stated, standing to escort them out as Kath nodded.
“Again, thank you for the opportunity Poppy.” Kath said as Poppy nodded, standing next to her large door as she smiled kindly.
“Of course, I look forward to our work together.” She waved goodbye as Kath walked outside, followed by Bea who lingered just a little, looking Poppy over as the woman ignored her. Bea left with a sigh, catching Lana’s eye as the girl stood from her seat on the couch.
She waved to Bea and Bea waved subtly back, stepping into the elevator with Kath as she hit the ground button.
“Well, I think that went wonderfully.” Kath smiled, looking down at the pristine contract in front of her.
Maybe it went “pristine” for Kath, but Bea was still reeling with the knowledge that Lana was working for Poppy now, or at least for some time until her gig ended. It probably shouldn’t be as much of a shock as it was. Lana was an excellent model and Poppy always seemed to know what she was doing.
Still, the knowledge made her sick, all the way to the office.
Spinning her desk chair, Bea brought her pen to her forehead, tapping it against her skin as she looked down at her work in front of her. After returning to the office, Kath left Bea for a meeting and Bea had retreated into her own space.
She hadn’t completed much, but considering this project was now her biggest, Bea was brainstorming ideas of what Poppy may want in her giant new location.
Lana had been right, Bea literally didn’t know much about fashion besides what Zoey had taught her years ago. This also meant that Bea had a limited idea of what to include in any of the designs.
It wasn’t like there was much research to do either. Most places didn’t disclose those kinds of secrets, so Bea had stuck with what she did know. Where to include better elevators, possible conference rooms, and bathrooms.
She was currently scribbling on thin white grid paper, the largest she could find as she gently traced some definite lines with her pen. Fifty-six floors was going to be something else to design. Probably at least a whole year to plan and then another two years to finish with construction. So, Poppy was correct, the two would be working together for quite some time.
But, if Bea could pull away with a promotion from Kath? It would all be worth it.
“Knock , knock.” Mei said, holding up a bottle of doctor pepper as she walked into the office. Bea set down her pen, thanking the girl as she handed her the drink before looking at Bea’s desk.
“Wow, gorgeous plot.” Mei said, picking up one of the photos Bea had printed as she turned it over in her hands. “This is for your big client?”
“Yep, finalized today, so expect to see Kath in a fantastic mood.”
“Of course, hey, a group of us are going to head out to dinner next Friday to celebrate Gina’s new baby. She wanted me to invite you.” Mei said as Bea leaned against her desk.
“Gina already had her kid? It feels like yesterday she went on maternity leave…”
“Yea, but she’s coming back in a few more weeks so we wanted to meet up before then.” Mei smiled, setting down the photo and turning away from Bea’s desk.
“Think it over and send me a text with your answer. You can bring a date too…” Bea perked, smiling to herself as she opened up her soda.
Technically, hanging out with multiple people wouldn’t be a date, meaning she could definitely invite a certain copper-haired goddess to this dinner gathering. She wrote it down in her mental checklist, turning back to her work as Bea continued to map out multiple floors against her papers. This was a hefty project indeed.
An hour of work later, Bea had completed plotting around five stories of the massive building. She still had no idea what would compose some of the other floors, but she would have to listen to whatever complaints Poppy had about it.
That was something to wonder about. How difficult would Poppy make this job?
Considering she already tried to have Bea fired, Bea suspected it was going to be pretty damn difficult.
She had always been a perfectionist, ever since their time at Belvoire. That one commercial they filmed was only one instance among thousands.
“Bea,” Mei’s voice called out from the hall, causing Bea to look outside and into the long wood hallway. “Kath wants to see you on floor 32.” She finished as Bea pushed herself away from her desk, grabbing her phone and walking out of her office.
She walked by her colleagues' spaces, waving to some as they continued to work. It was a rather slow day in the office, but still filled with people all working on designs and other parts of the business.
“Bea, are you coming to the welcoming party for Gina?” Taylor asked from his office as Bea stopped in front of the frame, looking inside. He stood by a large wood model of a building as he held up a sharp pencil.
“I’m still deciding.” Bea told the man who pushed ginger locks out of his face.
“You should totally come. She’s bringing her new baby!” He smiled as Bea nodded, waving goodbye and heading towards the front.
It was strange to think that only a year ago, Gina wasn’t a mother, but now she had a new baby girl. Bea wondered what that kind of change did to a person. Heaven knows she didn’t have the best experience with parental authorities.
Reaching the elevator, Bea stepped in, whipping out her phone and shooting Lana a text.
Bea: So, I know it was crazy seeing you at the Belle building today and I wished you had told me about your new gig, but I’m going to put that aside and ask if you’re free next Friday?
A few seconds later, Bea’s phone dinged in her hands.
Lana: Maybe you should have told me about your new job too. What’s happening next Friday?
Bea grinned happily, just as the elevator dinged and opened up to the one floor with a large balcony taking up half of the space.
Bea: My work mates are having a welcome back party for Gina, one of the senior architects. I wanted to ask if you’ll be my “date.”
Lana: We can’t go on dates…yet
She typed a quick response.
Bea: We’ll be with other people so it’s technically not a “date” date.
Her phone stopped buzzing, causing Bea to frown in disappointment before she pocketed it and walked onto the floor. A large set of double doors sat in front as Bea knocked on them, before hearing Kath’s voice.
“Come in.” She said as Bea pushed inside of the room, immediately blown away at the dazzling view of New York.
The floor was almost as nice as Kath’s office, just a couple of floors above this one as Bea looked around. To the side was a wide coffee bar with a tiny refrigerator, a sitting area with stark white couches and a huge table in the middle. There was also a large desk off near the side with an Apple computer.
Bea whistled under her breath, stepping into the large room as Kath leaned against the desk.
“Wow, are you relocating Kath?” Bea asked, pocketing her hands as her boss held out a single key to her.
“Not quite, but you are.” Bea stared at the silver key, dumbfounded as Kath approached her.
“Temporarily, well, unless you can satisfy your new client.” She placed the key in Bea’s outstretched palm. “You can move some of your things in here and make the place feel more like yours. I decided you needed an upgrade from your typical office.”
Considering her “typical” office was about five times smaller than the one Bea was currently in, she was at a loss for words.
“Th-Thank you Kath.” Bea said as the woman smiled kindly.
“You’re welcome Hughes, but remember, it’s temporary until you can prove to me that you completely satisfied Ms. Min-Sinclair.”
“Of course, yes.” Bea smiled, giddily looking at the key in her palm as Kath patted her on the shoulder.
“I’ll let you have a look around, there’s also a working T.V on that wall over there.” She said as Bea stared, starstruck at her new office as Kath walked up the set of small stairs leading into the place.
“Oh, make sure you have your meetings with Ms. Min-Sinclair here, just to show her that Rensler is quite serious about this job.” She waved goodbye, leaving Bea alone in the massive space as Bea glanced around.
She had…literally no idea what to do with all of this.
Walking over to the desk, Bea clicked the monitor to life, typing in her credentials and taking a seat. Even the chair was comfy.
She spun on the wheels just a little, looking around her cool new office as she looked through empty drawers and opened cabinets. A set of buttons rested under the desk, one controlling the lighting, another made the window blinds drop, concealing the office from the outside world and the other turned on the T.V across the room.
The T.V switched on, displaying some random news channel as Bea watched, jittering with excitement like a little kid on Christmas as the station played.
“Now, introducing…the queen of pop…Jaylen Riaz!!!” The T.V announcer screamed as the woman walked onto the stage, smiling brightly as Bea perked.
Jaylen Riaz… It felt like forever since Bea had last heard that name. In fact, it probably was forever, considering it was her first ever football match at Belvoire University and also…
--------------------------------------------
“Bea, what the hell are you wearing?” Zoey asked, looking at the girl who had just entered the stadium with her backpack swung over her shoulder.
It was a hot Belvoire day and the constant cheers from students didn’t help with the noise as Bea glanced around. It was the first football game of the season and Bea…really wasn’t interested, but Zoey had told her she needed to show. Due to queenly duties and the Alphas apparently begging for Bea to come.
“Um…” Bea looked down, wearing a simple white tank top and black jean shorts with a flannel shirt wrapped around her middle. “My…clothes?”
“You look like every other student here. What did I tell you about fashion?” Zoey asked as she tapped her foot against one of the bleacher benches. Zoey actually looked very cute. She had styled her hair into a cascading ponytail while she wore an obviously custom-made jersey with some bling on the shoulders. She topped it off with light blue shorts and sandals as a pair of orange sunglasses rested on her head.
“I’m sorry Zo, but I am not wearing a new outfit every single day for the next two years.” Bea complained, setting her bag on the seat next to Zoey's as she sat next to the girl.
“Bea, I swear you’re making this more difficult than it should be. If you want to beat Poppy, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices.” Zoey commented, bumping her shoulder against Beas as she pointed down at where the Zeta dancing queens were putting the finishing touches to their dances.
Standing in the middle of it all, with a gold/purple cheer outfit that dipped in the front, was Poppy with her hair tied back and a few thick strands falling in front of her eyes. She wore thigh high white thin stockings as she yelled commands at the dancing Zeta girls who all wore similar attire.
Bea tried to keep her eyes from lingering too long as she looked at Poppy, before feeling Zoey bump Bea hard against her shoulder.
“What are you doing? You don’t stare at the competition.” Zoey said as Bea rolled her eyes playfully, subtly casting glances at Poppy who continued to practice her routine.
It had only been a couple of days since their run in at the mall and it probably wasn’t a good sign that Bea continuously thought about it. Though, it was purely due to curiosity
She couldn’t wrap her finger around it.
Bea had never felt like this. She had hooked up with plenty of people. She liked having fun with them with no strings attached. She liked not dating them.
When she made it to Belvoire, Bea wasn’t going to date people. She would have fun, casual flings and then she would go back to her regular routine. Her promise to herself was part of larger problems, but it was still a promise she was going to keep.
But Poppy made it difficult. Even if she absolutely despised Bea, Bea couldn’t help but feel curious about the girl. She was gorgeous, obviously, but her personality was something to gawk at. She was probably the cruelest girl Bea had ever met, to strangers and to her own friends.
Yet Bea couldn’t help but want to bump into Poppy. She also kinda wanted to learn more about her, against the protests of Zoey, but Bea was keeping that thought to herself.
So instead, she chalked it up to something else. She wanted Poppy, physical reasons only. Just for a night if the girl would allow it. Maybe that would satisfy Bea’s curiosity about her.
Though, from the looks of it, Poppy wanted nothing to do with Bea. There was also the long-term jock boyfriend issue. Bea was a lot of things, but she wasn’t a cheater and she didn’t hang out with girls who had boyfriends. Especially boyfriends with a short leash.
Bea hummed at the thought, returning her attention to the dancers.
From the looks of it, Poppy definitely wasn’t the strongest on the team, but she was somewhat better than most of the girls. Though Chloe seemed like she was practicing with absolute ease.
“So, are you ready for your segment with the Alphas during halftime?” Zoey asked as Bea shrugged.
“I guess, but it’s kinda stupid, right? I mean, Jaylen Riaz? Isn’t she kinda…washed up?”
Zoey smacked Bea on the shoulder, glaring at the brunette as Zoey whipped out her phone like a true professional.
“Washed up? The girl is blowing it up on Twitter every week! Everyone at Belvoire knows her, loves her, and wants to see her perform live.” Zoey scrolled through photos of Jaylen as Bea watched, before her eyes trailed back to Poppy’s form who was no longer alone, but instead was yelling frantically at a figure in front of her.
“...Cool Zo, I’m going to go change into that outfit you bought me…” Bea mumbled as Zoey gave her a satisfactory nod as Bea took off, subtly walking off in the direction of where Poppy stood, with Carter standing near her.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Poppy seethed from the sides as Bea listened in. “You’re apologizing for leaving me at the strip and now you’re breaking up with me?! You are aware that I’m currently preparing for the halftime show, correct?” Poppy asked, as if Carter was the stupidest human on earth. He rubbed his neck awkwardly, holding his helmet to his chest as he looked at Poppy.
“We’ve been growing apart for awhile and I think-”
“Carter, save your sob story for someone who cares. I’m busy and you have a game to win. We can discuss this later.” She said, brushing past the boy who looked at her retreating form with a heavy sigh. Bea hummed to herself, leaning casually against the bleachers and knocking on the bench.
Carter glanced up, looking at Bea with confusion as Bea smiled. “Hey Carter, sorry, I was just passing by and I heard that…”
“Oh, it’s just…. I’m really confused Bea.” Carter said, glancing down at his football helmet as Bea nodded sympathetically. That definitely was a sentence he said a lot.
“To tell you the truth Carter, if you’re not happy in your relationship, why should you stay in it?” Bea stated, pushing down her evil consciousness and speaking like a friend consoling another friend.
“But I love Poppy, it’s just- She’s not the same girl I started dating. She’s different now.”
“I would agree, but I’ve only known the devil-spawn. New girl and all.” Bea said, gesturing to herself as she pulled herself a little higher, lightly tapping the wood as she stood. “It’s your choice Carter, but you should be happy too. Not some glorified boy toy.” Bea waved goodbye to the boy, heading towards the back of the stadium to change into the outfit Zoey had given her the other day.
That… was an interesting discussion.
She shook her head, pocketing her hands as she walked further into the back. So what if her conscience was eating at her for “helpfully” hinting for Carter to break up with Poppy? She was being a good friend cause no one should have to suffer through the pain of dating Poppy Min-Sinclair. That was the kind of torture that even Bea wouldn’t endure.
Stopping in front of the vending machine, Bea grabbed her card, swiping it through the scanner and clicking on some buttons. Slowly, a snickers bar dropped from the machine as Bea went to pick it up, before feeling a presence walk behind her. A short presence, but still a presence.
Turning around, Bea looked down at Poppy who shot her a death glare. “Move it Hughes.” Poppy said as Bea stepped to the side, letting Poppy swipe her black card against the machine and click on an electrolyte water.
“None of your minions would get that for you?” Bea asked, unwrapping her candy as Poppy pointedly ignored her. The water dropped and Poppy leaned to pick it up, as Bea silently looked up.
She still had a boyfriend and Bea was being respectful…kinda.
Poppy stood back up, glancing at Bea who was staring at the ceiling before she rolled her eyes. She pushed past Bea, pointedly ramming her shoulder into Bea who silently winced.
“Good luck.” Bea mumbled as she walked off, grabbing the outfit Zoey had bought and heading into the ladies room.
Two hours later, Bea was standing on the sides of the game, watching the Zetas perform as they did flips and cheers in front of the whole school who cheered happily. Standing smack dab in the middle, with a satisfied grin on her face, Poppy performed flawlessly as all of her Zeta girls followed her lead.
It was…rather impressive, but nothing too spectacular.
“Give it up for the Zeta Dancing Queens!!!” The announcer shouted as the girls walked off field, Poppy walking straight past Bea who was only smirking.
“Now, introducing the one…the only…Jaylen Riaz!!!” The announcer screamed as the crowd went wild. Driving up in a sleek ride, Jaylen stood in the back waving at the crowds of Belvoire as she yelled into her mic.
“Thank you Belvoire!!! Please, help me introduce my new friend and your future queen, Bea Hughes!!” She yelled as Bea walked onto the field, waving at all of the Belvoire students who yelled Bea’s name. Some screamed while others looked like they were crying as Bea walked up, wearing a matching Belvoire jersey like the one Zoey had as Bea pointed at the back of the shirt with “Queen B'' stitched on in fancy letters.
Glancing at the side, Bea saw Poppy who was absolutely fuming, watching Bea approach Jaylen who smirked.
“I’m going to sing you guys something off of my new album, I hope you all love it as much as I do!” The woman began to sing and… granted, it wasn’t that great to Bea, but she was more focused on her own dance performance with the Alphas than anything else.
All of the boys, after hours of grueling practice, performed their dances perfectly as Bea led them all with stride. Some did backflips, others did simple moves as Bea grabbed her mic and looked across the sea of students all mesmerized by Jaylen.
“Give it up for Jaylen Belvoire!” Bea yelled into her mic as one of the Alphas threw her a football, all part of the routine. Bea caught it easily, tossing it in the air and throwing it into the crowd as they all screamed in joy. From the side, Poppy was chugging her electrolyte water and yelling at her girls to stop dancing.
“But Poppy!!! It’s so good!” Ohio yelled, dancing wildly as others joined. Poppy looked like she was going to pass out from how red she was turning.
Jaylen’s song had almost reached its end, dozens of students singing along as Bea joined in, smiling wide and shooting Zoey a thumbs up just as the announcer came back through the speaker phones.
“An absolutely stunning performance from Bea Hughes and the Alphas! Now, Belvoire, it’s time for the kiss cam!!!” The announcer yelled, spinning the camera towards Bea who smiled wide. Her eyes darted to Poppy who was still fuming on the sidelines, before Bea walked up to Jaylen’s car, knocking on the metal and winking up at the girl who leaned down.
“Why not?” She smirked, kneeling down and pressing a kiss to Bea’s lips as she kissed the girl back. The crowd exploded into cheers and then a devilish shriek erupted from the side, causing Bea to break away from Jaylen just as Poppy stomped back onto the field.
She had lost the ponytail as she looked wide eyed at all of the people on the field. “No No NO!!” She shrieked as she gestured angrily towards the crowds. “Halftime is mine!!! How could any of you like this trashy performance?!” Poppy yelled as she gave Bea a murderous glare. The cameraman who was on the field swung the camera over to Poppy who was seconds away from a mental breakdown.
That might have sent a shiver up Bea’s arms as she backed away from Jaylen, glancing at Poppy who hadn’t stopped glaring. She took a step towards Bea who wanted to take one step back before Bea saw Carter step through the crowded Alphas with a worried expression.
“Babe, calm down, it’s-” She turned on Carter with an even angrier glare as she pointed a sharp nail at the man’s chest.
“You- How dare you help her?!” She screamed as Carter took a set back. “You stupid, ugly, useless idiot!! We’re over!!!” She yelled as Carter reeled back in horror.
The crowd gasped as Poppy looked out towards them, fury in her eyes as she yelled again. “Bea Hughes is a fucking joke! You think SHE could be a better queen than me?!” She snapped, turning sharply on her heel and lunging at Bea who yelped before a few Alphas wrangled her away and kept her from murdering Bea on the football field.
The crowd began to boo, Poppy wrestled out of the Alpha’s grip before she flipped off the crowd and stalked off, heat radiating with every step. She pushed some of the Zeta girls out of her way as everyone watched her retreating form, Bea included.
“...And that concludes the performances for halftime! Thanks for tuning in Belvoire!” The announcer said, before the mic went dead and the mumbling of the crowds resumed.
Taking a deep breath, Bea cleared her throat, just as Zoey ran down from the bleachers and approached the group that began heading off field.
“Well, that went fantastic.” Zoey smiled as Bea gave her a dumbfounded look.
“I’ll explain it to you later babes. For now, celebratory pizza?” She asked, holding out her fist for Bea to bump it.
She wouldn’t describe this as fantastic, but Bea would never deny pizza. She bumped Zoey’s fist, before pulling the girl closer and giving her a side hug.
“Celebratory pizza, definitely.” The two thanked Jaylen before walking off into the quad. Conveniently, Bea heard the scream before she could even see the banshee.
Standing next to the fountain, Bea finally stopped, finding Poppy seething as her “friends” crowded around her.
“I don’t know why I even bother with any of you stupid cows! You don’t think I saw you all cheering along to SweetCreek’s performance?!” Poppy yelled as the Alphas and Zetas in front of her shrinked.
“It was just-” Ohio tried before Poppy pushed her away as she landed in Michael’s arms.
“Save it, one more word and I could have you all expelled from this school.” Poppy warned as her group stayed quiet. Bea tentatively walked up, just as Poppy’s eyes snapped over to her.
“Oh great, Saint Bea and friends have arrived. What? Here to ruin something else?” Poppy spat as Bea shrugged.
“You’re doing pretty well ruining things yourself. Tell me Poppy, when was the last time someone actually liked being around you?” Bea asked, swinging an arm around Zoey who smirked.
“From the looks of it, your so-called friends can’t stand you.” Bea smiled as the group around Poppy chimed in small complaints.
“Yea, Poppy, I’m…I’m tired of you always calling me an idiot! And saying my relationship with Michael is as fake as Stacy’s boob job!” Ohio yelped as Poppy shot her a glare, just as Michael added his two cents.
“Woah, Stacy has a fake boob job? They feel so real…”
“Michael?!” Ohio exclaimed as more people approached, specifically a downtrodden Carter who glanced at Poppy.
“Yea Poppy, and breaking up with Carter like that? Not cool.” Ford said, crossing his arms over his chest as the rest of Poppy’s friends began to berate her.
“You think I need any of you? Just watch, once this nobody goes back to Whoville, you’ll all come back begging for my forgiveness. Without me, none of you would even know how to function, better yet, actually get somewhere in life.” Poppy hissed like a cornered cat as Bea and Zoey watched from the sides. “SweetCreek doesn’t give a crap about any of you.”
“Hey, Bea hasn’t done anything wrong since she got here.” Carter spoke, still looking sad as he cleared his throat.
“Yeah Poppy, you’ve had it out for Bea since the beginning. Consider yourself off the Alpha’s list.” Michael added as the rest of the Alphas nodded in agreement.
“Boo effing hoo, Michael. Like I would even want to step foot into that vermin infested household.”
“Wait, you guys have pet rats?” Chloe asked, the dumb idiot she was. Poppy friends continued to sling insults as the girl continued to quip back, until Bea took a small step forward, dropping her hold around Zoey’s shoulders.
“Guys, guys, let’s not beat a dead horse. I think she gets it.” Poppy finally returned her gaze to Bea and it was even more terrifying than Bea had previously thought. She took a step forward, coming face to face with her before grabbing the collar of Bea’s jersey and pulling her down roughly. Gasps escaped around the crowd as Bea held back a gulp or even a wince.
They were face to face, heat and anger radiating off of Poppy who starred literal daggers into Bea’s eyes. Bea had stopped breathing as the crowd around stopped talking, the only sound was Poppy’s angry breaths.
This girl really hated her.
“You think you can brainwash my friends and overthrow me? You’re even more stupid than I thought.” Poppy spat as she tightened her grip around Bea’s collar. Bea was surprised the fabric hadn’t ripped.
“Listen closely bitch.” Poppy hissed, almost smashing her forehead against Bea’s as Bea winced slightly. Shit.
“I’m done playing nice. Your little game is over. Your taste of power? Gone.” She pushed Bea roughly, causing her to tumble just a little as she gulped. Zoey pressed a hand to Bea’s back, glaring at Poppy who flicked her hair off of her shoulder.
“I’m going to make you wish you never even stepped foot at Belvoire.”
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“Send her up.”’ Bea spoke through the telecom as she walked back over to her desk.
After a couple of days of redecorating, Bea felt more at home in her new office. She had grabbed some spare furniture from some of the other floors, bought some art pieces to display and even stocked some things in the mini fridge. If it was only temporary, she was going to use it to its maximum potential.
What Bea really liked was the huge table in the center that allowed Bea to spread all of her documents across the surface. She liked having all of her ideas spread out in front of her.
Pulling up some files on her computer, Bea scrolled through them, just as she heard the elevator ding.
Kath had finalized the documents only yesterday and, true to her word, Poppy had decided to stop by the next day to begin design discussion. Since most of Bea’s clients let her work how she liked, Bea had expected the same from Poppy, but was soon proved wrong.
Apparently, Poppy really did have a distinct vision for this building. It was all outlined in the contract about a hands on job and nothing being finalized without Poppy’s okay. That made the job more complicated, but she would have to power through if she had any hopes of actually being promoted.
Slipping on a dark blue vest over her white dress shirt, Bea opened the door, just as Poppy’s hand was poised to knock.
She dropped it, looking Bea up and down before returning her eyes to the front. “Your receptionist told me to come up here.” Poppy spoke, no hint of emotion in her tone as Bea held the door a little wider. She cleared her throat, fighting the awkwardness in her bones as she gestured inside her office.
“Yes, we’ll be working in my office for most of the designing process.” Bea said as Poppy shrugged off the coat on her shoulders, a beautiful tanned velvet piece that covered her lavender silk top and white pencil skirt with a light brown belt tied around her waist.
It was a stylish outfit, paired with sleek black heels as Poppy suddenly pushed her coat into Bea’s arms. She took it in surprise, smelling the rose perfume Poppy wore as she coughed slightly. It was the same from Belvoire and Bea suddenly became very aware that she would have to spend the next three hours with Poppy. When she could barely stand three minutes.
Hey can u write a one shot where bea and poppy are in relationship and bea gets a little sick and how poppy takes care of her
Thank you for your request. Sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Warnings: Cursing
Under the Weather
Sabina flipped the chocolate chip pancakes in the pan, she did love a good pancake, there was nothing better than breakfast. She had prepared pancakes, sausage and eggs for her roommates. It was one of her hidden talents that she loved to cook. She would treat her family to a nice meal all the time back home.
“Thanks Sab for breakfast.” Zoey appreciated when she didn’t have to cook in the morning. She did have to admit that Sab was a great cook, no wonder all the ladies flocked to her.
“No problem Zo, anything to show my love for my roomies.”
While the two were enjoying the morning Bea slowly walked from her room. She looked like she came straight from the set of the Walking Dead. She tossed and turned all night with a headache and she could barely breathe through her nostrils. She would never take regular breathing for granted again.
“Jeez sis you look like absolute shit. Did you stay up talking to your girlfriend all night?” Sab couldn’t help, but tease Bea since she and Poppy finally started dating. They were at each other’s throat all year. She had never seen her sister happier than when she was with Poppy.
“Shut up Sab. I had a headache all night. I didn’t even know you made breakfast, I can't smell shit.” Bea served herself some coffee before she had to get ready for her Mass Communications class. Zoey came up to her and put the back of her hand against her forehead. Bea felt hot to the touch, most likely due to a fever.
“Yea you aren’t going anywhere today. You are definitely sick.”
“What no. I feel fine, it’s just a headache and well my nose is only a little stuffy.”
“Bea you aren’t going to class. I know the nerd in you wants to keep pushing, but you need to rest. If you don’t get better then recovery will only take longer. Just email your professors. You are their number one student and I am sure they will understand. You know Professor Roberta from Mass Com. loves you.” Bea hated that her sister used actual logic.
“Fine. I have some papers that I need to give Professor Roberta though. If only someone I knew had some art classes around there.” Bea batted her eyes at Sab, and gave her the best smile she could muster.
“You know you are really annoying when you are sick. Actually scratch that, you are annoying all the time.”
“You have to love me either way so suck it.” Bea went back to her room and took something to get rid of the headache and help her go to sleep. She was fast asleep before she knew it, not even aware of her phone lighting up with text messages. Her phone buzzed several times with messages and incoming calls. She was blissfully unaware of her angry girlfriend, Poppy did not like being ghosted.
Sabina went and got ready for class after making some tea for Bea. She went into Bea’s room and grabbed the papers that needed delivering. She headed over to the building that had Bea’s class.
Sab was being too busy being nosey and looking through Bea’s papers to hear the yelling coming from behind. After the person tried to get her attention behind she felt a push causing her to trip. She barely regained her balance and was ready for a fight. She whipped around to see Poppy, her sister’s girlfriend. Sab was happy for her sister, but jeez could Poppy be a pain in the ass.
“Poppy? What the hell!? It’s it a little early to attack someone”
“Don’t you dare use that tone with me Bea Hughes! I have been trying to call you all morning. You didn’t even send me my good morning text that I look forward to.” Poppy was annoyed, Bea usually messaged her in the morning and they would call each other while they got ready for the day. Poppy liked showing off her outfit for the day to her girlfriend. Bea always made her feel like the most special girl in the world.
“Wait what? No Poppy it’s me Sab. How could you think I am Bea?” Sabina looked down at her backpack only to realize she had grabbed Bea’s. “Shit of course she left her stuff next to mine by the door.”
“Oh um Sab ah ha. You look exactly alike from behind. Well where is Bea? We have class in like ten minutes and she is never late. Oh my gosh is she okay?!” Poppy knows it would keep a class 5 hurricane to keep Bea from attending class. It was one of the things she loved about Bea, she hasn’t said those three words to Bea yet though.
“Relax killer. She is sick in bed. She must have taken medicine that helps her sleep. She looked like absolute hell this morning.” Poppy started walking the opposite way of her class. “Poppy, where are you going? Your class is this way.” Sab shouted after Poppy.
“Don’t worry about it Hughes.” Sab knew Poppy was soft for Bea, so she had no doubt her sister would be in good hands. The two of them were good for each other, the way they balanced each other out made everyone’s life a little easier. The Zetas weren’t being bossed around nearly as much because Bea took up most of Poppy’s time. They could finally live their normal college lives. Poppy would take Bea out and allow her to finally live the life she deserved. She needed to go out and experience life and she finally got to do that with Poppy.
Poppy practically sprinted back to Zeta in her heels. She gathered some supplies and even ordered some groceries to be delivered at Winfrey for the Bea’s dorm. She went up to Bea’s dorm and knocked, to Poppy’s disappointment Zoey answered.
