bleached bones and pinned butterflies

my name is not princess, it's-

"I'm biking to the venue, so go ahead without me." Noah says, bending down to touch her toes and hissing in relief when the knot in her back loosens. God she slept so horribly the night before, Icy Bastard's words and taunts chasing each other in her head. "Might do a few laps around the city before I head over, though, so don't wait up too much." 

Samuel squints at her, eyeing the way she's wearing a cropped top, her protective leggings, gloves and cleats. "... Why are you suddenly biking a lot?" He asks, suspicion in his voice and expression. In his everything, really, considering the mean emotes as clear as a giant billboard. 

"... Isn't that our career?" Noah shoots back, carefully keeping her voice steady. Samuel might be her oldest friend, true, but he doesn't need to be involved with her private business. "Biking?" 

The look Samuel gives her absolutely judgemental that he clearly learnt it from her. "Don't get cheeky with me now." He deadpans, and Noah has to bite her lip. 

Does she tell him? Should she? 

Noah finds herself really hesitant to share, even if it's Samuel. She's always been closest to him, out of everyone else in Light Cavalry, but this... Noah finds herself wanting to keep mum. Wanting to keep her secret longer. It's not his business, after all; just Noah's. All Noah's, so why should she share? This doesn't concern Samuel at all, no.

But at the same time, he's her best friend, her first friend- 

Samuel snaps his fingers all of the sudden, making her startle, and at the accusing look he gives her, Noah feels her blood run cold. "You..." He walks closer, and Noah instinctively backs up. "You... don't tell me you're seeing someone or some shit." 

... Oh. 

Her best friend can be conveniently dumb. 

A vaguely hysteric laugh spills out from Noah's mouth, and thinking fast, she says- "How the fuck did you know?!" Here's to hoping Samuel takes the bait and backs the fuck off. 

But as luck would have it, it only served to get him even more heated, stomping towards her, and Noah- 

Noah fucking leaps over her bed, because best friend or not, Samuel is one scary motherfucker on a good day and he's a fucking beast on a bad one. And Noah know how much of a bitch she can be and how she's deliberately provoking him, well- 

Mayday, mayday, engage evasive maneuvers. 

"Hey, get back here woman!"

"Fuck you, I don't want an interrogation!"

"What's there to interrogate, huh? Is there really something? Who the fuck are you even seeing?!" 

"Your mum!" 

"NOAH ELIZABETH BROOKES." 

Okay, so she might've not thought that through, pulling a 'your mum' joke at Samuel. So she bolts towards the door, helmet in one hand and her bag in the other- 

But unfortunately for her Samuel is built like a fucking bear and sprints like one so he manages to slam into the door first; hard enough that he actually bounces off of it as it slams close. Noah can only stare, incredulous, as Samuel lies on the floored, equally as stunned. 

You can clearly tell... There's not a single peaceful day in their years of friendship.

"... Wow." 

Samuel points a finger at her. "Do not. Fucking speak." He groans, hauling himself to his feet, before he leans against the door, blocking it and staring down Noah. "Alright. Confession time."