Couleurs Sur Ma Toile: Chapter 3: Goodbye Sweet Virginia
Fleur's secret is discovered, and the consequences are harsh. Fleur has a choice to make if she wants to be true to herself. Can she do it? If she does, can she handle the consequences of that choice?
Trigger warning: Toxic family, Religious abuse, Family abuse, homophobia
Fleur looked up at the ceiling. She stared up at the fan, hearing the noise as it went; only the light from the moon outside leaked in through her curtains.
She reached up to her cheek, just checking if it was still there. The swelling and tenderness made her wince and pull back sharply. She sat up in the bed and quietly opened the door. The house was unsettlingly quiet, enough to make her consider going back into her room. The fan was droning, but at least it was something else to think about.
Still, even with it on, certain highlights from earlier replayed in her mind over and over.
Emily had been furious ranting and raving about how she couldn't believe she allowed herself to be tricked by Fleur's "little act." That Fleur had always been like this, kicking against what was best for her and making the "fun choice" instead of what was right. "Selfish tramp," her mother roared at the height of her rage before it petered out into tears. Emily sobbed that Fleur didn't care about what this might do to her life or what it might say about the family.
After that, Emily said Fleur would be quitting volleyball and made it clear this wasn't her choice. That she absolutely wouldn't be seeing Catherine anymore, even in passing. That Fleur would be speaking to the priest at their family's church and doing a confession first thing tomorrow morning. Her new after-school club would be in the school's board game club from now on. Conveniently, Emily had taken to managing that club this year, which would ensure Fleur would be watched closely even outside of class. Fleur expected her mom to do something like this; she wasn't surprised.
What she didn't calculate, however, was Leon. He suggested Fleur shouldn't be working either, just coming home from school until they could find somewhere else for her to work that was "closer to home." That was what started the yelling, Fleur would say. She wasn't letting that go without a fight. She adored that job, and without volleyball this was her one reprieve. It seemed Leon knew that, and he fought accordingly for what he felt was best. The ball went back and forth for hours.
The game changed, the discussion unraveling into other topics, as these things always do. Emily had even left the room as the two continued.
"You know what, Florence? Keep the job, but you are not taking the bus anymore. I'll be getting you from work, or your mom will. You are BEYOND grounded, and that's how it's going to be until you're 18. Then if you want to move away since it's apparently so awful to be with us, be my guest. You'll see that a mall server wouldn't cut it anyway. After high school, if you do stay, we might consider trusting you again, but you aren't going to behave like some tramp while you live under our roof."
"That wasn't the plan, Dad, but if you're basically putting me in jail for the rest of high school, then you know what? Fine! The second I turn 18, I'm leaving! You're a bunch of psychos, and being here is fucking shit anyway!"
Florence, watch your mouth! Do you really think we put so much effort into raising you guys because we wanted to make you miserable!? We sacrificed; I sacrificed because I love you and your brother! It didn't feel good at the time, and for a while I missed that life, but what we want and what's right normally aren't the same thing! It's time for you to grow up and choose what's right, what's good, and what really matters! This family!"
"I never asked you to sacrifice anything for me! If growing up and family means I have to give up everything I love and every dream I ever had, then screw that. I don't want to be like Mom, and I'd rather be dead than wind up like you!"
It felt like he had hit her as hard as he could after that.
Looking in the reflection of the fridge, the swelling was still just as visible as it had felt. She sighed heavily and put a bag of baby peas on her cheek. When she looked back behind her, Gabriel was there.
"โฆDoes it still hurt?" he asked Fleur.
"A little bit," Fleur chirped, her eyes lit up a bit at the sight of her brother, and she leaned against the fridge.
"You made him really mad, Florenceโฆ" Gabriel mumbled. "I've never seen Dad like thatโฆ" He looked her over again. "โฆyou really shouldn't have said that to himโฆ"
Fleur deflated a bit. "...Well, saying I'd rather be dead is an exaggeration, obviously. But Mom and Dad are total squares! Why would I want to become lame like that as an adult? You'll see Gabriel! I'll bounce back, and it'll turn out fine~. They'll just have to adjust to the idea and everything, but they'll get that I've got to do what works for me, ya know?"
Gabriel didn't say anything for a while.
"โฆButโฆyour way is justโฆbeing selfish, isn't it?" He hesitated a few seconds more. "I meanโฆwho would choose having sex with some girl, random people, and partying over family? We've all been together forever; nothing should come before that. We're supposed to support each other, and the Bible says we're supposed to be in the world, not of it. That's what Mom always said. All this stuff goes away and is just temporary anyway."
It was Fleur's turn not to say anything.
"I just-!" Gabriel looks at the tiled floor, pressing his lips together tightly for a moment. "I don't know. I guess at the end of the dayโฆI just want you and me to stay together. Can't you justโฆtry? Just...don't leave the moment you turn 18? Maybe try Dad's way? It might not be so bad!"
"Gabrielโฆ" Fleur shifted uncomfortably and took in a breath, about to say what she truly felt butโ
"Just promise me you'll at least try! Not even for Mom or Dad! For usโฆfor me?" Tears stung the corners of his eyes as he asked it. He didn't like to cry in front of her; he hadn't since last year.
"โฆOK..." Fleur exhaled. She smiled at her brother, lips tight and not showing any teeth.
"โฆYeah! For you? Of course, Gabriel. "You're my little acorn." She hugs him. "Always will be no matter whatโI promise."
Gabriel let out a shaky gasp and hugged her back so tightly he even lifted her off the ground a bit.
He'd gotten tall since starting high school.
"Maybe after a while I can tell Mom and Dad you're doing better! Then maybe they won't be so strict on you until high school ends! Don't worry, Florence! It'll work out this way! They aren't mad at me right now, so I'll have your back." He smiled warmly at her. He pulled awayโฆ then hugged her again.
"Thank you, Florence. I love you."
Fleur nodded. "Love you too, little broโit's definitely a plan."
Gabriel pulled away and saluted her. "You can count on me for those, sis!"
With that, he went back to his room.
Fleur chuckled weakly, taking her one hand out from behind her back, tears pricking her own eyes.
She had her fingers crossed.
"I'm sorry, Gabeโฆ I can't do that." She said softly, hoping someone higher than them would understand. The moon, the long-gone-for-the-day sun, or God.
Who knew, really.
โ
The school year marched on, and Fleur felt like a dark grey specter in the footage shown in history class from time to time on a worn tape. Life was dull, suffocating, and lacking in warmth. It hadn't been the same since that night, despite Gabriel's best efforts.
The feeling was mutual, frankly. Fleur felt her stomach tighten a bit whenever Emily made eye contact with her and could feel her chest tighten just a little more every time Leon passed by looking coldly at her.
It was like she was some disgusting thing to them now.
Still, she endured, at least trying to get good enough grades to fly under the radar. Just enough to graduate.
Just enough to get through this year and the next.
It was May of that school year when Fleur was approached by Grace.
"HeyโฆFlorence, right?"
Fleur looked up at the other. It was lunch, and she had managed to slip away outside to eat. She was avoiding being found by her mom, namely, so being found by Grace wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to her.
Grace was a nice person as far as Fleur knew. They didn't talk much, but Grace was a regular at the mall with another friend of hers. Grace was a science prodigy and won the school's science contest that year and the year before. Grace was polite and sweet but felt like part of school royalty and almost walked around with an unsaid bubble around her. Because of that, it was hard for many others, and even Fleur, to get close to her. Someone like that approaching a student like this wasn't so common here, making it stand out. All that in mindโฆ
"โฆYeah," Fleur confirmed. Her mother had also put a stop to her using a nickname at school, assuming it was part of how she hid things for so long. It turned out there was an old but unenforced rule: alternative names like this were not allowed unless approved by the guardian. This year Emily had ensured the old rule had gone back to being enforced after a meeting with leadership. "What's up?"
Grace nodded, sitting next to Fleur on the grass. Grace was a junior like Fleur was, but shorter in height. Her hair was a short bob cut now with short bangs, and she wore round glasses.
"I was at the salon with my mom a while agoโฆand I heard aboutโฆwhat happened. Your mom was there with a friend, and they were talking about "what to do with you"...and I was there too, and you know...word around here can spread fast...heh."
Grace tucked her hair behind her ear uneasily, a few locks falling back into their original place when she let go.
"โฆI don't think you did anything wrongโฆand I wanted to see if you were doing OK because it sounded like your mom was going really hard on you and your dad tooโฆhe shouldn't have hit youโฆI'm sorry that happened."
Fleur looked away from the patch of grass she'd put her attention towards, a habit she got into doing when she was unsure or uncomfortable. Now, though, her eyes were wide, trained on the young science prodigy of sorts.
"โฆReally? After hearing all that? I figured that would make you hate me if anything. You're pretty much the queen bee here to a lot of people; my mom even compliments you." She rubbed the back of her head, a smile beginning to creep onto her features.