“Hm Did the underworld give you the day off today, Min-Sinclair?” Zoey was civil with Poppy, but she still hadn’t forgiven all the shit she had put the twins through. She was only nice because Bea was in love and she would never want to hurt her roommate.
“Wow funny as usual Wade. I came here for Bea, not your amazing wit.” Poppy shot back sarcastically. She didn’t want to start an argument, Bea was the most important thing right now. Zoey moved to the side and allowed Poppy to enter. Poppy set down all her supplies on the island in their kitchen. She unpacked the groceries and stocked up the kitchen for them. When she was sick as a kid, she would watch her nanny do the same. She always loved her nanny, she raised her more than her actual parents. While her parents would work or travel, Poppy was home alone.
After putting away the groceries and warming some soup she ordered from a nearby diner, Poppy also prepared baesuk, a sweet snack sometimes referred to as a dessert. She prepped the pears and then added honey, ginger and her favorite cinnamon. Whenever her nanny made this for her when she was sick, it made her feel better. She also made a cup of green tea with a touch of honey just the way Bea liked it.
Poppy slowly opened Bea’s door and saw her fast asleep, she had to admit how cute she looked. To anyone else they might see a mess, but to Poppy her girlfriend was perfect. Even while sick she was still so pretty, she admired her for a moment more. She set down the tea and dessert on the nightstand. She softly climbed into bed and put her arm around her girlfriend. She softly kissed her cheek. Bea slowly stirred awake.
“I must be dreaming to be in the presence of an angel.” Bea grumbled, trying to shake the sleep off.
“Even when you are dazed and sick, you still manage to be the absolute sweetest , Hughes.” Poppy always blushed when Bea complimented her.
“How could I not? I was lucky enough to be chosen by a queen.” Bea tried to give Poppy a kiss, but she was stopped by a hand.
“Absolutely not Bea. I will not let you give me your cooties.” Bea tried to use her gorgeous brown puppy dog eyes. “Beatrice Hughes, do not try and use those beautiful eyes on me.”
“It was worth a try.” Bea looked over at the nightstand. “Pops, did you make this?” Bea smiled brightly.
“What? I can make some stuff. I only burned the oatmeal because I forgot the water.” Poppy retorted defensively.
Bea took a bite of the sweet dish. She closed her eyes as the sweetness rolled on her taste buds. “Damn Poppy, this is amazing.” Bea didn’t realize she barely ate anything and the pears hit the spot. She washed it down with the tea, it was exactly how she liked it. She had never told Poppy how she liked her tea, she must have noticed when she would prepare it. She looked at her girlfriend, the world did seem brighter in her presence.
“What are you staring at?” Poppy grabbed her phone to see if she had something on her face.
“You are so amazing and beautiful. I can’t help, but admire you.” Bea had fallen hard for the strawberry blonde woman in front of her. She loved her and everyday it grew more and more.
Bea finished the food Poppy made for her and they were cuddling. Bea was feeling better, she could even smell a little bit better. She caught the faint smell of sweet citrus from Poppy’s perfume. Poppy was holding her and she could feel the warmth, it was soothing. She was at peace, it felt like the perfect moment.
“Hey Poptart?.”
“Yes Hughes?”
“I don’t expect you to say it back and you don’t have to. It just feels right and I want you to know how special you are to me. I love you Poppy.” They sat in silence for a moment. Bea knew she probably wasn’t ready and she didn’t want her girlfriend to feel rushed in saying it.
Context: Updates for this story may take a little more time, maybe once every week or so since I'm back to school, though I will try my best to update regularly.
Updates for other things, such as SweetCreek Summers and the smaller fics will be coming out soon, so please look forward to it.
Masterlist
General Content Warnings: Mature, Angst, Possible NSFW, Cursing, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Semi-Violence, Cheating, and Slow Burn
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A sloppy lick hit Bea’s face as she groaned, pushing away the dog’s snout as Bea slowly opened one eye. “Sesi, stop it.” Bea mumbled as the old dog continued to assault her face as Bea heard the yips of her other dog, Otis coming from the edge of her bed.
She took a hold of the husky’s coat, gently pushing the dog to its side as it whined loudly in her ear. “You’re too big for this.” She mumbled as the dog plopped down on the bed, jittering its leg as it hit Bea in the back.
Propping up on her elbows, she glanced at the older husky that she had adopted a year ago. She looked up at Bea with puppy eyes as Bea relented with a sigh.
Checking her clock that sat on her bedside table, Bea rubbed her face with the palm of her hand. An early Sunday morning that Bea would have liked to sleep through, but her two dogs apparently had different plans.
Otis, the pug she got from Belvoire, hopped up on the bed via the ottoman, dragging behind him his leash as Bea took it from the dog.
“You guys are terrible to me. You don’t even pay rent and I’m supposed to sacrifice my mornings for you both.” Bea grumbled as she tossed off her bed covers, just as Otis curled up on the spot that Bea abandoned.
Stretching, Bea brought her arms down, noting the bloom of purple on her fists. Oh, right.
The Sterling party.
After Poppy had left Bea alone in the recreational room, she soon found Kath who wouldn’t stop with the questions. Bea might have lied just a little about Poppy seeming interested, but Poppy’s real words stuck with Bea as she walked to her bathroom, switching on the light.
It was… a little haunting honestly. Even though Bea knew Poppy had some reservations about their “relationship” during Belvoire, she never had to do anything to make Bea hate her. Given, Bea never actually did hate her, so…
The whole thing was confusing as Bea splashed cold water on her face. Poppy wouldn’t be mad that Bea had actually helped her, right? The situation was a little too familiar which was why Bea had reacted so quickly.
Seeing Poppy with red blooming on her cheek and that bastard… Bea gripped the edge of the counter, gritting her teeth before looking back into the mirror and seeing her dogs currently making a mess of her sheets as Sesi had apparently grabbed a whole bin of toys and threw them on the bed.
“Sesi, come here.” Bea turned around, walking into her bedroom as the old dog hopped off the bed, coming up to Bea and wagging her tail happily. She was the oldest dog in the adoption system, meaning she wouldn't be wanted anytime soon since people didn’t want the older dogs.
Bea took her in though. She was a smart, gorgeous Siberian husky with the shiniest gray coat. Bea reached down, pressing a kiss to the dog’s nose as she wiggled happily under Bea’s hands. “Pick up your toys girl.” Bea instructed, pointing to the bed as Sesi jumped back on, picking up her toys and gently pushing them into the discarded bin. That was a new trick that Bea had taught her.
Walking out of her bedroom door, Bea went to the kitchen, which was also the living room and the dining room. The studio apartment she rented after Belvoire was small, but at least the landlord allowed dogs and the rent wasn’t too high considering she was in New York.
There were a couple of issues though.
A loud knock came from Bea’s door as she groaned, grabbing the orange juice container and closing the fridge with her foot. She set it on the table, walking up to the wood door and looking into the peephole.
She sighed, unlocking it just as her dogs came barking into the room. Sesi, running up to Bea’s side while Otis took a seat on his dog bed.
Standing in only a pair of skinny jeans, Lucas, her landlord, leaned against the frame, smiling at Bea as she raised a brow. From the man’s sweaty demeanor, Bea figured he must have been doing some cardio or lifting. All the women in the apartment complex had a crush on Lucas, her neighbor Polly especially, but Lucas seemed to only like one girl.
“Good morning Bea, it’s a beautiful day today.” Lucas smiled wide, perfectly shiny teeth as Bea walked back into her apartment as the man followed.
“I guess so.” Bea said, reaching into her cabinets for a glass as Lucas came inside. Immediately, Sesi followed Bea, growling softly whenever she looked at Lucas as Bea petted the girl’s head, rubbing her ears as Lucas leaned against the counter.
“I’m heading to my youth seminar in a few minutes, but I wanted to stop by and collect your rent. I wish I could give you more time, but my dad is insisting.” He said, running a strong hand through his curly blonde hair as he smiled at Bea.
Bea shrugged, walking away from the kitchen and into her living room. She unlocked one of the drawers and pulled out an envelope of cash. “No problem, this should cover it.” She moved to hand it to him as Lucas took it, opening the envelope and counting the bills.
Bea assumed the man must have wanted a storybook moment where Bea would be too poor to pay him and would have to make payment some other way, but Bea always made sure to have rent money. That was a large reason for having it actually.
“Wow, you make your payments on time all the time.” Lucas joked as he pocketed the envelope. “You’re a great tenant.”
“Thanks, was that all?” Bea asked as Sesi came around to her side again, curling herself around Bea’s legs.
“I was wondering if you wanted to head to my seminar with me? I can drive you and the place I go to is great.” He said as Bea cleared her throat.
“Thanks, but I'm good. Have fun.” Bea said, gesturing towards the door as Lucas chuckled.
“Okay, well, maybe you and I can get something to eat when I get back.” Lucas asked as Bea let out a small groan. She didn’t like explaining it to the man, especially since he had asked her that same question every single time he came over to collect rent.
“No thanks Lucas. I don't really swing that way.” Bea said, looking pointedly at her wall décor of various art pieces she had acquired that were definitely not “gals being pals.”
“Well, maybe you just haven’t met the right guy yet!” Lucas said as he took a step closer. Otis started yapping, startling Lucas as Sesi growled a little louder.
“I’ve met plenty of guys and I’m not missing out on much.” She told the blonde jock as he sighed.
“Okay then…” He slumped out of the door, defeated as he went across the hall. Bea went to shut the door, just as she heard her neighbors fawning over the muscle-head.
It wouldn't be home if there wasn’t a passive aggressive landlord known for his stupidity.
Turning back to her dogs who were sitting patiently in front of her, Bea rolled her eyes, moving back to the kitchen to fix some breakfast.
An hour later, Bea stood at a local dog park, throwing a large stick for Otis as Sesi sniffed around the ground. It was a chilly morning as Bea pocketed her hands as Otis struggled to bring back the stick between his small jowls.
She didn’t want to, but she kept thinking about what Poppy said. It stuck with her ever since she came home last night and it was still in the back of her mind as she felt cold palms wrap around her eyes.
“Guess who?” The voice asked playfully as Bea could hear the familiar tone of Lana.
“Gee, what other British girls do I know.” Bea thought aloud as Lana laughed. She moved to the side, smiling at Bea who returned it before glancing down at Lana’s outfit.
“Dang, aren't you cold?” Bea asked as Lana only wore a thin long sleeve shirt and leggings. From the looks of it, she was jogging and had conveniently stopped at a dog park that wasn’t even close to her apartment.
Bea smiled at the thought as Lana chuckled. “No, I’m just doing my morning routine and then I saw you.”
Sesi, giving up on sniffing the floor, went up to Lana, sniffing her carefully before sneezing and growling softly. Lana looked down at the dog, smiling as Bea cleared her throat.
“Sorry, Sesi, c’mere.” Bea gently took the dog by the collar as she pressed against Bea’s side.
“She’s usually good with strangers.”
“It’s alright, I’m not much of a dog person. I prefer cats.”
“Bold to say that at a dog park.” Bea smiled as Otis finally ran back, dropping the stick at Bea’s feet with a thud. She patted his head, before throwing it again as he took off.
“Oh, you didn’t call last night about the Sterling Party. Did you have fun?” She asked as Bea patted Sesi who was still growling around Lana. She tried to soothe the dog as Bea looked up at Lana.
“Oh, it was okay. Not the best party I’ve been to, but the champagne was tasty.”
Lana laughed, the sound making Bea’s stomach fill with butterflies. “So you’re saying it’s not a good dream to have in the future?”
“Well, my company was pretty sour.” Bea retorted as Lana gave her a million-watt smile.
“Maybe we can go together one day.” Sesi growled again as Bea pulled the dog back. Yeesh, she was never this unfriendly.
“Maybe…” Lana checked her watch, tsking as she looked at Bea.
“I’ve gotta get back to my routine. Oh, you don’t need to come around with coffee for the girls at Pulse on Monday. I’ve got a shoot later in the afternoon with the new company.” Lana smiled happily as Bea nodded.
“Good luck then, I’ll be rooting for you.” Lana smiled again as she waved goodbye. Bea waved too, looking down at Sesi who looked up at Bea with big eyes.
“What’s with you girl? Don’t be rude.” She scolded gently as she ruffled the husky’s fur. Otis ran back, stick in his mouth as he plopped on the floor with a tired pout.
“Let’s get you two home.” Bea said, clipping their leashes onto their collars and gently leading them out of the dog park.
------------------------------------------------
Poppy flipped on the news, pouring herself a large cup of coffee as she took a sip. The swelling on her cheek had decreased but it was still a little sore as she took a seat on her white couch. The large plasma TV featured the current news station as Poppy flipped through the channels, landing on the local business network before glancing outside.
It was a gorgeous Sunday morning, but her day was already ruined thanks to the events of last night.
After her… conversation with Bea, Poppy found herself back at her parents section. She excused herself quickly, letting Don escort her downstairs and into her car before Scott drove her home.
She had slept in, a little different from her usual routine, and woke up the next day at 9:00 AM. Like always, her mornings were quiet, a different atmosphere than her typical one as she fixed herself some fruit. Even though she had a fully functioning kitchen with almost every appliance available, Poppy typically didn’t use it. She didn’t know how to use it was more likely actually.
Poppy let the news drown on as she thought back to that dreaded Sterling party. She knew it was a mistake to go, but her father was persistent and Poppy wasn’t immune to that.
Now, she was introduced to his world and Poppy would have to continue to comply. Even if her father almost slummed it with the poors, he still had influence. Influence that could make or break Poppy’s career.
Her phone buzzed quickly as Poppy reached for it, swiping up and seeing Veronica’s phone number. She answered it, hearing the now pink haired woman through the speaker.
“The Sterling party. I need details, now.” Veronica said as Poppy could hear the distant sound of chatter in the background.
“Where are you?” Poppy asked as she mindlessly watched the business network.
“A well-deserved spa day, I would have invited you, but someone didn’t answer my text.” Veronica spoke as Poppy sighed.
Did she want to recap that awful night?
“I’m not really in the mood to discuss it, Veronica.” Poppy mumbled as she drank from her coffee cup. The line went quiet as Veronica came back, a little louder now.
“Pops, I had like ten modeling shoots and brand deals in the past week, I need this.” She stated, punctuating each word as Poppy rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious V. Nothing… nothing happened.”
“Yea, but aren’t you at least going to tell me about Don Sterling, the guy who’s trying to woo you?”
“He’s not wooing me.”
“Poppy, I have never met a man who would send dozens of roses to a girl’s office if he wasn’t trying to woo her. I mean, he’s a guy. It’s a little romantic.” Poppy held back a gag, brows furrowing as she placed her cup on the coffee table.
“I’m not interested in Don.”
“You know, I can’t really remember when you were interested in a guy…” Veronica muttered as Poppy froze, hands stiffening as she glared.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked harshly as she heard Veronica hum slightly.
“Nothing, it’s just… the only person I actually saw you obsess over was Bea Hughes. …Wow, I haven’t thought about that girl in ages.”
Lucky Veronica.
“I dated plenty of people at Belvoire Veronica. I’m focused on my career right now.”
“Pops, Belle is blossoming, but you’re not getting any younger.”
“I literally just turned twenty-four.” Poppy hissed at Veronica. “Besides, didn’t you just break up with your fourth boyfriend this year?”
“We’re not talking about me Poppy. Tell me, is there anyone that you’re interested in right now?”
“I’m hanging up now.” Poppy said as Veronica back tracked.
“Okay okay, we won’t have that conversation yet, but at least tell me about the Sterling party.”
“I actually have an appointment to get to, so, have a good day.” She hung up before Veronica could utter a reply. Tossing her phone on the couch, Poppy leaned back, staring up at the pristine chandelier hanging above her.
Poppy had been interested in guys before. She had dated Carter Jackson for two years before Bea rolled into Belvoire. Before that, she had hooked up with plenty of men. She was always interested, but just because she wasn’t boy crazy meant nothing.
Carter was a good example. He was a nice boy and even if Poppy had first begun dating him just for status, she liked spending time with him!
Poppy took a moment to think.
Her memory of ever having a good time with Carter drew blank, instead another, unwanted memory resurfaced.
----------------------------------------
“What has you so nervous?” Poppy asked, sorting through clothes as Carter stood with several bags scattered at his feet and a box in his hands. She picked up a silver top, feeling the material in her hands as she looked at the guy.
In many people’s eyes, Carter was the typical golden boy. Attractive, friendly, fit; he was the perfect boyfriend for Poppy to have. Especially at her status.
“Oh, just thinking about the upcoming game…” He mumbled as he looked around the store and tapped his foot restlessly. “Are you almost done babe? I’m getting hungry.” He mumbled. Poppy rolled her eyes as she waved down a store employee, asking for the shirt in another color.
It was always like this. Every other week, Carter would drive her down to the glitzy strip for a shopping spree. She would spend a few hours shopping, they would head to dinner, and then head back to Poppy’s room. It was the same process for the past two years and Poppy… she was fine with it, she guessed.
Though, she could tell Carter was a little different now. Ever since their trip a couple of months ago, the boy had been more weary and less… excited to spend that time with Poppy. It wasn’t her fault of course, she had other things to attend to, what being the reigning queen of Belvoire after all.
She could only assume that Bea Hughes hadn’t poisoned the boy’s brain just yet. It seemed that was what she had done to a lot of Poppy’s friends recently.
“Are you and the Zetas doing your usual routine?” Carter asked as Poppy nodded, handing a skirt to an employee who took it happily.
“Yes, Chloe tried to change it, but like I’d let her floppy, unpracticed routine be the Zeta’s star performance.”
“I think you should give it a shot sometime. Chloe’s a great dancer, I’ve seen some of her-”
“Are you implying the current Zeta dance is outdated?” Poppy asked sharply as Carter shook his head quickly.
“No way babe, it’s just… you could try a new-”
“Did I ask for advice from you?” Poppy snapped as Carter grew a little red. Standing in front of all of the store employees who were waiting on Poppy, the boy shrunk.
“No…” He mumbled, before he set the box he was holding down.
“What are you doing now?” Poppy asked, not even bothering to look at Carter who was rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’m…I’m going to head home. I can call you a taxi or something.” He said as Poppy turned on him sharply.
“Are you joking? What the hell Carter?”
“I’ve got a big game in a few days. Coach says I need rest. I’ll talk to you later.” He muttered, leaving a second later as he left the store, leaving Poppy and her huge shopping bags alone.
Wanting to throw a fit, Poppy glanced around the store where employees were still standing. She waved one over, instructing them to send most of the bags to the Zeta house as she left the store in a huff, holding a couple of bags herself.
Honestly, Carter was so different from when they first started dating. It was if he actually expected something to come out of this relationship when clearly, they wouldn’t even make it to senior year. It wasn’t like her father was going to approve of her marrying an athlete with literally no other prospects.
Marching down the strip, Poppy was contemplating dialing her father’s limo, till Poppy reached for her purse that was conveniently not by her side.
Fucking great, she left her bag in Carter’s stupid sports car which was probably halfway to Belvoire by now.
Poppy looked around cautiously, hopefully Carter had called some type of car, but effing unlikely since he had pebbles for brains.
Her gaze traveled a little further till she stopped, looking across a catwalk and seeing a familiar figure standing across the street.
As if her day couldn’t get any worse.
Bea walked up, swinging her own bag as she lifted the sunglasses she wore. She was wearing a stupid looking Hawaiian shirt that was haphazardly tucked into her jeans as she smiled at Poppy. She was sucking on something which Poppy concluded was a red jolly rancher.
“Hey Poppy, fancy seeing you here.”
“Get out of my face SweetCreek.” Poppy hissed as she turned on her heel, walking away as Bea followed.
“You seem angry, did something happen?” She asked as the two stopped at another crosswalk filled with people. It didn’t sound like she was actually curious, but more like she wanted dirt on Poppy.
“No, seeing you just ruins my day.”
“You’re not making your typical quips so something must have happened.” Bea mumbled as the two walked across the catwalk a little quicker. It was more difficult in heels, but Bea had long legs, keeping up with Poppy easily as they kept walking. Together, unfortunately.
“I didn’t take you for such a nosy person SweetCreek.” Poppy retorted as Bea shrugged.
“I’m just curious as to why The Poppy Min-Sinclair looks like she has nowhere to go.” Bea asked as somehow, the two ended up at a nearby parking lot. Poppy swirled on Bea, pointing harshly at her face as Poppy’s brows furrowed.
“I am not in the mood today, SweetCreek. So fuck off.” Poppy went back to walking before Bea whistled at her. She reluctantly turned around as Bea swung a set of keys around her finger.
“If you don’t have a ride, I’m heading back to Belvoire.” Bea commented as Poppy scoffed.
“Like I would ever get in the same car with you. I’d rather be hit by a bus.”
“Lucky for you, it’s not a car.” She gestured to the side, pointing at a sleek black Harley-Davidson motorcycle that sat in the parking lot. Attached to the bike was a side car as Bea walked over to it. Nevermind, Poppy would rather get hit by a train.
“Your choice Pops, but my offer won’t last long. I’ve got a paper due tomorrow.” Bea said, kicking the stand and leaning against the handlebars of the bike. Poppy took a deep breath, calming the anger boiling as she glared at Bea.
“I’m only doing this because I need to get back to the Zeta house and practice my routine.” Poppy warned as she walked back to Bea and her bike.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Bea smirked, fighting the smile that threatened as she grabbed a helmet from her side compartment.
“Here, I’ve got a spare.” Bea said as Poppy took the helmet, looking it over and grimacing.
“Like hell I’m wearing this.”
“I’d rather not get arrested for my passenger failing to abide by the law.” Bea said as Poppy glared at her. Stupid Carter for leaving her at this stupid strip with stupid Bea Hughes.
Poppy reluctantly put the helmet on, securing it in place as Bea cleared her throat.
“You’ve got two options, you can ride in the side car or you can ride with me. Side note, the sidecar does not have a great floorboard and too much pressure will make it fall through. So you could end up with no feet by the end of it.” Poppy gave her a horrified look.
“But, you’re always welcome on my ride.” Bea winked, patting the seat behind her as Poppy glanced at the sidecar. She didn’t know if Bea was being serious, but she didn’t really feel like testing it out.
Poppy placed her bags in the mini car’s seat before coming to the side. Bea held her hand out to help her, but Poppy whacked it away, climbing on the bike herself. She placed her palms right behind Bea as she refused to even touch the brunette.
“You good back there?” Bea asked as she flipped her visor down. Poppy didn’t answer as Bea shrugged, revving the engine before slowly rolling out of the parking lot.
Poppy had never been on a bike before, considering they were literal death traps, but so far, so good. Bea turned down a street, before she revved the engine again, going a little faster as Poppy’s eyes widened.
“What the hell, SweetCreek?!” Poppy yelled when Bea had sped up considerably more, driving carefree through cars. Poppy yelped as they sped past a yellow taxi.
When Bea almost didn’t slow down for a red light, Poppy moved her palms off the cushion of the bike and wrapped her arms tightly around Bea as Poppy screamed. She could feel Bea chuckle from her hold on Bea’s waist as Poppy glared at the girl, before closing her eyes as wind whipped around the two.
Arms wrapped securely around Bea’s waist, Poppy finally felt the bike slow down just a bit, but Poppy didn’t remove her hands, only feeling the flat surface of Bea’s stomach under her dumb shirt as the two rode down the streets of New York.
Without the speeding, Poppy actually lifted her head just a little, ignoring the fact that her head had been resting on Bea’s back as Poppy looked around the blurring city. She could… she could understand why Bea liked this.
Thirty minutes later, Bea rolled into the Belvoire parking lot closest to the Zeta house, coming to a stop as she turned off the engine. She removed her helmet, tossing her short hair back as she glanced at Poppy who hadn’t let go of her waist yet.
“Home sweet home.” Bea smiled as Poppy finally released her hold on Bea’s waist and shook her hands violently, as if she just touched something poisonous.
Poppy slid off the motorcycle, a little wobbly as Bea reached out to steady her.
“You okay?” She asked as Poppy removed the stupid helmet she wore, tossing her hair back as she shoved it into Bea’s hands as she dropped her own helmet. “Hey, you look good with helmet hair.” Bea commented as Poppy shot her a glare.
“Never tell anyone that you actually care about traffic laws when you were going fifty-five in a forty mile zone.” Poppy growled as she reached for her bags. Glancing in the side car, Poppy snuck a peak at Bea’s shopping bag that she had been carrying. It was full of… statue of liberty bobble heads.
“What the hell did you buy?” Poppy subconsciously asked as Bea broke out into a chuckle.
“They’re for my cousins in SweetCreek. They wanted something fun. And, for the record, I was going forty-five.” Bea said as Poppy rolled her eyes, taking out her bags and walking away from Bea and her bike. The brunette leaned against the handles, smiling as she called after Poppy.
“I’ll see you at the game!” She yelled as Poppy flipped her the bird, hearing Bea laugh from behind as Poppy reached the Zeta doors and slammed them shut.
“How may I help you?” A handsome young man asked as Bea glanced at Kath who looked like the epitome of business. A sleek business skirt and blouse with a jacket hanging off her shoulders as she nodded.
“We’re here for a meeting with Ms. Min-Sinclair. I’m Kath Rensler.”
The boy stood, shaking Kath’s hand as Bea only watched silently. “Of course, I’m Ms. Min-Sinclair’s personal assistant, Tevon Girma. If you could take a seat, I’ll tell Ms. Min-Sinclair you’re here.” Kath smiled, ushering Bea towards the fancy couches in the smaller office as Bea took a seat.
Kath gently set down her papers as Bea looked around nervously. Considering how big the building Poppy had bought, she must have had a ton of plans since the company only comprised three stories as of now. It was modest, but definitely didn’t seem like the office of such a successful magazine.
Kath took a seat next to Bea, looking around as she returned her gaze to Bea who avoided it. “You have your pitch, correct?” She asked as Bea nodded. Kath’s eyes traveled down to Bea’s knuckles that were still purple as she sighed.
“I’m hoping that didn’t have anything to do with Ms. Min-Sinclair.” Kath muttered as Bea didn’t answer, silently feeling like a little kid being judged by their parent.
Kath had seen her knuckles the day of the Sterling party, but she must have thought it was a blueberry stain or something. She didn’t make a comment until Bea showed up to the office that Monday morning and Kath flung a pantsuit at Bea, instructing her they had a meeting with Poppy.
She had dressed quickly, but Bea really wanted time to stop so she could go run away and hide in a cave. She didn’t want to see Poppy again after that last encounter.
“Do you… do you think we’ll get the bid?” Bea asked Kath as the woman sighed, watching employees bustle around the company. It was an early meeting, but all the employees seemed to be running like a tight ship. Bea should have figured Poppy’s company would be like that.
“I’m not sure, if Ms. Min-Sinclair was really impressed with your ideas, we should have no issue, but if SkyHigh promotes a better idea at a cheaper price…” She trailed off, just as the elevator dinged and in walked two men, wearing sleek business suits as the older man walked up to Tevon’s desk as he just returned from speaking with Poppy.
“George Hicks, SkyHigh Architecture Firm.” He said sternly as Bea watched the man, noting his stoic demeanor before her eyes glanced at his associate.
Standing with a slight limp and a large bandaid on his nose, Bea’s eyes widened before her fist clenched. It was that asshole from the party!
He didn’t seem to notice Bea, but his face was still incredibly red and bruised as Mr. Hicks led him to the opposite side of the waiting room, pushing him down into his seat as he fell with a thump.
“Honestly boy, what the fuck were you thinking? Getting beaten up at a bar fight before a big bidding? You look like you got mauled by a bear.” Mr. Hicks hissed at the man who sat quietly, before his eyes wandered across the waiting room and landed on Bea.
He gulped, before wincing, since it was probably hard for him to swallow with such a bruised face. Bea only shot him a glare as Kath raised a brow, looking between the two before she turned away from the two men.
“You must be kidding…” She sighed, placing her face in her palms as Tevon returned, looking at both groups and signaling for them all to stand.
“Ms. Min-Sinclair said she will see you both now.”
Kath stood up as Bea followed, adjusting her jacket as they walked into Poppy’s office, the blonde leaning against the desk as she overlooked a few papers.
Bea’s heart sped up, the reaction unwanted as she took a deep breath. So what if Poppy looked extremely pretty leaning against her desk with her long blonde hair cascading down in waves. She looked up, smiling softly at Kath before dropping her expression when she saw Bea.
Ouch.
Pushing herself off the desk, Poppy went around to her office chair, taking a seat as she gestured at the chairs in front of her.
Kath took a seat, adjusting her papers in her lap as Mr. Hicks and his associate took a seat as well. Bea went last, looking cautiously at Poppy who didn’t even bat an eye.
“Thank you both for coming on such short notice.” Poppy started, leaning forward as she looked between the group before stopping her gaze on the beat up man who shrank even further in his seat. From the looks of it, he didn’t know who he had assaulted at the Sterling party a few days ago.
Bea smirked, leaning away from the group as she covered her face with her palm.
