Lilith could see Eda’s lips move, but her words flew right past her. Their school day was over and Eda insisted on following her to the lockers, even though she kept nothing in them. She preferred keeping her books in her hair like their mother does. No trusting school property, no, sir. Lilith tried doing the same, but they kept getting tangled up in her curls, and it pulled on her scalp more than it was worth. Titan, she should really straighten her hair one of these days.
“Oh, and did you see that spin I did? You might as well forfeit as team captain while you still have the chance!” Eda said, a smug smile across her face.
She opened one of her eyes and noticed Lilith’s focus on the school speaker. She was staring at it like it would come to life if she stared hard enough. Eda wasn’t sure what for, but it sure wasn’t to hear about her awesome Grudgby maneuvers!
“Hey, Titan to Lily! Can you hear me?”
Lilith looked surprised, like she’d forgotten she was there. “Oh, sorry. I’m just waiting for something.”
“Yeah, I noticed! You’re so distracted today. What’s with you?”
Her sister flushed, pushing her glasses up her nose. “Nothing. And it’s not like you’ve been any better! Not since Rainestorm transferred to Hexside, right? Raine this, Raine that… looks like Edalyn has her first crush.”
Blood rushed to Eda’s face, and she opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted.
“Wait, who did Eda crush now? Sounds violent!” As if summoned, Raine appeared behind them and Eda yelped.
“Just my enemies! In yesterday’s Grudgby match, that is! Very violent, yes.”
“Ooh, yeah! I saw that spin you did. It was awesome.” Eda elbowed Lilith, I told you so written across her face. Raine continued. “Hey, Eda, I was wondering if you’d like to hang out today? We could have lunch at my house if you’re free.”
Eda’s face lit up, and it was Lilith’s turn to elbow her. She ignored her. “Yeah, I’m free this afternoon! Lily can tell my parents, right, Lily?”
Lilith rolled her eyes, but nodded. Teasing and bickering came with being siblings, but she was happy that her little sister made a friend. A friend she very much had a crush on.
As Eda and Raine walked away, Lilith fed her books to her locker. As soon as she closed it, the speakers came to life. Her ears perked up as Principal Faust’s hoarse voice filled the halls.
“Attention, students of Hexside. This is Principal Faust. I feel appropriately joyful to announce that this year’s Grom Royal will be… Lilith Clawthorne.”
Everyone nearby turned their heads to look at her. Some with disdain, most with pity or worry, but none as happy as she was. Lilith wanted to jump in place, but she contained herself. Being Grom Royalty was a hard task, and one considered dreadful at that, but she took it as the honor it was intended to be.
She knew she looked insane, but she had her reasons. Coven Tryouts were in a couple months, and she’d been dreaming of joining the Emperor’s Coven since she knew how to dream. They only accepted the best of the best, and defeating Grometheus certainly wouldn’t look bad in her curriculum!
Lilith was beaming the entire way home.
—
After lunch, Raine invited Eda up to their room. It wasn’t the first time she’d been there, even though they spent most of their time in her house instead. Still, they felt their anxiety creeping in whenever she sat too close or, Titan forbid, their knees bumped into each other. Their mom’s demand to keep the door open didn’t help either.
“Then Fausty said I couldn’t feed the detention pit things I didn’t buy in the school’s vending machine,” Eda said, dangling her feet on their bed. The bed in which they were sitting on, side by side, with their arms touching. Why was it so hot in there? “There’s only plastic-flavored protein bars in there, come on!”
“That’s the only thing he can eat since he’s allergic to fun,” Raine chuckled.
“Yeah, but he doesn’t have to drag us down with him!” Eda threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. Raine laughed again, and she glanced at them with a strange look in her eyes.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
Eda lifted her hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind their ear. “Your hair. It’s getting pretty long.”
She realized her hand still hadn’t left their face and blushed. They did too, looking the other way. After a few seconds of charged silence, Eda stood up.
“I should get going. It’s getting pretty late and I don’t want my mom to send Hawksley to get me,” she said. Raine agreed and walked her to the door.
She’d just left their line of sight when they put their hand where hers was before, smiling.