"No, I don't hate you. To be honest I get it..." She scooted even closer, her volume going even lower. "Iโฆactually have a girlfriend. She used to live here, but her parents are military, so she had to go to South Carolina..." She looked at a wildflower poking through the ground, a bit wilted from the escalating heat as spring took a backseat to summer.
"โฆMy parents never found out, thankfully. Her parents are actually fine with it, which we didn't expect, but things are going well. I'm going to go thereโฆin a monthโฆand I'm not coming back."
Fleur's eyes widened at that last declaration. She turned her body to fully face the other as she told her story. What Grace was presenting was almost foreign; she thought of moving eventually, but simply leaving without any warning and not telling anyone where exactly?
Running away?
Grace continued fiddling with the grass as she spoke.
"I honestly wouldn't have even dreamed of it even just a year ago, but my girlfriend makes me feel brave...heh. That and then with my dad...he's always been really hard to deal with, and my mom wouldn't ever do anything about it. She would just say Dad had a tough day at work, or he was stressed, and I needed to go easier on him if I was mad at him for how he acted. Then he...he hit my mom too, which he never did before. If bravery wasn't enough, that was definitely the final push for me. Soโฆbasically I'm going to leave a note and then just...take the train down to be with my girlfriend. We'll figure it out from there."
She looked at Fleur briefly and then back down again. "I'm justโฆI don't think we'd have room for you at our place, and I know we don't know each other well. I guess I'm just worried. If your dad did it once, he might do it again, worse next time, if he catches you doingโฆwhatever he thinks is wrong. Soโฆif you want to come with meโฆ I'm sure we can work something out. I'm sure a place would hire you; you always get my order right and fast at the mall. Plenty of restaurants would want someone like you, and I bet you saved enough for a place with how often I see you there."
"It would be tough butโฆyou wouldn't have to live a lie. I did for a long time, andโฆit can be hard to get out of that headspace even when you know it's safe. You were alwaysโฆso happy and cheerful, and seeing you like this all the timeโฆthinking that you may never be happy again the way I first saw you? I just can't stand that thought." Grace hesitated before putting a hand on the small of Fleur's back. She gave the other a small smile. "That's all. I was just thinking and would have felt awful if I didn't at least suggest it."
Fleur was quiet as she listened, pulling her knees in and resting her chin there as Grace nervously rambled. Fleur stared at her when she finished, uncharacteristically quiet as she processed what Grace had said.
She blinked a few times as if booting up to say her response. She sighed heavily after another few seconds.
"โฆI don't know," the blonde admitted. "I mean, yeah, I saved up a lot. And since I don't have a girlfriend or any chances to spend it on what I like latelyโฆI saved up a lot, a lot. I would love a new gig, and I'm willing to couch surf if I gotta. It's easy for me to sleep over at a place I don't know and honestly I'm so ready to be done with highschool โฆbutโฆ"
She paused and bit her lip.
"It's justโฆI never thought of it as something I could even do. It feels wrong butโฆ"
Grace nodded. "...It's not an easy choice. I love my family tooโฆand you know. Maybe one day I could come back on my terms, the way I see it. Right now, though, I want to be with my girlfriend. I want to build a new family for us, and I want a chance to go to a college I choose. One that actually cares about science more, where I can really get into what I want to study. With you, you can get your GED and maybe find out what it is you want without having to think about your parents."
Fleur hugged her knees again. She looked down at the ground.
"I don't want to hurt themโฆ" She said meekly.
"But they're hurting you, Fleur."
The birds chirped filling the silence between the two.
"At any rateโฆif you change your mind."
Grace took a piece of paper and gave her the address. "That's where the train out of state is. You can get a ticket when you get there. I'm going next week on Friday if I don't see you there, butโฆI hope I do."
The bell rang, and Grace looked up. She smiled warmly, holding her hand out to help Fleur up.
Fleur got up on her own, though, up from the grass like a shot. She haphazardly wiped the grass off her skirt.
"I gotta go, I'm sorryโ"
The blonde refused to look at Grace as she walked back towards her class. The paper Grace gave her was still clutched tightly in her hand.
โ
The week passed by in a fog. The gray was still there but felt at times like it was moving in slow motion and at other times fast forward. The conversations she had and lessons sounded like she heard them underwater or from very far away. She'd respond if need be, especially when her mother occasionally broke through the fog.
After that, though, she was back to being a paper doll in the wind.
She waited for the week to be over. Grasped for signs she shouldn't do this. All she found were reasons she should. They were hidden in every glare, every nasty statement, and even every other "Just keep trying, Florence; they'll come around!" From her brother.
That early Friday morning, with the moon still in the sky, Fleur found herself in Gabriel's room. He was asleep and would be at least a few more hours.
She took it all in. The corner where he had drawn on the wall once and Fleur took the blame. A comic poking out from underneath the bed he swore was for babies that he "didn't like anymore."
She even saw the cup she made him in a ceramics class she tried at school once, with a poorly drawn, shaky heart in the center.
In the center of it all was Gabriel drooling away under his blue covers.
Fleur bit her lips as she took a step back. Then two.
She let out a shaky soft sob, sniffling.
"โฆI love you GabrielโฆI'm sorryโฆgoodbyeโฆ"
She shuddered, forcing a smile as she blew a kiss at the air between the two. A wide expanse; she hoped her love could somehow reach him and make him understand somehow one day.
She would miss them all so much, but Gabriel? Gabriel was the one she would miss the most.
With one last tearful look at the upper floor she called home, she went off into the morning, trying to etch it into every crevice of her mind.
So she would never forget.
โ
Fleur found herself wiping more tears as she heard the train doors close behind her. She looked into the window, seeing the cars behind the one she entered at the station. There was Grace who looked up and noticed Fleur. She waved happily at Fleur, her eyes lighting up as she realized it was her.
Fleur smiled back, laughing weakly to herself. She must have looked like such a mess, all the crying she had done. She was about to open the door to her train car to sit with Grace when it started moving. Fleur stumbled and almost fell into the door but steadied herself. She gestured at where her own exit door was, followed by the OK sign at the other.
She would meet her out there at their stop.
Fleur relaxed into her seat, the adrenaline fading out of her and a tiredness taking its place. She'd barely slept, and it took forever for her to decide what she would take with her. In the end she only took what she could carry in two bags. A school bag and an old messenger one she had.
Using the messenger bag like a pillow, she relaxed into her chair. No one else was joining her in this car, it seemed, and after the week she had, this space alone was feeling cozy enough.
With that, Fleur drifted off to sleep, wondering what it would be like in South Carolina.
โ
The kitten from the train platform, or rather, now she was chasing a butterfly. It maneuvered around her paws, gliding out of the way just in time as she pounced. She was so distracted by playing her little game, she didn't notice the area around get darker and darker until there was nothing she could see even directly in front of her paws.
She tried to walk forward, only hitting glass so clean she couldn't see the edges. Going around and trying to move forward another way revealed there was only more glass surrounding her seemingly on all sides. Just a glass box in a vast black expanse, it seemed.
She cried for help, but only a meow came out. No one responded. As she looked down, she noticed the box began to fill with water. It was only getting higher.
So she tried to call for help again; a small, more strained meow came out instead. She started to panic, running around and only hitting walls. The water was going up past her legs now, making her float up. She hit a ceilingโฆno. No no no! She cried out again, now thrashing frantically, before she looked ahead again.
Her family was there watching her alongside Catherine and Grace. Their expressions were cold and indifferent. Her brother especially regarded her with an icy glare. They started slowly walking away despite her meows. Gabriel was last to walk away, and he turned back to look at her one last time as the water reached her chin. His eyes connected with her desperate ones.
"You deserve this." He said in a voice that was his own but sounded like a cacophony of everyone present watching her demise.
She tried to cry out his name, even reaching out her paw, but her mouth filled with water instead, and the world became extremely hot.
โ
Fleur woke up with a start, gasping for air, sitting up and clutching her throat. She gasped in and out, hands shaking for a few moments as she looked around. It was hotter inside as the train doors were now open. People were flooding inโฆ
It was OKโฆit was just a dreamโฆ
She looked at her hands and shivered, steadying herself. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in, tilting her head up and back. As she opened her eyesโฆthere was a man standing there about to seemingly tap her shoulder with an eyebrow raised. She blinked a few times at him, looking between his hand and his face. "Do youโฆneed something, sir?" She rubbed her eye and tried to smile.
"Yeahโฆcould you likeโฆget your backpack off the other seat? There aren't any left in this car, and I'm not waiting on another friggin train."
"Yeah! "I'mโsorry!" Fleur quickly got the backpack, drowsiness still muddying her mind somewhat as she fumbled about getting her things together. "Um! Actually! What time is it?"
He looked at his watchโ"Umm...like...8:02." He twirled a loose strand of hair he had in the front. The man looked upper-class, sort of like a fashion icon from the city would be in a movie. A good picture of what it looked like being successful doing art or directing. Fleur wondered if this man was from New York and was just visiting family down South.
