Riddle Me This

34

"Cae, wake up," Mattheo said. "I'm on bed rest, remember? I don't have to do shit," I mumbled, turning away from him.

"Cae."

"Cae."

"Cae-"

"OKAY OKAY I'M UP," I yelled, sitting up delicately. Mattheo laughed and helped me into a more comfortable position.

"Gooooooooooood morning!" Jenjen's voice squealed, and I finally noticed her, Didi, and Nira sitting on the edge of my bed. I grinned.

"Feeling a bit better?" Nira asked. I shrugged my good shoulder. "So-so," I said.

"Okay, Mattheo out. We need to talk to our Cae," Didi said, taking Mattheo by the shoulders and pushing him out the door.

I laughed and blew him a kiss as Didi pushed him out. He grinned and pretended to catch it. Didi ruined the moment by shutting the door on him.

"So, have you heard about the Yule Ball?" Jenjen asked as Didi sat back down on my bed.

"What happened to the costume party thing? Mattheo told me about it," I said. "I'm guessing you didn't," Nira said. I shook my head.

"The costume party is next week, in you and Mattheo's room, since it's the biggest. It's really more of a belated celebration party for your win, since you were knocked out when we planned to do it. AND you have to do it, because it's in your honor," Jenjen said. I rolled my eyes, smiling.

"What about the Yule Ball?" I asked, sitting up a little more. "Well, that's what we came here to talk to you about," Nira said, shifting on the bed.

"Okay. So?" I prompted. "So, there was an announcement about it, and they were saying that it was going to be during Christmas break, so that it won't get in the way of classes an all. And you also have to go to it, since you're a champion, and you'll have to find a date and dance with them," Didi said. I grinned.

"I'll be better by then, so I'm going to go. I would've gone even if I wasn't a champion, duh," I said. They all grinned.

"Do you have any ideas about what to wear?" I asked. "Yeah!" they said in unison.

"TWINS," we all screamed, then laughed.

"So, what are these ideas?" I asked. The three of them scooted up to sit next to me, Jenjen on my bad side, carefully avoiding my arm, and Didi and Nira on my other side.

"We were thinking about wearing the Slytherin colors. Like the rest of us wear black, and you wear green, to be different. You know, since you're a champion," Didi said, showing me a color palette on Pinterest.

"Ooooo, I like that shade of green," I said, pointing to an emerald green on the palette.

"Perfect! We found some dresses for each color," Didi said, clicking a board named 'Yule Ball Dresses'.

"Here, I found some options," she said, handing the phone to me. I took it and scrolled through the dresses. They reminded me of Jenjen's endless dress bag, there being so many choices.

"You don't have to choose now. You still have a whole month," Nira said, leaning over Didi's shoulder to look at the phone. I sighed and nodded.

"So, what are you and Mattheo thinking of going as for the costume party?" Jenjen asked. "We were thinking of Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky," I said.

"Nooooooo, we already planned some costumes for us! The boys are doing something to match," Didi said. "But-" I began.

"No buts! We'll give you the costume, and don't show it to Mattheo!" Nira said. I sighed.

"Fine. But what is it?" I asked. "You'll see," Didi said with a wink. I rolled my eyes, and they laughed.

"So, how have things been without me? Anything interesting?" I asked. "Oh, the usual. Enzo getting himself and everyone else into detention, Zee trying to get them out of detention, Draco getting turned into a ferret-" Jenjen said.

"Wait, WHAT?!" I asked, laughing. "I knowwwwww! He was squeaking for like an hour, trying to get us to turn him back!" Didi said.

"Did you get a picture?" I asked, still laughing. "Duh. It's my new wallpaper," Jenjen said, pulling out her phone.

"Here, look," she said, handing the phone to me. I took one look at the bleach-blonde ferret and started laughing my head off.

"THAT'S...THE MOST...AMAZING...THING...I'VE EVER...SEEN," I said between laughs.

"Send it to me! I have to show that to Mattheo!" I said, trying to stifle my laughs. "I will, don't worry," Jenjen said, grinning.

"Soooooooo, what are the costumes? Come on, tell me," I urged. "It's supposed to be a surprise!" Nira cried.

"I'll know when you send it to me, so it doesn't really matter," I said. "Okayyyyyy, FINE. We're all dressing up as Taylor Swift's Eras. I'm going to be 1989, Didi's going to be folklore, Nira's going to be Speak Now, and you'll be Lover. As for the boys, Draco's gonna be evermore, since he and Didi are siblings, you know, sister albums. Enzo's gonna be Fearless, Theo's gonna be Debut, Zee's gonna be Midnights, Tom will be Red, and Mattheo will be Rep," Jenjen said. I laughed.

"Who came up with that?" I asked. "Enzo, of course. I think he really just wants to wear that Fearless leotard with the tassels," Didi said, rolling her eyes. I laughed.

"So, what's my costume gonna look like?" I asked. "It's the sequined pinkish leotard," Nira said. "Ohhhhhh, the one with the boots?" I said. They all nodded.

"Hah! I can't wait to see Mattheo's costume!" I said, laughing.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be laughing your head off," Nira said with a wink.

"Well, I think we'd better go. Zee's texting us that we have to let you rest," Jenjen said, checking her phone. "Okay. Come back soon, though!" I said. They crawled off my bed and to the door.

"Is Mattheo out there?" I asked. "I'm here, princess," he said, strolling into my room. I smiled as he snuggled next to me on top of the covers.

"The girls told me about the Halloween costumes," I said, letting him pull me into his chest, my back pressed against him.

"Yeah, the guys told me about that. Now I wish that I had just agreed to the Taylor and Travis thing, because now I have to wear this weird leotard thing," he grumbled. I laughed, then yawned.

"You should rest," he said. "Maybe I'll take a little nap," I mumbled, already drifting off. Mattheo pressed his lips on my neck, and I felt his smile.

"Love you," I mumbled. "Love you too," he whispered. Then, I let myself go to sleep in Mattheo's warmth.

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-clare