—
“So, girls! How was school today?” Dell asked over dinner.
Lilith opened her mouth to speak, but Eda spoke first.
“‘Twas boring, next question! Oh, wait, it’s my turn to ask one.”
“We can all ask questions, Edalyn,” Gwen reprimanded, but waited for her to continue. Lilith scrunched in her chair.
“If, hypothetically, I wanted to ask someone to be my Grom date, how should I do it? I’m not saying I’m planning anything!” she added when their parents shared a look. “Just curious.”
“Well, it depends on the hypothetical person,” said Gwen. “Your dad always liked big romantic gestures, so I enchanted a field of flowers to spell out a proposal!”
Dell leaned in to kiss her cheek. The sisters blerghed simultaneously.
“Yes, you’ve told that story a hundred times already. I don’t think Ra- the hypothetical person would like something like that.”
“You could try something more simple,” Dell said. “Less public, but still romantic.”
“That’s too vague! I need actual advice.”
“Just talk to them,” Lilith intervened, impatient. “It’s not that complicated!”
Eda snorted. “Yeah, okay. I said actual advice, Lily. It’s fine. I’ll figure it out by myself.”
Lilith huffed, and Dell turned to her. “Do you plan on asking anyone out, sweetie?”
“I’m not interested in that kind of stuff, dad. Besides, Eda is gonna ask Raine,” Eda’s face reddened to match her hair, indignant, but Lilith ignored her, “and I won’t have time for that, anyway.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because,” she said, dragging the word, “I’m gonna be this year’s Grom Queen.”
Three voices made themselves heard at once.
“Oh? That’s great, sweet flea!”
“I knew you had it in you, darling! Try not to get eaten, though!”
“Lily, that’s amazing! At least Principal Faust made one good decision!”
Lilith basked in the attention for a moment, happy to be at the center of it for once. When the logic part of her brain manifested itself, she excused herself to her bedroom. Her training would have to start early tomorrow.
It was finally Grom night. Soon, the doors would open to reveal a gym-turned-ballroom filled with shiny decorations and even shinier outfits. Just the thought of it was enough to make Raine’s stomach twirl.
They looked presentable enough. Most of their wardrobe was red, it being the Bard color, and their suit wasn’t any different. A gray earring hung from their right ear and their fingers glimmered with silver rings they stole—borrowed—from their mom.
However, there was one problem Raine couldn’t shake: their hair. Eda was right the other day; it was getting pretty long. Longer than they’d like. Their mom was used to cutting it for them, but they’d been putting off asking and now she wasn’t home and you have thirty minutes to get ready and— they swallowed the nausea and grabbed a pair of scissors.
Raine looked themself in the mirror and raised them up to their bangs.
They took a deep breath.
“Let’s hope this isn’t a huge mistake.”
—
This is it, Lilith thought to herself. This is the big night.
She didn’t know why she felt so anxious. Her self-imposed training had been ruthless in the past week, and she knew every offense spell imaginable from heart. If there was anything Lilith Clawthorne wasn’t, it was unprepared.
Part of her knew that it had been for nothing. Grometheus wasn’t called the Fear-Bringer because of its physical strength—it was its ability to read and toy with its targets that stood out. Lilith tried making a list of her biggest fears, but came back with nothing. Whatever they were, though, she was ready to kick them in the groin.
She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. The red mess was now straight—or appeared like it, due to a concealment stone attached to her button-up shirt. Her glasses were illusioned away as well, alongside that annoying pimp on her forehead. The turquoise of the stone matched her eyes and her stockings. Lilith spinned her dark skirt around in front of her bedroom mirror. She looked… pretty.
“Knock knock knock!” A voice called from the other side of the door. Eda barged into the room, not waiting for an answer, and Lilith rolled her eyes.
“You know you can just actually knock, right?”
“That’s what they expect me to do!”
“Who’s th- oh, whatever.” She eyed her little sister’s brown suit and uneven red tie. “Your tie looks like it tried to strangle itself. Come here, let me fix it for you.”
“Uh, it’s part of my charm,” Eda said, but complied. Lilith did as she said, occupying her hands while her mind drifted away.
