Verena __.t.pendragon

Animosity

It was the middle of the day as I walked into the clearing, ready for lunch. Everything looked as it did in the morning to the point where you'd think we'd never left at all. I was looking for my friends once more when I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye. It was the same tree as this morning. 

Something was making its leaves shake violently, even more so than before. I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, but no one was looking this way. My feet started to move before I could realize I'd let my curiosity take over. The leaves shook and didn't stop shaking as if they were bothered by the fact that no one noticed them. I walked until I was standing directly under them. I tried to look in between them but couldn't get a glimpse of whatever was moving in there.

Then it stopped. Again. As if it hadn't been moving at all.

"What the..." I mumbled, trying to look closer.

"What are you looking at?"

I jumped at my roommate's raspy voice. Agatha stood behind me, looking over my head to the tree and trying to spot what had caught my attention.

"Oh, I don't... know exactly. Never mind it, it was probably nothing. Did you need something?"

She opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by the voice of a blonde girl in Never robes. She was pretty, really pretty, with flowing, shiny hair and green eyes. If she hadn't been clad in shapeless back clothes with a black swan adorning her chest I would have thought she was an Ever, a princess.

"Oh, Aggie! It's so horrible!" She whined. "Everyone is greasy and smells! And they want me to take something called Uglyfication! Ugly-fication! Me!! How could I possibly- "

She noticed me out of the corner of her eye. As I took her in, she did the same to me, looking from the top of my head to the tip of my glass shoes.

"Who are you?"

"This is Verena," Agatha answered, "she's my roommate. Verena, this is Sophie, the friend I told you about."

Of course, Sophie! I cursed myself for not figuring it out sooner. After all, she was the only one besides me who seemed to approach Agatha willingly.

I smiled brightly "Hi."

"Oh. Yes. Nice to meet you." She gave me one more once over and, before I could get any words out, grabbed Agatha's hand and pulled her away towards a tree not too far from where we were. I watched them walk away.

"Um, you too, I guess."

I shot one last glance above my head at the mysterious dancing leaves. They were still once again, leaving me to wonder if perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me.

---

"I'm just saying if he were to simply part his hair differently, he would look so much better, you know?"

"Mmmhm." I said absentmindedly while listening to Reena ramble on.

She had been talking about this guy, Jeevan, since the rose ceremony. About how tall he is, how good-looking he is, blah, blah, blah. Stars, I loved the girl, but she could really go on about a guy.

"Hey!" She frowned "Don't do that, this is serious!

"Ree, I really doubt that you finding true love depends too much on how your prince parts his hair."

She gaped at me putting her hands on her hips "Wha- it's still important! I can't love someone who doesn't care for their self-image."

I sighed. "Fine, fine. I guess you have a point."