Suffocating

Enfold; X

It was 11:14, Claire was supposed to meet Bella at 11:30, and she was a deer caught in the headlights.

Only, a deer was innocent, frail, and didn't know any better, and the whole reason why it was caught was because it tried to cross the road, to arrive at point B from point A. It tried to walk, not expecting any harm, and it paid the price.

Claire wasn't trying to walk.

She was trying to return a favour. To clear up a dirty debt. A debt she shouldn't have owned in the first place. A debt she never wanted to own.

Roxanne made a strangled burst of noise, almost gurgly, coming out of her throat. At first, Claire thought it was a sob or a hiccup. But as more and more of that noise freed themselves, she realized Roxanne was laughing.

Roxanne's body shook, as though it was keeping something within from bursting out. If Claire didn't know any better, she would've thought Roxanne was a freak like her and was in the middle of transforming.

"Oh, go ahead, Claire," she said, in-between laughter, draping an arm across one side of the doorframe to use it as balance. "Just leave. Don't mind me. I'm just passing by. It's not-" a gulp of composure and clearing of the voice. "It's not like we have any plans or anything."

Claire had expected the calling out, the anger, and the painful sarcasm, always hitting at her core.

But she hadn't expected this; shoulders bobbing up and down, knees jerking, imbalance, unending hysteria.

"Rox-"

"No, no." Roxanne wiped a tear, unwilling to look at Claire. That was how Claire knew she wasn't just laughing. "It's obvious where your priorities are. I should've- I should've known from the beginning."

Something primal, powerful tugged inside of her, willing to break free from the chains Claire had locked it into. Something bright. Something addictive. Something right and wrong at once.

Claire shoved it all down, but didn't ignore its warnings.

It was 11:16.

"Roxanne, did something happen?"

A bark of laughter, louder than the rest. It echoed throughout the soy white of the hallway walls.

"Oh, yeah. Something-" A snort. "Something totally happened."

Despite it all, Claire couldn't help but use a sliver of her powers, just to see, just to know.

Just as she started to, Roxanne pushed away from the door, and into her personal space. Their noses touched. Roxanne's eyes, red and wide and partly covered by her moist, damp hair, were faded by the rim of her glasses. Claire saw her own eyes at those reflections - the eyes of fake innocence, fake goodness, fake blackness.

"I got a raise, Claire."

Roxanne's breath of air tickled the dry of her lips. Claire smelled a hint of orange, chocolate, and something else, something undefinable and undoubtedly Roxanne, only stronger, and less pleasant.

The edges of Roxanne's eyes lifted up. Creases, hard and sharp, painted her face. A grin split. "Oh, and Mister Grover finally retired. Isn't that nice?"

"That's-"

Roxanne laughed, her arms resting on Claire's shoulders, her touch faint and gentle despite her extreme emotions - as though despite how much she was suffering, she didn't want anyone else to suffer. Roxanne, always the better one between them, and always insisting she was the worst out of all of the people.

Roxanne grabbed Claire as though she didn't know whether to push her or pull her away.

"So, yeah, Claire. Everything's just dandy. Now, why don't you go abandon me for the hundredth time? I'll be fine. Don't worry. I'm used to it!"