“I’ve yet to finalize my decision, but I’d like to hear your pitches in person.” Poppy said, leaning back in her chair as she looked at Mr. Hicks
“Mr. Hicks, please start.” Poppy said calmly as Mr. Hicks elbowed his employee harshly.
The man straightened in his chair, trembling as he tried to clear his throat. In this light, he looked a lot smaller than he had at the Sterling party as Poppy narrowed her eyes dangerously. She definitely hadn’t forgotten about what happened the other day, no matter how much concealer she applied to hide the redness on her cheek.
“I’m Chuck Pillson and I’ll- I’ll be the lead architect on your project Ms. Min-Sinclair.”
“At- at SkyHigh, we what only make happy you.” Kath raised a brow as Bea disguised a laugh as a cough. Mr. Hicks looked like he was about to have a stroke.
“I mean, we only want what makes you happy.” He stuttered out as Poppy remained expressionless. He reached for his briefcase, pulling out a few large sketches as he placed them on Poppy’s desk. She glanced at them, not picking any of them up, before she leaned back in her chair.
“Our rates are considered the best in state so you’re guaranteed to get… the best prices ever.” He finished, looking over at his boss who only stared past Poppy’s chair and outside her large windows. He was probably envisioning how to sell his beach house in Cabo.
“...Thank you for that Mr. Pillson.” Poppy said a second later, turning towards Kath and pointedly ignoring Bea.
“Mrs. Rensler, your bid please.”
Kath looked to Bea who cleared her throat, standing up and adjusting her jacket.
She came around to the side of Poppy’s desk, looking at the woman who was not looking at Bea.
“I’m Bea Hughes and I’m not going to make the regular sales pitch to you Ms. Min-Sinclair.” Bea said as Kath gave her a curious look. It definitely wasn’t in the handbook, but Bea figured it couldn’t be worse than what Chuck had done. Poppy slightly perked at Bea’s tone, before remaining quiet.
“You’re not here for better reviews or better prices, you know what you want. I have a feeling that doesn’t depend on other people’s opinions.” Bea said as she gestured to the office that the group sat in.
“I could tell you how Rensler is the fastest growing architecture firm in the country, how Mrs. Rensler has had over several thousand happy customers, but it wouldn’t make a difference to you.”
Finally, Poppy turned in her chair, looking at Bea who stood to the side, eyeing her carefully as Bea continued.
“I’ll be the lead architect for the project and as the lead architect, I’ll make sure you’re 101% satisfied with whatever happens to that gorgeous building you bought on 96th street. Whatever you envision for that place, I’m the only one who can make it into the real deal.” Bea reached for her own bag, pulling out rough sketches and directly holding them out to Poppy.
Poppy tentatively took them, flipping through the pages as she tried to keep her expression neutral. She gently traced one of the pages with a sharp nail before looking back up at Bea. No smile was on her face, but she didn’t look angry either.
“You make a compelling case Ms. Hughes, but Rensler’s prices are higher than the industry average. Who’s to complain if I go for SkyHigh's more mediocre percents?” Poppy asked, the question a challenge as Mr. Hicks coughed loudly.
“We can always discuss a better percentage if it’s to your liking Ms. Min-Sinclair. We too, of course, only want your complete satisfaction.”
Poppy ignored the man, continuing to look at Bea who only looked at Poppy.
“You want what you want. Price be damned.” Bea smiled, tilting her head in a little bow, before reclaiming her seat. Kath gave Bea an impressive look, before she turned back to Poppy who was still overlooking the Rensler designs.
Sure, it was a little out there and maybe Bea used her more… personal knowledge to appeal to Poppy, but all was fair in bidding wars. Kath taught her that, so long as it was relatively legal.
Poppy finally turned back to the group, looking at them all, before stopping on Bea. A split second of eye contact before Poppy glanced away, clearing her throat.
“Thank you both for your pitches. I believe I have all the information I need.” She threaded her hands together as she picked up a piece of paper with the contents of a contract.
“I’ve decided that-”
The door behind them opened as Tevon’s head peeked through. They all turned in their chairs, looking at the man who smiled sheepishly.
“I apologize for interrupting Ms. Min-Sinclair. I wanted to inform you that Lana, Sally, and Jo are here for their meeting.” Tevon held the door open a little wider, showing the three girls standing in the waiting room. They looked in, smiling before one of them caught Bea’s eye.
“Bea?” Lana mouthed before Tevon closed the door as Bea stared in shock at the now closed door. Standing in that waiting room was Lana Bennet. The waiting room for….
“I’m sorry about that. It’s a recent endeavor into a new modeling agency.” Poppy said as the group muttered in agreement. Bea still stared at the door, mouth wide open before Kath kicked her shin from the side, causing Bea to wince.
No way was Lana going to be working with….
Bea looked at Poppy as she threaded her slim fingers through her hair. She smiled kindly at the group, before smirking, glancing carefully at Bea before returning her eyes to the rest of the people.
I hope I did you justice anon. Thank you for the request. I hope you are had a good day.
Jealous Poppy
Finally Poppy’s fashion class was finally over. She packed up her things and headed to the Zeta house. Her day was finally over and her phone was already blowing up with texts from Chloe and Veronica. They wanted to go shopping for Alpha-Zeta formal, they always did a dance together. Poppy and Carter broke up a while ago so she would have to go stag. She had the girls, but she always had someone on her arm. She grabbed her purse and called her driver to take her to the boutique.
Chloe was talking her ear off about wanting to find the perfect dance. Poppy’s social meter was practically empty by this point. She had already picked a pink maxi dress, comfortable but still showed enough skin. It had a slit going up the thigh. Veronica was livestreaming to her fans, she had a poll to help her pick which dress she would wear.
“What do you think Veronicats? Silver or Black?
“Looks like black is winning, Veronica.” Chloe looked at the poll. It took everything not to roll her eyes. She just wanted to get back to Zeta and get this dance over with. It was already unfortunate enough that the three idiots of Winfrey dorm were going to be there. The Alphas invited Sabina, Zoey and Bea since they have been attending the parties every weekend. She hated them. They think just because they were climbing ranks, it meant they were hot shit. It pissed off Poppy.
After two hours of shopping, another hour of getting ready, and making it to the rooftop for the formal; Poppy was exhausted. The sun was slowly setting, at least the Alphas hired a nice decorator this time. Whenever they throw parties, they think putting up golden streamers are decorative. She took a flute of champagne and downed it like she had been in a desert for three days. She went over to the bar and took a shot of vodka, if she was going to make it through tonight then she would need some liquid courage. Maybe she should have had more than a couple bites of pasta before she got here.
She was dancing with Chloe and Veronica when her eyes locked on to Bea. Her and Sab both sported suits, they looked custom made. Zoey had on a dress, she hated to say all three looked stunning. Bea was wearing an all maroon suit with a black shirt and god did she look good in it. Maybe the vodka was stronger than she thought. Bea caught her looking and she hurried and snapped her head away. It was too late though, Bea spotted her and was making her way over.
“Hey there Pops. Hi Veronica. Hi Chloe.” Bea smiled at the ladies. Poppy could smell her cologne, notes of citrus, it was tantalizing.
“Damn Bea you look hot. Don’t we agree, Veronicats?” V put up the phone to get the full view of Bea. Poppy shot her a dirty glare but no one caught it or so she thought.
“I guess you look okay Farmsville.” Chloe had a blush on her face, that she was terrible at hiding.
“What do you want, Hughes? Or do you just insist on ruining my night?” Poppy chimed in over her friends drooling for Bea.
“I was wondering if I could have the honor of a dance with you?” Bea smiled brightly. She had the look of hope in her eyes.
“Hughes if the world was ending and in order to save it, I had to dance with you to save it I would say no.” A disappointed feeling washed over her.
“Whatever Pops. Enjoy your night ladies.” Bea winked at the other two. Veronica and Chloe couldn’t help, but stare at Bea leave.
The night went on without any more farm sized interruptions. The crowd of wealthy college students danced, drank and snacked on catering. Poppy helped herself to a few more drinks to keep the floaty feelings going. She noticed out of the corner of her eye Bea once again. She was dancing with Ohio, Hayley’s twin. They were awfully close, hands roaming each other's bodies. She felt heat creep up on the back of her neck. What made her snap was when they kissed. Maybe it was the alcohol in her system mixed with the lack of food that caused her to storm over to the pair.
“Ohio what do you think you are doing?”
“I’m just dancing Poppy, that’s what you do at a formal.” Ohio was so oblivious it annoyed the shit out of Poppy.
“I’m going to suggest you find somewhere else to dance with better company, or you will be out of Zeta so fast your head will spin.” Poppy made sure there was enough venom in her words. Ohio’s face turned pale and left quickly, tears welled in her eyes.
“Poppy what the fuck is your problem?” Bea shouted. Ohio did not deserve that treatment and it pissed Bea off.
“You Hughes, your existence is my problem.” Poppy noticed people starting to look at the two arguing. She grabbed Bea’s hand and dragged her to one of the rooms rented out for the formal. She would have to thank the Alphas for renting the whole floor. She picked the room and pushed Bea in, closing the door behind her.
“People saw us leave so if you murder me they would know it was you Poptart.”
“Bea can you shut the hell up for like five seconds? I know it is a difficult task for you.” Bea’s eyes went wide for a second. Poppy just used her actual name. She knows now is not the time to bring it up though.
“Then tell me why you dragged me here.” Bea took a step closer. Their eyes met, both with the same fire. Bea would have never been so bold if not for the shot Sabina had been getting throughout the night. Now she was less than a foot from her enemy. Her perfume always drove her wild, she couldn’t get enough of it.
“Because you need to stay away from my Zetas.”
“That’s the only reason? Because it seems to me someone had a touch of the green monster. I saw you glare after V was complimenting her. Admit it Pops. You feel something for m-”
Poppy leaned in and kissed Bea. She was tired of this hick rambling on. Warmth filled her chest as their lips collided. They kissed with such haste. They wouldn’t let the other win dominance, both were too stubborn for that. Bea pulled Poppy by her hips. Poppy couldn’t help the soft moan leave her mouth. Finally they came up for air. Poppy pulled off Bea’s suit jacket and threw it to the ground. She pushed Bea onto the bed behind her.
“I hope you don’t have anywhere to be Hughes, it’s going to be a long night.”
Context: This chapter features several elements of internalized homophobia, so it it makes you uncomfortable, caution below. I like to think of this chapter as the real beginning of Poppy and Bea's new relationship and it will only go downhill from here... probably.
Masterlist
General Content Warnings: Mature, Angst, Possible NSFW, Cursing, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Semi-Violence, Cheating, and Slow Burn
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Poppy’s eyes traveled around the quad, eyeing each and every student that dared to walk closer to her table where she and Chloe sat. Veronica was doing who knows what as she chatted away on her phone, gesturing wildly. Poppy had learned to tune those kinds of noises out, but there was a new buzz on campus.
Newbie Bea Hughes was making quite the noise around town. Buzz that Poppy couldn’t afford especially from some middle-class loser like that.
She wouldn’t have admitted it, but Poppy had seen Bea before, during one of the campus tours that took place sometime last semester. Mostly, she was eyeing the fresh meat coming onto the campus and seeing if any were worthy of being a Zeta, but she had to admit, she found herself a little trained on the girl when she first saw her.
If Poppy had to describe who her type on paper was, Bea probably fit most of those marks, but she was a girl and Poppy… Poppy wasn’t like that.
But anyone could admit that she was pretty cute, maybe even a little hot. She was 5’10, an impressive figure and an even more attractive face. Poppy liked the way that every feature on her looked a little sharp, but in reality, she actually had pretty rounded features. One would assume she had gotten plastic surgery to look that good, but she was a little young for that level of operation.
She wasn’t average in the slightest, probably above that. The wavy short brown hair that was cut stylishly at her neck was more than Poppy expected from a mere hairdresser at SweetCreek. Even if her clothing was fairly unimpressive, it wasn’t like she walked around in gray sweats everyday like half of Belvoire’s male population. She actually dressed fairly casual, not Poppy’s level of casual, but not awful either.
What Poppy couldn’t figure was how Bea made even the lamest activities attractive. Over the past weeks of their small encounters, Poppy would see Bea around campus and purposefully walk up to the girl just to annoy her. She was serious, no one talked back to her and lived to speak about it.
Yet Bea didn’t have a care in the world. She would just raise that stupidly annoying eyebrow with the scar through it and immediately quip back at Poppy like this was some fun little sparring match between friends. Poppy hated it. She hated it more than anything in the world.
She was already friends with New Money, a defeated thorn in Poppy’s side, the Alphas apparently, and something about Penelope Dogwood was spread throughout campus. Poppy wasn’t worried of course, but she was a little curious at how easy this whole thing seemed to Bea.
She seemed to have a goal to overthrow Poppy, but of course, Poppy had plenty of plans to keep that from happening, but Bea could at least act like she hated her for crying out loud.
Like at the Alpha party, helping Poppy out of the pool when freaking Carter was just standing there?
The very memory made her roll her eyes, still feeling the sticky substance coating her skin as she shivered. It was stupid, she let herself be surprised like that which is something a queen should never do, but Bea was a little too attractive that night.
She heard the Zetas gasp at Bea when she got out of the pool and Poppy couldn’t help but stare as well. She was….awfully attractive.
Yet her personality was absolutely shit. Who could ever be that nice to anyone… for such a long period of time?!
Poppy convinced herself she just found Bea physically attractive. That was all.
The girl had all the brawn but lacked the brains.
Poppy’s new motto for her.
“Hey, there’s newbie.” Chloe said to Poppy who snapped out of her thoughts. Sure enough, walking down the sidewalk in a red flannel shirt with her phone in her hands, Bea was typing away. Poppy quickly moved away from her seat, Chloe following after as Poppy walked down the sidewalk, right where Bea was.
Stupid Newbie. Too attractive for her own good and soon to be absolute dirt under Poppy’s diamond encrusted heels.
Walking a little quicker, Poppy slammed her shoulder into Bea’s hands, making her phone clatter to the concrete as Poppy stood tall in front of the girl, crossing her arms and glaring at her.
“Hey!”
----------------------------------------------
“Hey.”
The voice should have been unfamiliar to Poppy, but the problem was it was all too familiar, making Poppy feel all sorts of things as she could only stare into Bea’s hickory colored eyes.
Her mouth felt dry, staring at Bea who hadn’t changed one bit since Belvoire.
Hard to believe it had been two years since Poppy had last heard about Bea and now here she was. Standing at the most exclusive party in New York.
“You…” She couldn’t speak, her throat felt like it was closing as she tried to clear it as Bea took an awkward step back.
Somehow, chills had appeared down her arms, making her run cold as she only stared in shock at Bea who looked just as uncomfortable.
“Um…” Bea tried, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked at Poppy before ducking her head away. It seemed like she heavily regretted approaching Poppy before Bea took a deep breath. She smiled just a little, but Poppy could see it didn’t reach her eyes as she spoke.
“Wow, it’s been…so long.” Bea attempted as Poppy nodded, head ducking back towards her feet. She couldn’t stare very long at Bea. Her heart would beat too quickly, mostly in anger or even sadness. She couldn’t tell, but she could blame the alcohol.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d recognize me.” Bea said after a couple of minutes of silence. Poppy didn’t reply.
“But I could…recognize you. Cause you were just… standing here…alone.” Bea winced at her wording as Poppy raised a brow, finally lifting her head to glance at Bea who was mumbling under her breath.
In a room crowded with at least 300 guests, Poppy never felt smaller standing against this wall and facing someone she never expected to see again.
Besides the general awkwardness of the situation, something felt even more awkward about what Bea was saying to her. Since the beginning, Bea was never at a loss for words when she spoke to Poppy. At that moment, Bea literally knew no words.
“Like at Bel-” She cut herself off, biting her cheek as she kept the word from spilling out. Poppy only tilted her head to the side, sharply inhaling as she pushed herself off the wall. Bea backed away, as if something stung her. Poppy ignored it, grabbing her drink and walking past Bea.
She wasn’t going to do this again.
“Wait-” Bea’s voice cut as Poppy walked into the dance crowd. Was Bea actually following her when she couldn’t even form a compound sentence? Poppy stopped by the nearest bar to check and sure enough, a panting Bea rolled up right next to her.
“What the fuck…” She muttered as she tried to catch her breath. Sure, Poppy might have sped through the crowds a little too quickly, causing Bea to sprint in order to keep up.
Pushing her hair out of her face, Bea didn’t turn to look Poppy in the eyes as Poppy didn’t bother to look at Bea either.
“Can I get you a drink?” She tried, before Poppy set her champagne glass in front of Bea who looked down at it. It was completely full.
“Fuck.” Bea cursed louder this time as Poppy rolled her eyes. She moved away from the bar once again, until Bea turned quickly, grabbing Poppy’s wrist.
The contact lasted a split second and then Bea jerked her hand violently back, pressing it to her chest as Poppy didn’t move any further.
She only stared down at her wrist, the lingering warmth of Bea’s hand on her skin before Poppy shook the thought from her head. No, this was definitely not good.
“I- I need to talk to you.” Bea stuttered out, the previous calm composure from Belvoire was no longer seeable in how this new Bea spoke. Poppy shouldn’t have given her the time of day.
But there was no denying it was still Bea. Even a two year difference couldn’t change that in Poppy’s eyes and it couldn’t change everything that the two had gone through during Belvoire either. Although, the lingering thoughts of their last conversation together was certainly something to remember.
Moving her wrist to her side, Poppy looked past Bea’s shoulder. “What do you want?” She asked harshly as Bea’s eyes widened. It was certainly a change of tone than what Bea had heard before as she cleared her throat.
Continuing to mumble to herself, Bea pulled out her wallet as Poppy watched. She pulled out a small card and handed it to Poppy.
Taking it quickly, Poppy read the name and immediately froze.
“You’re working at an architect firm now?” Poppy subconsciously asked as Bea nodded.
What stuck out most to Poppy was the name on the card. Who would have thought?
Newbie Hughes who would draw almost anything in her sight would take off to work for one of the best firms in the world.
“I’m representing Rensler and um-” Bea gulped as Poppy looked up from the card. Was the great Bea Hughes actually nervous?
Not her problem though, she didn’t know this Bea in front of her, the Bea who was too scared to even talk to Poppy.
“You bought a building?” She asked awkwardly as Poppy raised a sharp brow. This was a train wreck in the making.
“That is personal information.” Poppy said as she set Bea’s card down onto the bar top. Bea nervously fiddled with her hands, long fingers playing with her rings until Poppy heard a small click from Bea’s thumb.
She cursed to herself before moving away just as Bea had taken a deep breath. Poppy prayed Bea wasn’t stupid enough to follow her again and she was right. Bea stayed next to the bar as Poppy took off to the opposite side of the party, where she couldn’t see Bea’s face anymore.
She found herself at another bar, conveniently, the bar where she had left that generic man. “Back for more gorgeous?” He cockily asked as Poppy gave the man a deadpan look before pulling on his flashy tie and dragging him across the dance floor.
She had made too many mistakes tonight, what was one more?
“I’m going to throw up.” Bea groaned, splashing herself with ice cold tap water as she shut off the sink to look herself over in the mirror. She looked a mess and definitely felt like crap too.
Reaching for one of the fancy hand towels, Bea dried her face, dabbing hard at her eyes before tossing the towel away.
What. The Fuck. Was. That.
She was a babbling mess when she had spoken to Poppy. Spoken was actually too big of a word for what Bea had done. More like muttered a few nouns together in an attempt to string together a sentence, but instead producing a pile of mush at Poppy’s ivory heels.
Bea placed her hands in her hair, gripping her locks and yelling profanities amongst the bathroom walls. Luckily, she had ran to the farthest bathroom possible, where most guests didn’t dare enter as Bea was slinging insults at herself.
“fuck, fuck, Fuck!” Bea yelled again as she finally slammed her hands against the counter, her palms instantly turning red as she breathed heavily in front of the pristine mirror.
It was pure luck that Bea had even found Poppy. She had actually been loitering around the bar, hoping the girl might magically walk by, but Bea had been waiting for a while and she soon grew tired of watching all of the party goers. So, she ventured off, in a direction that hardly anyone went to.
She thought about finding Kath, asking for her help no matter how pathetic it was, but thought better of it after Kath’s parting words to Bea. So she went back to her search.
There was no explanation as to why Bea gravitated to the more shallow parts of the party, but a quick glance to her side and there she was. Standing alone near a wall in a gorgeous magenta dress, Poppy looked breathtaking and Bea would be lying if she said she could remember how to breathe when she first saw her.
Her feet led her there confidently, as if remembering all of the times Bea had approached Poppy at parties when the two knew each other better, but Bea’s brain was still stuck and then the conversation that followed made Bea want to curl up in a hole and pass away.
Did she remember anything she said? Absolutely not.
It was why Bea was currently hiding in the bathroom. Partly in embarrassment and also because she was 90% sure she was going to lose her job because Poppy would have to be an idiot to even accept an offer from Rensler now.
The only company that probably could match them was SkyHigh, but the whole company was just a flashy program with no real talent in it, just simple designs that rich people liked. Bea turned back on the sink, splashing herself with more water before repeating the process again.
It was fair to accept her fate, a ruined career all because of an ex-hookup that went terribly wrong. It was something out of a movie, but Bea hated this movie. Cause this movie was her freaking life.
Bea threw the towel again, this time throwing it high in the air and watching it land perfectly in the hamper as she straightened out her suit. Probably the last fancy suit she would ever wear to an event like this considering she was ruined.
Sliding her fingers through her hair, Bea took a deep breath, before Kath would probably choke the last one out of her.
Leaning against the bathroom granite, Bea took a moment to think.
Would it be wise to give up so easily? No, never.
Would it be wise to attempt to talk to Poppy again? No, never.
Bea didn’t want to cross that bridge again. Everything about it was just awkward and uncomfortable, as if Bea had never met the woman before. In ways, Bea hadn’t met this new Poppy, someone who seemed to use her power more than her sharp tongue to combat against her haters.
But there was something else there. Something that made Bea feel even more sick than that ‘conversation’ the two had. She actually…
Bea slapped herself on the wrist. No, not today.
Steeling her nerves, Bea pointed a sharp finger at her mirror self. “You are going to fucking try again until you can at least face Kath with a straight face.” Bea mumbled to herself.
Had she completely lost it to the point where she was giving herself a pep talk? People sunk to unimaginable lows when faced with their ex from Belvoire.
Bea stood up sharply, fixing her posture before checking her watch. The party still had another hour and a half, enough time to at least talk business with Poppy. She could do that. No previous feelings or awkward words involved.
Finally leaving the bathroom after an embarrassing ten minutes in the room, Bea grabbed the handle of the door, before she heard a loud bang, causing her to jolt.
Bea left the bathroom, reentering the party as she stood next to the bathroom doors. One for the men and one for the ladies.
An unsettling feeling overtook Bea as she looked across the crowds. Everything looked fine, people still partying it up in the only way they knew how, with millions of dollars spent to make everything look pretty.
She didn’t move though. Didn’t venture back into the crowd as she turned towards the door of the men’s room. The bang definitely sounded close, like the wall connecting over close as Bea approached it, reaching for the handle before feeling it stop.
It was locked.
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Poppy grabbed the man’s hand, leading him to a far away bathroom as he followed behind. The alcohol was finally getting to her.
When she pushed him inside, Poppy kissed him hard as his hands moved to rest against her waist, before moving lower and cupping her ass.
She felt sick.
The man’s hands moved to the door, clicking the lock before he returned to kissing Poppy who was momentarily dazed.
His hands roamed across her body, hands cupping her waist, her ass, even briefly touching her chest as his tongue moved against her lips. It was sloppy, too much aggression and too much force in the kiss as the two backed away towards the sink.
He pressed her hard against the granite, continuing to kiss her with his whole mouth as if he were trying to swallow her whole. Poppy let him, she let him kiss her like he probably had a million drunken girls cause that's what men like him did.
He was generic, basic to the point Poppy couldn’t spot him in a crowd if someone paid her 100k. He told her his name, but Poppy didn’t listen, she didn’t care. She just… she just wanted her thoughts to stop.
The man moved his lips lower, pressing a kiss to Poppy’s neck as his tongue trailed behind, wetting her neck to the point it made Poppy deeply uncomfortable, but she was drunk. She couldn’t tell between this man’s sloppily done kisses in this oversized bathroom compared to kisses she once received by a certain brunette.
Poppy blinked slowly. Those were the thoughts that she was trying to forget as she grabbed the man’s head roughly, bringing him back to her lips as she pressed hers against his, tasting the alcohol and breath mints he had and forcing herself to continue.
She hated this. Hated kissing this man and hated how it made her feel…terrible, but it shouldn’t feel terrible. This was natural.
Poppy should be kissing a man. She should like kissing a man, but everything about this made her feel disgusting as his hands kept wandering.
He wasn’t gentle, he played rough, palming her thighs with sticky sweaty palms as Poppy let herself close her eyes as he continued to kiss her. If she would let this continue, she needed at least one happy thought through it all.
She pictured it was someone else currently pressing kisses to Poppy’s neck. Someone who knew how to handle a woman, who was gentle and warm to the touch compared to this sweaty man. Someone exactly like Bea.
Poppy gulped at the thought. It was…fine if it was only a brief second.
Bea pressed a gentle kiss to Poppy’s neck, smiling against Poppy’s soft skin as she gently lifted her up by her waist, setting Poppy on the counter as Bea leaned up. Bea took her time, pressing soft kisses on Poppy’s cheeks, even pressing one to her nose as Poppy scrunched it in annoyance.
“We don’t have all day Hughes.” Poppy said, grabbing ahold of the jean jacket Bea wore as she smiled.
“I’ve got allll day to worship you Poptart.” Bea smiled wide, her teeth so straight that it kind of pissed Poppy off.
“And why would you do that when you could have me now?” She playfully asked, wrapping her legs around Bea’s waist to pull her closer. She radiated heat, something that Poppy had learned to like more than she would admit.
“Probably cause I think you deserve it.” Bea said, gently rubbing her soft palms against Poppy’s thighs. She didn’t trail any further, not until she had Poppy’s permission.
“I deserve it? You’re giving me a lot of material to work with SweetCreek.” Poppy said as Bea ducked down to kiss Poppy again, applying soft pressure as Poppy nipped the girl’s bottom lip. Bea smiled into the kiss, slipping her tongue into Poppy’s mouth and gently moving against her.
“You do deserve it. You’re-” She paused, leaning back to look at Poppy as she sighed. “Nevermind.” Bea finally added as Poppy raised a sharp brow. She wanted to pry, but thought better of it as Bea ducked her head back down
“So, let me worship you right now.” Bea purred against her skin as Poppy nodded, feeling Bea’s hand move further up her thigh.
Poppy snapped out of her thoughts, her body now running hotter as she suddenly became aware of the man’s hand now creeping under Poppy’s dress as if to touch her.
“Yea, you like that baby?” He asked, his words slurring as he pressed a kiss to Poppy’s neck. His sausage sized fingers creeped further up before Poppy pressed both palms to the man’s chest and shoved him off.
He stumbled back, hand falling away from Poppy’s dress as he stared at her, dumfounded. “What the hell?” He asked, stepping closer as Poppy turned to look herself over in the mirror. The oaf was too impatient and stupid to even make a hickey on her neck. She glared at him in the mirror as he stood in shock.
“I’m not interested in a hookup.” Poppy stated, cheeks finally losing their heat as she tried to fix her hair. “Go find someone else.”
“What the fuck is your problem lady?” He asked roughly as he took a towering step towards Poppy who didn’t flinch. “You can’t just do that to a guy.” He growled, eyes darkening as Poppy raised a sharp brow.
Even if the man was surprisingly tall, he was still drunk. Even if Poppy was too, at least she wasn’t stupid.
“Get over yourself and your inflated ego. I don’t owe you anything.” She hissed, spinning to face the man whose face was burning with rage.
“You bitch, you think just cause I’m a guy you can toy with me?!” Poppy reeled back as he took a step forward, grabbing Poppy’s shoulders and shaking her. “All you sluts are the same! You’re not leaving until-” His rage overcame him as he lifted his large palm, slapping Poppy across the face.
Her skin stung as she felt the slap through her whole body, gasping out as the man growled, grabbing Poppy’s shoulder again, only rougher this time. “Not leaving until you finish this!”
Poppy’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before her anger snapped as she lifted her knee, connecting with the man’s center as his face contorted in pain.
“ARGH!” He screamed, letting go of Poppy, whose dress was now ruffled as she thought fast, grabbing a glass soap bottle and shattering it directly on the guy’s head!
He was a big man, meaning it didn’t knock him unconscious as he fell to the floor and the glass shattered instantly. Blood dripped down his forehead as he touched the spot, pulling his hand away as he looked up at Poppy, murder in his eyes. “I’m going to kill you!!” He screamed, stumbling up slowly as Poppy backed away from the man, hitting the counter at her waist as she reached for another soap bottle.
The man stumbled up, just as Poppy heard a loud crash come from the bathroom door, a familiar figure running inside and staring at the scene.
Bea’s eyes widened for a second, looking at the shattered glass, the stumbling drunk man, and Poppy with a large red splotch booming on her cheek. She looked a mess too, her dress rumpled and her lipstick smeared as she looked at Bea who’s whole demeanor changed when she looked at Poppy.