Fleur laughed nervously. "Wow, only 8? The ride to South Carolina is quick. I left only a few hours ago!" She readjusted the bag, making sure she had everything.
The man stared at her, blinking a few times and shaking his head. "WaitโฆSouth Carolina?"
Fleur nodded. "Yeah! I gotta meet my friend out there so I gotta hurโ"
The man burst into laughter. He put a hand to his mouth as he did, trying to stifle it, but was not successful. "Sweetheartโฆyou long missed your stop. You're in Miami, Florida, and it's 8 AM on Saturday. I think you slept through the whole day."
Fleur stopped mid-movement, a few pens spilling on the floor. "Wait...huh?"
"Yeah, this train goes pretty much up and down the East Coast. Up toโฆmaybe Pennsylvania, I think? This is the last stop it has on the way down. So uhโฆ" He sat down and put his bag next to him. Sucks to be you if you were dead set on South Carolina."
Fleur could see people getting on and knew she didn't have a lot of time. Her body moved on autopilot, checking to make sure she had what was important. No one had seemed to rob her when she was asleep, which was good. Still her heart thudded in her chest. Florida? Maimi!? She knew nothing about it here! Had Grace just left her!? Why did no one wake her sooner!?
Fleur got up and waved stiffly. "UhโฆwellโฆI'm gonna go-" She waddled to the exit awkwardly holding her bag close to her chest. As much as she wanted to appear brave, she knew she looked like an orphaned duckling, blonde hair and all.
The man looked back at her and again laughed a bit.
"Don't be scared, tati~. We don't bite hard down here! You're young anyway; exploring a new place is what you do at this age."
Fleur nodded but wasn't fully listening. She steeled herself for whatever waited and stepped out.
It was the colors that grabbed her first. The bright ones that decorated the city. She saw a colorful car go by, one she'd only seen in movies with the top down. The people too, so many of them! More than even at that summer fair all those years ago in one place. They all looked so different; it was so bold and big. It wasโฆ
Better than she dreamed it would be.
Fleur looked back one last time into the train as the doors closed, feeling eyes on her. The man inside had leaned over to observe her reaction. He smiled and made a peace sign.
"Welcome to Miami, pipa~. Hope you enjoy!"
The doors to the train closed, leaving Fleur in the heat of the spring sun and her new home city. She would have to figure out what to do nowโฆ
But firstโฆbreakfast!
Notes:
Bet you guys weren't expecting Miami to come up, huh? Who would have thought in part one an ad-libbed joke would help create this entire story? Valentino will not appear while Fleur is still alive, but the Hazbin references are going to amp up from here, and in about 3 chapters at most we're going to go into the first chapter of Fleur's afterlife.
Some new friends are going to show up for Fleur as well! I hope you guys are enjoying her story so far! This is the longest story I've ever made so far, and if I keep it up, it will be the first project I complete. I'd love your guys' thoughts and theories if you have the time to comment, but even the kudos are much appreciated!
Looking forward to seeing you guys' next chapter, and I'll start whipping up chapter 4 (between taking care of customer help calls by day of course~).
Couleurs Sur Ma Toile
Chapter 2: Winning Some, Loosing My Other
The next chapter! This one was written during a hectic week helping the fam with medical stuff, and it got busy over here. I also had some sleep issues again, my neck got stiff, and the customer service work is the pits. I'm not doing bad and was able to get this done despite the craziness!
In chapter 3, we will be where we started in chapter 1 with Fleur on the train. I expect the rest of her life will be about 2 chapters more! I hope her backstory has been fun for you, and we will be getting to the Vees fairly soon! Fleur's story is just honestly involved, and it turns out Girly has a lot to tell and a lot about her that makes her who she is! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and feel free to send questions to Fleur or to me on Strawpage about her or anything else!
It had been Fleur's team that won the game when the day finally came. It had been a good day, as even Emily admitted that her haircut was cute. This was only after, of course, at least a month of grumbling about it and saying her long hair was better. Still hearing Emily say that was a win. Fleur even got her family and Catherine together after the game for ice cream. Catherine introduced herself as a friend of Fleur's, not like it wasn't true, and everyone got along! It was a better day than what Fleur could have hoped for!
This weekend would be even better. It was almost the end of summer, and the fair was in town. Catherine had talked about pretty much since spring. Catherine said she wanted to take Fleur to meet some other friends of hers as well, and Fleur had been looking forward for about a month now!
Fleur put a sweatshirt over her shirt. She'd only reveal what she was truly wearing when she got there. Fleur poked her head out of the doorway and then walked into the hallway. Emily and Leon were watching TV together, curled up on the couch. Leon was watching a crime drama of some kind, one of those true-story shows, and Emily was watching as well, eyes half-lidded.
"I don't know why you like this," Emily said, looking up at her husband. "I don't see how they wouldn't freak you outโ"
Leon shrugged. "Well, I don't see you leaving when I put them on." Leon smirked, looking down at Emily.
Emily rolled her eyes, looking away from him. "โฆ I can't deny they are fascinating, but they make me worry. So many sick people in this worldโฆ"
Fleur approached briefly, seeing something about a TV host who apparently had murdered his competition that would appear in the next segment. Using that lull-
"I'm going to the fair with Catherine today! I'm sleeping over with her after since it's Saturday~."
"OK! Have fun, Florence." Leon turned his body to face her, and Florence leaned over for a kiss on the cheek, which she received. Emily craned her neck to look at Fleur and nodded.
"You have to start getting your schedule back on track next week; school is starting again soon, so have fun. If you get the chance, ride the Ferris wheel. That was always my favorite~." She gave Fleur a smile and approving nod.
Florence nodded. "OK! See you tomorrow then! I'll have Catherine's mom drive me back tomorrow by lunch at least~." She headed towards the front door.
"So since Florence will be gone, and Gabriel is fast asleepโ"
"Hush you! She didn't even shut the front door yet!"
Fleur stifled a giggle before locking the door behind her. It was a good day!
Tonight would be so much fun!
~~~~
Fleur walked up to Catherine. She was leaning against a car, and when she squinted, she noticed Catherine even had a cigarette.
"Catherine!" She gained speed stepping over a branch as she transferred from the grass to the gravel. "Hey!" She reached up and hugged her, a full-frontal hug. Catherine moved her head a bit, so Fleur's head landed on her shoulder.
Fleur looked her up and down. "Wow, you got taller!"
Catherine snickered, rolling her eyes. "I got heels, is what I got. I'm trying to look more adult~ ~I got a whole new wardrobe. I'm gonna be in high school, Fleur; I've got to look the part!"
Catherine was wearing bell-bottom jeans and a fitted pink cheetah-print stylized top. She was indeed wearing wedge heels, and her hair was up in a ponytail that she had clearly put hair spray in. She was wearing makeup as well, even a hint of red lipstick.
"You totally look like a seniorโฆ" Fleur commented. She took a step back, rocking a bit as she took the other in. Fleur found herself hoping Catherine got a little taller; she didn't mind the slight height difference.
"I know you didn't just come in that ugly coatโ" Catherine smirked. "This is my friend's car; he just got his license. Leave it here~" Fleur smiled, walking over as she unbuttoned the coat. She dropped it and turned facing Catherine.
She was wearing green flip-flops alongside her own bell-bottom jeans with a thick belt. The real thing that pulled the outfit together was the top. Her top was green with various sun designs on it, a cropped silhouette that was tied in the front. It would almost make a good bathing suit silhouette if not for the bell sleeves. She twirled in her spot and grinned at her goofily.
Catherine stared at the top, looking up and down. "Your mom would NEVER let you walk out like thatโฆdo you have abs now?"
Fleur lifted the fabric out of the way to make her stomach more visible. "A little! I've been going to the gym over the break near your house. I can lift the 10-pound ones!" She grinned.
Catherine laughed, crossing her arms. Well, aren't you impressive? You'll have to be the bag carrier for all the prizes I'm going to win."
Fleur shrugged. "Sure! No way you can win so many; it'd be hard for me to carry!" Fleur tried to make a muscle, seeming to forget the bell sleeve as it flew up and hit her in the face. She stumbled, sputtered a bit, but recovered and winked at Catherine.
Catherine rolled her eyes, grinning all the way. "Anywayโ" She looked up and to the side as two others approached them, the sound of a crunching leaf alerting Catherine to their approach. "Those are my friends! That's Marcus; he's gonna be a junior when school starts up again. Sadie is gonna be a sophomore; they go to just a regular high school. They don't even gotta wear uniforms!"
Fleur's eyes widened and she threw her head back dramatically. "Ugh! Luckyyyyโ"
Marcus approached and waved. He was wearing a lot of leather and looked sort of like a cowboy to Fleur. Sadie was wearing a long, flowy green dress that had a similar pattern to Fleur's top but more moons than suns. When Sadie noticed Fleur, she grinned. "Rad fit~" she said to Fleur.
