favorite liar | xavier thorpe

6. break up make up

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The carnival wasn't all it was cracked up to be, especially when Xavier won a panda for Iris, but then Wednesday made Iris give Principal Weems the panda, so she would be distracted, and only then is when Wednesday told Iris that Tyler is driving them to the nearest train station, and they had to leave right that second, so Iris said sorry to Xavier and that she had to put her sister first, so she followed Wednesday and Tyler to the parking lot where Tyler gave them their dad's file from the police station, and then they had to run from the pilgrim freaks who started chasing them around when Wednesday ran into Rowan, Xavier's roommate, which triggered a vision for her, and she dragged Iris to follow him after he ran into the woods, and then he used his powers to push the two of them against a tree trunk and said he had to kill them because of some drawing of some girl who could be either twin destroying the school and to be safe he had to kill both but then monster came out of nowhere and killed him in front of their eyes, and then Wednesday and Iris had to go back to Nevermore where Wednesday said she had to figure everything out, and Iris wanted to go to sleep and pretend none of it happened.

But other than that it was fine.

It was kind of weird when Rowan appeared the next morning good as new, Wednesday told Iris, both girls looked paler than usual - which is definitely saying something.

But anyway, Iris had no time to dwell over silly things like necromancy as she was decorating the canoe thing Ophelia Hall was going to be using in the annual Poe Cup Competition.

Apparently one of the other girls almost lost a finger last year, and she didn't want to participate again, so Enid offered Iris her spot which she took mostly because she didn't know how to say no to the sad look in Enid's eyes when she all but begged Iris to join her team. Especially knowing Wednesday wouldn't even begin to consider the notion, so she was kind of her last option.

"Iris," Wednesday's monotone voice pulls the girl out of her riveting conversation with Yoko about whether to make the whiskers flare upwards or just straight out.

"Wednesday," Iris is in no mood to talk about last night - or anything serious right now - while she's just trying to experience life as a normal high school student.

"You and Xavier Thorpe."

". . ."

"Can you talk to him about Rowan for me?"

"Right now?" Iris slightly whines. She hasn't talked to him since she ditched him at the carnival and basically told him he meant nothing to her.

Full disclosure, she doesn't really take it back, because, like, he is just some guy, but he also won her a panda, so she owes him something. She just doesn't know what yet.

". . . Yes," and Wednesday walks away, probably off to do more investigating.

"He's probably at archery club," Enid walks to Iris's side of the canoe, putting a hand out for her paintbrush, knowing Iris knows better than to get on Wednesday's bad side.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

"You ever shot a bow and arrow before?" Xavier continues shooting his own as Iris comes up beside him, hoping he doesn't feel the awkward tension she does.

"Only on live targets," Iris answers truthfully, only realizing after she closes her mouth how malicious sounds. "So, yes."

Xavier hands her his bow wordlessly, and Iris picks up her own arrow, easily hitting bullseye before turning back to Xavier who's still staring at the target with some surprise.

"I need to talk to you," she states.

"That's new," he all but scoffs.

"I'm sorry," Iris knows she needs him to take her seriously before she can ask about Rowan for Wednesday. "Everything was just happening so fast last night, and I-"

"I get it," Xavier shakes his head. "It's whatever," he then looks at her face for the first time in this interaction. "Was that what you wanted to talk about?"

"No," Iris glad they're okay now. "Well, yes, but there's something else," she then clarifies. "When's the last time you saw Rowan?" She decides to lead into it slowly rather than starting off the bat with 'did you or did you not see you roommate come back to life after being maliciously clawed to death by some unknown monster in the middle of the woods?'

"The harvest festival," Xavier reaches for the bow still in Iris's hands but she keeps it out of his reach - instincts from having a little brother at this point. "Haven't talked to him since," he then adds, clearly annoyed Iris is taking over their conversation. "But his side of the room was all packed up this evening. Rowan's always been a little off, but, uh, these past couple of weeks he's been all erratic. Y'know, telekinesis can mess with your head. . . started to freak me out."

Xavier takes advantage of how deep in thought Iris gets after his words that he manages to grab the bow and aim for another shot.

"So, what's the deal with you and Tyler?" He misses the center.

"What?" Iris's brain stops working for a moment. "Tyler, the normie?"

"Is there another Tyler I should be worried about?" Xavier stops his aim to look at Iris rhetorically.

"Why are you worrying about anyone?" Iris stares taken aback.

Xavier also seems like he needs to backtrack for a moment, and he goes to take another shot. Another miss.

"Just steer clear of him. Tyler and his friends are all jerks. They can't stand the fact that this school is the only thing propping up their Podunk town."

"Says the boy who's life was served to him on a silver platter," Iris doesn't know why she's getting so defensive all of the sudden, but in a way she thinks Xavier started it.

"Y'know, girls in glass houses-"

"Should throw bigger stones," Iris finishes the saying the way her mother always tells her, taking the bow back as well as the apple Xavier probably set aside for a snack later. "At least I'm not an elitist snob," she allows the tension carrying over from the night before to drive her words - and actions as she tosses the apple up and releases an arrow to line up with it, hitting the target a little below dead center where she hit it the first time.

"Ouch," Xavier stares at the target, then at Iris.

Iris feels slightly guilty, not sure why, but avoiding all eye contact.

"Sorry about your apple," she thinks that'll make both of them feel better, but somehow it doesn't.

"Sorry I couldn't help you more with Rowan," Iris appreciates Xavier making a similar attempt.

"And there's nothing going on between me and Tyler," she feels ridiculous even having to say out loud. "We've had, like, one conversation. He's kind of in love with Wednesday."

"I see," this seems to lift some sort of weight of Xavier's shoulders. "Well, what classes do you have later today?" Iris is thankful for the easy flow of conversation they're starting to get into again.

"The plant one," Iris says dismissively, now that her and Xavier are good again and she has some information to report back to Wednesday, she kind of wants to get back to painting with Yoko and Enid.

"Nice," Xavier thinks her name for the class is funny as he lets out a small laugh. "I'll see you there?"

"Save me a spot," Iris says, already walking away to make sure Yoko did the whiskers right.