Stalking forward as the man looked to the side, he let out a sharp gasp. “Who the fuck are-” He didn’t finish, Bea throwing a nasty right hook at the man’s face as he went down with a thud. It definitely broke his nose.
She didn’t stop there, grabbing ahold of the large man’s collar and pulling him up as she punched him again and again. Poppy stood frozen as she watched Bea beat the man up as he let out small hisses of pain before Bea finally slammed him down against the tile flooring, his head banging hard against it as Bea glared down at him. Her voice lowered as she bared her teeth at him.
“If you ever touch her again, I’ll fucking kill you.” Bea hissed at the man whose face was covered in blood and new bruises blooming across his features. He nodded sharply, looking at Bea with scared eyes as she finally stood up.
Poppy only stayed close to the counter as Bea turned towards her, looking her over as if checking Poppy wasn’t hurt. “Are you okay?” Bea asked, stepping closer before Poppy stepped back.
“I’m fine…I was handling it.” She spoke quickly, eyes glancing down at where Bea’s knuckles were now bloody and bruised.
Bea didn’t answer, only sighing in relief before she stepped over the man who was groaning in pain as Bea looked at Poppy. Finally looking into her eyes.
“C’mon, you need something cold for your face.”
“I don’t need anything-” Bea ignored her, walking off and expecting Poppy to follow. She definitely didn’t want to stay with this guy who was crying on the floor, so Poppy left the bathroom, following Bea who was currently walking through the crowds.
Poppy could barely spot her, before walking up to the nearest bar where Bea was currently speaking with the bartender, before taking a towel from the woman and walking back up to Poppy. The bar was more secluded than the rest as Poppy sat on one of the back stools, hoping no one could tell her face was swelling as Bea approached.
She slid the towel to Poppy, who took it slowly, unwrapping it to see a small ice pack. She pressed it to her cheek, hissing in pain as Bea glanced around the bar, eyes settling everywhere but on Poppy.
Instead of thanking Bea like Poppy should have, she glared at the girl, looking her up and down.
“Were you following me?” Poppy asked, voice a little strict as Bea looked at her.
“What? No, I heard something crash in that bathroom and went to check it out.” Bea said, voice no longer breaking with pauses or trembling with nerves. She sounded like her old self.
“Well, I didn’t need your help.” Poppy restated, pressing the ice to her cheek again as she felt the swelling fall just a little. It was going to take some time to heal, but it shouldn’t bruise.
“Are you serious? That guy could have-”
“I had it under control.” Poppy stated again as Bea rolled her eyes. Tapping her fingers anxiously against the counter as she looked at Poppy.
“I highly doubt that.” Bea said as Poppy placed the ice pack down.
“I mean it. I didn’t need your help.” Poppy said, making sure every word rang clear as Bea scoffed, looking down at her bloody knuckles.
“That guy could have hurt you, Poppy, or even worse.” She said as if Poppy owed her a medal or something. Typical hero Bea.
“And why would that matter to you?” Poppy growled as she slid off the bar stool. Bea’s eyebrows furrowed as if telling Poppy why it would matter, but thinking better of it as Poppy scoffed.
“Fuck off Bea Hughes.” Poppy hissed as she left the bar and Bea who followed after her.
“Hey, wait a minute. I’m not here to talk about Belvoire or all the other stuff. We don’t even have to talk about the past thirty minutes.” Bea stated as they stood next to each other, but never feeling more apart.
“I want to make my pitch to you about the architect design. I need ten minutes, max.” Bea asked, voice more confident as Poppy eyed her cautiously.
She took a second to think it over. Again, she shouldn’t give her the time of day.
A few minutes later, the two had taken the elevator down in silence, Bea rocking on her heels as Poppy wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Her cheek still stung as the elevator finally stopped, opening into a large recreational room with multiple seating areas.
Bea took a seat on one of the couches as Poppy did the same, picking one far away from Bea as she cleared her throat.
“I’m sure you’ve already done your research into Rensler and have heard about our bid.” Poppy remembered it, but the offer certainly didn’t stick out much now that she knew Bea worked for the company.
“And I know that me working for the company…might complicate some things.” Bea went on as she glanced at Poppy who still sat with her arms wrapped around herself. She kept her expression neutral and calm as Bea reached into her jacket, pulling out a small notebook as she slid it towards Poppy.
“I know the decision isn’t final and this probably isn’t the smartest plan, but I’ve already seen the design of the building you bought. I’ve mapped out a few things that you might want to change.” Poppy took the notebook, opening it up to a small sketch of the building and some of the floors inside. It had ample room. Several stories were available and it was a great location.
Poppy envisioned many years in the space and from Bea’s designs, it looked like the girl had prepped for that. It was mostly reconstruction designs, replacing of walls and sectioned off rooms, but there were already scribbles of where lighting would go best and rooms that didn’t face too much sun.
She took a moment to flip through the notes, already a couple of pages filled with sketches before Poppy set the notebook back down. She wasn’t going to admit that those sketches were exactly what Poppy wanted for her building.
“If you like my designs, you should consider Rensler’s bid. It might be more expensive than the other offers, but the work will always be better.” Bea said, standing to pick up her notebook as she returned to her seat.
“You should also know, I’ll be the lead architect on the project so you and I could work together for a bit, but we shouldn’t-”
“Are you ever going to shut up?” Poppy asked as Bea closed her mouth, staring at Poppy in confusion. “You think I’m worried about working with you, Bea Hughes?” Poppy stood, stalking closer to Bea and placing her hand on the couch’s back roughly. It caused Bea to jolt as she pressed herself into the couch’s cushion as Poppy glared down at her, hovering above the woman who looked up into Poppy’s eyes.
“Listen closely Hughes. When I make my decision about my building, it will have nothing to do with you or anything in our shared past.” She pressed closer, glaring hard at Bea as she felt her temper boil.
She was still sitting with that stupid look on her face as if expecting Poppy to feel anything for her. She didn’t need help in that bathroom and she didn’t need Bea to treat her as if Poppy had spent the last two years only thinking about their past and what could have been.
She hated it. She hated everything about this. Seeing Bea again, making out with that man, her parents, Don. All of it made Poppy angry as she stared at Bea with murder in her eyes. What she wouldn’t give to go back to at least three hours ago, when she never saw this woman. What she wouldn’t give to never think about Bea Hughes again.
Most of all, Poppy hated how she felt when she looked at Bea. The same lingering feeling from Belvoire that Poppy could never label or even describe. It was disgusting.
She pushed herself away as Bea sharply inhaled, looking at Poppy with worry as the woman smoothed down her dress. “Let me tell you this. If I do pick Rensler, you’ll wish I hadn’t.” Poppy said sternly as she walked away from Bea who sat nervously on the couch, hands gripping the ends of the cushion as she watched Poppy leave.
“If you didn’t hate me at Belvoire, I’m going to do everything I can to make you absolutely despise me now.”
Thank you for all that read my content and leave feedback. I love and appreciate you all, you absolute cuties.
Chapter 3
The bird chirping outside her window sounded like they were jackhammering her brain. She could still taste the tequila in the back of her throat. Sabina would rather have been sucked into a blackhole than deal with the hangover. The last thing she remembered was dancing with the gorgeous brunette from last night. She turned and saw the aspirin and water. She downed both and decided it was time for coffee.
“Hey there, party animal. I am glad you could join us.” Bea poured Sab a cup of coffee.
“I am sure you are going to lecture me. Though I would appreciate it if you could wait after my coffee and please stop yelling.” Sab put her hands on her eyes and just sat at the island in the kitchen.
“Maybe your friend tequila could help. Though I don’t think that won’t fix our problem.” Bea could feel the irritation creep up on her.
“What are you talking about? Poppy? She is just some spoiled brat. Not the worst we have had to deal with.”
“Poppy isn’t the only problem. Chloe sent in some fake tip to the Dean that we cheated in our academics. We are on probation. One wrong move and we are fucked. We could end up back at the farm. Could you imagine the look on mom’s fa-”?
“Bea, I get it! Jesus! Just relax ok. Mom and dad would flip. You would be fine though. They probably would put the blame on me like always.” Sabina was not in the mood for this. She was hungover and all she could think about was the raven-haired woman from the speakeasy.
“Sabina, you know that isn’t true. They love us the same.” Her heart oozed with guilt. She knew her sister thought her parents favored one over the other. She always did what their parents wanted while Sab was always the free spirit. Sabina always helped on the farm, but she never conformed to what her parent’s expected. Sabina didn’t do softball like their parent’s wanted and she didn’t even want to run for prom queen.
“Bea stop being so oblivious. They always showed up for you more. They went to every single softball game. I can show you on one hand how many swim meets they went to. You were their perfect older daughter and me? I was just some fucking inconvience!” Sabina tried to keep her voice even, but it cracked in the end. All her emotions welled into her throat. It felt like she was just a stranger in her own home.
“Sabina, I don't want to fight. We just have to wait for this to blow over. Don’t pick any more fights and we will be fine. “As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew Sab would take it the wrong way.
“Oh, so everything we have gotten into is my fault? You wanted me to let Chloe treat us or Taylor like shit? I know my worth Bea and I am not going to let any of these stuck-up assholes make me feel like some piece of garbage. You can lay low, but I am not going to.” Without even letting Bea respond Sab went to her room and slammed the door. She needed an escape. After changing out of last night's outfit, she grabbed her bookbag and left the dorm.
Their parent’s had their motorcycles delivered to them early in the morning. Sabina threw on her helmet and went for a long drive. The wind flowed through her clothes, and she felt free this way. She didn’t have to worry about being anyone at the moment. She was just Sab. After a short time, she stopped at the cafe from the other day. She sat down to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie. One of her favorite things is to people watch and imagine what their lives are like, it helps her forget any problems she may have for a short time.
She felt content listening to soft music, spacing out. Finally, she was interrupted by someone setting down a cold brew on her table.
“I’m sorry I didn’t order a cold brew.”
“Oh, I know. One of our baristas made it for you. Vanilla and cream right?”
“Uh yea how’d they know?”
“She remembered you from the last time.”
“Oh well shouldn’t I thank her in person.”
“She already left for the day. You will just have to catch her another time. Have a good night.”
Sab sipped her cold brew and let the sweet, roasted flavors flow over her. Cold Brew was always one of her favorite drinks. Caffeinated enough to get her through the day, all while being tasty. When she would work at the cafe back home, it was one of her favorite things to prepare. She smiled thinking about the mystery person. It was nice to be noticed by someone, she also liked a good mystery.The city outside was slowly consumed by a vibrant orange hue.. She didn’t realize she spent her whole day in the shop. Sabina cleaned off her table and went back to her motorcycle. She felt lighter than before. The calm washed over her, and her brain felt less cluttered. She began her ride back.
Several hours earlier…
Bea listened as Sabina grabbed her keys and left the dorm. She hated when they would fight. Her parents always did their best to give them a good life. When they were teenagers, she always did as they asked. When they wanted her to skip nights out with their friends to check on the animals. Or when her dad would go find new equipment for the farm. It was easier than hearing her parents try and guilt her. The words lived in her mind rent free.
You need to learn how to do this. God forbid something happens to us or when we die.
The colleges won’t look at your application without a 4.0. You need to do well so you can take care of us.
We have always given you everything, the least you could do is stay in for tonight. There will always be next time.
She snapped out of her memories when her phone alarm went off. It was time for her to go to Anthropology. She didn’t want to give any of the professors an excuse to add fuel to the fire of her problems. She got dressed and grabbed her things.
She sat down in the same spot as the day before, while looking around her Sab. Chloe bumped her shoulder before sitting a few rows in front. She made a note to no longer sit on the end to avoid the devil wearing Prada. The class began, but Sab never showed up.
Sabina:
Where r u?
Seriously you are choosing now to
go AWOL? And you are leaving me on
read?
After what felt like 3 hours the class came and went. Bea waited for everyone to empty out before approaching Ina.
“Yes, Ms. Hughes?” The words burned her throat as she thought of Sabina. She noticed the beautiful woman wasn’t in class today.
“I was wondering if maybe you have seen my sister.”
“I noticed she wasn’t in attendance today. I have not seen her today. She did email me about not feeling well though. Is there something else I should be notified of?”
“We had an argument earlier and she stormed off. I thought maybe since you were close that maybe she would have talked to you.”
“I am afraid I don’t know where you got such notions. I am the same with all my students. Tell Sa- your sister I hope she feels better.” It burned her throat to even say Sab’s name. She knew it was a mistake, but all she could think about was laying in her arms.
“That wasn’t the only reason I came to talk to you. I was wondering if you had a TA spot open. Unfortunately, all the pre-law spots are already full.” Zoey talked Bea into getting a TA spot. Hopefully it will lessen the heat from administration.
“My apologies Ms. Hughes, but Penelope Dogwood is my TA currently.”
“Alright well if anything opens up, I would be a great TA. I used to help all my teachers back in high school.”
Bea went out to the quad. She was done with classes for the day. She just needed to relax in the sun and enjoy her lunch. The campus buzzed around her, the students online shopping or talking about their next vacation. She couldn’t help but watch everyone. Her eyes landed on her favorite jello lover. Poppy got her good by pulling into the jello last night. Her two henchmen, Chloe and Veronica were nowhere to be found so it would be the best time to approach. Something deep inside her told her to go over to Poppy. Before she could control her limbs, she was over at her table. She placed a green jello cup next to Poppy.
“In case you didn’t get enough last night. Call it my peace offering.” Bea couldn’t help, but smile at Poppy. She was so radiant in the sunlight. Her eyes fell to her lips and roamed her body. Bea felt a blush.
“Like what you see in Farmsville? I don’t know if maybe you have a concussion from the pool, but we aren’t friends. Keep you and your hay smell away from me.”
“We got off on the wrong foot maybe. I didn’t come here for some archnemesis Pops.”
“You should have thought that before you and your stupid sister challenged me!”
“Poppy, I came here to see if you wanted to hangout one day. I thought we could be friends, but I see I was wrong. If I ever hear you talk bad about my sister, you will regret the day you set your Jimmy Choos on Belviore’s grass.” Bea felt the anger rest in her stomach. No one would threaten her bond with her sister, no matter how attracted she is to them. Wait what? That was a feeling to revisit later.
“I don’t need your charity cornhusker. Don’t you have some soybeans to tend?” Poppy knew Bea was just trying to get her guard down. Everyone wanted to be where Poppy was. She had the university wrapped around her manicured finger. Anyone who tried to be her friend just wanted even a fraction of the power. Her dad taught her better than to be weak. When she meets up with Chloe and Veronica, she will have to tell them about Hughes' pathetic attempt.
“Whatever ice queen. Hope you enjoy your lonely lunch.”
Zoey was already making dinner when Bea walked through the door after studying in the library all day. It smelled fantastic throughout their dorm. She noticed the bottle of wine on the table.
“Damn Zoey, is there some special occasion?”
“I just wanted to do something for my roomies. Plus I think we should celebrate. I may have gotten you that TA spot with Ina.”
“Wait what!? How? When I talked to Professor Kingsley, she said the spot was occupied.”
“I may have found some dirt on Penelope Dogwood. She now works for the dean because it helps to have friends in high places. She likes how you put Poppy in her place. I invited her to come to our dorm to hang out this weekend. Also Benji our RA definitely has a crush on you, I mean I’m not surprised the whole school thinks you and Sab are hot. I may have name dropped you so he would let me into her room.”
“Well I hope he knows he is not my type. Anyway, I noticed Sabina’s motorcycle. Is she here?”
“She is in her room. Maybe you should go talk to her. “ Zoey hated seeing her two roommates fighting. She already loved them both so much, to see them hurting broke her heart. They were the three musketeers.
“I doubt she wants to hear from me after our argument this morning.”
“Love I promise I wasn’t eavesdropping this morning, but your voices do travel. I heard this morning. It seems like you mostly defend your parent’s instead of seeing it from Sabina’s side. I am just telling you as a third party of course.”
Bea stayed silent for a moment, in her mind each time they argued flashed throughout. She let her respect for her parents get in the way of her relationship with her sister. Even now she was doing all she could to please them. Hell she even let choose her major for college.
“Thanks Zoe I think I needed to hear that.” Bea gave a quick hug to Zoey before going to talk to Sabina.
Bea went over and knocked on Sabina’s door. She was ready to hear out her sister. Zoey was right, she always deflected what Sab was trying to tell her. She didn’t want to see the truth; her parents did treat them differently.
“Come in.” Sabina took off her headphones.
“Hey, I missed you in Anthro today. Chloe made an ass of herself trying to flirt with Kingsley. She shut her down so eloquently.” Bea knew she was dancing around the elephant in the room.
“I bet it won’t be the last time. Chloe is practically in love with Ina.” Sabina chuckled. Bea figured that was a good sign.
“Sab, I want to apologize. Zoey showed me how much of an ass I have been. I always defended mom and dad. Instead of owning up to it, I ignored it because of my own guilt. It’s no excuse, but fuck am I so sorry.” She sat next to her sister. Her throat felt dry like it was sticking together. Her stomach was filled with guilt and sadness.
“Our parents don’t really make it easy. If you aren’t the golden child, then you are just a problem. I don’t blame you sis. It’s easier to conform than it is to be yourself.” Hearing Sab say that made Bea felt worse. She really didn’t deserve her twin.
“I wasn’t there for you though. When you had your meets, when you came out to our parents, or with what Stella did to you. I have been a shit sister. I don’t know why you protect me like you do.”
“Do you remember the treehouse when we were kids? Dad spent a whole year working on it. Even though he was exhausted from work everyday. We always would be by his side to help him. I loved when he let us paint it. After it was done and we would spend hours there. We would camp out and Dad would send up snacks with that pulley system. I remember I was sitting up there because I got into a fight at school. That girl would bully me all the time because our clothes were dirty because we helped on the farm before school. Before I knew it the sky was dark and the smell before a storm hit my nose. I forgot mom told us about the big storm. I heard the siren to tell us to get inside. I was rushing to get down the ladder and I missed one of the rungs. I fell and broke my leg, cut my arms and was unconscious. You came and found me in the middle of the storm. You knew exactly where I would be, and you carried me all the way back home. When I woke up in the hospital you were the first person I saw, and you stayed by my side the whole time. From that time, I knew every day I knew I would protect you too. You were always there Bea.”
Bea could feel the warm tears run down her face as she cried. She remembered that moment like it had happened yesterday. Her dad told her to stay put because it was too dangerous to go out. It was one of the only times she didn’t follow her dad’s wishes. She ran out the house because there was no way she would leave Sab out in the storm alone. She was worried she would lose her sister and it would have destroyed her. She looked at her sister in front of her and hugged her with no other words. The two just cried while holding each other.
“Sab from now on it’s me and you. Us against the world like how it should have always been.”
“I love you sis.” There was a change in Sabina’s heart. She finally felt a break from the emptiness she would feel while growing up.
“I love you too, Sab.”
“We should go see if we can help Zoey with anything. I don’t wanna be the type of roommate that does nothing.”
Laughter filled the room as the twins shared childhood stories. Zoey couldn’t get enough of their stories. She had always dreamed of having siblings, someone who would always be there. She got lucky that she got the twins instead of some disaster most people get when they first go to university. She shared what it was like with her mom. How she always used her name or her connections to try and get Zoey further. It was nice to open up to them.
The week went by with ease. The trio became inseparable, they would study during the day and at night they would party together. Sabina didn’t go overboard like the first party. She learned tequila isn’t as good coming up as it is going down. They were at the Alpha’s annual end-of-week-one party. The twins always put the frat bros to shame in beer pong. They were an undefeated duo.
“Liam, if you keep losing beer pong and flip cup to us, you are going to lose your presidency.” Bea couldn’t help but tease the frat bro after another loss.
“Very funny Hughes, but this throne is mine. However, I could always use a queen.” Liam shot right back, wiggling his eyebrows.
“That might be the best joke I have ever heard Liam. You know you are definitely not my type though.” Bea’s eyes drifted over to a certain Zeta queen. The whole week Poppy stayed on her mind. She knows Poppy would never give her a chance plus she was with Carter. Carter was one of her closest friends after Zoey. She would never risk her friendship with him.
“Hey, you would have my vote to be our president, Bea.”
“Better watch out Liam. Carter is going to help me overthrow you.”
“You aren’t Greek material Farmsville” Poppy sneered as she grabbed her boyfriend’s hand.
“Wow Poppy I didn’t even hear the gates of hell open before you arrived this time. I am so used to hearing the screaming souls.”
“Very funny Hughes. Don’t you have to get back to the zoo? I know all the kids will be disappointed if they don’t get to see a wild boar.”
“I’m actually surprised you are considerate of the kids. You seem like the type to hate kids and kick puppies.”
“The only thing I hate here is you. Though I guess I won’t have to worry about that too much longer once the dean decides to expel you.”
“In your dreams Poptart. You would miss me too much.” Bea wiggled her eyebrows at Poppy. Poppy tried to fight the blush. Her cheeks felt warm, but she had been drinking so she just blamed it on the wine she had been drinking. She hated how the Hughes twins had been climbing ranks. It wasn’t like they were trying. It was just because they were fun at parties and super-hot. She hated how she felt around Bea. The way she could keep up with her insults and never seemed to lose her cool. Poppy couldn’t stay away though. Bea was magnetizing in every way. Poppy never labeled herself, but she had always dated guys. None of the relationships she had with them ever felt right. Carter was good to her, but it never felt like how a relationship should feel.
“Whatever Hughes. Carter, let's go back to your room. I’m bored of this.”
Poppy dragged Carter before he could answer, waving bye to the guys. Bea could only watch her leave. Her heart yearned to keep talking to Poppy though. The more she interacted with the strawberry blonde, the more she couldn’t get enough of her. What the hell was wrong with her? Bea was sure there was some nice girl she could date instead, but her heart was drawn to the one girl who was impossible.
Sabina got to her Anthropology class early. There were only a handful of students there waiting for class to start. She made sure to save Bea a spot. She pulled out her special drawing book, it was her favorite because her aunt had given it to her shortly before her passing. She was working on a sketch of the café she started to frequent. It was a safe place for her when she would need time away from campus. She would always enjoy the ride out there, plus the cold brew was worth the drive. Her aunt would have loved the café, sometimes she would get a hot chocolate because it reminded her of the time with her aunt. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart like a stress ball. Her attention honed in on the sound of heels, heels she slowly became familiar with. She looked up as Ina was walking into the room. Ina passed as she caught a whiff of her perfume. She was as mesmerizing as always.
“Wow Hughes, I didn’t know you drew so well.” Sab’s head shot up as she slammed her book closed. She was surprised to see Chloe. Did she just complement her work? Maybe Chloe was all bark and no bite after all.
“Uh thanks Chloe.” A blush made its way to Sabina’s cheeks. Chloe went and sat on the other side of Sabina. She took out her laptop to get ready for class. Sab looked around and pinched Chloe.
“Ow Hughes, what the hell was that for?”
“I don’t know, you were being nice to me, so I thought I was dreaming.”
“Oh my god you are supposed to pinch yourself!”
“Ooops sorry.” Sabina couldn’t help but laugh. Her laugh was infectious, so Chloe giggled with her.
Bea came and sat next to the two. She was shocked to see Chloe and Sab actually getting along. She thought maybe she was still asleep. She looked around and hoped Poppy would be in her dream again. Sab and Chloe continued to joke with each other and laugh.
Ms. Hughes and Ms. St. James, would you like to share with the class the joke that is so funny?" Ina glared at the two. She knew jealousy was a bad look, but she couldn't help herself.
"Sorry professor", both girls mumbled back.
The class went by quickly as Ina talked about social networks. Sab wasn't surprised that everyone was involved in the topic for today. Besides being her professor and she had to pay attention to class, she couldn't keep her eyes off Ina. They hadn't spoken since the last time in class, her heart constricted. The words hung above her heavily, "last night was a mistake". Even though she knew it would make the hurt worse, she decided to attend Ina's office hours. She steeled her nerves and knocked on the door.
"Come in." Sab entered and closed the door behind her.
"HI In-professor."
"Ms. Hughes, how can I help you?"
"I was hoping we could talk about last week. Before you try and tell me it was a mistake again, I want you to look me in the eyes and confidently say it. If you felt what I did, then I don't think you will be able to." Sab's whole body felt heavy, she was worried this was all for nothing. Underneath the anguish was a small particle of hope.
"Sab." Ina looked directly into Sabina's honey eyes for the first time since her apartment. "It's not that easy, if anyone were to find out I would lose everything. I spent so much of my life trying to establish myself in the world of Anthropology.” Sab was getting ready to leave, without so much as another word. The hope felt crushed, but as she was reaching for the door handle she felt a hand on her shoulder, the same hand she felt before. “ But I can’t stop thinking about that night. There hasn’t been a moment in the day where you haven’t entered my mind. It was one of the most magical nights I have ever experienced. While of course I am worried about my job, you would be expelled from Belvoire. I couldn’t ever forgive myself if that happened.”
“First, you are so cute when you are worried. Second, don’t you think I am old enough to make my own decisions? If it’s my future you are so worried about, maybe I should also be consulted. Ina what if it could really be something special between us? Don’t we owe it to ourselves to try? We would only meet off campus, in places that Belvoire doesn’t even know about.” Sabina took a step closer to Ina. She could practically feel her breath on her neck, the smell of pomegranate and lotus caressed her senses. “If you decide you still want to keep it strictly professor/student, then I will respect your decision. I can transfer out of your class and make it easier on the both of us.”
“Sab it isn’t fair for you to have to transfer. That night was pure bliss in every way. It felt like when you look up and the stars at night, such serenity. When I see you, I just want to be close to you.” Ina stepped closer to Sabina, she wished she could just have a normal relationship with her. “I wish we could go to bookshops together and hold hands. I could take you to the Anthropology section and even though you would be a bit bored you would do it because you care about me. I want to be able to hold your hand in public.”
They were so close to one another the space between them could hold a sheet of paper. Sabina leaned down to meet Ina’s eyes. “I want you Ina. All of you and everything that could come with it.” Sab hoped Ina would lean in so she could feel her lips one last time. As if she could read her mind Ina leaned in and their lips met. It was like fireworks setting off in her stomach. It was soft at first and soon they kissed as if their lives depended on it. Sabina craved her touch for the week they were apart. She finally felt full, the stars seemed to be aligning for her. She grabbed Ina by the hips pulling her closer, barely able to hear the moan escaping from the raven-haired woman.
Sabina picked up Ina by her legs, as Ina wrapped her legs around her waist. The only sound they could hear were soft moans and the sound of their lips. Ina took off Sab’s shirt, slowly tracing her finger down her stomach. She found that she liked to trace the tattoo’s on her stomach. Finally finding the desk never taking their eyes off each other, it was the night they were craving. It was like an addiction, they couldn’t wait until the next time. The warmth from both their bodies radiated throughout the room. Thankfully no other students had an appointment with Ina and Penelope Dogwood now worked for the Dean. Their time together felt like minutes to them, but easily turned into hours.
________
Poppy’s POV
Soft chirps, it was one of the ways Poppy liked to wake up. It reminded her of summers when she was happy. She can’t remember a day when she was happy, it was like the sun had disappeared, no longer bright. Sometimes the world felt like it was closing in on her or that she was always under a microscope. If a hair was out of place her father, Piers, would snap to have it put back in place. Her future was set in stone and sometimes she wanted to take a sledgehammer to it. She laid in bed and stared at the all white ceiling. Her room was luxurious, which was consistent with the rest of her life. Piers demanded perfection no matter what. Her whole life was a map, she wasn’t allowed to find her own path. Sometimes she would just lay in her bed, imagining a new life, one that was her own. Poppy almost didn’t hear the knocks with how deep in her own mind she was.
“Poppy, are you almost ready? I am so ready for our coffee date.” Poppy could hear Chloe’s smile.
“Yes! Veronica’s livestream kept me up all night, I will shower then be down.”
Poppy now in her gorgeous pink signature attire came down the stairs of the Zeta house. It was as if they took the staircase from Cinderella. Which is exactly what the girls from Zeta asked for when the building was being built. It was great since their parent’s made up the one percent.
“Finally Poppy. I thought I was going to die of dehydration down here.”
“Chloe I didn’t know that word was in your vocabulary.”
“Very funny. Can we go now?”
“Is Veronica coming with us?” She knew the answer, but asked anyway.
“She is livestreaming some makeup haul right now. She said she will see us at lunch though.”
“Figures.” What was originally a friendship out of the need for power, she did like hanging out with Chloe and Veronica. It helped fend of the loneliness that encapsulates her soul.
Poppy and Chloe went to the campus café. The baristas already had their drinks ready for them before they even paid, she wondered if it was out of fear or just so they didn’t have to deal with her for a long period of time. She was walking to her usual spot when she noticed a certain annoyance in her spot.
“Move Hughes.” It was like the universe was taunting her by placing Bea in her path at every turn.
“Good morning to you sunshine. Hi Chloe.” Bea beamed at the duo.
“Drop dead farmhand.” Poppy spat.
“You are in our spot so you can go now.” Chloe tried to say confidently, hand on her hip.