Fleur nodded. "You're rad as well!" She stared at Marcus and Sadie, honestly a bit taken aback. She had never hung out with highschoolers before. They looked so cool and stylish!
To think she would be one in just 2 months.
To think she would be 14 in Octoberโฆahhh, too serious! That and after a moment, Fleur noticed she had sort of dazed out of the conversation.
Sadie smirked. "Thinking of who you might meet here? I hear a lot of good-looking guys come down here, especially when it gets dark."
Fleur laughed, shaking her head. "No, uhโฆI was just realizing how much time passed! You know?"
"Ohh yeah, totally. Wait until you're getting close to being a senior; then your life will really flash before your eyes!" She ruffled Fleur's hair. "We should totally get you a boyfriend while we're out here. That's a big part of the whole newbie experience! New haircut, new clothes, and a cute guy to brag about!"
Fleur looked back at Catherine. "Oh well, I got the haircut. I'm good on a boyfriend for now I alreadyโ"
Fleur trailed off for two reasons. As it started to fall from her mouth, she realized Catherine hadn't told her new friends about them. She also realizedโฆ.
Catherine was acting different. She was standing close to Marcus, arms clasped behind her back as they walked. She bounced excitedly, letting out a cute high-pitched giggle when Marcus said something.
Huh. She'd never seen Catherine act so dorky and ditzy before.
She kind of liked it.
Fleur came over to Catherine and hung off her. Catherine jumped, not expecting Fleur to make that maneuver.
"Don't keep her all to yourself now, Marcus! That was my bestie first!" Fleur stuck her tongue out at Marcus. "And she promised to win me prizes!"
Marcus looked surprised and laughed as well. "Well, she has a lot of work to do tonight then cause she bet that she could beat me at the water gun game! If that's what we're doing, I think I'll actually be winning you ladies all the prizes tonight~"
He nudged Catherine as he walked ahead, leading the group, hands in his pockets. Catherine giggled and walked behind, Fleur still clinging on. "Hehe, well, you were really good with your Dad's guns, Marcusโ" She scratched her cheek and stumbled a bit, looking back at Fleur as the other's clinging was stopping her from moving forward.
"You go in front, pipsqueak~" She ducked underneath Fleur's arms and pushed her up to the front. "I'll be like the tour guide. I've been here since I was a kid.~" She patted Fleur's shoulder before pushing her ahead.
Fleur stumbled forward but obliged, looking back at Catherine before shrugging and going ahead.
She wanted a candy apple anyway and didn't eat before she left the house.
The night crawled on, and it was the first night Fleur had stayed out so late. A few people even gave Fleur their number, which she tucked away in the breast of her outfit once her hands got too full. Fleur definitely enjoyed talking to Sadie. Sadie's dad traveled with Sadie a lot as well, and they had a lot in common.
โฆbutโฆ.
Catherine had barely had a moment directly with Fleur that night. It had been more of a group outing, and Fleur certainly never minded that. But the way Catherine made it sound, they would at least have one romantic moment together.
After what felt like days that moment finally came. The group had decided earlier while they were all stuffing their faces with what was honestly the best corn ever that they would save the Ferris wheel for last.
Sadie wanted to go with Marcus on the Ferris wheel. Fleur claimed Catherine right then, who didn't seem opposed but wasn't as enthusiastic as Fleur would have hoped.
So it was quiet at first when they were in the Ferris wheel cart together, in part because Fleur was distracted by the view. "Wow, I bet I can see my house from here!" Fleur said. She did indeed try, squinting into the vast expanse ahead. The small lights below made Fleur wish the Ferris wheel was up all the time.
"Hey, uhโฆsorry!" Catherine said suddenly.
Fleur titled her head and looked back at Catherine. "Hm? About what?"
"Well, I know we kinda thought this was gonna be moreโฆromantic and stuff?" Catherine rubbed the back of her head. "And I was gonna tell Marcus about us, but likeโฆthen Iโฆsortaaaa chickened out?"
Fleur nodded. It's okay! Guess that just means I'll have you to myself later!" She winked. Catherine rested her chin on her hand and looked out at the view herself.
"โฆHey, Fleur. How are you and I going toโฆmake it work when we get older?"
Fleur looked at her. "What? You and me...?" Fleur gestured at herself and Catherine.
Catherine nodded, twirling her ponytail. "I mean right now we can sneak around. It's easy, pretty much. But I meanโฆwouldn't doing that forever suck? And like. What about getting a house together and getting married? I meanโฆI don't think two girls can get marriedโฆever."
The redhead sighed. "I guess I just wish it wereโฆeasier? Ya know?"
Fleur looked at her girlfriend. Catherine was looking at the floor now, biting her lip, and looked uncharacteristically delicate now. The red embers she'd come to know took on more of a somber orange now. Fleur reached over, holding her hand.
She noticed Catherine had redid her nails. She had done them clear with no color and manicured now but was still wearing another ring. This time it just had a fake pink gem in it.
Fleur smiled. "We don't have to solve it all now. I mean. We could move to a city! Maybe even up to New York. We'd make friends up there; we wouldn't have to worry about our parents too muchโฆif we lived far away, we wouldn't even have to tell em! We could just say we haven't found the right guy yet, and maybe they'llโฆjust give up, you know?"
Fleur looked up at the stars, letting her leg swing back and forth. "Then we could maybe have a wedding in the woods or something if you don't want anyone to see! We could buy lanterns and hang them on the trees! And get one of our friends to marry us! I bet Sadie would be cool with it!
Catherine snorted, rolling her eyes. "But with what money? What kind of job would we get? How the heck would we save up that much?"
Fleur shrugged. "Well, I'm gonna start working part-time at the ice cream store in the mall. If you get a job too, like that, we could totally start saving up! Maybe by the time we finish high school we'll have a million dollars!"
Catherine laughed a little bit. "Got an answer for everything, huh?"
Fleur shrugged, grinning. "That's what my mom says!" She said.
Catherine leaned in and pulled Fleur closer. Fleur had to stand, somewhat making the cart they were in rock.
"Wise assโฆ" Catherine said under her breath.
Then Catherine kissed her. Aggressively so. For a moment Fleur wasn't sure if the cart they were in was rocking or if it was her head swimming. The kiss was like being close to fireworks. Oranges and reds all going off at once. It was different from the first second or even the fifth kiss they had. It was intense, passionate; Fleur didn't even care about the cart rocking, and she hugged Catherine back. Fleur's kiss matched that energy Catherine returned and then some, adding her own green into the mix.
Then Catherine gasped and pulled away. She wiped her mouth and coughed, sputtering a bit. "Gotta fix the lipstick nowโ" She went through her purse quickly, fixing her look so when she got off, their friends would be none the wiser.
Fleur could only stare at Catherine's face, flushed and a little dazed. An unsteady, wobbly smile appeared on her lip, almost as if the blonde were drunk.
Catherine really was amazing. She was worth the moon and the stars, and if it made her happy, Fleur would give all of that to her without a second thought. They would be together forever and nothing would stand in their way!
"You look good even when your makeup is messed up~" Fleur stated, an airy giggle coming out with her words.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you goober," Catherine smirked back. "What am I gonna do with you?"
Fleur sat up and stretched her legs outward, moving her feet back and forth like a grandfather clock. "Cherish me forever and ever in our future apartment in the big city?"
Catherine snickered. "Guess I'll have to consider itโฆbut not tonight. My mom came home early from her weekend. She's gonna be all up in my faceโฆwant to come by next weekend instead?"
Fleur blinked a few times. Oh. Catherine was close with her mom. Last time Fleur was there, she had whined that Catherine hadn't been home all summer and how they needed to do their annual back-to-school shopping. They were all admittedly more looks-focused than Fleur was.
She hadn't known her mother had even been on a trip, butโ
"OK! That works. My mom is already being all you have to have a normal schedule again, so if it's Friday night, it shouldn't be a big deal."
The Ferris wheel started moving down. "Great! Thanks for being so cool about it. I didn't wanna bum you out, especially cause we didn't have much time. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Fleur nodded. "I know! Don't even worry. Just grab me more cotton candy on the way back to the car!"
Marcus was kind enough to take them all home in his car. As Fleur got out of the passenger seat, Catherine got out from behind Marcus and sat where Fleur had been. She waved, giving Fleur a little peace sign as she went. Fleur waved back, making sure her jacket was fully buttoned before stepping into the house. If her parents weren't home, maybe she'd go on a walk around the neighborhood. Thoughts still swarmed in her head about what she would be doing next year.
She wondered if Catherine would get a job in the mall as wellโฆ
โ
Fleur, now 14, decided she loved high school a lot more than middle school.
It seemed despite this being Catholic school, some of the staff were more forgiving of certain things. She could wear colored socks and put her cherished frog on her bag. More so than these small concessions, though, Fleur had made more friends at school. She wouldn't consider any of them a best friend per se, but it was fun to get ice cream with them. It was fun to play volleyball with them, and it made life feel more full.
Fleur also enjoyed her part-time job. It kept her out of the house, and her parents even said they were happy to see her becoming so responsible.
