palette in the moonlight | x-files teen au

ii. best friends and ordinary mannerisms

Biology, history and French flash by, and it's time for lunch.

Dana makes her way across the cafeteria. Looks like everyone forgot that she got paired up with Mulder.

Or not. Passing by Lanie's table, a pair of very judgmental eyes scan the cafeteria for possible targets to distract her audience of six (four giggly, way too loud girls, and two boys, one of which Scully notices to be Lanie's boyfriend Dean) from her most recent academic success - an attempt to stay humble, of course. Finally, they stop on our redheaded heroine.

In typical aristocratic manner, she bats her eyelashes first. Then, Lanie mumbles something regarding Spooky and the girl who sat behind me in chemistry, followed by a nod in her direction and, at last, 

And then, they continue talking in their ordinary manner.

Dana walks up to her best friend, Monica Reyes, who's already sitting at their usual table.

"What was that all about?" she asks, sitting down and dropping her bag against her side of the table. She knows the answer, but she doesn't know what to do but play clueless.

"Everyone's talking about you and Spooky," Monica runs a hand through her long, dark hair, playfully rolling her eyes. "A bunch of morons with nothing better to do, if you ask me."

Monica looks popular, if that's a proper way to describe her type of beauty, and falls into the category of prettiest girls of the entire school district. Maybe even prettier (but that's just Scully's professional opinion).

She's been friends with Scully since the other moved in, right before the school year started.

A little longer than a month, then.

"What about me and Sp-- Mulder?" the redhead genuinely wonders this time.

"Don't you know? Oh God, it's silly," Monica replies, "Jane spread some dumb rumour about you two secretly dating, over the fact you were spontaneously paired up at chemistry."

"What?" Scully's eyes widen, "How could she possibly assume that over a lab partnership?"

"Don't know," the other starts, "But knowing Jane, it doesn't surprise me."

They sit in silence for a few moments.

"Where's John?" Dana asks, trying to change the subject, "It's weirdly quiet without him."

John Dogget, Monica's boyfriend and Dana's best friend, besides Monica, obviously. He's half a year older than both of them, and, by his looks, one could assume he's the scariest guy in the whole school.

His neutral expression is an expression that screams, "talk to me and I'll break your legs".

Which is why his kind, warm personality surprises most people.

"Skipping. Wait, I'm supposed to say he's sick, so ignore that." Monica replies, "Where's your lunch?"

"I'm not hungry, not really," Scully answers, "Besides, the food they sell around here is gross, and I couldn't be bothered to buy anything on the way."

"Fair enough." Monica says and takes a small bite out of her bagel.

Then, she leans in closer.

"Hey, Dana."

"Hey, Monica." Scully mimicks.

"Just to confirm,"

"Hm?"

"You and Spooky definitely aren't an item?"

"Shut up!" Scully playfully pushes her away, laughing.

Monica joins in and leans back in her chair once again.

"Just checking, don't worry!"

And Scully rolls her eyes, still smiling.

"Hey, we've got ten minutes of lunch left, do you mind if I --?" she asks, gesturing towards her bag.

"Go for it," Monica takes another small bite out of her bagel, "but be careful."

Scully nods and picks up her bag, heading towards the door. Luckily, her school allows the students to go to the front - and, most importantly for Scully - back yard of the school during lunch.

There's usually nobody there, as everyone prefers to stay with the pack. Never straying too far.

She usually goes here after a particularly tiring half-day to smoke.

And this time's no different than the rest, she thinks to herself, settling under the willow surrounded by other, smaller trees.

It's a relatively tiny excuse for a back yard, but it rests comfortably on the border between pleasant and claustrophobic.

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, grabbing one and burying the pack back under the books.

Setting the cigarette between her teeth, she unzips and puts her hand in the shallow pocket of her leather jacket.

She should replace this lighter soon, she thinks to herself, switching it off and on rapidly.

It might last a bit longer. Hopefully til her monthly allowance is due.

She shrugs and lights it, taking a quick pull.

And then, she hears an oddly familiar voice.

"Those things are gonna kill you, you know."