“Aw Pops trying to get rid of me so soon. There is plenty of room at this table.” Bea gestured to all the empty space and tapped the spot next to her. “You could always sit next to me, Poptart.”
“As if I would be caught with someone outside of top 15. Just because you are 85 means nothing Hughes. Don’t let it get to your head.”
“The rank here means nothing to me. If I wanted to climb at all, it would be to annoy you, which by the sounds of it, I am doing a good job.” Bea knew she grinds Poppy’s gears, but she couldn’t help it. It was like music to her ears.
“The sound of your voice is like nails on a chalk board.” Poppy turned to walk away from Bea, not noticing the wet floor sign. She started to slip, thankfully Bea jumped up and caught her in her arms. The smell of Bea’s cologne was nice, she always did enjoy the scent of citrus. She couldn’t help looking into Bea’s eyes, darker brown with flecks of gold. Her body was warm, and her skin was soft. Being from a farm she didn’t expect Bea to have heard of a skin care routine. Poppy’s heart felt like it could burst from pumping so fast. It was probably just the rush of adrenaline from almost falling though.
“I think this is the part where you say thank you Poptart.” She noticed she hadn’t moved from Bea’s defined arms. She jumped up as if she felt a fire.
“In your dreams Farmsville, also never touch me again.” Poppy stomped away with Chloe following her. Why did she feel an emptiness? It was different than normal. Why did Farmsville have to be so goddamn annoying? She was climbing ranks fast, she didn't even want to. Poppy didn’t think she would get even close to being top 50. She had never been challenged before, most people hear her last name and cower in fear. Even when she was a toddler all she had to do was snap her little hand and people would cater to her every whim. There was something about Hughes, she challenged her at every turn, but she didn’t do it with malice. She was actually a caring person. At parties, she always took care of the people around her, making sure no one got sick all while becoming the queen of beer pong. Poppy snapped out of it, was she thinking nice things about Farmsville? It has to be the lack of sleep. Right?
Hey can you write a one shot. Poppy and mc are dating and poppy becomes over protective when mc gets in a small accident. Thanks in advance.
I'm finally able to write this...sorry for the wait anon, I hope you like this 😅
(I have no idea how to name this...so...I'll just write 😅😅)
Pairing: Poppy x MC (Sam/Samantha)
It was supposed to be just one hookup between enemies. To deal with the sexual tension once and for all.
But then it happened again...and again...and again.
Then it was supposed to be just a way to relieve stress, nothing else. No strings attached, and no feelings involved.
But, as with "it's only a one time thing" the new arrangement didn't last.
Spending a lot of time with one person was bound to let you see a side of them. And Sam was able to see a side of Poppy no one else had the privilege to see.
When Sam realized she was falling for Poppy, she knew she was doomed.
They were enemies!
Except...their constant bickering was lacking the bite and hate they used to have.
Poppy even let her tag along to a day taking care of the shelter. A day in which Sam was mesmerized by how soft and nice Poppy could actually be...towards puppies and kittens of course. But it still counts!
That day Sam realized she was too far gone to just ignore her feelings.
She had to do something about it.
With the adrenaline still high and catching her breath after their "session" - Poppy had told her to stop calling it that, but Sam wouldn't be Sam if she didn't annoy Poppy - she had turned to Poppy and asked her out on a date.
The blonde had been caught by surprise and her eyes widened as her mouth fell open.
And after what felt like hours to Sam, she was put out of her misery by the small "okay" that left Poppy's lips.
.
One date turned into two, and then three...and then they stopped counting.
The T was going nuts with their newfound relationship. Students watching them like hawks, and although it was annoying to feel like a zoo attraction, with Poppy's hand on her own, Sam didn't care about anything else.
Their friends were less surprised, fine, they weren't surprised at all.
"Babe, I had to buy noise cancelling headphones because of you." Zoey had said with a roll of her eyes.
"I would be twice as richer if I got paid every time I saw Sam climbing over your balcony." Veronica had said with her usually bored voice.
Then Chloe had proceeded to say things about a fanfic, and when Poppy reached a level of redness on her cheeks that Sam had learned to identify...she took her girlfriend away before Poppy could kill her friends.
All in all, Sam was just in cloud nine ever since her relationship with Poppy finally had a name to it. A name that wasn't fuckbuddies - another term Poppy told her not to use.
A month into their new relationship and a new milestone was reached.
Poppy had stayed over.
In the past, staying over was forbidden, and they would instantly leave once the deal was done. The highest amount of time they stayed was ten minutes.
So, yeah, it was a big step.
Sam was just so happy to wake next to Poppy, that they hadn't left the bed in the morning.
And she would've been happy to stay there, but their stomachs demanded food, and a hungry Poppy was an angry Poppy.
.
Sam had taken a quick shower, and throwing on some clothes she made her way to prepare some food for them.
It was noon, so she decided to make lunch instead of breakfast.
Luckily the fridge was filled with fresh food, and Sam was quick to take out everything she needed to make Poppy's favorite food.
The smile on her lips never faded, she was just so happy, and she even started humming a song that Poppy had made her listen to.
It wasn't long before the aroma of food started to linger around the room.
Just a few more things and it would all be ready.
Sam heard her room's door opening while she was chopping some vegetables. She flicked her gaze towards the sound, and what was supposed to be just a passing gaze, her eyes stayed fixated on her girlfriend, and her mouth fell open.
In the doorway, Poppy was lazily drying her hair with a small towel, but what caught Sam's attention was the clothes she was wearing.
Poppy was always beautiful, no one in their right mind could deny that. She could even wear a plastic bag as clothes, and she would still look gorgeous.
But, seeing Poppy wearing her clothes...it was just something Sam didn't expect. Her clothes looked so good in Poppy, even when the long sleeved shirt was obviously bigger than her.
The clothes were so simple, yet they looked so perfect on her girlfriend. It made Poppy seem so relaxed and comfortable, a good look on her.
Sam was so fixated on Poppy, that she only managed to come back to reality when a sharp pain extended on her finger.
"Ah, shit!" She hissed in pain and she looked at her hand, she was bleeding.
Thankfully her stupor while looking at Poppy had also slowed her movements, so the cut wasn't too deep.
The pain was still there, though.
Before Sam could do anything, worried hands grabbed her injured hand, and the wet towel that Poppy was using was now covering the wound.
"Are you okay??" Poppy asked, a worried frown on her delicate features.
"Yeah, it's not-"
"Are you stupid?? How can you cut yourself??" The blonde was frantic, and she seemed to be getting more agitated when the white towel turned red on the spot covering Sam's hand.
"Poppy, calm down-"
"Do not tell to calm down, Hughes!"
Sam's shoulders shrank a bit.
It was no mystery how terrifying Poppy could be, even when she was smaller.
"I'll take you to the hospital."
Alright, there was no way they were going to a hospital just for a small cut on her finger.
So, just as Poppy was turning around to go get her car keys, Sam held her wrist and stopped her.
"I'm fine, Poptart. It's just a small cut."
Poppy shook her head still frowning, "you're bleeding a lot for a small cut."
"I must've hit a blood vessel or something. But I promise, I'm fine." She reassured with a smile.
The blonde hesitated, and Sam used the moment of distraction to pull her flushed against her body and holding her close.
"You're adorable when you show how much you care." Sam mumbled and Poppy groaned.
"Shut up, I don't care."
"Mmhmm...sure, Poptar. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Poppy hit her on the shoulder, but then she hid her face on Sam's neck and hugged her back.
"For what is worth, I care about you, too."
With her face still hidden, Sam couldn't see the content smile forming on Poppy's rosy lips.
Soooo...I cut myself today while cooking, and yes, it made me think of this Xd
I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind, anon. But I sure hope you liked it 😁
Again, sorry for the wait, I've just been busy these days 😥
Anyway, if you have more prompts feel free to let me know, I may not write them right away, but I will write them 😁😁
For the anon asking about a fic with Clove older. I got a nice idea for a two part fic mostly featuring Clove and her relationship with classmates and of course, her parents. In this fic, she's fifteen and probably takes after Poppy in too many ways! Please enjoy! 💕
“Hey, remember to grab your shoes, I don’t want to make another trip and grab them for you.” Bea called out as Clove rolled her eyes playfully, rushing up the stairs of the penthouse and running towards her door.
“I got it Ma, and it was one time!” She stated as she entered the room, now decorated to fit the typical style of a fifteen year-old teenage girl. Though, there were some things that remained the same.
She approached her desk, tapping the top of one of her toy horses before leaning down and grabbing her pointe shoes that were discarded on the floor. She placed them in her bag before almost rushing out of the door, but pausing in front of the mirror, looking herself over.
She didn’t care what her moms said, she was definitely getting taller. Chocolate colored hair that was cut near her shoulders when she previously had long hair almost down to her back and the freckles she had when she was a kid had begun to disappear, revealing peach colored skin and wide almost black eyes.
Personally, she didn’t believe she had changed much, personality wise, since she was younger, but her mothers always thought to remind her that when she hit the age of thirteen, she had hit a switch.
Suddenly, Clove was a little more moody as they put it, but she didn’t believe that for a second. She was the same, just a little more grown up and a lot more curious.
“Clove, we’re leaving!” Poppy called out to her daughter who had just snapped out of her thoughts. She pulled her blazer on a little tighter, before closing the door and running down the stairs.
“Hey, no running down the stairs.” Bea said, coming around and grabbing her car keys as the tiny figure attached to her hip clapped his hands loudly. “See, Oliver agrees. That’s why you’re the best boy Oli.” Bea said to the three-year old who was wearing a white shirt and a colorful bowtie. He smiled up at Bea, clapping small fists against her mom’s shirt as Bea grinned.
Oliver Liu Min-Hughes. Clove’s baby brother that her moms had adopted three years ago from Taiwan when Clove was twelve. He was a curious kid and even though Clove had sworn up and down she wouldn't like him… she fell harder than she would like to admit.
Poppy, wearing a casual beige dress, rolled her eyes, approaching Clove and smoothing her hair back. “Did you get your shoes?”
“Yep.”
“Extra tights?”
“In the bag.”
“Your-”
“Mom, I’ve got it, I’m good.” She urged, gently pushing her mom’s hands down as Poppy sighed.
“Alright then, let’s go.” Bea unlocked the door, opening it for all of them as she leaned on the door frame.
Poppy walked out, taking her bag as Clove followed her, trailed by Bea who locked up.
Ten minutes later, they were all piled into Bea’s car, driving down the streets of New York that were much more peaceful at night. Still, the city sang, but Clove liked that sound.
She glanced outside, looking at all of the passing buildings while hearing the sound of frogs and cats coming from Oli’s tablet. The little boy was having an absolute blast and Clove could almost remember what that felt like as a little kid. No cares and only tapping away on the matte texture of the screen.
Bea looked at Clove through the overhanging mirror, smiling at her daughter as she turned down a street. “So, you nervous?” Bea asked as Clove shrugged.
“No, I’ve done this dance so many times, I could do it in my sleep.” Clove said happily as Bea laughed, Poppy gave Bea a serious look before her wife shut up.
“Just remember to be careful Love, Ms. James said this was a difficult dance…” Poppy said as one of Bea’s hands left the steering wheel, placing it on Poppy’s thigh. Poppy moved her own hand to rest on Bea’s, smiling as they continued their drive.
Clove looked at the gesture, smiling softly. While her classmates absolutely despised their parents for showing any type of romantic connection, Clove would always look at her mothers with fondness whenever it happened. It meant that they were always going to be together. That they were always going to give Clove, and now Oliver, a happy childhood.
Bea turned down one more street, revealing the dance building of Thatcher-Heart Academy. Standing near the front, parents and kids bustled around, preparing for the Thatcher-Heart Dance Recital. Though, it wasn’t a typical recital. This one… this one was special.
Judging by the long limo pulling up, anyone could see the people crowd around the man who stepped out. Wearing a silver tux with slicked back hair, he looked fancy and was fancy.
“There’s Julian DelGato!” Clove exclaimed, looking happily at the man she had admired for so long. Besides being a star ballet performer, he was just… so freaking cool!
“So that’s why you were so excited…” Bea smirked, parking the car in one of the reserved spots before turning off the engine.
“Okay, Clove, you can go ahead and find your classmates. We’ll take our seats.” Poppy smiled, looking at Clove who nodded. She reached up, pressing a kiss to Poppy’s cheek before pulling away and opening her door.
“I’ll see you after the performance!” Clove yelled, waving goodbye to Oli who babbled happily.
“Bye bye Lo!” He said as Bea smiled, waving goodbye as Clove rolled her eyes. Obviously, the boy was still having issues with his C’s.
“Bye Oli.” Clove left a second later, running towards the back of the dance center and stopping in front of a few tall girls. Sally, Clove’s best friend since kindergarten, waltzed up.
“Clove, you were almost late!” She exclaimed, taking Clove’s arm and dragging her inside the building. The girl was always prompt and despised whenever Clove was even the slightest bit late.
“Sorry Sal, I’m going.” Clove took off into the building, passing teachers and stage directors as she wiggled herself into the dressing room.
Sally was already dressed perfectly. Her typically wild curls were pulled into a tight bun with a yellow ribbon that complimented her darker skin.
Clove set her bag on a chair, pulling out her leotard and walking behind one of the changing boards.
“Did both of your moms come today?” Sally asked, leaning against one of the available vanities as Clove nodded behind the board.
“Of course, they literally haven’t missed a performance since my first one at the 25th fair.” Clove rolled her eyes at the memory, but fought the smile on her face. That was a good day.
“Must be nice….” Sally mumbled as Clove finally finished dressing, stepping away from the board, but bumping directly into another person, causing Clove to stumble.
“Watch it.” A harsh voice said as Clove looked up, staring at Erin McDermot, A.K.A, her mortal enemy.
That statement about Clove never growing did not apply to Erin McDermot who looked like a giant compared to the rest of the class. She was even taller than her mother, which wasn’t a tremendous achievement, but it was still impressive.
Her hair was also pulled into a tight bun, but a few strands of perfectly fine blonde hair fell from the ends as Clove cleared her throat as she felt Sally press closer.
“You bumped into me Erin.”
“Save the complaints, Clove. I don’t have time for you today.” She stated, brushing away as she went towards one of the vanities.
When Clove was younger, she had the inkling of hope that she could get closer to Erin and that they could actually become friends. That hope was squashed though when Erin decided to make an enemy of Clove even after their parents had reached some type of peace agreement.
Clove wasn’t worried though. It wasn’t like Erin had much leverage around the school, especially when everyone adored the only daughter of the Min-Hughes.
“Let’s go Sally.” Clove mumbled, taking the girl’s hand as they walked away from the backstage. Poppy had already done Clove’s makeup, which was much better than anything these hired make-up artists could do. She walked closer to the front, hearing the bustling of parents and smaller kids as Clove peeked into the crowd.
Sitting a few rows from the front, Clove saw her moms and Oli sitting together. She smiled before looking a little more and spotting Julian DelGato in the front row. Even while sitting, he radiated elegance.
Ms. James, Clove’s ballet teacher, approached her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Clove, did you happen to bring your hair kit? Izzy needs a new hair tie.” She asked as Clove nodded. She ran back into the dressing room, finding Erin standing directly above her things.
“Snooping now?” Clove asked, pulling her bag away from the blonde who only scowled.
“Like you would even have anything I want. You know Clove, you’re nothing without your mom’s money.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest as Clove rolled her eyes.
“Save the passion for the performance, yea?” Clove smirked, walking away from Erin who was left boiling. She took out her kit, holding it towards Ms. James who took it with a smile. She also grabbed her shoes from the side, putting them on as Ms. James went to hand a hair tie to Izzy before returning to Clove.
“Are you excited about tonight?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Clove said, looking back outside and into the crowd. She was never one to get nervous, but with the man whose poster was hanging in her bedroom, sitting in the crowd….
“Good, you’re one of our best dancers.” She smiled, patting Clove on her shoulder as she handed back the hair kit. “Though remember, have fun.”
“...of course.” Clove smiled as Ms. James walked away to check on other students. Peeking outside once more, Clove saw Bea waving at the stage. She slyly waved back, before pulling the curtain back over and taking a deep breath.
“Hey Sally.” Clove said as the girl approached, looking perfect in every way as she smiled.
“Merde.” She said as Sally bowed her head playfully.
“Bea, stop fidgeting.” Poppy said, placing a green pacifier in Oliver’s small hands. She rubbed the boy’s cheek as he stuck it in his mouth, leaning back and resting against Poppy’s chest as Bea kept adjusting herself in her seat.
“Sorry, I’m just worried about the new move Clove is supposed to do.” Bea mumbled as Poppy reached to take Bea’s hand, intertwining their fingers as Bea looked down at their hands.
“Clove will be fine. She’s been practicing nonstop for the past month.” Poppy murmured though Bea could see Poppy’s knuckles turning white from how hard she gripped Bea’s hands. Oh, she was definitely worried too.
The only one who wasn’t worried was Oliver who was munching on his pacifier and resting against Poppy with a content smile. Unlike his older sister, Oli was a surprisingly quiet child. While Clove was bustling with energy ever since she was born, Oliver had only cried a couple of times in his life. He always settled down whenever Poppy took him and rocked him gently, then he would fall asleep and leave the room quiet.
It was a whole new experience to have a baby boy around the household. Considering Bea didn’t really have a father figure until she was fourteen and Poppy always struggled with it, it was a contemplated decision of whether they should adopt a little girl or a little boy.
They let the agency matchmake however they wanted to and soon, Poppy and Bea fell in love with little Oliver. Their trip to Taiwan was memorable and of course, Bea had to brush up on her mandarin, but magically, Poppy was better at the language. Typical.
“I’m glad you could get away from your company for a bit.” Bea smiled as Poppy rolled her eyes, pushing her now light brown hair back. After years of dying her hair, Poppy finally decided to embrace her natural brown locks. Of course, she couldn’t go back to full brunette, but the light brown hair she had looked stunning.
“Shut up, with you running Rensler now, I’m surprised you could get away.” Bea shrugged, lifting Poppy’s hand to her lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
The lights in the auditorium began to dim as Bea and Poppy looked towards the stage as Principal Stills walked out. The crowd began to clap happily for the woman as she bowed slightly.
“Thank you all for coming! As you know, we host events such as this regularly to showcase the talent of our ballet dancers and this evening, we have a special guest. Please welcome, Mr. Julian DelGato!”
The crowd clapped for the man who stood, bowing towards the crowds as he waved.
“Mr. DelGato is here to scout promising new talent, so please, I am proud to introduce the Thatcher-Heart ballet dancers.” More claps rang as the curtain rose, displaying all of the ballet dancers in a perfect row.
Standing in the middle was Clove, a cool expression on her face as Poppy and Bea watched, just as the music picked up and the dancers began their performance.
Bea smiled wide, watching Clove perform her dance perfectly. In honesty, nothing would ever beat the memory of seeing Clove perform for the first time on that large Thatcher-Heart fair stage, but it was incredible to see her grow older and more talented in her craft.
The music fit the dance perfectly, ballerinas dancing across the stage in an elegant and calm manner while Clove led in the center. She was undeniably the best dancer within the group and judging by the calmness of the crowd, they were all mesmerized.
Bea glanced at Poppy who was smiling at the stage, eyes focused on Clove who looked more and more like her every day. Though she had already surpassed Poppy in height, it didn’t look like Clove would be getting too much taller and certainly not as tall as Bea.
She already had her growth spurt and Bea found it hard to believe she wasn’t five years old anymore. She was way too big for Bea to place on her shoulders now, but she was still her little girl.
As the notes began to hit their high, the theater went dark, before the lights came back on, revealing Clove and Erin standing in the center, hands clasped as they looked away from each other.
If Clove was considered the best dancer on the team, Erin was probably a close second. For one, the girls had all the qualities of a ballerina. She was thin and lithe, a good four inches on Clove and quite mature looking for her age. She also looked a lot like Persephone who was conveniently sitting a few rows up.
The two began their dance, practicing elegantly as Clove began to prepare for her hard move.
She broke away from Erin, doing some intricate spins before spinning lower, letting herself fly across stage before bringing herself up to her full height. It was almost perfect, the stillness in the pose and the calm, purposeful expression. She took a small step to the left and did a gentle jump in the air.
Before she fell to the floor with a crash.
Nothing registered at that moment, only a sharp cry from Clove and a scream from Poppy before Bea found herself rushing out of her seat like a lot of parents who were gasping in shock. She ran to the stage, pushing through people who wanted a look and hoisting herself up the large stage as she slid down to where Clove was trying to sit up, cradling her ankle as tears fell down her face.
The other dancers had parted away, letting Bea slide closer to her daughter as she gently touched her face as murmurs spread throughout the crowd.
“Baby, baby, what’s wrong?” Bea mumbled as Clove continued to cry, resting her head against Bea’s chest as she rubbed her back. She was whimpering and it was breaking Bea’s heart.
Standing off towards the side, Erin looked at Clove with a worried expression as Principal Stills came back on stage, looking at Bea who was holding Clove. Standing next to Bea, Sally was keeping the other dancers back, making sure they didn’t overcrowd her.
“Everyone please, calm down. We-” She was at a loss for words as Bea pressed a kiss to Clove’s head, just as Ms. James and a figure in a white coat approached, holding a first aid kit as they crouched down.
“Can you stand up Clove?” The doctor asked as Clove nodded, trying to stabilize herself on the palm of her hands and lift, but failing a second later. More tears streamed down her face as Bea moved to the side, placing Clove’s arm around her neck and lifting the girl.
“Let’s go backstage so I can check this out.” The doctor said as Bea carried Clove to the back and set her down on one of the padded chairs. She winced, wiping at her eyes as some of the other dancers joined them backstage.
The doctor leaned down, carefully slipping off Clove’s pointe shoe and immediately reeling back. All of the dancers stared in shock at the mix of purple and red blooming on Clove’s ankle as the girl stared down in horror.
“What…” She gasped out the words, tears streaming down her face again as Bea rubbed a hand against her neck. It looked awful and probably felt even worse.
“Where is Clove? Where is my daughter?” Bea heard Poppy approach a minute later, holding a curious Oliver as one of the dancers pointed over to their corner.
“Sweetheart, hold on-” Bea said as Poppy set Oliver in Bea’s arms, before rushing up to Clove and pressing a kiss to her temple. Clove choked on a sob as Poppy cradled her head against her chest before she glanced down at Clove’s ankle and winced.
The doctor was slowly moving her ankle and with each movement, Clove visibly cringed.
“I believe her ankle is severely sprained, but it shouldn’t be fractured.” The doctor said as Poppy glared at the man.
“You believe? Do you even have a license for this field?” Poppy snapped as Clove gently tugged on Poppy’s arm. Poppy looked down at the girl who tried her best to smile.
“Mom, it’s okay…I’m all good…” She mumbled before wincing again, feeling a sharp pain travel up her leg.
“Clove, now is not the time to be acting like Bea.” Poppy warned as Bea gave her wife a dumbfounded look. Poppy ignored her, looking back at the doctor who began to stand.
“I can’t do much with a simple first aid kit, but she’ll need to keep off it for a couple of days. I’ll do my best to wrap it up and then you can visit a hospital to have a cast or wrap put on.” The doctor instructed as he left to grab some more supplies.
Poppy was still holding Clove close to her chest as the girl tapped her mom’s arm. “Can’t… can’t breathe mom.” Clove whispered as Poppy let go, but didn’t leave Clove’s side.
She leaned lower, brushing her thumb under Clove’s eyes as the girl sniffed. “On a scale of 1-10?” Poppy asked, rubbing Clove’s arm as she shrugged.
“7.”
Poppy gave her a stern look.
“9.”
“My baby…” Poppy sighed, pressing a kiss to Clove’s head again as Clove leaned against the back of the chair.
The other dancers still crowded around as Clove looked at them, Sally standing in the front as she took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry about this guys. I-”
“Clove, don’t freaking apologize. You could have gotten seriously hurt.” Sally said as the girls all nodded in agreement.
The only one who wasn’t nodding was Erin who stood casually off near the sidelines. Clove eyed her wearily before thinking back to before her performance and conveniently seeing Erin standing over her bag….
“Mom, can you hand me my shoe?” Clove asked as Poppy reached down, grabbing the discarded shoe and handing it to Clove.
It was perfectly normal, beaten down and broken to fit Clove’s foot perfectly. She turned it over in her hands, before feeling the ribbon at the top and pulling away with two separate strands.
“What the hell…” Clove murmured as Poppy watched her. The other girls in the room let out a small gasp as Clove’s mind ran with thoughts. Finally, Poppy spoke up, brushing a strand of hair away from Clove’s eyes as she swallowed hard.
“Clove, was your ribbon cut?”
------------------------------------------
“I know who did it Ma! It could only be Erin! She was the only one in the room when my shoes were in my bag!” Clove exclaimed, as she sat on one of the kitchen stools. She looked down at her ankle which was now concealed in a cast with a few signatures from school signed on.
It had only been a weekend since that awful performance as Clove had followed the doc’s rules of staying off her feet, but she had a new issue on her hands.
A blonde, bitchy, ballet dancer issue.
“Clove, you can’t just accuse your classmate just cause you don’t like her. Principal Stills said she would investigate it and figure out who sabotaged your performance.” Bea said, placing a bowl of peas in front of Oliver who sat in his high chair. He peered into the bowl, before shaking his head and looking away.
“But I know who did it! She was smirking the whole time!” Clove exclaimed again, just as Poppy rushed into the kitchen.
She quickly pressed a kiss to Clove’s head, then to Oliver's, and lastly a kiss on Bea’s cheek as she grabbed her bag from a nearby chair.
“Tevon just scheduled a meeting with an interviewer so I have to go. I’ll call around lunch time.” Poppy said, adjusting her earrings in the hanging wall mirror as she glanced at Clove.
“Remember to use your crutches as much as possible. The doctor said to stay off your foot for at least a week and a half.” Clove nodded, sadly stabbing her eggs as Poppy leaned over to press one last kiss to her forehead.
“I’ll be home by dinner. Love you.” She walked off, just as Bea watched her go.
Bea turned her attention back to Clove who was sulking. “Hey, you’ll be back to dancing in no time.”
“Yea, while my saboteur is probably taking my place and deceiving my company.” Clove frowned as Bea sighed heavily.
“Clove, your mom and I are worried. Heck, your mom wanted you to quit this all together if something like this could happen.”
Clove perked, staring at Bea with a confused expression. “What? This has never happened before and it won’t-”
“Clo, you’re amazing at this. You’ve obviously got talent for it and you’ve worked hard to perfect it, but Poppy… and I don’t want you to get hurt even worse. What if something more severe had happened?”
“Ma, this was-”
“Sabotage, yes, but anyone could screw up that move. Anyone could have been sitting here with a cast or worse. We don’t want you to get hurt over this.” Bea turned back to Oliver, spooning a few peas and moving the spoon like it was an airplane. The boy still wasn’t immune to the act as he opened his mouth wide.
“Once your ankles healed, you can go back to your practice, but I need you to be extra careful. Who knows what else Poppy will come up with about your dancing?”
“You… you’re not actually going to make me quit… right?” Clove asked as she looked at her mother. Bea sighed, pushing the glasses she wore on her nose, higher. As she grew older, she started to carry around a pair of prescription glasses. She insisted she didn’t need them, but she wore them often enough that she probably needed them a little.
“I don’t want you to quit. You’re amazing and I know how much you love to dance.” Bea wiped Oliver’s mouth with a napkin, glancing at Clove who sat at the side.
“You just have to promise your mom and I that you won’t be stupid about this.”
Clove took a second to think. She didn’t want to stop dancing. She loved it and it would be crushing if she couldn't continue.
“I won’t do anything stupid about it. I promise Ma.”
Two hours later, Clove stood in one of the dance practice rooms, leaning casually against the wall as her crutches rested beside her. She wasn’t going to dance, she wasn’t an idiot and her foot still hurt, but Clove was watching the doors. She waited patiently until she saw the familiar bun of a certain platinum blonde opening the door and stopping in her tracks.
“Do you enjoy sabotaging people Erin?” Clove asked, remaining by the wall as Erin rolled her eyes. She walked inside the room, set down her dance bag and unzipped the front.
“Are you stalking me now, MH?” She asked, the nickname coming off as condescending as Clove grabbed her crutches and wobbled over to Erin. Thankfully the girl wasn’t watching since it was quite difficult to get around on the set of sticks.
“Listen MD,” Clove said, sarcasm dripping from her tone as she glared at Erin who didn’t even bother looking into Clove’s eyes.
“I know you cut my ribbon. What I don’t get is why you would do this? I didn’t think you would ever risk getting kicked out of Thatcher’s dance program.”
Erin didn’t respond, only gripping her pointe shoes as she glanced at Clove. “You think I would sabotage you? News flash, I could beat you with my eyes closed and the floor covered in oil.”
“Save it, you know I’m ten times better than you. I’ve gotten the center position every single time because you’re never good enough.” Clove hissed as Erin threw down her shoes, pointing a sharp manicured finger at Clove.