It was also nice to see Gabriel here with his friends. He was getting tall now, no longer the family acorn, as she used to call him. He would come get ice cream from her and they would talk on her lunch breaks.
Life was honestly better than it had been in some time for Fleur.
Even with the weirdness between her and Catherine.
Catherine was spending more and more time with Marcus and Sadie. Fleur mentioned wanting to hang out more with Catherine when she had time off and missing her. When Fleur called, Catherine obliged, and things felt normal again. Then things would shift once more, back to an orange shade Fleur couldn't quite place that was unlike the red the two had started with all those months ago.
It was manageable and comfortable enough. Fleur's first year as a high schooler went by without a hitch, and before Fleur knew it, she had become 15.
Catherine promised she'd show up for the birthday party she had at her house.
She didn't.
It was a good birthday, of course. Her mother made a great vanilla-flavored cake and a lemon-flavored icing too because Fleur had become obsessed with the flavor as of late. A few friends came from school, and she got cool presents. Someone had even gotten her Star Wars figurines! R2D2 was her favorite so far, but the fact someone got her the whole first release! She would have to go big for their birthday come January!
The house was quiet now, and even her Mom had long gone to bed. Fleur didn't want to be sad, but she had really wanted to see Catherine today. She hadn't hung out with her in a whole month. This was the longest she'd gone without seeing her after she promised, even!
Fleur went upstairs and put the R2D2 on her bedside table. She glanced out her window and froze.
Catherine was there. She was wearing a leather jacket that looked a bit big, jeans, and a pink t-shirt. She caught Fleur's gaze and gestured at the other, herself, and made a talking motion with her hands, tilting her head as if asking a question.
Fleur looked back, tilting her head in the opposite direction but understanding what her recently missing-in-action girlfriend was asking. She'd normally be excited to see Catherine, but something about it felt odd to the blonde. Catherine's expression was somewhat hard to read, and normally Fleur was able to tell those things, especially on Catherine. Catherine seemed relaxed, tired, and tense if she had to describe it, but even then she wasn't completely sure.
Stillโฆ Fleur nodded, putting one finger up before using it to gesture to the left, towards her back door. She closed her curtain after that and quickly went to her closet. She put on her jacket. A green one, cropped at around her waist with fluff on the sleeves and the hood, perfect for the October night.
Quietly she walked down the hall, briefly peeking in on her brother. He was asleep, drooling away; no chance he would wake up. She walked down the steps, avoiding the middle of the 5th, before she jumped over the last one completely. A dance she'd learned automatically in her practice sneaking out. She put on her boots and put one hand in her pocket after she shut the door painstakingly slowly behind her. Otherwise, that old door squeaked after all.
When she was away, she picked up the pace. She looked towards where Catherine was and saw her walk back into the treeline. Fleur followed, knowing Catherine was leading her to the small patch of woods. It was one she knew well and was the one beyond the park she took Gabriel to back when he was younger.
The silence of the night felt more imposing, but Fleur pressed forward, jumping over one side of the teeter totter before landing with a crunch. It was a satisfying sound, and Fleur went off into the tree line and found Catherine there close to the old damaged wire fence.
Catherine waved. "Yoโฆ" She looked off to the side for a moment.
"Heyโฆ" The energy around the other was just odd. Maybe she felt guilty, Fleur thought as leaned against the tree.
"โฆYou kinda forgot my birthday, huh?" Fleur smiled weakly, looking up at Catherine. Catherine was quiet for another moment.
"โฆI didn't forget; I justโฆdidn't wanna say what I wanted to say on your birthday. Trying to be nice, sue meโฆ" Catherine kicked at the dirt; the sound of her shoe dragging the dirt sharply filled the space.
"Huhโฆso you blew me off. Nice." Fleur looked up at her, a red flickering in her chest again. It didn't excite this time. It only made her angry, especially with how dismissive Catherine was. "What do you wanna tell me then? Couldn't just wait until tomorrow or next week or whenever you felt bad enough toโ"
"I'm breaking it off with you. We shouldn't be together anymore."
It landed like a bomb, an icy blue that froze everything in its tracks and for a moment made the red disappear entirely.
"โฆHuh?" Fleur could almost swear she had heard Catherine wrong. Catherine's expression was stony, and she looked off to the side. "Yeah. I don't feel like how I did about you anymoreโฆand the more I think about it, the more I realizeโฆit isn't gonna work Florence."
The name. That old name felt like her own proverbial ball to the face, if you will; maybe it was Catherine's payback in a weird way.
"โฆWhat do you meanโฆwhyโฆwhy would youโฆwe worked greatโฆdidn't we? Even last time I saw you, it was nice! We had fun, things were good!"
"For you," Catherine corrected. She held onto the fence loosely, looking off to the side, closer to where Fleur's shoes were. "It hasn't been for me for awhile. The more I think about itโฆit just isn't right, Florence. I don't want what you want."
"โฆThen can't we talk about it? We don't have to do everything exactly how I want, Catherine! It was just ideas!"
"I don't wanna go to Europe."
"We can stay here!"
"I don't wanna go to the city."
"Then we can make it work somewhere else! It doesn't have to be the city!"
"I don't want to tell my mom about us."
"Maybe she'll understand! Not just her; what if some people would we at least have to tr-"
"I want a normal life, Florence!" Catherine interrupted, yelling at Fleur in a way that sounded pained. It made Fleur jump, and she looked the other one up and down. Tears welled in Fleur's eyes, and she bit her lip before letting out a shaky breath.
"โฆOkay. Yeah. Then. I guess that makes sense."
"โฆGood. Then...guess I'll see you aroun-"
"โฆAnswer one thing for me, though. You can do that for me, can't you? Or is that too much of a bother to you too?"
Catherine didn't answer. She looked back at Fleur and sighed before turning her body to face her angry ex. "Yeah, what?"
"So you want to live a normal life. I assume you mean some guy."
"โฆA guy. Maybe with a kid, but yeah." Catherine shifted uncomfortably. "Basically I guess..."
"So did you realize you weren't attracted to girls and just haven't had the guts to tell me until now, orโฆ"
Fleur closed the gap. She grabbed Catherine's hand, pulling her in and squeezing it. Fleur tried to look her in the eye, but Catherine's eyes refused to meet her own.
"Or if no one would say anything bad, if no one would judge you for itโฆwould you honestly be able toโฆ" She shuddered, her grip briefly loosening before she tightened it again. "โto look me in the eye and say you're just suddenly not attracted to me anymore? Just like that?"
"Let me go!" Catherine tried to pull her hand away, but Fleur kept it firm.
"Look at me! Look at me and say it then! If it's true, I'll let you go! If you fell for friggin Marcus and out of love with me, then whatever! I know it's his jacket, OK!?" She had realized that the moment the sleeve caught her eye. "โAnd honestly?! I could maybe even forgive you for it! But I won't EVER forgive you for acting like everything we had wasn't real or was friggin bad just because you decided you wanted to be normal now!"
"Let me fucking go!" Catherine again tried to pull away, but Fleur refused, holding as tight as her hand would allow.
"Tell me the truth!" Fleur said it so much louder than she ever thought her voice could go. "Because we were normal! Do we not do pretty much everything you and Marcus do? Did we not!? If you want to be done, I can live with that, but don't just blow me off like I was nothing to you!"
Catherine grabbed Fleur's arm, using the height she had on Fleur to pull her forward before slamming her into the old fence. Fleur tried to use her other hand to grab Catherine's arm, but Catherine grabbed her wrist too, pinning the other. Fleur struggled, but Catherine was strong, stronger than she remembered. Before Fleur could get her feet involved, Catherine closed the gap this time, pressing Fleur harder into the fence. Fleur winced and was forced to stop due to feeling seemingly every little poke from the metal.
"You're someone I used to hang out with." She looked Fleur directly in the eye when she said that. "Maybe it was fun, but it was wrong, what we did. And yeah, fine Fleur, I've liked Marcus since the school year started. You weren't nothingโฆbut you were someone I never should have fucking talked to. It happened, but it shouldn't have, and if I could do it again, I wouldn't have asked about you, and I would have demolished your fucking team too cause I held back."
Fleur stopped struggling, just looking at Catherine. Red cascaded in her body, a red orange like a sunset, filling her arms and her chest. Fleur collapsed and only then did Catherine let her go. Fleur let herself fall even though every muscle in her screamed.
Fight for her. Try harder. Convince her she's wrong.
Catherine stepped back a few feet, looking at Fleur like she was a gray, sad painting in the museum. Quiet and not crossing an unsaid barrier around the fallen blonde.
"โฆNext time our teams face off, I won't hold back. I won't talk to you outside of the club either. If you try anything cute, I'll tell everyone. When you quit acting like we're still in middle school and stop going by a stupid code name, you'll get it too, and you'll thank me. Your parents would too if they knew; no pain, no gain, like Coach says."
