The Inconspicious Twist of Fate

C12

Entering Flashback:

Isolde skipped through the empty halls, her nose still sunburnt after the little snowboarding trip.

She pushed through the doors, smiling as she immediately came face to face with Atlas.

The smile soon dropped tho as she studied his bruising face and Octavius came running from the changing rooms behind him.

Atlas tried pushing past her hurriedly, but Isolde caught his arm and pulled him to the side.

"What happened to your face?" She seethed through clenched teeth.

Both boys remained silent, averting her gaze.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" She repeated, this time louder.

"There has occurred an inconvenience in the locker room." Octavius vaguely suggested.

This time Isolde remained silent, knowing that it would make Octavius uncomfortable, further pushing him to elaborate.

"I got punched by a homophobic prick." Atlas finally spoke up.

All emotions vanished from Isolde's face, her steely eyes burning into Atlas's.

"Did you punch him back?" She asked, unnaturally calm.

"W-what? No I-" Atlas began but she interrupted him.

"Did you punch him back?" She was looking at Octavius.

His eyebrows met each other as he frowned, his fingers tugging at the dark green shirt he wore.

"I asked him not to." Atlas quickly intervened, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

Isolde's cheeks flushed red, progressively spreading down her neck. Her nostril flared with her every exhale and her jaw muscles twitched.

"Isolde don't act irrationally." Octavius tried but the adrenaline had already kicked in.

Her heart palpitated wildly in her chest and her hands shook.

Giving the boys no warning, Isolde pushed through the doors violently.

She stormed into the boys locker rooms unannounced, leaving many scrambling for towels and clothes to save any shred of dignity she'd stripped off them. Laughter settled, and all eyes were on her, but the distant sound of running water remained.

"Which one of you is the homophobic asshole?" She posed.

The boys exchanged confused looks before being startled by Isolde's hand slamming against one of the metal lockers.

"WHO DID IT?" She yelled.

Wet footsteps sounded in the silence as Holden, one of the volleyball players, walked out the showers with a towel wrapped around his waist. All eyes turned to him and he stopped whistling.

"Woah whats going on here? To what do we owe the pleasure Isolde?" He flashed her a charming smile.

"Was it him?" Isolde turned to one of the boys who now stood behind her. He nodded.

"Are you insecure?" She deadpanned, glaring at Holden.

"What?"

"Are you still closeted? Is that why you picked on Atlas?" She proceeded.

"Ah, here to defend the gay boy who's too weak to stand up for himself." He snickers, looking around but not one of the other's reciprocated his jest. "He's a perv. It should be us you're defending."

An unlady like snort escapes Isolde's lips.

"Are you that conceited that you'd think he'd be even remotely interested in you and your shrimp?" At her words a few chuckles float around the room, and Octavius enters.

"It's no shrimp, but you wouldn't know, would you?" Holden glares back at her through narrowed eyes. "I can show you just how big it is. You can then tell that fa-"

His words were cut short by a punch in the gut, sending him stumbling back with a whine.

"You're pathetic." She spits, watching him regain composure. Around the room the quietude seems to enhance, the air almost suffocating with anticipation and surprise.

"Fuck, you bitch." He hisses, standing up with the wall as support.

"Are you gonna hit me too? Call me a slur?" She goaded him. "Big bad Holden got beaten up by a girl?"

"Shut up."

"Awh, why should I if you couldn't? You've had a chance to share your opinion of Atlas with everyone here, why can't I? Will I shatter your fragile masculinity?" She continues, shrugging off Octavius's hand which he tried to stop her with.

"Don't tempt me to hit you." He said.

"Ohoho. I dare you to, come on. COME ON HIT ME! PROVE YOUR MASCULINITY TO THE REST OF THEM."

At this point, steam was escaping his ears. Isolde had successfully evoked a reaction, one she wasn't exactly prepared for, because when he raised his hand, she found herself frozen to the spot.

Alas, Holden didn't get the chance to lay his hands on her because Octavius intervened, laying his own hands on Holden.

The latter bent over, clutching the side of his face where Octavius had punched him.

Isolde took the chance to slip the towel off Holden waist, exposing him.

"Your dick is tiny and your mom's a hoe." She concluded, then turned and exited the locker room, Octavius hot on her heels.

"Are you serious? Was that really necessary?" He called after her.

She stopped, and he bumped into her back.

"Was that really necessary? Were you planning on letting his bullying slide?" She swiveled to face him.

"You could've gotten hurt. If we'd just reported him to the principal or to the coach he would've gotten kicked off the team or suspended or something." Octavius reasoned.

"Well I didn't get hurt, but Atlas did. I'm perfectly satisfied with taking matters into my own hands." She said unrepentant.

"We'll get into trouble now too. It was an incredibly impulsive decision Isolde!"

"No one asked you to step in. After all, you didn't do so when it mattered most."

She walked into the girls room, effectively ending the conversation...

End of flashback