“You are not better than me. The only reason anyone in this school even bats an eye at you is because of your stupid family.” Clove roughly pushed Erin’s finger out of her face, dropping one of her crutches as she glared at Erin.
“And the only reason they look at you is because you’re a disgrace to the McDermot name. What teacher is your mom sleeping with now?” Clove asked as Erin shrinked just a little before standing back to her full height, returning to her typical stoic self.
“What my mother does is not my problem, but at least I earned my place here instead of begging for mommy’s money.”
“Hey, my moms worked hard to-”
“Blah blah, everyone has heard it before. You know, it’s always easy to insult you since you’re still a mommy’s girl.”
Clove gritted her teeth, feeling her jaw crack as she stared daggers at Erin. “When Principal Stills finds out you cut my shoes, you’re not going to receive an ounce of mercy from me.” Clove spat, leaning a little lower to try and pick up her fallen crutch.
“Please, I didn’t cut your freaking ribbons.”
“You were standing over my bag when I came back to the dressing room!” Clove exclaimed as Erin shrugged.
“I had left the dressing room and went back in when I heard a noise.” Erin said, picking up her discarded pointe shoes and bending them. “I couldn’t care less about this investigation. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some steps to practice for the upcoming audition.”
Clove frowned. Right, the audition for the center role during the next performance in three months. She would only be lucky enough to even be featured.
Clove watched Erin slip on her shoes, checking them over as she ignored Clove. It wasn’t like Clove believed Erin, but she also knew the girl was literally ballet incarnate. She was stoic, elegant to a tee, and she didn’t seem like the type to sabotage. She was too serious about the craft.
“Are you seriously just going to stand there and watch? Get out of my practice room.” She said as Clove groaned to herself. She had finally wrangled her crutch up as she walked a bit closer to Erin.
“First off… I hate you, please know that.” Clove said as Erin glared at her.
“I hate you too, now go away.”
“Your sauté is too loud. You sound like a bag of bricks when you hit the floor. I would show you, but…” Clove looked down at her foot as Erin raised a sharp brow.
“What the hell? I didn’t ask for your amateur advice.”
“Amateur? I’ve been doing this for ten years.”
“So have I, we started lessons together, remember?”
“Yea, but you missed some things. I’ve… seen you dance.” Clove said, setting her crutches to the side and leaning against the wall. “I would normally never do this but…”
She glanced at Erin, staring into her baby blue eyes that looked like ice. It matched her personality perfectly. She was a cold, cold teenager.
“I’ll help you get the center position. I know which steps you should take to land the spot.”
Erin took a moment, looking down at her thin hands before glancing back at Clove. She was still glaring, but there was more curiosity in her gaze.
“Why would you do that? What do you want?”
“A couple of things. First, I need you to… convince my moms that it's not dangerous to do this. As far as I know, you’ve never had an accident. You’re an okay dancer so it should convince them that this was a one time accident.” Erin scoffed, tightening her bun as she took a deep breath.
“And?”
“I need you to help me find my saboteur.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t care about it.”
“Well I could tell Principal Stills I found you looking into my bag the night of my fall.” Erin went quiet.
“Hmm, thought so.” Clove moved a bit further, hopping on one leg and instantly regretting it as she took a seat next to Erin on the wood bench.
“I need to find the person who did this. It could… cost me alot.” She mumbled as Erin didn’t look at her.
“We don’t have to like each other. We don’t have to even speak to each other, but I need to know what you know if I wanna catch this guy.”
Clove tentatively stuck out her hand, the one wearing a couple of bracelets that jingled. “Just for a while, then you can have the center position. Your mom will like that, right?”
“You really need to stop talking about my mom.”
“Only if you stop talking about mine.” Clove retorted as Erin looked down at the girl’s outstretched hand. She stuck out her own a minute later, clasping Clove’s hand tightly as they shook on it.
“For the record, you’ve got a lot of work to do if you want this center position.” Clove commented as Erin bumped her on the shoulder. Not enough to throw her off the bench, but enough to jostle her.
“For the record, I could land this without your help. I just pity you.”
“Fine, fine.” Clove shook her head gently, chocolate locks falling onto her shoulders as she glanced at Erin who began to stretch. “Now, shall we begin?”
All Bea could do was watch this trainwreck happen in what felt like slow motion. Her sister was coming face to face with the woman she spent the night with. The woman who also happened to be their Anthro professor. Bea was tempted to look around for cameras to see if maybe they were being Punk’d. Of course, Ashton Kutcher never came out.
“There is no problem here Professor Kingsley. Sabina and I were just talking about girl things.” Chloe sweetly replied with a sparkle in her eyes. She eyed the professor sweetly. She had heard about professor dreamy, this was the first class she signed up for.
Sabina didn’t know if she was more shocked by the woman, she slept with being her professor or Chloe using her actual name. It sounded nice coming from Chloe. Wait no she needed to stop. She had to deal with the matter at hand and stop getting distracted by pretty women. Should she transfer out of the class? Will it be weird between them? She knew every inch of Ina. Maybe it won’t be so bad. If she was lucky maybe she could get extra special tutoring just to spend time with Ina.
“Get to your seats you two.” Ina said while going to the front of the room. Ina didn’t even give Sabina a second look.
Sabina went back to sit next to Bea and of course the only spot open for Chloe was next to her. She wished the universe would take her to dinner first before being fucked. Can the universe give a bitch a break?
“Don’t get too excited with me sitting next to you, Farmhand.” Chloe scowled at Sabina.
“Don’t worry I won’t, just try not to fall in love with me.” Sab smirked. She winked at Chloe. She may be crazy, but she is pretty sure she saw a blush. Chloe has a weakness.
“In your dreams. Just because you are attractive doesn’t mean everyone is going to swoon for you.”
“Chloe, did you just call me attractive? So, you do like me. I knew you couldn’t resist this Midwest charm.”
“W-what no absolutely not. I would never.” Chloe couldn’t help, but stutter.
“Both of you shut up. I am trying to listen to Professor Kingsley.” Bea was ready to throw a book at the both of them. Why is Sab even flirting right now knowing she just slept with a professor. Of course, her sister has gotten into trouble on the first day of classes. Every time Sab gets into sticky situations she always has to clean up after her. Don’t get it wrong, she loves her sister and would do anything for her, but sometimes it feels like all she does is get into trouble and flirt with women.
After class when everyone cleared out Sabina stayed behind. She had to talk to Ina, especially after such a long night spent together.
“Well, Hello there professor.” Sab approached Ina confidently.
Ina never looked up from her laptop.
“Is there something I could help you with Ms. Hughes?”
“Wow, how formal. I wouldn’t expect it considering I know how you tas-.”
“Ms. Hughes last night was a mistake. I didn’t know you were a student, and it was completely wrong.” Ina was frustrated. How could she make such a mistake? She would never imagine that she could get herself in such a predicament. She was jaded by Sab’s charisma, her toned arms, and the bright smile. She thought about her lips against her neck. Wait no this is exactly how she got into this.
“We had a nice night, Ina. How can you sit there and tell me it was a mistake?” Sabina felt her stomach tighten. She couldn’t tell why her words hurt. She has been with many women. She never actually committed to anyone. It just wasn’t her thing. It would be just another person she would disappoint, and she couldn’t handle that. She felt as if her parents would always remind her how much of a disappointment she was and she can’t handle her partner doing the same.
“As I stated Ms. Hughes last night was wrong. It is best if we just keep our relations to just the professor/student. Now if you don’t have any questions about Anthropology, I have work I must attend to.” Ina couldn’t look at Sab. Of course, she had an amazing night. Sabina was so different from others she had met. The woman she spent the night with might not let others in, but Ina could see through her armor. She wanted to be loved just like anyone else. While they participated in more intimate activities, they spent quite a bit of time just talking in bed while the hours passed. It was one of the best nights Ina has ever had, but she had a career to protect. Everything she had worked for would be lost, years of work down the drain. Ina doesn’t know if she could just start from scratch.
“Well then, sorry for my mistake then professor. I will be leaving then.” Sabina thought their night would have meant more. She had shared certain parts of herself with Ina. Maybe it was the drinks and how warm she felt with Ina that allowed her to share herself. It was a mistake she won’t be making again. God, she needed a drink or coffee. Maybe even both.
After the first day of classes Bea and Zoey were sitting on the couch. It was syllabus day so there wasn’t much work to be done. Bea was already done with what little homework was done and was already skipping ahead.
“Jeez Bea, how are you already done? We practically just started work.” Zoey wondered what kinda robot she was rooming with.
“I don’t know. I was always a bookworm when I was younger, and I guess I never lost it.”
Before Zoey could tease Bea, Sab walked into the living room after slamming the door. She stomped past them going into her room. She dolphin dived onto her bed. Zoey and Bea could only look at each other confused.
“Hey Sab, how was your day?” Bea yelled out to her sister.
“Oh, you know the usual. Chloe was an ass as usual. I got sorta dumped but we weren’t dating so I don’t think it really counts. I thought maybe since we were in a new place, I could try a new me. I was wrong and disappointed again. This is why I don’t like opening up.”
“Okay doom and gloom. We need to get out tonight. Lucky for us there is always a frat party. We aren’t invited, but these frat boys are easy. Pretty women are practically Kryptonite.” Zoey hopped up and jumped on top of Sab.
“Zoey, as much as I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, kissing some frat boy's ass to go to some shitty party sounds like it will make me feel worse. Sticky floors and the smell of shitty beer. It makes my stomach nauseous thinking about it. What kind of fraternity has a party on a Wednesday anyway?”
“Maybe at other colleges, but this is Belvoire. You haven’t seen anything yet. Everyday is a reason to party for them. Now get your cute sad butt up. ”
“I will get up, but you are all sitting on me.” Sab turned, throwing Zoey off onto the floor.
“Great, now I will have a bruise on my ass cheek. You will pay for that Sab. Bea! You get ready because you are coming out with us. Roomie night!!”
Zoey had helped pick out the two girls’ outfits for tonight. She ordered them all clothes and even had them delivered. It was like door dash for the designer. Sabina had a designer leather jacket paired with her favorite skinny jeans. They hugged her in all the right places. She had her hair down for the night. Bea sported a white shirt with a dark denim jacket and a pair of black shorts. Zoey walked in to check on her two roomies.
“Wow, I have the two hottest roommates on campus. I can’t wait to make everyone jealous.” Zoey dressed in a fitted black dress. It cradled her curves, Sabina’s jaw dropped.
“You are talking about us as if you don’t have a mirror in your room. I don’t know if any words I could use would even do you justice.” Sabina put her arm out for Zoey to hold. “Milady, may I escort you to tonight's festivities.”
“Sabina such a sweet talker, but I won’t deny such chivalry. You are driving though.” Zoey linked her arm to Sabina’s.
“Yes, hello I am here too guys. Also, you look amazing Zoe.” Bea followed the pair to Sabina’s Jeep.
After arriving at the Alphas house. They were stopped in front by a guy about their age.
“Well Hello Michael fancy seeing you here.” Zoey smiled at him, using her sweet voice.
“I don’t think you and the farmhands are on the list Zoey.”
“Who are you calling Farmhand?” Sabina was having a shit day and was not about to take it anymore from this weasel. Zoey put her hand on Sab’s arm to calm her.
“Actually, we are here to show you how we party in Farmsville Michael. Unless you frat bros can’t handle it.” Bea confidently walked up.
“Oh, you are so on Hughes. I think we will give you a run for your money.”
“Well bring it. My sister, Zoey and I are forces to be reckoned with.”
The trio walked into the house and out into the backyard. The house was spotless and not a single spot was sticky. Of course, they have their home cleaned regularly. Bea shouldn’t be surprised. Some of the kids of the wealthiest people in the U.S attended this school. The backyard felt like walking onto a country club. A pool with a waterfall and waterslide. The water wasn’t clear though. It was a bright color and smelled like lime? Jello? These rich kids were weird. They had a DJ mixing on top of the rocks near the waterfall. People were dancing, drinking, and playing games. Bea was surprised, but she was glad she came out. She would spend nights staying back home and barely went out. Now was her time to enjoy herself and have fun. As she eyes the pool a guy jumped off the rocks and sunk into the green viscous liquid.
“Yea Ford!” The boys cheered on the jello.
“Alright let's get some drinks and show these frat bros how it’s done.”
“Couldn’t agree more with that. I need a drink after today.”
Sabina went over to the bar and immediately downed two Tequila shots.
“Alright Sab pace yourself. We just got here.”
“Bea if you are going to mom me tonight, I will throw you into the jello pool.”
“Alright, your hangover tomorrow.”
“Ladies, we are here for a good time. Let’s leave the bickering at home.”
“Yea Bea don’t be a square.” Sabina saw a girl facing her way. She glanced at her and caught a blush on the girl. She sauntered over to her with two beers in hand. She extended a drink to the girl and smiled.
“I’m Sab. I couldn’t help but notice such a stunning woman without a drink. It’s such a crime no one has offered you one already.”
“I was just thinking the same thing Sab. I’m Hayley. Now are you going to make me wait for a dance too?”
“Forward. I like it.” Sabina led her new friend to where everyone was dancing. Sabina pulled Hayley closer as they swayed to the beat. Hayley put her arms around the taller woman’s shoulders. Sabina pulled closer by the hips. The more she looked into Hayley’s eyes the more she felt lost into the music. The alcohol hit her system. She leaned her head forward and waited for permission from her dance partner. Hayley closed the distance and they kissed earnestly. Sabina pulled her closer by the hips which elicited a soft moan. They kissed like time was about to run out. Sabina’s hands roamed Hayley’s body. Her skin felt as smooth as silk. Sab’s heart rate increased ,but there was also something else settling inside her heart. They made out for what felt like eternity. After they finally had to come up for air.
“Well Sabina this has been nice, but I should check up with my Zetas.”
“Zetas? A sorority woman, even hotter.” Sab gave Hayley a devilish grin. Hayley took Sab’s phone from her pocket and entered her number.
“In case you ever get lonely Sab. Maybe I could help with some company.” She left her with one more kiss on her lips. After Hayley left the dance floor Sabina went back to the bar to get some more beer. Hayley was gorgeous, but it was just physical. It wasn’t like when she spent the night with Ina. The words of Ina calling her a mistake rang over and over in her head. The words settled in her chest and slowly darkened her heart. She promised herself she would never do this again. Not after the girl from Farmsville nearly destroyed her once before. She went over to the bar and grabbed a bottle. She gave a few 100 dollar bills to the bartender. She needed this pain gone.
Bea got roped into flip cup with the Alphas. Her team consisted of her, Ford, and Carter. The other team was Luis, Michael, and Liam. Ford started against Luis and got the team an early lead. Carter fumbled and of course Bea had to be quick for the win. Bea pulled the win and the boys erupted with excitement.
“Well Hughes you weren’t kidding about showing us up. I haven’t ever been dethroned.” Luis was quite impressed.
“You and your roommates will always be welcome to the Alphas house.” Liam smiled brightly.
Little did Bea know that a certain pink wearing being was watching the events unfold. Of course, Poppy had to attend all the parties. She had a reputation to uphold. Not to mention Carter was rushing the Alphas and she was the good girlfriend. Being the Zeta queen after her dad pulled some strings as a freshman no less, she would have to maintain the Greek relations. Something about Bea really grinds her gears. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, was it because she didn’t bow to her? Everyone feared the Min-Sinclairs, but she didn’t even bat an eye. She didn’t know of her father Piers and the power he holds in New York. She watched her outdrink the Alphas and dance with the group. Poppy could see her toned legs. She had a few tattoos on both legs which made her hotter. Besides being some annoying Midwest farmer, she was quite attractive. Her pride wouldn’t let her admit it out loud. She wasn’t blind though. Bea and her twin were quite the eye catchers. Something about Bea though was different. She had to push whatever thoughts about Bea away. It was time to show her who the queen really is.
“Wow boys I didn’t know you rented a petting farm for the party.” Poppy gave Bea a smirk.
“Hm, does someone hear that? It sounded like a wretched bitch flew in.” The Alphas tried to hide their laughter. Ford ran to grab a napkin after shooting beer out his nose. Bea watched as Poppy lost her smirk.
“Listen here, Farmhand. I don’t know how they do things in the middle of the cornfield where you're from, but I would watch how you talk to me. No one here stands against a Min-Sinclair and lives to tell the tale.” Poppy could feel the anger rise in her chest. Everyone bends to her whim. Who does this girl think she is!?
“Whoa there Pops, you look like you’re about to pop a vessel. In case you missed the memo. I am not just anyone. I’m not sure what gold nugget flew up your ass, but I don’t let bullies just walk over people. If you excuse me, I am going to hang out with my new friends.”
Bea started to walk past, but Poppy put hand to her chest.
“I will not be ignored Hughes!” Bea tried to hold back the surprise. Did Poppy just actually use her name?
“Pop, I am going to suggest you get your hand off of me.”
“Or else what pig g–”
“COWABUNGAA.” Ford jumped from the top of the waterfall into the jello pool. Lime jello shot out the pool and landed on the pool. A little lightbulb went off in Bea’s head.
Bea didn’t even let Poppy react, before throwing her over her shoulder. She tossed Poppy in with ease. Everyone could hear the squishy sound from Poppy’s landing. Throwing off her denim jacket, Bea dived in after Poppy.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Farmsville?! This outfit costs more than your pathetic life. Now I smell like a lime took a shit on me.” Poppy felt cold and sticky in every nook and cranny. When she got back to Zeta, she was going to spend at least an hour in her rainfall shower.
“Lighten up Poppy, we are at a party remember? Bea moved closer to Poppy. She smelled sweet and citrusy with almost a hint of cocoa. It was intoxicating. She had to admit there was something about Poppy being angry that made a little spark go off in her chest. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Where is this feeling coming from? Bea lifted herself from the pool. Poppy looked like she was struggling to get out. Her mom always taught her to help everyone she came across. She was probably going to regret showing the Zeta queen kindness, but it was built into her to help.If they didn’t start off with such a rocky relationship and Poppy didn’t seem so painfully straight she might have asked Poppy out in another timeline. She went over to where Poppy was and offered her a hand.
“I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole farmhand.” Bea could tell Poppy was furious.
“Listen we have been assholes to each other, let me do this and then you can go back to being a supervillain.”
Poppy thought for a second. Her Zeta girls were too busy flirting with the Alphas, not one of them even checked if she was okay. Everyone was too inebriated to even see what happened.
“Fine, just don’t use your freakish farm strength and rip my shoulder off.”
Poppy knew Bea would eventually show her weakness. Instead of letting Bea help her out she pulled with all her might so Bea would fall back into the pool. Poppy pulled herself out of the pool.
“I figured you would be too nice for your own good, Hughes. I don’t need anyone’s help. Let that be a lesson for next time. Don’t fuck with me.” Poppy sauntered off.
“Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” Bea muttered to herself. She felt disappointment well up in her chest. She could only curse her emotions for getting the best of her. She waded in the pool for a moment just trying to decipher her feelings. Zoey finally came over holding up Sab.
“Bea, I leave you alone for a second and here you are floating in a dessert.”
“Zoey, I do not have the time just help me out. Also, I see the tequila is catching up with my sister.”
“Yes, and she is practically a noodle and I can barely support her. Get your cute butt out of that pool and help me.”
“Zoey, did I ever tell you that I think you are so beautiful?” Sab slurred, barely able to stand up. Bea came up on the other side of her sister and placed her arm around her.
“Alright sis, let’s get you home.”
Bea and Zoey walked/dragged Sab to the exit from the rager. The sound of music was drowned out by everyone’s phone going off at once. Everyone whispered while looking at the trio trying to exit.
Damn it’s always the hot ones who cheat.
Of course those dumb cornhuskers couldn’t get into college otherwise.
Zoey pulled out her phone and quietly cursed under her breath.
“Bea I know we have to get Sab home, but you should read this. We will have a lot of damage control to do.”
Bea looked at the bright screen and suddenly any drink she had left her system. Her eyes went wide as the headline of the T called the twins cheaters. It claimed they cheated on their SATs and through most of their classes. Who the fuck cheats in PE and how is that even possible!? What idiot came up with this?
“I should have known you two were in the wrong place.” Chloe walked up with a shit eating grin.
“Of course it was you. It would have to be someone so dense.” Bea wanted to pummel Chloe for trying to fuck with her and Sab. Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone going off. It was an email from the Dean. Bea was still waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out and tell her that she was being pranked, but that would be too easy.
Dear Ms. Hughes,
Due to recent revelations, you and Sabina have been placed on academic probation. We will be investigating the authenticity of the evidence received. While we contact you high school administration and handle this situation, I expect you both to be on your best behavior. If you have any questions feel free to contact the registrar office.
Regards,
Dean Steinhelm
Bea was sure her heart plummeted through her stomach and straight to the ground. How is she supposed to fix this? That dumb blonde has the twins walking on eggshells now. For now though she just needed to get her sister back home. They loaded Sabina into her Jeep and Bea drove them home. Zoey sat in the back with Sab just to make sure she was ok. She slept most of the time while slurring incoherent sentences.
“Ina we can talk about this. Why do I have to be a mistake to everyone? I thought you understood me.” Sab quietly spoke in her sleep. Zoey sympathetically held her hand. She looked over to Bea to see if she could hear Sab’s ramblings. Bea was focused on driving with her furrowed brow. Probably still thinking about the dean’s email.
When they arrived in the dorm the two sober women helped carry Sabina into her room. Bea put a water bottle and some pain medication to help the hangover in the morning. Bea turned out the lights and left the room. She showered and changed into her pajamas letting her exhaustion from the night take her.
They better rest up now because tomorrow was time to deal with a shitstorm.
Context: The Sterling party has begun! This chapter was fun to write, specifically the flashback scene, but the next chapter is one of my... personal favorites.
Masterlist
General Content Warnings: Mature, Angst, Possible NSFW, Cursing, Internalized Homophobia, Cheating, and slow burn
“Bea, you look wonderful.” Kath commented as Bea moved to greet the woman, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before pulling back and adjusting the gray blazer she wore.
Mei was right. Bea definitely couldn’t show up in any type of suit, meaning Bea had spent the last two days finding a good suit to wear. She settled on a solid gray pantsuit with a matching sleek vest and a simple silver chain choker. There was no undershirt to the outfit and Bea thought she actually looked pretty nice. She even got a new pair of sleek dress shoes for the event. Brushing off her vest, Bea pushed back her hair which she had tried to gel back, but it would sometimes fall awkwardly in front of her eyes.
Kath, however, looked stunning. Weaning a dark green cocktail dress that complemented all of the woman’s features and a gorgeous pearl necklace.
“You look great too, boss.” Bea said as she offered her arm for Kath to take. The woman laughed, looking up slightly at Bea before taking her arm.
As expected, the Sterling party was a massive occasion. Rented on one of the largest rooftops in New York, people poured through the doors, all dressed in their finest wear and smiling their million dollar smiles.
Photographers and news reporters stood outside the event, wanting all of the pictures and interviews that they could get with the elite of New York, before they all disappeared into the building and up to the roof. As cars rolled up, screams erupted from the crowd, no matter who it was. To be invited to a Sterling party meant you were somebody in a world full of nobodies.
Feeling somewhat like a fish out of water, people screamed happily for Kath who waved politely at all of the people. She didn’t bother to stop for any interviews, practically dragging Bea along with her who was recovering from the bright flashes of the camera.
Definitely not her forte.
When the two reached the end of the carpet, Bea rubbed her eyes as Kath raised a sharp brow.
“Don’t get tired on me now Hughes. I’ll need you to talk with Ms. Min-Sinclair when we get up to the party.” Kath stated as Bea gulped, scratching the back of her neck as she looked at Kath.
“So, the building was sold?” She asked as Kath nodded.
“Finalized earlier today, but bidding has already started. It won’t be easy, so I hope your people skills are top notch.”
Her people skills were top notch. Her Poppy skills were below average.
Bea lifted her hand awkwardly, making an “ok” sign as Kath nodded, taking a hold of Bea’s arm once more and dragging her inside just as another car rolled up.
Inside of the building, even the lower floor was decorated to perfection. Gold shimmering lights, pristine red carpet, and a large fountain.
Bea looked around, momentarily stunned at the finery of the floor as Kath greeted some people who were still loitering near the large elevator.
“Ms. Daniels, how wonderful to see you again!” Kath exclaimed, letting go of Bea’s arm and kissing the woman’s cheek.
“Kath, a delight to see you here! Who is your companion?” The woman dressed in gold asked, looking Bea up and down and nodding in approval. Score one for Bea.
“One of my most promising architects, Bea Hughes.” Kath gestured at Bea who smiled at the woman, extending her hand and shaking Ms. Daniel’s.
“Pleasure to meet you.” Bea said as the woman laughed happily. She turned back to Kath, asking her random questions about her company before Kath cut her off, laughing slightly as she waved goodbye to the woman.
Bea had only stood in silence as Kath returned to her place on Bea’s arm. “That went on for too long…” Kath mumbled as they walked closer to the golden elevator.
Standing next to the ride was a rather tall man with broad shoulders. His hair was stylishly parted, as he smiled at the approaching women. Taking a slight bow with shiny black hair falling into his eyes, he stood and pressed a delicate kiss to Kath’s cheek.
“Mrs. Rensler, you are a vision tonight!” The man said in a deep voice as he looked over Kath’s outfit with light blue eyes. “You’re making me feel underdressed.”
Kath ate the flattery up, smacking the man’s shoulder gently as she covered her mouth with her hand. To be fair, he should have been considered underdressed. He was only wearing a shiny black tux, a Rolex watch, and black dress shoes.
“And your…companion?” He asked, looking at Bea with a flirtatious smile. Bea held back a gag, from his smile and also from catching a whiff of his heavy cologne. Definitely some type of spray with the name such as “manliest man spray.”
“Bea Hughes.” She said, lifting her hand as the man laughed. He went to complete the handshake, but instead tried to flip Bea’s hand as if to kiss the back of it as Bea pulled away quickly. Kath noticed as Bea retracted her hand, harshly bumping her leg against Bea’s as Bea looked at the woman.
The shiny looking man only smiled wide and let out a deep chuckle. “Don Sterling, welcome to my party.” He smiled as he moved to the side, gesturing inside the elevator.
“Please, enjoy.” Kath smiled once more at Don, before dragging Bea into the elevator with a harsh grip. Bea followed, not bothering to give the man another glance as she stepped inside. Even the elevator felt fancy as the doors closed, with Don waving goodbye, before Bea couldn’t see the man anymore.
Bea wiped her hand on her pant leg as Kath gave her a suspicious glance. “I expect you to be kind to our host, you know.” She stated as the elevator began to rise, all the way to the highest floor.
“Yea, but not if he’s trying to press a sloppy kiss to my hand.” Bea said as Kath rolled her eyes.
“Alright, alright.” She said softly, just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Turning to look at Bea, Kath adjusted her dress, fluffing her hair as Bea watched.
“I’ll meet you back here in three hours exactly.” Kath said as Bea looked at her with a confused expression.
“Hold on, you’re leaving me alone?” Bea asked as Kath rolled her eyes, stepping out of the elevator as Bea followed.
“Hughes, it’s a large party and all you need to do is speak with Ms. Min-Sinclair. Find her, woo her a little if you can, and then we can finish this bidding process and bring success to the company.” Kath said, just as she caught sight of a passing waiter with multiple champagne glasses.
“But Kath-”
“But nothing Hughes. I’m expecting great results tonight, don’t disappoint me.” With that, Kath walked off, her long green dress trailing after her as she followed one of the waiters with multiple champagne glasses.
Suddenly, Bea was very aware of where she was and who she was no longer with. “Dammit.” Bea cursed as she glanced around the party.
Kath was incorrect, it was a freaking huge party. As far as Bea could see, the party continued. Dazzling lights surrounded the place, waiters in fancy suits walked around with appetizers and champagne glasses, at least four bars were set up on the roof and even a string quartet was in the corner, playing classical music.
It was probably the fanciest party that Bea had ever been to and the vibes of the place were…very rich.
Slapping her cheeks gently, Bea shook her head, trying to get out of her thoughts and focus on what really mattered. Impressing Kath which also meant… finding Poppy in the sea of at least 300 people.
Bea took a step forward, just a bit farther from the elevator, before she back tracked and stood next to the doors. So what if she was a little concerned that she would get lost on this rooftop.
She leaned against the wall for a bit, watching people enter the rooftop and immediately enter the crowds with purpose. Maybe Bea’s “purpose” would magically walk through those doors, probably wearing some fashionable ensemble and looking…just as good as when Bea had last seen her.
A waiter passed by, holding some champagne glasses as Bea signaled the man over.
“Hey, have you seen like…” She didn’t know how to describe it to the man. “Like a 5’2 half-korean blonde around here? Possibly scowling?” She asked as the man gave her a confused stare.
“Course not…” She grabbed her wallet from her back pocket, putting a twenty on the man’s tray before taking one of the glasses. As he left, Bea downed it instantly, feeling the bubbly burn down her throat before she shook her head.
Feeling the liquor now settled in her stomach, Bea pushed herself off the wall, finally taking the steps and entering the crowd.
Standing amongst the elite, Bea never felt so small, especially since most of the women were wearing at least three inch heels, making them taller. Bea walked around a bit, eyes scanning the crowd until she reached the first bar of the party. It felt like a checkpoint.