Catherine turned on her heel, looking at Fleur. Her expression was cold and cruel in a way Fleur had never seen from the redhead.
"Honestly? Since you're acting so dumb when it comes to me, I bet I can get my school a streak if you're leading the other team." She smirked a bit. "โฆYou know. You're not as impressive as I thought you were. You got so carried away before. Honestly, Florence, you're a little stupid, talking about going to Paris with me and just running away and leaving our families? That's so stupid and selfish as shit too."
"My name is Fleur."
Fleur stood up. "It's always gonna be Fleur no matter what. Even if it started out that way because of you, it doesn't end with you! You don't get to control me! I won't let you have that power over me!"
Catherine sneered, shaking her head. "Whatever Florence. You're still crying even now. I already live rent-free in your head."
"I'll cry over you. For a while I'm gonna be sad because I loved youโฆbut I'm not scared of that. You can keep trying to make yourself feel better about being too much of a coward to face your own feelings if you want, but whatever. When I was 13, Catherine McDowell, from Saint Anne's Girls' School, was my first love. She made me realize what I wanted and made me realize what I was made of even when things got tough. You'll never ever change what happened and what we were, and I'll never change because of whatever typical bully bitch you decided you wanted to be!"
Catherine turned to fully face Fleur and, with no further warning, went for a roundhouse kick to the other's face. Fleur looked down, seeing the flash of the buckle on Catherine's boot just in time.
The blonde put her arms up in defense; it was a move she had seen on TV, one of her dad's boxing matches, and in that moment, the only thing that came to mind. Fleur almost fell but held steady; both arms shook but kept Catherine's foot at bay. The buckle glimmered in the moonlight inches from her face. Fleur looked back at Catherine, defiant and as unmovable as her physicality would allow. Catherine glared at Fleur; her own eyes glimmered withโฆtears?
Catherine put her foot back down aggressively, wrapping the jacket around her. She closed her eyes, folding the collar up towards her face.
"โฆWhatever. Have fun being a selfish fucking cunt, Florence. It'll catch up to you eventually. I don't have to be there to see itโฆjust know that when you play with fire like that, you get fucking burned."
Catherine walked off and after a few strides seemed to pick up the pace. Fleur watched her as she walked away. Fleur would always remember it. How her ponytail had almost come loose as she went and how the jacket, just a bit too big, pulled tighter around her back as she pulled it forward and ahead.
Away from herโฆ
It would have been good for the winterโฆ.
Fleur's eyes watered again as the last of the red embers she had mustered went out. They were replaced with a deep dark blue. Cold and painful in a way that made Fleur grip her chest as a sob came out.
She stayed there for a while, continuing to sob, and after some time feltโฆjust a bit less heavy. In the silence she heard the morning birds start to come to life. The world was also just a bit brighter, but the sun hadn't come up yet.
She should leave.
So Fleur headed home at a more hurried pace. She followed the same track as before, her body moving through it in reverse with the precision of someone who had done it many times. Fleur threw her jacket into the closet and crawled back under the covers.
With another sniffle, she pulled her pillow close to her, nuzzling her face into it.
If her mom wanted her to do anything, she'd say her stomach hurt. It was the next best thing instead of telling her Mom about what happened, which she sadly would be unable to doโฆ
Hopefully work would understand tooโฆ
~~~
When Fleur began as a sophomore, she would say it was honestly more of a whirlwind than her first year and, in some ways, more fun than her freshman year. Her friends, of course, loved her new look, a thing the school had started to allow this year instead of just the uniforms for some older high school students, within reason, of course. Apparently, the small changes when Fleur was a freshman were received quite well. Fleur remembered her mother bemoaned it, asking her father what had gotten into kids these days and how they dressed.
This was why Fleur had, of course, put on her two ties and a new tweed skirt with pockets in the bathroom at school. Her mother was working more closely with the middle schoolers and seemed to finally be giving Fleur some space to breathe not just at home but now in school as well. Perhaps she had proven herself enough by holding a steady after-school job, which she did keep, along with fairly solid grades.
Fleur had even made friends with a boy a year older than her and beat him at volleyball! Danny was his name, and she had agreed to hang out with him after school to play some more. Fleur was popular, and the cliques around had even tried to recruit her, but she declined, preferring to remain an independent agent this school year.
That included dating as well, as when Fleur was asked, she'd shrug and say she hadn't found that special someone, grinning all the way.
She never mentioned a past boyfriend, and she didn't seem the type to shed a tear about one anyhow. Just the kind to go on another date.
She continued to date quite actively, in fact.
Sneaking around was easy for Fleur. She had already mastered it with Catherine. She and Danny shared a tender moment, the first time she discovered boys were attractive as well. There were others, quite a few others, she shared moments like this with, and Fleur was careful, making sure they were outside of her normal circle or went to different schools. It was a whirlwind of romance, one like those paintings you'd see with various colors tossed onto the canvas. Some lines were thicker, others thin, some just a splash in a way that called for attention, but all of it was a beautiful picture, and one Fleur loved in her world and loved having etched on her all the same.
At her school she was known as the star volleyball player. A cheerful girl who always offered to help.
But to schools across town, Fleur was the wild child. A girl you couldn't easily forget and someone who you'd hear whispers about. "A slut" to some, a "legend" to others.
To herself, though, Fleur was honestly happy. Sad about Catherine for awhile but enjoying her life otherwise. Each day was a new adventure, and she had savings to catch a bus, a bite to eat, and small gifts for her partners now and again.
Admittedly, she had lived in the present. She hadn't thought much about her career after high school, and the badgering only escalated with each month. Did she have a steady boyfriend? What did she want to do with her life? Why was she engaging in these childish movies or fashion trends instead of her studies!?
The groundings became more frequent, but by 16, these were easy for Fleur to avoid. Pillows or things stuffed under the mattress would do the trick. If she had a date, she'd be there come hell or high water and back before the sun came up if required.
It was easy to keep her secret too, as no one even asked about Catherine or if she was "like that." Life was simple. School, work, dates, and fun sprinkled in whenever she could find it. It was so fun! Freeing. It was no longer just the vivid red with Catherine; it was every color in the rainbow, vivid with only bits of grey and black. Everything felt possible just by her will alone; even saving up to leave for the Big Apple felt within her grasp. She imagined what her place would look like, what jobs she may take, and all the interesting people she may meet. Maybe she'd get scouted to be in the next Star Wars movie! That would be cool, even if it were just stunts.
It was what she wanted, more so than what needed to be done for herself and Catherine, and that felt nicer than the peppy blonde anticipated. She only had herself to worry about, and the twinges of melancholy became embers before disappearing altogether.
Maybe Paris without a partner for a while, or perhaps partners of any persuasion in France would be way more fun than Catherine ever would have been.
As her junior year began, Fleur became 17. There wasn't much fanfare; as punishment for not doing her chores, Fleur had to stay home that whole weekend and didn't get to meet anyone new.
It was a spring day when she came home from school, hair up in a small ponytail. It had been starting to get long, Fleur thought. She would schedule a haircut as soon as she was able. When she walked in, her parents were in the kitchen. They both looked up at her, expressions a mix of stern and alarmed.
"Sit." Emily said.
Fleur bridged the gap, putting her bag down before looking at the table.
On it was a strip of photos from a photo booth she and Catherine had gone to; the final photo in the sequence was them kissing. Scattered across the table were also a pack of condoms, outfits she had hidden for reasons like this, and, worst of all.
Her journal.
She could lie about some of the other things. She had been so careful, she just kept that because one of the teachers said it helped her with stress a month or so before Catherine first talked to her. Of course the one time she took a teacher's advice, it would blow up in her face!
"Florence." Emily's voice broke through the clutter in Fleur's mind.
"I said sit."
The child in her buckled into the chair following the command she otherwise wouldn't, both her parents on either side of the table ahead making what would be from above an unholy trinity.
This next chapter is almost done too. I'm not sure how long it'll take but we're almost caught up to where Fleur starts in chapter 1 already. I think chapter 3 will be her departure from Virginia by the end!
I also am still taking questions anyone has for Fleur at this point in her story she is in, and other questions for me on lore and things like that! Feel free to ask those here.
If you want to refresh on the story so far, click here!
This will be my contribution to Mermay! If you guys remember My Mate and My Dawn this is the sequel and is about Ivan! This is my first time writing Ivan for a fic, and I think I did good! If you guys want more of Alien Stage mermaid AU, most likely Till and Ivan are next~.
This was supposed to go up on Friday, but the first chapter is up! In the spirit of that, my strawpage is ready to receive questions to and about this story!
Authors Note: This one is for my friend @ladykathyrrah who I met at con. I flew by the seat of my pants and tried to write Vincent, her OC named Ellie, and Fleur as well. This would be them if they all worked in the same spot. Vincent is low-key toxic but hasn't hit full dark mode yet. I feel I could have nailed her personality and next time may approach it a bit different. The deal was this was supposed to be a bit funny and I hope it lands!
