THE ARISTOCRATS #1

00:16

The knock at her door surprised Clementine out of her stupor. She hadn't moved from where she sat on her bed, flipping through crackly, old pages of her book for the past few hours. The setting sun cast golden light into the room through the large windows, illuminating her hair. Her joints felt rusty and her tongue felt as if it was cemented onto the roof of her mouth. She stretched in her bed like a languid cat, before fixing up her shirt and hair.

She stood up, immediately feeling light headed. She swooned, grabbing her bed frame for support.

"One sec." Clementine croaked out, stumbling over a discarded shoe as she walked to the door.

When was the last time she had cleaned her room? She had barely been in her right mind all day, after the photo she had seen of her mother. Sometimes she felt as if she was the only one who felt as if the world was spinning around her, moving forward and progressing while she was left behind.

She opened the door, expecting a familiar face. Her heart rate had already quickened with anticipation.

"Hi."

Clementine's smile dropped.

Vanessa stood in her doorway, her petite form folded into herself in discomfort. Not who she wanted to see at the moment. If ever. She looked the same as always, delicate and polished like a little porcelain doll.

"What?" She greeted shortly.

Vanessa bit her glossy lower lip, shuffling her feet nervously.

"I just wanted to check up on you. You looked pretty upset today in English, and I wanted to see if you needed help." Her voice was high and clear, the prissy tone familiar.

"Thanks, I'm honoured," her tone was dry with sarcasm.

Vanessa frowned, her lip curling slightly.

"You don't have to be rude, I was just trying to be nice."

"I'm fine," Clementine bit out. "Or I was, until you showed up."

"What the hell? What did I to do to you? You're kinda being a bitch." Vanessa was being oddly persistent, her tone becoming whiny and annoying. Clementine wondered why she had idolised this girl for so long.

"I'm being a bitch?" Clementine snapped, her cheeks flaring pink. "Are you fucking serious?"

"I came here to check up on you, and you're being all snarky," Vanessa glared at her.

Clementine narrowed her eyes and stared at her, hoping she felt stupid.

"Did you ever consider the fact that I literally don't want anything to do with you? Like at all?"

"Is this about the thing with Steph and the other?" Vanessa huffed, looking put-out.

Her hands curled into fists, fury spiking within her. She was not in the mood to deal with her bullshit. She had already had a hellish night, unable to sleep as the image of her mother and Kieran haunted her. She felt so far removed from her past life, where her biggest worry was the fact that her friends were excluding her. She wanted to laugh at herself.

"Look, can you leave?" She tilted her head. "You're starting to piss me off."

"I'm not-" Vanessa broke off, her face draining of colour at the sound of a cough behind her.

The two turned around.

Clementine's heart beat sped up as Elijah stood at the door, expressionless and cold. She was reminded of the first day she had talked to him and the embarrassment that cold mask of his had made her feel. She wondered if Vanessa felt that same embarrassment, that spell of belittlement he could so easily cast upon someone. She hoped she did.