She leaned against the counter, catching sight of all different kinds of people that Bea didn’t recognize sadly. Probably business tycoons of all sorts and a few celebrities scrambled throughout.
Bea waved down the bartender who approached, a gorgeous Indian girl with a beautiful smile.
“Hey, can I get something stronger than the champagne?” Bea asked as the girl laughed.
“Needing courage for something?” She asked as Bea tapped her fingers against the counter of the bar. “Something like that.” Bea mumbled as the woman slid Bea a shot glass.
“Well, I hope you luck out.” She smiled, walking off as Bea took the shot, downing it quickly and feeling another burning sensation glide down her throat. Just as Bea was about to push away from the bar and return to the sea of people, her phone buzzed. Lana’s caller ID popped up and Bea’s heart sped up.
She glanced around wearily, making sure Kath wasn’t lurking nearby, before walking away towards a more secluded corner and answering it.
“Hey Lana. What’s up?” She asked, trying to sound cool, but miserably failing as Lana laughed through the phone.
“Hi Bea. I was bored so I thought I’d call.” She said, the sound of a blow dryer spreading through the phone as Bea smiled. What she wouldn’t give to be hanging out with Lana right now.
“Oh, slow day at the office?” Bea asked, leaning casually against the wall of her corner as partygoers bustled by.
“Actually, I have some exciting news. A few days ago, we had a major fashion company CEO come by and she loved our work. I’ll be working on a few shoots for her magazine over the next few months!” Lana said happily through the phone as Bea smiled. Absolutely adorable.
“Congrats Lana, that’s amazing.” Bea spoke through the phone as Lana sighed dreamily.
“I know, it’s like, everything I’ve been working towards has finally come true.”
“Is it any company that I know?” Bea asked playfully as Lana laughed through the phone, a sparkly sound as Bea’s heart kept beating faster.
“Probably not. I know how you are about fashion.” She teased as Bea heard the blower stop.
“That’s offensive, considering where I am right now…”
“Where exactly are you? It’s quite noisy.” She spoke softly through the phone as Bea shrugged.
“Just the annual Sterling party.”
The line went quiet and Bea wondered if it had cut due to the height she was at before a pitched scream echoed through the phone. Bea pushed it away from her ear as Lana yelped.
“The Sterling party?! Are you serious?!” She yelled again as Bea nodded, smiling to herself as Lana rambled on.
“I’m sooo jealous! Is it as amazing as everyone says it is? Is everybody wearing beautiful outfits and-”
“Lana, Lana, it’s like any other rich person's party.” Bea justified as Lana scoffed into the phone.
“No, it’s the biggest party of the year! How could you not tell me?!” She asked as Bea scratched the back of her neck.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal, and besides, I’m only here to butter up a new client.”
“Well, you’ll have to tell me all about it when you get out! Did you meet Don Sterling? Is he as attractive as everyone says?” Bea rolled her eyes. Not the word she would use.
“I guess in the typical Wattpad billionaire type of way.” Bea said as Lana laughed.
“Don’t worry, I think you’re much more attractive than him.” She explained through the phone as Bea fought the smile on her lips.
“Good, cause I’m definitely dressed better than him.”
“I’m sure you are. Oh shoot-” Lana spoke through the phone as Bea heard the door ring.
“I’ve gotta go, but call me later?” She asked as Bea nodded.
“I will, have a good night.”
“You too.” She hung up the phone a second later as Bea stared at the screen. How was that probably going to be the best part of her night compared to schmoozing with rich people?
Tucking her phone back into her pocket, Bea took another glass of champagne from a passing waiter, swirling the contents as she went back to her hunt. Something about this whole thing felt very familiar.
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“Have you seen Satan around?” Bea asked Zoey who gave her a confused look.
“You’re actively looking for she-who-will-not-be-named?”
“No, I’m looking to avoid her.” Bea joked, before shutting up and turning around to scan the crowd of college students all gathered in the Alpha’s backyard.
It was her first party at Belvoire. After her run in with Poppy in the quad, Bea had learned quite a bit about the history of Belvoire and its current Queen B. Specifically, Bea had learned what an awful person Poppy Min-Sinclair was to everyone.
To say that didn’t intrigue Bea would be a lie, which was probably why she was standing close to Zoey, her awesome roommate and subtly glancing around for any blonde Asians in the area.
“Bea, I’m serious. Poppy is someone you don’t want to get involved with. If you were serious last night about wanting to help make the school better, the only way you can do it is by taking her down.”
“But like, can I support you to do it? You’re a badass and you’ve got impeccable style.” Bea exclaimed, gesturing at Zoey’s outfit as the woman preened.
“All true, but Poppy already messed me up when I first came to Belvoire. I got the title of New Money quicker than a T-Swift concert being sold out.” Zoey grimaced as she drank from her red solo cup.
“Poppy has nothing on you, making you the perfect candidate. Don’t worry though, I’ll be here to support you through it all.”
Bea sighed, drinking from her cup before setting it down on the table. Curse her hero complex. “What do I need to do?”
“Schmooze, win over the people, classic queen stuff.” Zoey pushed Bea off towards the Alphas who were cannonballing into a suspicious amount of green jello that filled the swimming pool. “Besides, you’re halfway there. You already impressed the Alpha’s with your killer beer bong skills.”
“The Alphas are stupid, they’ll be easy to win over. Channel your inner bro energy.” Zoey waved her off as Bea grumbled over to the pool area where the Alphas were challenging each other into who could do the biggest dive.
“Yo, Newbie Hughes! Wanna dive?!”
No, she didn’t really, considering the Alphas probably hadn’t washed in a good week or so, but Bea didn’t voice that thought.
Instead, she grabbed the ends of her shirt, pulling off the top and tossing it to the side, before taking a running jump and perfectly diving into the jello that was much squishier than she had thought.
The Alphas cheered wildly as Bea splashed one of them with a handful as it stuck to his face. Zoey laughed on the sides, snapping photos of Bea’s new friendship with the Alphas before the music came to a halt and the stampede of heels entered the backyard.
Standing in perfect formation, the Zetas all looked down at the Alphas and Bea in the pool with disdain. Standing in the middle, not a hair out of place, Poppy smirked down at them, mostly at Bea who raised a brow.
“How cute, missed rolling around in the mud so soon SweetCreek?” Bea didn’t answer as Carter, apparently Poppy’s long-term boyfriend, hopped out of the pool of jello.
“C’mon babe, lighten up! Didn’t you say you wanted to spend more time together?” The jock asked as he took ahold of Poppy’s hand. She glared down at it before scoffing.
“Yea, as in you’ll stop complaining when I tell you to hold my shopping bags. Now get your sticky hands off of me you oaf, I just got a manicure!” She wrenched out of his grip as Carter looked at her sadly. Watching from the sides, Zoey tilted her head slowly where the couple was having a spat as Bea smiled.
She lifted herself out of the pool, some of the Zeta girls turning to watch with open mouths as Bea stepped closer to the two. Carter was silently whispering towards Poppy, asking her not to embarrass him in front of his friends as Bea stood quietly to the side.
Ignoring her boyfriend, Poppy turned to look at Bea, eyes gliding down Bea’s figure slowly. It was a fair reaction, Bea standing in a black sports bra, black skinny jeans, and water droplets on her toned stomach and her sleeves of tattoos. The only imperfection was the green jello stuck in her hair.
“Pops, you need to relax.” Bea smiled at the woman as Carter raised a brow at Bea. He took a step back, giving Bea a better look at Poppy who stood with curled fists and a scowl on her face. Stepping closer to Poppy, who’s back was conveniently towards the jello pool, Bea placed both hands on her shoulders.
“Hold your breath.” She instructed as Poppy’s eyes widened, arms reaching out before she plunged into the pool with a shriek. Bea laughed as the Alphas did as well. Even some of the Zetas joined before Poppy resurfaced with a scream of terror.
“You disgusting piece of shi-'' Bea ignored her, yelling to all of the partygoers.
“Follow the queen!” Bea yelped as everyone jumped in, swaying the jello as Bea followed, landing conveniently next to Poppy who screamed again. Green chunks of jello flew as Poppy tried to keep herself upright versus dunking herself completely in the contaminated gunk.
“ARGH!!” She yelled as some of the Zetas tried to help Poppy out before Zoey hip bumped them in, some of them landing flat on their faces with a squeak.
All the partygoers swam happily in the jello, Zoey recording from the sides and shooting Bea a thumbs up. Shooting one back, Bea swam closer to Poppy who was still waddling in the pool with a murderous expression on her face. It seemed like she was having trouble moving in that skirt, especially when jello was in every crevice.
“You!” She yelled when Bea swam closer, circling the girl like a shark. “I am going to murder you! I’ll chop up your pathetic bones and send them back to your parents as a souvenir!” She screamed at Bea who swam even closer, until she was only a foot away from Poppy. It was… surprising she was letting Bea get so close.
“You should send them back some jello too.” With that, Bea scooped up a handful of the sticky mess before shooting it down Poppy’s cleavage that may or may not have caught Bea’s eye.
She let out another murderous scream, now trying to fish the jello out of her bra as Bea and the other partygoers laughed. “Okay okay, I’ve had my fun.” Bea smiled, looking to make sure Zoey was distracted before swimming closer to Poppy and taking a hold of her waist. She was warm to the touch, even under the squishy jello as Bea picked her up. As expected, she weighed almost nothing to Bea.
The girl’s eyes widened, pressing a sharp claw into Bea’s shoulder as Bea let out a hiss of pain. “Let go of me, pig girl!” She yelled as Bea ignored her once again, pushing her further back until they hit the edge of the pool, further away from the party goers.
Lifting Poppy up as her claws dug even harder into Bea’s shoulder like a cat, she placed her at the edge of the pool, before pushing herself away with her foot. Standing on the pool’s floor, Bea reached to feel where Poppy’s claws had marked her, coming away with spots of blood as Poppy scowled.
“Ouch Pops. A thank you would be nice.” Poppy growled, picking up some jello from the pool and throwing it at Bea as she ducked. She lifted her head again, but Poppy had already stood up, followed by a few other Zeta girls who were searching around for their now jello filled high heels.
They walked off, the squish of jello following as Bea smiled, swimming around the pool some more as the Alphas continued to party. Finally having enough of the sticky substance on her skin, Bea lifted herself out, coming face to face with Zoey who gave her a worried expression.
“Babes, we’ve got a problem.”
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“Poppy Min-Sinclair, you are a vision.” Don said, taking ahold of Poppy’s hands and spreading them apart to see her dress in full.
She smiled, the best fake smile she could muster as Don looked her over with territorial eyes. “Now, the party can really begin.”
“You’re too kind Don.” She said as he reached forward, pressing a kiss to both of Poppy’s hands as he looked at her through soft lashes.
“Not kind enough. I didn’t think a goddess would be attending my party.” He flirted and Poppy did her best to remain entertained as she pressed a gentle palm to her mouth, holding back the gag.
“Please, you flatter me.”
“You deserve to be flattered, doll. Come, I’ll escort you up, you’re right on time.” Don placed Poppy’s hand on his arm, leading her to the elevator as she kept the smile plastered on her face. Only two hours of this absolute bullshit and then Poppy could leave.
Standing in the elevator with Don was an insufferable experience, smelling his thick cologne that would cloud Poppy’s senses and hearing his deep voice speak to her with flirtatious tones in each word. His whole existence was probably insufferable.
Finally, the doors parted and Poppy stepped out, coming face to face with the luxurious Sterling party. Certainly not the best party she had ever gone to, but she guessed it was alright.
Don, the charmer he was, handed Poppy a champagne glass he had taken from one of the waiters. “For you.” He smiled as Poppy took it, downing the contents.
“I believe your father is over here if you’d like to say hello.” Don said, leading Poppy into the crowd as she followed, looking around at all of the people standing in the crowd. Surprisingly, Poppy could recognize almost all of them, waving hello as she passed and them all returning it.
When the two stopped, Poppy stood in front of large couches where her parents sat along with other business people. Her father sat up when he saw her approach as Don took a seat on one of the couches, patting the cushion for Poppy to sit too.
“Poppy, that’s a lovely dress.” Piers said, taking a sip from his glass as her mother didn’t bother to pay much attention to her.
Poppy took a seat, looking at all of the people surrounding the couch. She recognized them as investors of Pier’s studios, each of them floating in money.
Her mother and Poppy were the only women seated on the couches, a telling sign as Poppy turned towards her dad.
“Thank you.” She replied as Piers nodded. Poppy looked towards her mother, wearing a striking dark blue dress as she swirled the contents of her glass before standing up.
“I’m going to get a refill.” She mumbled to no one in particular as Poppy watched her leave. Her mother, typically a woman of high society, seemed to be lacking any pep in her step as she went off towards one of the fancy bars.
“Hmm, she drinks too much.” An older man said as he took a sip from his own glass. Poppy fought the urge to roll her eyes as Piers let out a deep chuckle.
“Ha, I wouldn’t say that too often, old man.” Piers joked, looking at the man through his glass as he piped down, setting his own on the table before turning towards Don.
“Wonderful party Don. Makes the wait worth it every year.” He said as Don beamed, leaning back and putting a hand over the couch’s back, a little too close to resting on Poppy’s shoulder.
“Thank you Mr. Farhi, my pops was always a legend at this thing, I wanted to make him proud.”
Mr. Farhi smiled wide, lips curling as he looked at Don. “Believe me, you would have. Ms. Min-Sinclair, what do you think about the event?”
“I haven’t-” Poppy’s eyes looked to her father who gave her a warning stare before she cleared her throat. “It’s a gorgeous event. Mr. Ste-Don, has really outdone himself.”
Don preened at the compliment, shifting even closer to Poppy who tried to stop breathing through her nose.
“Excellent taste. Tell me, how is your company running? Your father only mentions it briefly.”
Poppy knew for a fact that this old geezer didn’t want anything to do with Poppy’s company or how it ran, so she simply smiled, setting down her glass just as her mother returned with a full one.
“Mr. Farhi, we’re at a party. Business can always wait.” She smiled kindly as the man grinned in that creepy old man way.
“You have a smart and beautiful daughter Piers.” Mr. Farhi said as her father smiled.
“Yes, I’ve only taught her the best.”
Poppy sighed as the men went on to talk about the only thing they knew how to talk about, wealth, politics, and sports.
“I’m considering buying a new yacht soon. I’ll be hosting a party and you’re all welcomed.” Don announced to the group as Poppy stared off into the distance. She had been counting the number of lights on a neighboring building before feeling a large palm rest on her thigh.
She turned her head quickly, seeing Don’s hand placed on her leg as he spoke to the group. Fighting the urge to literally slap the boy’s hand off, she tried to look at the group who were too wrapped up in the conversation to even care.
“Really?” Her father asked, leaning forward as he looked at Don. “Do you have any names picked out for the vessel?”
“Well,” Don smiled, turning to look at Poppy who took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger rising as she felt Don’s hand creep a little farther up her thigh.
“If you’ll let me, sir, I’d like to name it after your daughter.” He smiled wide as the group of men around gasped softly like a clique of high school girls. Poppy was not amused and apparently, neither was her mother.
Piers laughed heartily, slapping a hand on his knee as he smiled at Don. “Of course. Won’t that be a great honor Poppy?” He asked as Poppy tried to bite her tongue, thinking of her choice in words carefully.
“Sure, a great honor.” She mumbled as Don smiled wide, hand still resting on Poppy’s thigh before she grabbed her drink from the table, drank the contents and stood up, letting Don’s hand drop as she looked at the group.
“Sorry, refill.” She mumbled, walking off, but not before shooting her mother a glance who didn’t even bother to look. Something was definitely wrong with Ana Min-Sinclair.
Poppy stalked to the furthest bar, sliding the glass towards the bartender and taking a seat on one of the stools. What a draining conversation that was absolutely ridiculous. It was one thing for all of the men to be talking about politics, but when it switched to Don’s wealth? Yuck.
“Like I want a boat to be fucking named after me…” Poppy rolled her eyes, mumbling to herself as the bartender filled up her glass with more champagne. She had to have been here for at least an hour, meaning only an hour left of this nonsense. Sadly, she left her bag near the circle of corporate greed that composed her parents and Don.
Turning on her stool, Poppy took a drink from her glass, just as a man stepped up, looking like a ken doll as he looked her over.
“Hello beautiful. All alone on this fine night?”
“Ha, I wish.” Poppy rolled her eyes, sliding off her stool and pressing a manicured palm to the man’s chest. “Find some other woman to infuriate.” She said as she walked off, just as the man called after her. She ignored him, only catching a glimpse of his generic face before turning on her heel and heading towards the dance floor.
Poppy looked over where her parents and Don sat, contemplating going back, before shrugging to herself. She walked further into the party, finding the furthest corner she could and stopping there. She set her glass down on one of the forgotten tables, and took a deep breath. From the looks of the rather darkened corner, no one would be coming over here. Not even a waiter passed by this spot where she didn’t have to look over at her parents or that insufferable man.
Her back hit the wall as she smoothed out her dress. It was a gorgeous piece and an absolute shame she had to wear it to this event. Poppy let herself watch the crowds that passed by her, not noticing her sulk against the wall as they continued to party. She observed them all, noticing how they danced, how they spoke, and reminding herself that she had become the perfect replica of all of them.
In ways, this was similar to how she felt at Belvoire. Most parties ending with Poppy standing characteristically by the wall instead of partying with the other students. She would just take those moments to think and surprisingly, no one would bug her during those times. Probably because they were all too scared of her.
She liked those moments, standing in silence instead of being surrounded in the spotlight. It was a moment of peace that she could afford. Well, until a certain someone came into her life.
The thought hit her like a truck. When was the last time Poppy thought about Belvoire?
When was the last time Poppy thought about-
Looking down at the floor, a pair of sleek dress shoes stopped right in front of Poppy’s vision, causing her to slowly look up. In irritation or curiosity, she couldn’t tell.
She observed the figure, noticing their stylish pantsuit with a shiny dark gray vest and a silver chain choker. The tanned skin, the sharp angles of their face, a scarred eyebrow, and gelled back short brown hair with a few strands falling in front of their vision; she noticed it all before settling on the stranger’s eyes.
The finale is here! Please enjoy!💕
Also, to the anon who asked about a fic with Clove being older, it's being worked on right now and will have two or three parts, but probably two!
Masterlist
Warnings: Cursing
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“Perfect, smile!’ The photographer said as children laughed while puppies ran around the booth, licking the kids and playing happily.
Poppy watched from the side, speaking with parents interested in the shelter puppies as Poppy gave them a great overview. The fair had started out strong, already two hours in and Poppy had already arranged at least fifteen adoptions.
The kids enjoyed looking through the costume racks and taking pictures with all of the shelter animals and their parents were eating it up.
“Golden retriever puppies are wonderful family dogs. Perfect for summer outings at the beach.” Poppy told an elegant looking mother who smiled brightly.
“He is adorable…” The puppy yipped happily, showcasing those award-winning eyes as the woman sighed. “You’ve convinced me Mrs. Min-Hughes. We’ll take him.”
Poppy signaled for a volunteer to help the woman as Poppy came around towards the photographer, tapping his back as the man smiled at Poppy.
“These pictures are fantastic Mrs. Min-Hughes. The children are naturals.” Poppy smiled kindly, walking further around the booth to make sure everything was running smoothly. So far, it all looked good.
Stepping outside of the tent, Poppy glanced outside of the fair that bustled with people. She could hear the soft music playing in the speakers as people chatted and laughed happily. It was a gorgeous day and Poppy was ready to take the crown.
“I’m stepping out for a bit.” Poppy told a volunteer who nodded as Poppy moved to actually look at booths for the fair.
She blatantly ignored Persephone’s booth which bustled with people wanting food as she instead approached Sally’s mother, Alice who currently stood with a large mallet in her hands.
“Hello Poppy!” Alice said as she gestured to her carnival game setup. “Would you like to try one of the games?” She asked happily as Poppy shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she observed.
“No, thank you though. I just thought I’d see what else the fair has to offer.” Alice nodded, setting the mallet at her feet as she glanced over at Persephone’s booth.
“If you ask me, something fishy is happening over at the McDermot booth. Persephone keeps looking around as if something were about to attack her.” Right on cue, Persephone sharply pivoted her head to look around, landing on Poppy and scowling before turning away and stalking further into her tent.
“I’m sure there are plenty of fishy things happening at that booth and only one of them has to do with Persephone’s paranoia.” Poppy replied as Alice laughed, looking at Poppy.
“Hey, summer is coming up soon. Do you and your family have any plans?” Alice asked as Poppy tapped a sharp nail to her chin. To be honest, she hadn’t given it much thought. Between the Heart Fair, Clove, her company, and many other things, she hadn’t planned anything for Clove’s summer away from Thatcher. Since Clove was a star student, she didn’t need summer school and Poppy didn’t need to stick around since the PTA board wouldn’t be forming until the following fall.
“I’ll have to discuss it with Bea.” Poppy told her as Alice nodded.
“I think Sally and I will stay in New York this time. Her dad is…” Alice cut herself off as a child came up to her, complaining about a broken lever as Alice sighed heavily.
“These kids…Anyway, I saw your booth and I love your idea Poppy. I’ll put in a good word with the other mothers.” Alice took off a moment later as Poppy took her time to look back at Persephone’s booth where she stood next to a volunteer, probably barking orders into his ear.
Besides Bea missing this fair, Art had contacted Poppy earlier this morning, telling her Joshua had caught the flu, meaning he had to stay home. Poppy wished him the best and promised to send him Clove’s ballet performance recording.
Suddenly, a volunteer from Poppy’s booth ran up to her in a rush, holding up Poppy’s phone.
“Mrs. Min-Hughes, you forgot your phone. I think your wife is calling.” Poppy thanked her, taking the phone and swiping on the call as Bea’s voice came through.
“Bea, is everything alright?” Poppy asked, walking around the fair grounds as kids and parents scrambled around her in a happy daze.
“Yes, I mean no. I mean-” The phone cut for a minute before Bea’s voice came back clearer. “Takeoff is taking awhile, I might not get there until the next hour or two.” The rain pounded hard from the speaker as Bea’s voice tried to carry through.
“What about Clove’s dance? Are you-”
“Pop, I think-” The phone cut again, until it went silent and Poppy glared at the screen.
“Dammit.” She mumbled as she pocketed her phone and walked over to the large stage in the middle. She made her way into the back where she found the Thatcher-Heart performers and Zoey standing next to them all.
“I love your music Zoey!” A little girl yelled as Zoey ruffled the girl’s hair.
“Aww, you are too cute! All of you, let’s take a selfie?” She asked as the parents were momentarily dazed to be standing in the presence of a celebrity. The children crowded around Zoey who tried her best to angle her phone as Poppy walked up to the group and held up her hand.
“Let me?” Poppy asked as Zoey smiled gratefully, crowding closer to the kids as Poppy moved to take a burst of photos. When the flash went off, the kids all jumped around happily as Zoey thanked Poppy just as Clove came up and attached herself to Poppy’s leg once more.
“Is mama here yet?” Clove asked against Poppy’s leg as Poppy bit her lip. She definitely didn’t want to tell Clove that Bea could miss her big performance so she did what she did best.
“She’s a little late, but I have no doubt she’ll be here soon.” Poppy told Clove as Zoey raised a brow at Poppy.
“Aww…” Clove mumbled as Zoey walked up to the two, crouching on her heels and cupping Clove’s cheek.
“Hey, your mama is definitely going to come. Bea wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Zoey smiled as Clove let a small grin slip from her lips as Poppy mouthed a silent thank you to Zoey. Ms. James came around the corner, instructing the little girls to follow her to go over the performance one more time as Zoey stood up next to Poppy.
“Think she can make it here in two hours?” Zoey asked Poppy who sadly shook her head.
“Her connection was terrible. I don’t know what to tell Clove.” Poppy admitted as Zoey nodded. She checked her watch on her wrist as she stretched her arms.
“My set is in a few minutes. If Bea can get on her plane right now, she can make it right before the curtain rises.” Poppy nodded, thinking it over as Zoey began to walk off before Poppy stopped her with a brief brush of her wrist.
“How did things go with Veronica?” Poppy asked as Zoey ducked her head down.
“...I told her she should move to London and sell the New York apartment. We want different things right now.” Zoey said with a shrug, but there was more emotion in the comment as Poppy sighed.
“I’m sorry about that Zoey. Really.” She said as Zoey looked up a second later with a simple smile.
“You know what Poppy? I actually believe that. Thank you.” She gave Poppy one of her radiant smiles before taking off onto the large Thatcher-Heart stage where a crowd of people clapped happily to see her.
A minute later, Zoey started her songs, the melody infectious as Poppy left the tent and moved towards her own, just before bumping directly into Leroy.
“Oh, excuse me.” Poppy said as the man took a large gulp as Poppy stepped to the side.
“No-no problem.” He nervously spoke as Poppy moved to walk away before stopping, turning on her heel as Leroy stood nervously by the large tent, ringing his hands together.
“Leroy… are you alright? You’re shaking like a leaf.”
“He’s fine.” A loud voice said behind Poppy as a burly man came up behind her, overshadowing her as Poppy turned. Normally, she wasn’t one to be intimidated, but the man standing before her was none-other than William McDermot, the head of the McDermot family.
“Mr. McDermot, it’s wonderful to see you again.” Poppy lied as the man straightened his tie.
“Likewise Mrs. Min-Hughes, but my son and I have some business to attend to.” He walked past Poppy, taking Leroy by the shoulder and pushing him into the tent as Poppy raised a suspicious brow.
Should she be prying on a private conversation?
Obviously.
Leaning closer to the tent, Poppy could just make out the sounds of the men’s voices as Zoey’s music continued in the background. While most of it was ineligible, Poppy came away with the good stuff as she quickly walked away from the tent just as the men parted the white blanket,
She didn’t run, but she definitely put some pep in her step as she slid up to the McDermot booth where Persephone gave her a death glare.
“What the hell do you want?” Persephone snapped as Poppy crooked her finger, gesturing for Persephone to come closer.
Persephone tentatively stepped closer as Poppy leaned in, smiling like a cat as she whispered in the woman’s ear.
“I have something very interesting to share with you Persephone and I suspect that you’ll want my information.”
Persephone pulled back as if to snap again, but Poppy didn’t let that dissuade her as she smirked. “I know who your blackmailer is.”
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Bea buzzed in her seat as she watched the plane fly over the clouds. Thankfully after her awful call with Poppy, the plane had taken off a minute later and Bea was soaring through the crowds. Even though the plane ride was at least an hour and forty-five minutes, Bea was constantly checking her phone. Once she landed in New York, she would only have about thirty minutes to get to the park.
She was jittering so much, the passenger next to her slyly asked the stewardess if there were any more seats as the man stood up to leave, letting Bea have the row to herself as she kept tapping her fingers nervously on the armrest.
A pretty stewardess approached Bea, offering her something to eat or drink as Bea shook her head, waving her away politely as she glanced out the window.
Obviously, worrying about it wouldn’t make her get any further, but Bea couldn’t help it. She would be devastated if she missed Clove’s performance.
The little girl had been practicing for the past two to three months to perfect each movement. She wouldn’t even let Bea or Poppy see her dance because she wanted it to be a total surprise. Bea had respected the wish, but Poppy was known to peek into the dance rooms every now and then to watch and make sure Clove was okay.
Bea knew Clove was okay. She was a talented little girl, even at such a young age and… she took after Poppy in many ways, meaning she was an absolute winner.
Bea attempted to call Poppy a few times, but had forgotten to pay the bill for it, meaning her phone was pretty much worthless. All she could do was stare out the window and hope that she wouldn’t be late.
Thirty minutes into the ride, the rain started to clear up, displaying the land below as Bea thumped her head against the window. She didn’t ask for much, but she was asking for this one thing.
Bea wondered what Poppy was doing at that moment. Was she tending to the booth? Helping Clove get ready for her performance?
Bea did know that she never wanted to go on a three week trip ever again. Especially if she risked moments like this. It would be a discussion with Kath for later and it wasn’t like she really even needed to stay that long anyway. Most of the time, Bea spent time in the Quebec office, doing what she typically did until the owners of the new design could come by and Bea would walk them through it, finalizing any requests for the owners.
It was definitely a trip that could have been completed in at least a week and a half.
Forty five minutes later, Bea saw the first rise of buildings as the captain spoke through the speakers.
“Attention passengers, please make sure your seatbelt is buckled. We will be arriving in New York in ten minutes.”
The ten minutes passed quickly, a safe landing at the airport as Bea was the first one to pick up her smaller suitcase and practically run out the door. It took some time, but soon, Bea was back on the ground in New York City and only a couple of minutes away from Poppy and Clove.
She made her way towards the front of the airport where Scott was supposed to be parked as she rolled her suitcase behind her. Checking her watch, there was only twenty minutes left till Clove’s performance as Bea scrambled to the front where Poppy’s valet stood.
“Welcome back Bea.” Scott smiled as Bea squished into the car quickly.