"Hey, Ellie, where did Vincent go?"
Ellie looked up from her desk. One of the secretaries, again, or a delivery girl, Ellie couldn't entirely recall. It seemed Fleur took every odd job at the station imaginable.
"AhhโฆVincent? I think he's on file sorting duty. It's a slow day, it's pretty much just us here today at least until 3-. It might kick up in a few hours, but-"
Fleur seemed to perk up at that. "Oh wowโฆslow news day?" She leaned against the desk. Ellie backed her chair up a tad. Fleur was always too familiar, maybe that was because her family was French or something? She admittedly didn't know much about that, but knew Europeans were the touchy-huggy sort. Ellie would prefer that only with people she knew well, honestlyโฆ
"This is our slowest day, and everyone hates file sorting duty, but we drew straws, and Vincent got the short one. He'll probably be in there all day."
Again, the twinkle in her eye. "Oh, all day? By himself? That sounds like rough stuff. Guess I'm glad they never ask me to do it~I'd rather deliver coffee! Speaaaaking of, I have a run to make! You want anything?" She leaned back now, seemingly in a bit of a hurry as she drummed her hands against the desk absentmindedly.
Ellie shook her head. "Oh, I already had far too much today! Thank you, Fleur, that's sweet of you. You aren't my secretary or anything, so there's no need!"
Fleur nodded. "Well, guess I'll see you round the office, Ellie~ta ta for now!" With that, Fleur moved down the hallway towards the filing cabinet room. The moment Fleur was out of sight, Ellie could hear the squeak of shoes escalate in speed. She was in a hurry, Ellie thought, but then again, that girl never stood still. If anyone should be less caffeinated, it should be Fleur.
Fleur didn't come back into the main office area.
In fact, as the day went on, Ellie noticed she hadn't walked by again in an hour nowโฆwhere on earth was she? It was 3 already, and the late stragglers had come into office. There was no sign of Vincent even coming out for water or a break, come to think of it. He normally used that time to talk to her because she was "the only person here worth talking to."
Either way, she needed a new pen. She was sure one of the empty offices had one and wouldn't mind if she borrowed it. Humming to herself, Ellie walked by the printing press and the filing cabinet room to get that-
Thud.
As Ellie was about to turn the corner, she heard it. She looked back and leaned towards the door. It was closed, but not all the way, and it opened just a bit. Ellie was able to stop it from announcing her presence, and she thanked god above that this door wasn't the one that creaked.
She happened to glance in just in time to see Vincent pinning Fleur to a filing cabinet. Vincent grabbed Fleur by her white shirt collar, slamming her into the metal. Fleur's toes barely touched the floor, and despite the gesture, she looked at him, still smiling, and her eyes only a bit wider in surprise.
"What, you think you can just come in here and be all cute and make me do whatever you want?" The weatherman's voice went up and down as he mocked Fleur's cadence, cheerful and a bit nasal. Fleur only grinned, eyes closing as she tilted her head.
"Yup!"
Ellie's mouth even hung open a bit at that. Was she crazy!? People left Vincent alone for a reason! That cheerful persona on TV was just that, a persona. Vincent didn't like anyone here, and she was honestly surprised they became friends! That audacity would get her into trouble, especially with someone like Vincent!
Vincent was quiet before clearing his throat. "โฆYeah?" A hint of a smile crept into his voice.
"Well, not anything obviously!" She shrugged, adjusting her feet just a bit so she could at least somewhat lean against the cabinet. "But good to know you think I'm cute~that was kinda my hope. I found you cute since I first got hired~."
Ellie's jaw hung open at this. She couldn't turn away, almost like this was a train crash.
"โฆSeriously?" Even more of a smile crept into Vincent's voice.
"Yeah!" The blonde secretary chirped back. "I mean, how could a girl not. You're really handsome and a sight for sore eyes. Can't deny that~."
Vincent seemed to release his grip a bit, allowing Fleur to stand properly again. Fleur rocked back and forth a bit on her heels. "I even got these shoes so I could get an inch or two~I'm a little short compared to youโฆso you knowโฆin case you wanted to steal a kissโฆ"
Vincent was quiet, looking her up and down. He was analyzing her in a way that made Ellie's heart practically hammer in her chest. What would he do next? She felt a little bad for Fleur; the girl had just put herself out there like that when clearly Vincent would have to reject her. It would be unethical if he didn't, after all. Poor Fleur, she would have to offer her some candy or something nice to make up for-.
"They're cute on you but I think green is more your style than an off tanโฆyour name is Fleur?"
He leaned into her space, his hand wandered up to her chin as he tilted it up towards him.
No, come on! Here!? What if they got caught? This was so unprofessional of him! Vincent was much too bold for his own good! She rolled her eyes, and in that time of looking away-
Fleur had unbuttoned two buttons on her blouse.
"Yeah~it means flower in French."
"I've heard the French areโฆpassionate lovers." Vincent let his voice drop to a lower, more sensual tone. He smirked again. "Truth be told, a little birdie told me that describes you to a teaโฆ"
Fleur pressed her body into his, wrapping her arms loosely around his midsection as she stared up at him. In a low voice, she whispered, "Aimeriez-vous le dรฉcouvrir par vous-mรชme ?" The secretary matched the smirk on her newfound partner in crime.
"Don't mind if I do-" Ellie was able to hear Vincent mumble that before he kissed her passionately, and she returned the favor. Ellie saw a flash of a green bra that shocked her into looking away.
Were these two serious!? Ellie just walked away; truthfully, she wasn't sure if she shut the door right. She couldn't believe this! Having sex right then and there when they were supposed to be working! That was soโฆugh!
She went back to her desk and tried to put it out of her mind. She felt like these days she always stumbled upon these things and potential drama when she wanted nothing to do with it! She was here to work and was working hard to prove her worth! She didn't have time to fool around, unlike Vincent, who apparently was brazen enough to do things like this as well on top of the other crazy things she'd already seen him do.
Vincent did tend to always push as far up to the line as he could without a more severe penalty, but even this was a bit much to Ellie. She would be mortified if that were her. How was Fleur OK with the possibility she'd be caught?! The consequences could be dire, especially as a woman in this business!
They, of course, did not get caught even though they were in there for an hour. It seemed some of the worst troublemakers never did, and Ellie could even see that in her line of work alone. Ellie quietly finished the work allotted to her left, since apparently she was the only one doing actual work today.
After sometime Vincent came over. He had a certain walk about him, one that Ellie knew well.
The I just had sex walk.
"I like that delivery girl." Vincent leans against the desk, looking at his nail. "She's kinda cute, I never noticed before~she been here long?"
Ellie looked at Vincent, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, a few months. She's always had her eye on you, though." She gave Vincent a look.
Vincent looked back, eyes lighting up with interest. "Really? Look at you go, Ellie, friends with the office stu-โฆwhyyy are you looking at me like that?"
Ellie was looking up at Vincent with a single raised eyebrow, hair not quite as perfect as it was that morning, and seeming a bit tired. "Like what?"
Vincent squinted back. "โฆI don't know El, that's why I'm askin."
Ellie sighed, crossing her arms. "Well, office stud, I don't like to be left with the backlog of work here by myself while other people literally screw around in the filing cabinet room! What if Bob had gone back there!?" She whispered it, but in a harsh tone as if she were yelling.
Vincent grinned. "Ohh, you uhโฆsaw that?" He paused, perhaps a bit embarrassed, but it was hard to tell. "WellโฆBob didn't see anything. You did, but you're my friend, you wouldn't tell, so I'm not that worried. It was a slow day, El come on! You know how boring it can get, just wanted to fuck around a little! What are you jealous?"
Ellie glared at the other. "J-why would I be jealous? I don't want some fling with you or anyone else! I don't jump into things like that anyway! You shouldn't either, Vincent, honestly! I wouldn't tell, but what if I couldn't cover for you? You said you wanted to grow your career here and get a higher position. I even put in a good recommendation for you! If you got caught-"
"But I didn't," Vincent interjected. He leaned against the desk. He giggled a bit. "Aw..your El..looking out for me~."
Ellie grunted, ignoring him now.
"..El-"
Ellie ignored him going through her desk.
"Ellie, come on! I'll be more careful, I promise! Can't you be happy for me! She's actually cool, you might like her too-. I got her in for drinks later if you want. I'll pay for yours if you stop being mad at me, come onnnn-"
He wrapped his hands around the desk, allowing himself to dramatically droop a bit. Ellie smiled just a little bit, laughing. This was more like the Vincent she had befriended. She liked it when he was more real, and not soโฆsleazy.
Ellie looked at him. "I'm holding you to it, and I might feel like drinking a lot tonight." She smirked. "And Fleur. Be honest, you aren't just going to fling her when you're done, right? She's a bit much, but she's nice and doesn't deserve that."
Vincent shrugged. "Normally? Couldn't promise that, but I actually like this one, she's got a..a quality! You know? I mean, have you ever met someone like her? I bet I could make her famous. She'd get to do her thing, and then I'd be the guy who discovered her. Then I wouldn't need this shitty station anyway!"
