“She’s such a bitch!”
“Did you hear what she did to Curly?”
“The guy is weird but no one deserves that!”
Her mother had been about to explain the situation when Twilight had burst in to tell the story herself. The Principal was a lot more sympathetic towards Chrysalis’ actions once Twilight had explained what really happened.
The boy’s parents wanted to press charges but as soon as Adelpha presented them with the facts, they immediately changed their tune.
All parties agreed to stay silent as Baylot didn’t want a scandal, Curly’s parents wanted to save face and Chrysalis didn’t want to be expelled. Adelpha smirked as she walked out the office with her daughter in-tow.
Negotiating and damage control were things she could do in her sleep.
“Thanks, Mom.” Chrysalis had sighed.
“You’re welcome, baby.” The two moved through the crowded hallways ignoring the whispers and stares that seemed to follow. There was no doubt someone had seen something in regards to that ‘fight.’
“At least it’s only detention.” Her mother smiled comfortingly once she’d made it to her car.
“I know...”
“And the principal didn’t seem to care what you spend the two hours doing for the next week.”
The changeling teen tried to control her frustration. No matter what she did, something always fell through and she ended up looking like the bad guy.
Adelpha reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Look... I know it’s hard. Believe me, I know, but you have me and your dad and even your sister.”
Chrysalis wanted to snort at that last thing, but managed to refrain. “I know,” she smiled instead.
Her mother smiled, “I’ll speak with Dr. Clayhoof today.”
That was three days ago, and the changeling teen didn’t think her life could suck anymore.
She had detention every day this week for two hours and her first session with this embassy doctor was over the weekend.
Moments later, she felt the presence of the only friends she seemed to have in the school.
“How much longer do you think this is going to go on?” She vocalized with a look of contempt on her face. Curly deserved to be in the hospital for what he tried to do and no one could convince her otherwise. Her schoolmate’s not so subtle whispers and glares were more grating at this point than hurtful.
Maud Pie sighed, “It’s hard to say. You’re really good at being bad and not giving a rat’s ass.”
She could feel Fluffle’s agreement.
Maud didn’t like the slouch in her friend’s otherwise impeccable posture. “But forget these losers, you did the right thing. I’d say two week tops.”
Apparently Daffodil Daisy, one of the biggest gossips in school, had recorded Chrysalis’ over-zealous stomps and the clip spread like wild-fire around school. Everyone had an opinion but only a handful of people knew the facts and none of them were talking about it.
When Maud and Fluffle saw it, they immediately sought their friend out recognizing Chrysalis was a lot of things but she wasn’t a bully so much as she was difficult. The relief the changeling felt when she realized that they weren’t there to berate her or push her buttons was as cool as a dip in the pacific.
She had still been working out how to approach them when they beat her to the punch, concerned about the rumors going around.
“Thanks guys... I’ll see you after my art class.”
The trio parted and Chrysalis walked into her favorite class of the day.
At least in her art class everyone was too engrossed in their projects to shoot her any looks.
Pulling out her sketchbook, she was working on a self-portrait inspired by one of her favorite artist Prance Marc.
She loved his cubistic influence mixed with his impressionistic background. She focused on her water nymph submerged in teal inky depths, with splashes of deep purples, emeralds and gold foil. There were three figures of the same person, each in different pose of motion and emotion. Almost like Peter Paul Reubens’ Hero and Leander.
She had slipped on a pair a Beats and was listening to one of her favorite bands as she worked.
When she looked up she locked eyes with an intense looking Shining Armor.
He’d been stealing glances at her all morning.
With dark red cheeks, Chrysalis immediately dropped her gaze back to her sketchbook.
While she’d gotten much better at blocking out other people’s feelings, it was still a tiring task and his feelings had been pretty loud thus far.
He was so angry and disappointed, and the changeling didn’t know how to fix it. If it even was fixable. Everyone thought so lowly of her these days.
Chewing nervously on her lip, she didn’t think she could deal with him ‘telling her off’ too. Others had tried until she shot them death glares, staring them down with all the frost people assumed she was.
Cadence had flipped shit at home once she’d found her parents not only knew Chrysalis had put a kid in the hospital, but refused to punish her.
“Did you hear she called her teacher a bigot too?” The prima donna had raged. “Such a fine example that one!”
Was she really so awful that people just assumed she acted the way she did for no reason?
She’d confessed her outburst to her father the day of. He had called the school immediately resulting in a reprimand for that teacher.