“I’ve got twenty minutes to make it to the Heart Fair.” Bea said as Scott nodded, adjusting his mirror before taking off out of the airport. He still abided by all traffic laws as he turned down multiple streets.
“Was your trip well?” He asked as Bea threw open her suitcase in the back, grabbing a small bag with Poppy’s gift and reaching into her backpack to pull out a snowy owl plushie for Clove. When she had gone on all of her other business trips, Bea always bought a couple of candies for Clove to try and also a plushie of the national animal for the city. For Poppy, Bea picked out a figurine of the national flower, something to commemorate the trip. This time, it was an Iris Versicolor she had looked for after a quick google search.
“Good, good, I got you this.” Bea said as she handed the man a small keychain of Quebec. He smiled wide as he took it when they stopped at a red light.
“I haven’t gotten this one yet.” He said as he opened the glove compartment and placed the key chain in a small compartment where a dozen other keychains sat. Apparently, Bea learned a couple of years ago that Scott was an avid collector of city/state keychains. She committed that to memory and the man was always happy to receive the gift.
The two stopped at another traffic light before Scott let out a long sigh. “I’m terribly sorry Bea, but the traffic is heavy up ahead. Probably due to the Heart fair further down the street.”
“Crap.” Bea mumbled as she placed the items inside of her backpack. “How long till it let’s up?”
“Maybe twenty minutes. The park is close, but the streets are packed.”
She had ten minutes left.
“Okay, keep driving and I’ll meet you there.” Bea said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
“What are you doing?” Scott asked as he looked through his overhead mirror, raising a brow as Bea opened her door into the stopped traffic.
“The only thing I can do. I’m running there.” Bea stepped out, closing the door and taking off a minute later, weaving through cars and running towards the sidewalks before taking off down the street.
As she ran, she could just see the tips of the tents at St. Belrose Park as Bea picked up more speed, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she ran into traffic, carefully avoiding honking cars as she ran alongside the gates of the park, searching for the entrance.
Running a little quicker, Bea came to a stop in front of the gate with about fifty people standing outside, some leaving and some entering as Bea heard a booming voice through the speakers of the park.
It sounded like Zoey as Bea tried to push through the people as the music in the background faded.
“Now, without further ado! I want to introduce the talented ballet dancers of Thatcher-Heart!” Claps spread through the crowds as Bea finally made her way to the front as a security guard stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Hold on miss, we need to-” Typically, Bea would have never done this, but she was desperate as she quickly stood up as the man did too, believing Bea would comply, before dodging quickly to the side and slipping under the velvet ropes and into the fair.
“HEY!” The guard yelled after her as Bea turned quickly, yelling at the man as she ran backwards.
“I’m sorry! I have to see my kid perform! Put it under Min-Hughes!” She yelled quickly before scrambling back to the front and taking off towards the large stage where many people gathered.
“You’ll be great.” Poppy smiled as she pressed a kiss to Clove’s head as Zoey called out through the speakers. “I’ll be in the crowd, recording the whole thing.” Poppy said as Clove nodded nervously before tugging softly on Poppy’s sleeve.
“Is mama not here yet?” She asked one last time as Poppy’s brows furrowed sadly before shaking her head.
“No, she’s not here yet, but I promise I’ll tell her all about it.” Poppy said as Clove scrunched up her tiny lips before nodding in agreement. Rubbing the girl’s back, Poppy left the stage just as the curtains were about to rise, standing off to the side was Persephone with a timid expression.
“Are you sure about this?” Persephone asked Poppy who reluctantly pressed a hand to the woman’s shoulder.
“I’ve been at this game longer than you Persephone. I’m absolutely sure.” Persephone bristled at the touch before nodding, holding a microphone of her own as Poppy left to go stand in the front row of the crowd.
Zoey stood near the stage as Poppy smiled at her before joining the other parents in the front row. She pointed at her phone, mouthing that she was recording as Poppy nodded before turning her attention to the stage where the curtains began to rise as the crowd remained silent.
Standing in a long formation, the ballet dancers all had a certain position they stood in as Poppy spotted Clove who looked sadly down at the floor. Poppy’s heart clenched as she watched her daughter lift her head slowly as Poppy sighed. It was a disaster that Bea wasn’t here.
As the music started the first note, Clove’s expression changed as she stared into the crowd before breaking into a wide smile as she looked off. Poppy and a couple of other parents turned behind them to see what was so interesting before Poppy’s eyes widened in shock before delight overtook as Poppy saw someone hanging on one of the lamp posts set near the back of the stage.
Standing on the edge of the rock base and giving her view over the crowd, Bea waved at the stage as a couple of the dancers laughed and Clove smiled happily before the next notes began to play and the dancers began their performance.
Poppy didn’t turn back to the stage just yet, looking at Bea who was hanging causally off the lamp post as she glanced around, before her eyes landed on Poppy and she smiled wide. What Poppy wanted to do was run over there and hug her, but she made herself turn back to the stage where Clove was performing a series of ballet dances.
For a bunch of tiny kids, Poppy had to admit that Ms. James did a wonderful job of artfully arranging the dances for each of the children. Clove was usually in the middle as she did some tiny swirls as the music rang loud throughout the crowd. It was the perfect balance of elegant and carefree. When the last note rang, the group of girls all did their own piece, Clove doing a rather tricky move as they ended perfectly on the beat, panting hard as the crowd broke out into loud cheers.
Ms. James clapped with the crowd as shouts and cheers rang throughout, some noticeably louder than others as Poppy heard Bea’s voice in the crowd, hollering with cheer and exclaiming happily at the children’s performance.
She rolled her eyes happily as she moved towards the back of the stage as Clove ran up to her a second later.
“I saw mama in the crowd! She was here!” Clove yelped happily as the other little girl’s crowded around her and Poppy. Poppy pulled Clove to her side, pressing multiple kisses to her head as Clove squirmed energetically.
“Did you see me mommy?! I did the hard move!” She exclaimed as Poppy laughed, smoothing Clove’s hair back before the little girl gasped before breaking away from Poppy’s grasp and running behind her.
“Mama!” Clove yelled as she practically threw herself into Bea’s arms as the woman set her bag on the floor and spun Clove around. Poppy turned to see the two, smiling wide as she caught Bea’s eye as the brunette winked.
“I saw the whole thing, baby girl!” Bea said as she pressed a large kiss to Clove’s small cheek. “You were amazing!” Bea said as she finally set her daughter down and leaned into Clove’s hug.
“I missed you.” Clove said as Bea smiled, pulling her as close as possible.
“I missed you too, so much.” Bea mumbled before reaching down into her bag and pulling out a large bag of soft candy.
“I promised I’d get you something right?” She also pulled out a fluffy snowy owl plushie from her backpack that was the size of Clove’s head. “Why don’t you go off with your classmates and try some of this?” Bea said as Clove nodded, taking her plushie and her new candy as she pressed a small kiss to Bea’s cheek.
“Thank you mama.”
“Anything for you love.” Bea said as she gently pushed the girl off towards her classmates, who swarmed around Clove as she walked off near the crowd of parents waiting for them. She was chatting happily with them about her new gifts as it was soon only Poppy and Bea, standing backstage with music from the next ballet performance ringing in the background.
Bea stood up, brushing off her kneecaps as she stood tall to look at Poppy.
“Hi sweetheart.” Bea smiled as Poppy returned it, not bothering to walk, but running and pressing herself against Bea, wrapping both arms around her neck in a tight grip. If it were up to her, she would never let go.
“You came.” Poppy mumbled against Bea’s neck as the woman bent down slightly to make up for their height difference. She pressed her nose into the crook of Poppy’s neck as she smiled.
“I promised I would.” Bea replied as the two just stayed like that for a few minutes. Poppy probably had Bea in a death grip, but Bea didn’t seem to mind. Three weeks without her touch and Bea would have let Poppy hold her as tight as she wanted to.
When Bea pulled back, she didn’t pull back far as she looked down at Poppy with smiling eyes.
“My gosh, you get prettier by the day.” Bea mumbled as Poppy rolled her eyes at the obvious flattery.
“Just kiss me Bea.” Poppy said as Bea did, pressing a kiss to Poppy’s lips and wrapping her arms around her waist. They fit against each other perfectly as Poppy took a hold of the hooks in Bea’s jeans, pulling her closer if that was even possible. Bea laughed at Poppy’s neediness as she reached to nip at Bea’s lower lip, running her tongue over it in apology a second later before breaking away from the kiss.
“We can continue that later.” Poppy whispered as Bea looked at her like a drunken fool in love.
“Hmm, yes ma’am.” Bea teased as Poppy pulled her back into a hug, relishing in Bea’s warmth as the backstage began to crowd with people again after the older ballet dancer’s performance ended.
“C’mon, we need to watch the upcoming speeches. I have a feeling there is one we don’t want to miss.” Poppy dragged Bea off towards the stage as the girl grabbed her backpack before stopping Poppy in her tracks with a tug on her wrist.
“Hold on, I got you something.” Bea said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. Poppy took it with a smile, unwrapping it and seeing the gorgeous glass flower. It sparkled under the light as Poppy’s smile grew.
“It’s perfect Bea.” She placed it back in its box and pressed a kiss to her wife’s cheek, before dragging her off towards the front of the stage once more.
The two took their place in the front row as Bea waved at Zoey who was currently talking with a few of her fans. She blew Bea a kiss as the lights dimmed around the stage before Principal Stills took towards the center.
“Welcome all, after watching stunning performances from the Thatcher-Heart dance team, I can only say how impressed I am by every single dancer.” She clapped as everyone joined her, Bea using her fingers to whistle loud as she clapped happily.
“I can confidently say that this has been our most successful Heart Fair in the last couple of years. Thank you all for making this 25th anniversary so special! Now, I have a few parting words for you from William McDermot, a prominent figure within our community.” The crowd clapped as William took to the stage, smiling like a shark among fishes as he made his way to the stage.
“Thank you, Ada and thank you all for coming! As you all know, my family has been a proud supporter of New York through thick and thin. I am here to say that I will forever continue this legacy, through my son and through all of my grandchildren.” He cleared his throat just as Poppy saw a flash of blonde appear from the sides.
Persephone stalked onto the stage with murder in her eyes as she spoke up as William stared in shock at the woman. “Sorry to interrupt William, but I have something to confess.” Persephone said through her microphone as Bea stared wide eyed at the stage like most of the people in the crowd.
Poppy only grinned as she watched, holding onto Bea’s arm as Persephone cleared her throat.
“I would like to confess that I recently received a message a few weeks ago by someone who was trying to blackmail me.” Persephone declared as gasps escaped through the crowds.
“What the hell is she doing?” Bea asked as Poppy squeezed her shoulder.
“Shh, you’ll see.” Poppy said as she continued to watch.
“I was...scarred for the most part. Until I learned who it was.” She pointed accusingly at the end of the stage where a timid figure rested in the shadows. William turned to look as his face heated into the color of a tomato.
“My own husband!” Persephone seethed as the crowd let out a startled gasp. “Leroy McDermot has been trying to blackmail me because of my past, but let me tell you this attendees, it is only to hide his own deficiencies because Leroy…” She glared at the man who was still hiding in the shadows until a spotlight shined on him as he winced.
“Leroy has been cheating on me for the past year with none-other than Claudia Pentworth, his fourth cousin!”
That statement caused alarm as William turned on Persephone and let out an angered huff, face turning so red he looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel. “You bitch!” He screamed as Persephone smirked, holding her microphone so everyone could hear William.
“This woman is obviously lying. My son is a faithful man and he is a good father. I can’t say the same for this skank who lied to my family about the legitimacy of her child’s birth! I am here to say that my son has no child and it certainly isn’t anyone with the same blood as you!” He spat as he gestured angrily at Persephone. He looked to the crowd, expecting acceptance until Poppy shouted.
“Sounds like he’s trying to cover up his son’s scandals by lying about Persephone. Are we really expected to believe that after Persephone’s confession?”
The crowd murmured in agreement with Poppy, slowly starting to yell at William to get off the stage because of the disgrace that is Leroy McDermot. William stared in shock, trying to yell back to the crowd who didn’t listen to him as they booed him off the stage, him and Leroy.
Persephone smirked from the stage before turning back to Leroy who had finally stepped out of the shadows and closer to his father who looked extremely embarrassed.
“She- She’s lying, she just used me for my name!” Leroy cried out, the loudest that Poppy had ever heard him as Persephone scoffed.
“Your name huh? How about this then, I want a divorce.” Persephone spat into the mic as Leroy’s eyes widened as William growled.
“You slut-” He yelled before some security guards came up to restrain the man before he tried anything on Persephone.
“A…a divorce?!” Leroy yelped as some security guards came up to grab him too. “Persephone, I’m sorry honey! I-I didn’t mean any of it!” He pleaded a second later as the guards dragged him off the stage and Persephone stood victorious. The crowd still let out angry cries as William and Leroy were dragged off.
“To think a man like that would blame a young woman for his own son’s behavior!” A woman in the crowd yelled as others agreed. “He should be ashamed of himself.” Another man added as the crowd agreed once more.
Persephone walked off the stage, handing the mic to Principal Stills who took back the stage with wide eyes.
“My that was…I have no idea how to respond to that.” Ada said as the crowd chuckled briefly before the woman smoothed back her hair. “Thank you all for attending. I believe that concludes the 25th Annual Thatcher-Heart Heart Fair, remember to vote for your favorite booths and I will see you all next year.” The crowd clapped loudly for Ada before they began to disperse, parents walking off to find their kids and others beginning to deconstruct the tents.
Bea turned, wide-eyed at Poppy who smiled like the cat who just killed the canary.
“What the fuck just happened?” Bea asked as Poppy brushed her hair off her shoulder.
“Obviously, I found Persephone’s blackmailer.” Poppy stated as Bea’s eyes widened even more.
“How the heck did you do that?” She asked as Poppy smiled wide.
“I overheard the McDermots talking before the program began. Apparently, they were going to bring up Persephone’s infidelity so that they could request a divorce without Persephone taking half of the assets of the company since Leroy didn’t make her sign a prenup. I told her to take the spotlight herself, throwing in Claudia was just the icing on the cake.” Bea nodded, as Poppy tilted her head to the side.
“...You still don’t get it, do you?” She asked as Bea shook her head no.
“Not really, but I know that my badass wife had something to do with it which is cool enough for me.” Poppy let a laugh slip through her lips, just as she felt a finger tap her on the shoulder. Standing in front of her, Persephone cleared her throat, not bothering to look at Bea as she stared at Poppy.
“Poppy, I wanted to…I wanted to…” Poppy raised a brow as Persephone let out a troubled sigh.
“I wanted to thank you for telling me about Leroy. With this out, I should be able to steal half of the bastard’s fortune.” Persephone smiled wickedly as Poppy nodded.
“You are… begrudgingly welcome Persephone.” Poppy replied as the woman nodded, walking off a minute later as Poppy watched her, before turning back to Bea. Bea was watching her too, before turning to look Poppy in the eyes.
“Wait, if you did that for Persephone, what did she do for you in return?” Bea asked as Poppy bit the inside of her cheek. Oh shit…
She didn’t answer as Bea waited before a big grin spread across her face. “...you didn’t do this for anything, did you?” Poppy still didn’t answer as Bea bumped her shoulder against her wife.
“Poptart, did you get something in return from Persephone?” She asked, wiggling her eyebrows as Poppy gently pushed her back.
“Fuck off.” She mumbled as Bea reached to pull the girl into a hug.
“What do you know? Fairs make you soft.” Bea mumbled as Poppy silently cursed in her head as Bea swayed them. “I knew you were sweet underneath all of the glitter.” Bea smiled as Poppy did what she could to push Bea off her, but only wrapped her arms around her waist and let Bea sway them. Poppy inhaled Bea’s cologne as she let her head rest against Bea’s chest with a happy sigh.
“C’mon.” Bea muttered, pressing a kiss to Poppy’s head as she moved them away from the stage. “Let’s go get our daughter.” She smiled as Poppy rolled her eyes, breaking away from Bea’s hug and interlocking their fingers.
“She’s going to be extra hyper thanks to all of the candy you bought her.” Poppy commented as Bea shrugged, swinging her backpack over her shoulder.
Wrapping a hand around Poppy’s waist, Bea curled around the woman who purred at the contact. It was a peaceful night in, with Clove finally settling down from her sugar high and Bea able to relearn everything about Poppy that she had missed the past couple of weeks.
Poppy turned over, resting a hand against Bea’s chest that was covered by their bed sheets as Bea wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulder.
“Is it wrong to say I’m glad the Heart Fair is over?” Poppy asked as Bea thought about it, before shaking her head.
“It was fun, but hectic, I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for the booths.” Bea admitted as Poppy shrugged, pulling herself up on her elbows to look down at Bea who laid against her pillow.
“It’s fine, Alice would have had a fit if you won all of her prizes and the photos from the shoot turned out great, They’ll be in the next edition.” Bea smiled, pulling Poppy closer and kissing her cheek.
“You are amazing.” Bea mumbled as Poppy rolled her eyes playfully, stretching on the bed before relaxing back into Bea.
“It’s odd that I don’t have to think about the fair anymore.” Poppy pondered as Bea laughed.
“Until the next one.” Bea said as Poppy whacked her shoulder, before tracing her fingertips over Bea’s tattoos. Intricate patterns and a gorgeous transparent piece that looked like an old chinese painting was intertwined with the characters as Bea watched Poppy. The two grew silent before Bea spoke.
“Well, if you’re not tired of fairs yet… SweetCreek should be preparing for the summer fair in a couple of weeks.” Bea admitted as Poppy looked up, blonde locks falling in front of her eyes as she smirked.
“Feeling homesick, SweetCreek?” Bea shook her head for a minute, before pausing to nod instead.
“Well, a lot of events happen in the summer. It’s Ryan’s birthday, my parent’s anniversary, and it’s the 50th anniversary of the fair. There was a rumor back in town that a gorgeous meteor shower would fall during the event later that evening.” Poppy scooted herself closer to Bea, brushing her nails over the girl’s cheekbone and then over her lower lip.
“And what’s your point Hughes?” Poppy asked, eyes darting to look at Bea’s lips before seductively narrowing her eyes as Bea watched, hypnotized. Bea cleared her throat as she continued.
“Well, Clove could see her cousins again. You can see Dahlia and my mom. I can teach Clove how to finally ride a horse and we can have a picnic at the Groves.”
“And?” Poppy asked, leaning even closer as Bea gulped. Poppy watched the motion as Bea moved to wrap a hand around Poppy’s waist.
“We can fly down in a couple of weeks, when Clove finishes this semester and you can have Tevon take over for a while since the new issue is coming out. I can take my paid time off since Kath technically owes me.” She blinked softly as Poppy smirked.
“It’ll be good for Clove to see my parents again and I’m sure my mom can set up a spare bedroom in the house. It still has some construction, but it’s mostly finished. I also promised to help my dad with the building of a new barn recently so-”
“Bea, I’ll say it again.” Poppy interrupted as she pushed herself on her elbows and leaned closer to Bea who shivered slightly. Poppy’s long blonde hair fell in waves around the two as she smiled like a fox. “What are you asking?”
“...I guess I’m asking if you want to spend the summer in SweetCreek.” Bea finally admitted as Poppy smiled, reaching to cup Bea’s cheek before leaning down to pull her into a kiss.
“And I guess… I’m saying yes.”
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The next part of the parent AU will be "SweetCreek Summers!"
For the anon who asked about Poppy seeing Bea's paintings of her for the first time. I had to write this down cause I got the best idea for it, so thank you! Absolutely loved this idea, please enjoy! ❤️
“Bea, open the freaking door.” Poppy yelled, banging on the wood and ignoring the fact that she was probably waking up the whole dorm house. She didn’t care though, a late night stay at Bea’s dorm, a mistake on her part, resulted in Poppy losing her phone.
After turning the Zeta house upside down for it, she only thought of one place it could be. It was unconventional to only throw on a night gown and walk to Bea’s dorm house, but she needed her phone.
Standing outside of Bea and Zoey’s door at 1 AM, Poppy wrapped her silk robe closer to her body as she reached to bang the door again, before she heard the click of the lock and the barking of a small dog.
Bea peeked out, wearing a white t-shirt that was surprisingly stained with pink and orange paint and a set of boxers. “Poppy, it’s late, what the hell?”
Poppy pushed open the door, causing Bea to stumble back as she entered the room. “Damn, you’re lucky Zoey likes listening to ocean waves when she sleeps.” Bea mumbled as she gestured to Zoey’s room where loud sounds were coming from the bedroom.
Otis, Bea’s pug, ran up to Poppy, sniffing her happily as she ignored the adorable dog. She went to the couch, flipping up the cushions and leaving it a wreck as Bea just watched.
“What the hell, Pops?” Bea asked, moving to reorganize as Poppy went on to vandalize the kitchen. “What are you looking for?” She asked as Poppy opened up the fridge.
She was desperate, okay?
“I’m looking for my phone. I can’t find it.” She mumbled as she closed the fridge doors. Bea sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she moved towards her bedroom door.
“I’ll call it, just… wait here.” She said as Poppy moved to stand next to the kitchen counter. Bea retreated into her bedroom. She walked back out a minute later as she tilted the door closed with her foot.
“Here, it was on the nightstand. I didn’t think you were so forgetful, Poptart.” Bea smiled, handing her the phone as Poppy took it. She felt a tiny bit of paint on the screen as she wiped it away, before looking at Bea’s hands which were sprinkled with white paint.
“...Were you painting?” She asked as Bea looked down at her hands before wiping them on her already stained shirt.
“What? No, I don’t… paint.” Bea mumbled as Otis came around to nip on Bea’s socks. She gently pushed the dog away as he sighed, bolting into Bea’s room and conveniently flinging the door wide open.
Poppy looked past Bea and into her room, before her eyes went wide and she pushed the girl to the side.
“Wait-” Bea exclaimed as Poppy walked into the room. The floor was littered with spare white sheets and a few buckets of paint. Sitting in a cup were quite a few brushes and pencils that showed signs of wear and use.
Sitting on a smaller easel was a medium sized canvas with a picture of a woman. It wasn’t finished, but Poppy could easily recognize the features as…her own. Taped on the easel were a couple of sketches and scribbles that Poppy could recognize too, though they were quick and messy.
“Are you-” Bea reached for Poppy’s shoulder, swinging her around so she could face a wide-eyed and obviously nervous Bea.
“Wait, before you think this is super creepy! My art class is doing a study of features! One with a reference and another from memory!” Bea justified as she gulped hard.
Poppy only looked a little startled. She wanted to look back at the painting but she kept facing Bea who took a deep breath.
“I was only practicing, so-”
“Bea, let go of me.” Poppy said gently as Bea shook her head reverently.
“No, this is so….” Poppy took her hands and moved Bea’s arms off of her. She turned back to the painting, staring at it curiously as Bea stood nervously by the door.
She had to admit. It was stunning. Not because of who it was, but the work itself. The brush strokes of the painting were obviously delicate and the detail in it was…
“I only thought you knew how to sketch.” Poppy said, standing closer to the painting and observing the detail.
“I’m learning.” She mumbled as Poppy glanced around the work area. Besides the free pages of sketches, Bea’s art book was wide open, with another piece of Poppy on the pages.
This one was colored using charcoal and it was gorgeous. Poppy leaned to pick it up as Bea groaned again.
She ignored her, flipping through the pages filled with sketches. Some were of Belvoire, others were of Zoey and a few other people, but there were quite a few pages dedicated to Poppy. Specifically, Poppy’s features.
Like her hands, the curl of her hair, or her eyes. They were stunning and Poppy felt a little overwhelmed. Though Bea might have thought this was creepy, Poppy was… she didn’t know what to feel.
“Look, if you’re creeped out, please tell me and I’ll burn it. I’ve got a lighter around here.” Bea stated, walking towards her desk and pulling out a small blue lighter as Poppy let out a laugh.
Poppy set the notebook down, walking over to Bea and pressing a hand to her chest. She might have been covered in dry or wet paint, but Poppy only looked up at her, smiling subtly.
Bea’s heart quickened under Poppy’s palm, biting her lip as Poppy tilted her head. “Hughes, do I look creeped out?” Poppy asked as Bea gulped.
“I don’t know?!” Bea yelped sadly as Poppy rolled her eyes.
“You should though, since you’ve apparently been studying me.” Poppy mumbled, turning back to the painting and looking it over. “How did you even get this good of a reference without my attention?” She asked, tapping her nail to her chin as Bea cursed.
She didn’t answer as Poppy raised a sharp brow. Bea took a deep breath, probably regretting everything in the past ten minutes as she pointed at the painting.
“It’s… it’s not a reference. That’s my memory piece.” Bea mumbled out and that made Poppy freeze.
From memory? What the heck?
She glanced at it again. It was… perfect. As if it were a reference photo itself. The eyes, the nose, the lips, even with a side profile view.
“...Have you painted anything else?” She asked as Bea sighed. She moved away from her desk, dropping her lighter on the surface and reaching for her sketchbook.
“No, nothing this big, just some smaller paintings.” She flipped one open, showing Poppy painted in gold and orange. She concluded that must have been one of the nights that she had slept over and the sun had hit just right during the morning through Bea’s window.
She took the book, running a finger over the page and smiling wide.
“You’re not mad?” Bea asked curiously as Poppy looked up at her. She tried to fight the smile on her face, but this whole scene was a little too flattering.
“Do I look mad? I hate to admit it, but these pieces are gorgeous Bea. All of them.” She said, setting the book down and wrapping her arms around Bea’s neck. The girl bent down, placing her hands on Poppy’s waist. She blushed as Poppy moved her hand to wipe away a speck of pink paint on Bea’s cheek.
“I didn’t know you were a painter…” Poppy mumbled as Bea smirked.
“I’m not, but you’re too pretty for someone not to paint.” She flirted. Poppy rolled her eyes, charming Bea was back.
Poppy leaned up, pressing a kiss to Bea’s cheek as she glanced back to the piece. “Are you going to finish this tonight?” She asked as Bea nodded.
“Probably, I can’t seem to sleep.” She mumbled. There were heavy bags under her eyes as she looked at the painting. Poppy shook her head.
“You’re obviously tired and not to be selfish, but I don’t want you to ruin the painting if you can’t even stay awake.”
“Not to be selfish? That is such an interesting line for you to say…” Bea mumbled, yawning a second later as Poppy pressed herself closer to Bea.
“You need to sleep, Hughes.”
“Fine, fine… do you want to-” Bea gestured towards the bed as Poppy raised a brow.
“I said you needed sleep, not sex.”
“I’m not asking for sex.” Bea rolled her eyes, placing a chaste kiss on Poppy’s cheek.
“It’s late and I don’t want to worry about you getting back home.”
“You could walk me back?” Poppy asked as Bea chuckled against Poppy’s skin. The girl was so sleepy, she took a second to respond.
“I could, and if you really wanted me to, I will, but you can also sleep over. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
Poppy smirked, gently playing with the short brown hairs on Bea’s neck. “Fine.” She concluded as Bea smiled. “But change your shirt. You smell like paint.”
Bea chuckled, pulling away from Poppy and shrugging off her shirt. She was wearing a gray sports bra underneath as she took Poppy’s hand, leading her to the bed as Poppy followed.
A few minutes later, Poppy was resting against Bea’s chest, hearing her small breaths as Poppy pressed herself closer. Bea was incredibly warm and no longer smelled like paint as Poppy traced her fingers up the length of Bea’s arm.
“Are you actually going to submit that picture for your class?” Poppy asked as Bea was silently resting.
“Probably best not to share it. It’s too powerful; it would ruin the art world…” Bea mumbled, sleep in her voice as Poppy nodded. She wasn’t going to comment on Bea’s stupid joke.
When Poppy heard Bea’s heart slow, she glanced back at the painting, smiling to herself before she went back to resting against Bea’s chest. Words probably couldn’t describe how Poppy felt as she kept smiling. It was flattering, but also something else.
To recognize that Bea had spent so much time learning everything about Poppy, even down to her features… It was definitely something to consider in their confusing relationship.
A week and a half later, Veronica knocked on Poppy’s door, handling a package wrapped in brown paper.
“Someone left this downstairs for you. No name.” Veronica said, handing the piece to Poppy who took it. She placed it on her bed, unwrapping it and immediately smiling.
It was the finished piece, the one of Poppy’s side profile, painted in light oil paints and subtle hints of light against the canvas.
Off in the corner, Bea’s signature was written in gold. She picked it up, turning it in her hands with a smile before a small piece of paper fell off from the back.
She opened it, biting her cheek at the note.
I said I wouldn't submit this piece, but I didn’t want it to be stashed away in my closet either. Maybe it deserves to ruin the art world so consider it a Bea Hughes original. XO
Veronica, finally looking up from her phone, whistled at the painting. “Wow, Pops, a new admirer? It’s gorgeous.” She said as she came around to look more closely at the portrait.
“It is, isn’t it?” She mumbled, gently touching the surface that captured her perfectly.
“So, who’s it from?” Veronica asked, just as mesmerized with the painting as Poppy was.
She took a moment to think, holding it a little tighter before smiling softly.
annaxmalina
baratheonpilled
turnnoffyourmind
dededos
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
jbbartram-illu