Ellie sighed heavily. "Vincent, for goodness sake-" She pinched the bridge of her nose. Though that was true as well, people like Fleur were rare. It made sense that Vincent had clicked with her. "Slow your roll a bit. And try not to play games, and maybe ASK someone if they want to be a part of a master scheme before you throw them in. For all you know, she might even have big dreams she can build with you as well-"
"โฆYou think?" That thought surprised Vincent. "I mean, yeah, she's different, but she's still a-"
Ellie raised an eyebrow. "A what, Vincent?"
"โฆAn awesome gal I'm drinking with." He meekly finished. He looked at the ground. "Nice save?"
"Barely," Ellie stated.
Fleur came out of the hallway, mildly disheveled but looking happy. She looked at the two and waved. "See you guys later~I'll be there. Just gotta hit my apartment, shouldn't be more than 10 minutes by the time 5 hits."
Vincent nodded. "Sounds good~." Vincent looked back at Ellie. "Seriously, she's honestly cool-"
Ellie shrugged. "She's certainly bold, I'll give her that. If you go at it again in the bathroom later, remember to at least shut the door. I like you, but not that much of you-"
"Wh-come on, what's wrong with how I look!?"
Ellie mentally thought about a drink she might want. Fleur and Vincent would either be great or collide in a way she'd have to try to clean up later.
She supposed tonight would be a good way to find out which and get to know Fleur as well. The two of them were nice, but she wasn't opposed to a third friend.
Y'all if you're American please email your politicians and senators against the parents decide act. I'm fucking begging because we're reaching a tipping point.
Quick and easy link to both find your congressmen/women and giving you a quick and easy way to copy / paste the message into it. You want to oppose. It's an act that will demand that all major OS makers integrate a direct forced age verification control into all OS.
I received a comment on this that I figured would be very helpful- it's a template for communicating with your representatives. Be sure to use it for reference
Dear Representative [Name],
I am writing to express my strong opposition to H.R. 8250 (The "Parents Decide Act"). As your constituent and a concerned citizen, I believe this bill introduces unprecedented risks to digital privacy and security.
Specifically, I am alarmed by:
SEC. 2(a)(1)(B): Requiring age verification to even use an operating system creates a mandatory "hardware lockout" that ends anonymous computing and forces users to hand over sensitive identification data to major corporations just to power on their devices.
SEC. 2(a)(3): Mandating that OS providers create a system for all app developers to access verification data is a massive security vulnerability. This effectively creates a centralized API of user identities accessible to thousands of third-party developers, many of whom may lack adequate data protection.
This bill does not protect children; it creates a centralized surveillance infrastructure at the OS level. I urge you to protect the privacy of your constituents and vote NO on H.R. 8250.
This is a hell that us down under in Australia are already living in, and itโs not even effective at what it claims to do in protecting children.
Given that, in the wake of this mandatory identification policy, my country seems to be moving to hand over its citizens biometric data, like fingerprints, Face ID files, and identification documents, over to the USA and to ICE to maintain the visa free travel (ESTA) we have, I strongly urge any US resident to send these emails, or make calls.
But if you canโt do that, the most powerful thing you can do is spread the word. Tell your friends, family, coworkers, anyone who can help.
My reach will likely be small, and so I donโt know if this will mean very much in the grand scheme of things, but I cannot stand to see this tracking happen to another population as it did to mine.
And if you think it wonโt affect you, it will. All anonymity goes out the window when your accounts can be linked via your personal ID
I wish you all luck in preventing this act from going through.
We got more StaticKitty art! This is from Grubby, known as the creator of an Au called Vox Solus AU. It's a RadioStatic AU, but they took to Fleur and did her very well! As I put up Fleur's Hazbin story, you will probably see more from Grubby cause I will commission them again!
I commissioned art from the lovely Vikvikcloud of Fleur and Vox. She enjoyed it and understood the assignment for sure! This is Fleur's second time being arted. My favorite is them as humans in this whole lineup. As I write the fic of her whole backstory, I think I may ask her to draw more! They also draw a lot of radiostatic if you like that sort of thing!
StaticKitty is the official ship name between Fleur and Vox. Fleur is an original OC in her own story called Witch City (heavy WIP) and ya'll know who Vox is. This is just my first batch of headcanons on their dynamics. Will be subject to change as the ship and character ideas develop, and may have more as time goes by as well.
๐บ๐Progression of relationship was Contract hire for a party โ> Friendsโ>Friends with benefits โโ Lovers๐บ๐
๐บ๐The two of them are really solid communicators (in a sense). Very easily can talk for hours and often do. Both are yappers. Don't text as often as they call/voice note.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Vox likes to call in the middle of the night and yap at her. Fleur will often entertain this, and did before they became lovers anyway.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur will do the same but early in the morning. The topics are often so random, even if Vox is tired he will immediately have his attention caught by it.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur invites Vox to random outings a lot. To grab food late at night, for a late night store run etc etc. She will call him by a Voxtek camera so he can come to her quicker.๐บ๐
๐บ๐-He is more touchy with Fleur as he is with most others, and she's one of the few who doesn't mind it. When he puts her hands on her shoulder, she will put her tail up and rest it or wrap it around his wrist. Or she'll look up at him, tilting her head as far back as it'll go like "โฆ?"๐บ๐
๐บ๐Vox started out sarcastically calling Fleur "Tinkerbell' in part because when they met in person she was wearing a green top and her hair was up, creating an appearance resembling it. Such as "And where's our delightful little Tinkerbell?" When he was annoyed. This shifts to a more affectionate; "How you doing Tink?" When she calls.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur has a way of telling when Vox is being sincere or vulnerable body language wise. If he scratches his cheek while talking, especially if he looks off to the side while doing it, he is being sincere. She never told him he does this, because she knows he will overthink it and try to stop himself from doing it.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Sex is a big part of how they got to know each other. Even though sex is normally nasty work as far as the Vees are concerned, in this case it was very fun, explorative, and helped these two develop a deeper bond and understanding of each other. It's also in large part why Fleur sees the softer sides of Vox hides from other people (more on this in the NSFW batch).๐บ๐
๐บ๐On the timeline, Fleur would have met Vox in the year 2000 and started performing at parties at around this time. She only starts part time living at the tower after Velvette became established with them though, making her the unofficial fourth.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur will often hang from behind Vox when she wants something. He's pretty big so it's easy for her to do. Oftentimes she'll play "annoy" him while hanging here. Saying his name until he answers or saying she wants a snack, etc etc.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Vox doesn't know she's an overlord. Fleur is keeping this close to her chest, in part because she wants to be treated normally and likes the dynamic they have. In other part because she wants to find a good way to bring it up, and hasn't found what she deems a good opportunity yet.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Hypnosis does not work on Fleur sufficiently, nor does Val's venom, as both only have a mild and temporary effect on her. This should have been the indication Fleur was stronger then she presented, but because it wasn't a black or white thing, and this gap closes the stronger Fleur becomes, it flew under the radar.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur being she grew up in the 70's and partway into the 80's is nervous around Shock.wav (Jaws). Vox thinks it's silly and hates that stupid movie. He bullied her into petting him once, and she's less leery then she was after 25 years or so. Progress!๐บ๐
๐บ๐Vox sees Fleur as a "diamond." If he met her before he passed, he'd want to make her some kind of famous actress (that he could take credit for discovering of course) as he sees her as someone rare and unique. He genuinely comes to love her, but at the start probably told himself he just found her hot in a superficial way, or just wanted proximity to her "brightness" if you will.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur over the phone when hired initially does not like Vox and coins him as the used car salesman looser sort of guy. Meeting him in person though, she's charmed. She sees something special in him and likes the things Vox is ironically trying to hide about himself the most. Sees through the "persona" fairly quickly.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Vox would show he cared before the relationship became more overt by fussing over Fleur. Such as grumbling about what her issue is with a jacket while placing one over her shoulders in the winter. He'd also drag her to see "real entertainment" or "something actually interesting" The real entertainment being a movie he thinks is great, or his extensive fish/shark collection. He acts like he's doing her a favor and has a "Whatever would you do without me" attitude on it. This is still his public facing dynamic with her, but not his private one when they became friends with benefits.๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur will respond to this by giggling and rolling with his attitude on it. She likes the attention and honestly? Finds whatever he talks about interesting, he has a way he delivers the information that keeps her attention even if it's not the most interesting topic. He's endearing~๐บ๐
๐บ๐Fleur has seen Vox cry once and only once when he got hammered on one of Val's new creations. Fleur knows about Alastor having a history with Vox, and that it deeply hurt him, but not every detail. Being she has a sense for this sort of thing (and not much else) she knows Vox's feelings are or were romantic. She doesn't confront him on that or bring it up though and still hasn't. Lie by omission on her part but it seemed like one of those things that would be better not to pry too much about to her.๐บ๐