The day drug on and Chrysalis pretended to not be affected by her classmates’ thoughts and opinions. Her friends tried to cheer her up and she thanked them for their efforts. She even saw Twilight in the hallway a time or two and shot the girl a rare smile.
Twilight had looked surprised. She supposed she couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t often someone blatantly and boldly disregarded your wishes like that.
Making their way to the cafeteria, the trio went about grabbing their food choices to meet up at their usual table.
Chrysalis was walking by a crowded table when her foot caught something and she violently lurched forward. With nothing to stop her abrupt descent, she watched in horror as her lunch spilled everywhere on the tile a millisecond before she joined it on the ground. The silence that followed only lasted a second before the cafeteria erupted in laughter and jeers.
Her dark skin heated up in a mix of resentment and mortification.
A pair of grimy green Chuck Taylor’s stepped into her field of vision as she winced in pain.
Craning her head upwards, she saw the biggest shit eating grin from some random kid she’d vaguely seen around.
“How’s it feel?” He snickered, looking down on her smugly.
The over inflated sense of ego was enough to make her blanch. Luckily none of the food had ruined her clothing.
Squaring her jaw, Chrysalis forced herself up and put on her best unimpressed face. It’d take more than that to hurt her feelings. She folded her arms across her chest and said as much. She saw two other boys blocking an outraged Maud and Fluffle behind him.
The boy frowned, “You really are an evil bitch. No one here likes you. No one at all. You really have-”
She watched his mouth move as his eyes darkened and she fought the urge to swing and maim.
Her arms fell to her side as her fist clenched. For all the shit the prick was talking, Chrysalis realized that he wasn’t wrong. Her cheeks burned hotly, as she really focused on the disdain that rolled over her like the waves in the bay that she loved to stare into. She didn’t have to see her schoolmates to know that they were openly agreeing and whispering.
Leave, something inside of her screamed, just fuckin’ go! But for whatever reason, she felt glued to that dirty cafeteria floor.
Just as she feared losing her composure, someone else intervened.
“How about you watch your mouth when you talk to her.”
A strong pair of hands closed around her forearms and pulled her back as their owner stepped forward.
Shining Armor stood tall with a glare that could kill. His eyes were a stormy grey and his body was rigid in its intensity.
The cafeteria was silent once again.
“Oh shit...” Someone whispered.
The boy stared at Shining Armor, clearly shocked and intimidated by his demeanor. “But she’s a b-bully!” He defended, confused by this turn of events.
“And you’re about to feel my boot in your ass if you say one more foul thing about her!” The smaller boy looked scared as fighting wasn’t in his public shaming scheme.
“Hey man...”
“The only bully here is you.”
With that, he grabbed Chrysalis by the wrist and the duo left the cafeteria in a dead quiet.
Dragging her into a nearby broom closet outside the cafeteria, Shining Armor pulled her close and exhaled angrily.
“Don’t you waste a single tear on those assholes.” He whispered roughly against her hair as he hugged her tightly against his body.
Chrysalis was at a loss as she processed the last few minutes.
“I... what...” She felt breathless as she unconsciously wrapped her arms around this boy who saw her cracking and stepped in to help.
No one else had cared. Well Maud and Fluffle tried... But wasn’t he mad at her too?
What was going on? She thought as her heart slammed wildly against her ribcage.
Shining Armor’s gaze softened.
Everything about Chrysalis screamed strength and passion. Those losers didn’t deserve to see her vulnerable.
The past three days had been hard as Shining Armor desperately wanted to talk to her.
The school assured his family that Curly had been expelled and that he could no longer step foot on school grounds or talk to any of the students lest the law get involved. Yet, that didn’t seem like enough.
If he could have, Shining Armor would’ve done worse to that freak, but Chrysalis had done enough.
To see the way people had been treating her and the things they’d been saying- he couldn’t take it anymore. If no one else would stand with her, then he would.
The two finally parted and studied each other in the dim light of the janitor’s closet
Curiousness shined in her wet gaze.
Calloused palms cradled her cheeks as his stormy cloud eyes burned into her own bright gaze, “I meant it before when I said we could be friends. But knowing what you did for Twilight... I’m your best friend now.”
How could anyone not see this girl for who she was?
Letting go of her before he did something stupid, Shining Armor desperately tried to calm his emotions as he hurriedly took his leave. Chrysalis stepped into the hallway after him feeling dazed and light.
Maud and Fluffle, rushed up to her just in time to see the school’s golden boy walking away from their clearly shaken friend.
‘Is she okay?’ Fluffle signed.
Maud glanced between the wide eyed Chrysalis and Shining Armor’s backside. “I think she’ll be just fine...”