Margaret briskly strode down the dormitory (because Balencia's never stomped.) occasionally she looked behind her shoulder to see if miraculously anyone was still up and able to see her. It was pretty late, so it was unlikely, but Margaret wanted to make sure nobody could see her like this. Much less take a picture of it.
Margaret let her feet carry her to the room she was going to. In front of it she stopped, and gave three firm knocks, before tapping her foot impatiently. She heard a confused voice but no answer, growing irritated at the lack of response she knocked again, a bit more frantic this time (except she was not panicked, because Balencia's did not panic.)
Finally, someone answered the door. It was Adonis, hair slightly tussled and looking confused "Wh-" before he could finish his sentence Margaret pushed passed him. "Honestly Adonis, it's quite rude to keep someone waiting." She scoffed as she entered the room.
Adonis looked back at her, eyebrows furrowed "Margaret, you came here in the middle of the night-" he stopped and examined her for a moment "What are you wearing?"
Margaret huffed "It's a hoodie Adonis, ever heard of one?" She pulled the hood down more.
"Yeah, but I've never seen one on you," they said, and then Piper entered the living room. "Who is-" she stopped dead in her tracks, eyebrows flying up "Margaret?" her voice was filled with surprise "What are you doing here?"
Margaret huffed "Is it so odd of me to want to visit my friends?"
"In the middle of the night, wearing that?" Piper responded, Adonis gave an "I told you so" look to Margaret. She crossed her arms "Fine-if you need to know-" she hesitated, the thought of showing it suddenly becoming terrifying. She felt tears prickle her eyes but she quickly willed them away (Balencia's did not cry.)
Finally, she ripped her hood off.
Pipers eyes widened and Adonis let out a simple "Woah,"
Where her long hair had once been was gone, instead her hair went to her shoulders, the ends were choppy, clearly hastily cut. Margaret didn't say anything else for fear of letting tears slip.
Pipers eyes widened and she blinked rapidly "Well, that is surprising."
Adonis let out a laugh "Wow, your following my lead? I'm honored."
Margaret suddenly burst into tears, unable to hold it back anymore.
"Oh" Adonis said in surprise.
"It's terrible!! It looks awful!!" Margaret wailed putting her hands on her face. Piper set a comforting hand on her shoulder "Hey, it's not bad-" she said shooting Adonis a look. They gulped "Uh yeah, it looks...good." He said awkwardly.
"It does not look good, none of this is good!!" She snapped at him. Adonis took a step back. "What's so bad about it," Piper asked approaching her as if she were a scared animal. Margaret rolled her eyes, as if the question was ridiculous "Maybe because my mother will kill me!!" And oh, Margaret could imagine her mothers face. Her throat constricted and her breathing became frantic.
"I'm sure she won't kill you..." Piper said softly. Margaret shook her head "No, you don't know my mother," she was shaking.
Piper frowned "Can I ask what brought this on?"
"I don't know!!" Margaret exclaimed, which was a lie, she did know. But she couldn't admit to her friends that she'd had a pathetic identity crisis. It was pathetic because she knew who she was. She was cruel, and selfish, and rotten. And that's how she liked it. (She had to like it. Who would she be if she didn't.)
Neither Piper or Adonis seemed to believe Margaret's story, she stepped back further "I was just, trying something new," she looked at Piper pleadingly, hoping that'd make her drop the subject.
Piper still seemed concerned, but moved topics. "Okay well, we can go to the salon and get it touched up-"
"No!" Margaret said, standing up "There's no way anyone can see me like this!"
"You have to go outside at some point Margaret-" Adonis started.
"No I don't! I-I can just lock myself in my room until my hair starts growing out! Online classes exist!" Margaret said, growing desperate.
Piper frowned "I think you know that isn't realistic."
Margaret groaned and put her face in her hands, leaning up against the wall. Eventually she slipped down so she was sitting on the floor, grumbling to herself "My mother asks one thing of me, follow her rules, and I can't even do that."
"That's actually multiple things..." Adonis muttered. Piper gave him another glare, leaning down next to Margaret "When do you have to tell your mom?" She asked .
"At our weekly call. In a few days."
"Isn't that only a call? She doesn't have to see your face." Adonis said, standing awkwardly in front of them. Margaret shook her head "No, she asks me to do face time. She wants to make sure I'm eating well. She wouldn't let me just call her, she'd be suspicious."
Adonis scrunched up his nose, Piper frowned but still said "A few days is plenty of time to figure out a way to break things to your mom." She put a hand on Margaret's shoulder again "For now maybe we could use a distraction. We can put on a movie?"
Margaret rolled her eyes "Isn't it a little late for a movie?"
"Well, we're awake now, and Nita's not home..." Piper responded.
Margaret thought about it, before sighing dramatically "I suppose there's nothing that can be done about my current condition in the dead of night."
"I'll take that as a yes-I'll go make popcorn." Piper said standing up. Margaret huffed "I don't eat popcorn,"
"Well then I'll make it for myself." Piper responded, beginning to head to the kitchen.
Margaret still sat on the floor, her breathing had began to level, and the tears started slowing down. Adonis was still looming awkwardly over her. "It'll be fine." He finally said "I mean-it doesn't look that bad,"
Margaret stared at him, and then she burst out laughing "Wow, you're really bad at this." She said in between giggles, already feeling lighter.
Adonis almost looked embarrassed, quickly turning his head away "Ugh, that's the last time I'm nice to you."
"With how you are at it, I'm glad." Margaret said with a smirk.
Adonis still seemed offended, before Piper entered the room again and told them to stop fighting. Eventually they migrated to the couch, where they argued over a movie. Of course, Margaret ended up winning, and they watched a horror movie (It has nothing to do with the fact she cried moments ago and everything to do with her superior movie taste).
They laughed and made fun of the characters. Piper and Adonis destroyed the popcorn with butter and salt, Margaret called them disgusting but still stole a bite (okay, a few bites).
At some point, Margaret felt her eyes begin to droop, She isn't sure when she fell asleep, but she feels her friends drape a blanket on her, and mumble something.
"It'll be okay."
And Margaret thinks, just for a moment, maybe things will.
