The Thing About Timing (The Becoming of Elliott Goode)

Chapter 7

Just as Cordelia had said, dinner was served at 7 pm on the dot. Elliott had hung back an extra few minutes to finish the chapter she was on in her book, and when she came down the girls were already giggling about how one of the girls that had gone home for the summer had accidentally set her brothers hair on fire. He was fine, just a small bald spot on the back of his head, but the girls joked about how he would never bother his sister again. Cordelia mad eye contact with the girl as she walked in and offered her a soft smile. While there was an empty seat next to Cordelia, Elliott instead chose a seat next to Mallory at the opposite end of the table, something Cordelia definitely noticed, but she wasn't going to say anything. It was obvious the girl was trying to keep her distance, not wanting to draw attention to herself, so the supreme carried on the conversation, stopping only briefly to introduce Elliott to Zoe, another witch on her council. Zoe offered her a hand and Elliott shook it, but luckily the conversation didn't turn to questions about her, although Elliott assumed they were coming.

The witches continued to converse about funny stories and updates they had gotten from their sisters, one of them had gotten a job for the summer at a steakhouse, only to get fired a few weeks later for making her manager a mute, temporarily of course, she just wanted him to stop hitting on her, to which the witches at the table all agreed she should have made that permanent.

Once the conversation had died down a bit Madison turned her focus to Elliott "So what's your story new girl? You don't seem like the type who would come here on your own for "sisters". Did you kill someone?"

Cordelia watched Elliott's face turn hard and Madison gave her a small smirk. Cordelia was about to tell Madison to knock it off when she continued, "Got it. It's ok, we've all done it. I killed a bus full of boys and Zoe fucked the life out of her ex-boyfriend." Madison chuckled at that last bit before continuing, "But seriously, what's your story? Mommy and daddy didn't want to have a weirdo at their house?"

"Madison, now's not the time for that. Stop." Cordelia said harshly, more harshly than she usually talked to any of the girls.

Madison slightly recoiled at the response, glaring at Cordelia. "I was kidding. Literally everyone here knows I'm joking."

Elliott carefully thought about her response, wanting to out Madison in her place without giving too much away. "I pulverized a guy who was trying to rob a friend. At least, that's what I got caught for." She said pointedly, her face and eyes hard as she threw Madison a searing glare. Madison's face dropped, she hadn't expected the girl actually respond to her. She continued, "And I don't have parents, just so you know."

Cordelia visibly recoiled at the girls harsh response, she knew Elliott had killed people, she saw it in her visions, but the way the girl said it made it sound like a hobby, like her body count was higher than her age, and that didn't sit right with Delia.

Queenie cut in to try and break some of the tension, offering "So you were a foster kid? Me too. Took me frying some guys arm for Miss Cordelia to find me. I didn't even know witches were a real thing before she found me."

Elliott looked at Queenie and her eyes softened a bit, offering her a small nod before asking, "You fried some guys arm? How?"

Queenie gave her a small smirk before turning towards Cordelia, silently asking her permission. Cordelia didn't give her approval, but she also didn't say no, so Queenie turned her gaze towards Madison, and put her palm over the candle in the center of the table.

"Ow! You bitch! Can you ever pick someone who isn't me?" Madison responded, the bottom of her own palm blistering.

"Girl that was barely anything and you deserved it." Queenie responded, catching a smirk from Cordelia.