Eda noticed her frown and mirrored it. “Snail for your thoughts?”
She cleared her throat, letting go of her sister’s tie. “I’m not sure I’m ready.”
Both of them knew what she was talking about. Eda smiled, her amber eyes sparkling.
“Hey, you have nothing to worry about! I’ve seen you fight, and let me tell you, Grom would be lucky to even be able to come back next year. Besides, your biggest fear is probably getting an A- on a test. Or everyone finding out about your lizard-themed pajamas.”
“They’re snorses, Edalyn,” Lilith huffed, but couldn’t help a grin from creeping into her face.
“Snorses, shnorses!” She snorted. “You’ll do great, Lily. I know you will.”
—
Raine had already arrived when the sisters got to Hexside. From the moment Eda walked into the ballroom, her eyes were glued on them. They were standing on the sidelines, away from everyone else, shifting their weight between their legs and looking like they were about to vomit. Eda sighed dreamily.
Lilith would never understand crushes.
Still, she pushed her sister in Raine’s direction, watching as they took in each other’s outfits. Eda is the first to break the silence.
“Raine, hi! You got a haircut!”
“Oh, yeah, I did,” they scratched the back of their head and laughed, but there was a hint of truth in their voice. “If it looks too bad, please spare my feelings. I don’t wanna hear it.”
“It doesn’t! You- you look nice.”
Raine flushed, dimples making themselves visible. “You do too.”
“Don’t I always?” Eda threw her hair over her shoulder, hitting Lilith in the face and earning a chuckle from Raine.
“Argh, Eda!” Lilith said, pushing her out of her way. “If you two promise not to set fire to anything while I’m gone, I’ll be getting ready outside.”
“No promises!”
—
Why, in the name of the Titan, were her palms so sweaty?
Eda never prouded herself in her planning skills. In fact, she always bragged about keeping it cool and going with the flow. She didn’t know why that was so hard when it came to Raine.
That had been a recent development, one she wasn’t quite sure she liked. Eda wanted things to stop being so awkward between them. She wasn’t sure if confessing her feelings would ease or contribute to that.
Their conversation had died down and they were now sitting in a corner, sipping on apple juice. After watching their classmates dance a few songs with each other, she decided: screw it.
“Hey, so… I know it’s a little late, but I figured…” she trailed off. Raine looked at her expectantly. “So, the other day, I actually wanted to ask… ugh, why is this so hard?!”
“Do you wanna be my Grom date?” They said it so fast Eda barely understood them. Their cheeks were red, matching their suit, and so were hers—yeah, she’d definitely heard that right.
“Oh, I was almost ready to say it!”
“Sorry, sorry, let’s start this over. You wanted to ask…?”
“If you’d like to be my Grom date?”
“Yes!” Raine exclaimed a bit too loud, then cleared their throat. “I mean, yes, I would like that. A lot.”
Eda’s shoulders dropped in relief. Her face muscles hurt from smiling. She got up and bowed, offering them her hand.
“Will you do me the honor of this dance?”
Raine punched her shoulder, but accepted it.
A few songs later, Perry, one of their classmates, found his way upstage. Eda and Raine watched as he tapped the microphone a few times for good measure. His suit was a deep Oracle purple, and she turned to whisper in their ear:
“He probably had to beg Principal Faust to let him wear any color other than beige up there.”
They both chuckled before Perry finally spoke.
“Hello, hello, everyone looks great tonight! I’m sure you’re all excited for our main event, and I’m here to tell you you won’t have to wait any longer. Please welcome this year’s Grom Queen, from the Potions track, the talented Lilith Clawthorne!”
Everyone cheered, but Eda cheered the loudest.
—
All eyes were on her as Lilith walked into the gym. She spotted her sister waving at her in the crowd and gulped. Slowly, the doors to the basement opened to unleash Grometheus.
Then, the nightmare started.
Grom Queen taglist: @littlx-songbxrd @sproutthecrustygremlin @lilith-clawthorne-appreciation @coxinhadoce47 @stxr-thxif @solar-speaks (lmk if you wanna be added or removed)
