•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The walk was short to the office, Beatrix was quiet as she listened to Tara and Riven talk about everything and anything. Neither seemed to be able to shut up around each other in her opinion, but the fairy would do what was necessary to get her job done and if that involved being around two chatty specialists then so be it.

"Miss Dowling takes 30 minutes for lunch," Riven paused in thought, "Her assistant, Callum, gets 15." The teenage boy had his hood pulled up as he fiddled with something on Miss Dowling's desk.

Beatrix wandered around the bookcases, turning to Riven with a flirty look, "Somebody's done this before."

"Don't boost his ego, he should've been caught ages ago." Tara gave Riven a look from where she stood by the window. Tara didn't mind coming along to their activities but wouldn't snoop around the woman's office. Riven ignored Tara's disapproving tone.

"That's why you came to me, right? A proper delinquent." Riven smirked and poured some whiskey into one of the glasses, "Uh- also, if you see a vape anywhere, Dowling took mine last year." Tara tried not to snicker at the memory, Riven had been absolutely furious, nonstop complaining to Sky and Tara for days. 

"A vape?" Beatrix questioned although she already knew the answer, "Every time you seem cool, you say something that ruins it." Tara laughed lightly at the other girls words, Riven ignored his fiends chuckles.

"It's still weed," he defended slightly embarrassed.

Beatrix briefly looked back from where she was looking at the books, "So smoke a joint."

"What you after, anyway? Test answers?" Riven sat in Miss Dowling's chair still nursing the glass of whiskey. Tara moved to sit just on the edge of the desk, both specialists looking at Beatrix awaiting her answer.

"Please. The tests they give now might as well be written in crayon. I'm looking for the shit they don't teach. The secrets." Power flickered off her fingers, looking like little lightning strikes as they flurried over the wooden shelves, "The history of this place is a lot darker than Dowling and the rest of the faculty want us to know." Beatrix smirked but the specialists didn't see the evil look in her eye as she eyed the bookcase where she now knew the door was. "I want that truth. Don't you?" The fairy spun around smiling at the seventeen year olds.

"So, wait, you're like some hot, fucked-up..." Riven trailed off unable to find the right words so Tara offered "history nerd?" Riven pointed to his best friend and nodded.

"Why?" Beatrix took slow steps over, "Is that a confusing archetype for you?" Pulling his feet off the mahogany wood desk so that he was sat up straighter the fairy smirked.

Riven wrapped his arms around the younger girls waist as she hooked her arms around his neck, "Not one bit."

Tara cleared her throat uncomfortably.

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Tara had reluctantly agreed to go with the two back to Riven's dorm. He had promised that nothing was going to happen whilst she was there at least (making her feel only the slightest bit better), after all Tara didn't want to spend her whole afternoon watching her best friend try to get lucky. The female specialist was laying on Sky's bed, truly regretting her existence as she listened to the two on Riven's side of the room.

"Homophobic gay-bashing by GIF. Truly, you've reached your peak clever." Beatrix barely glanced at Riven from where she was propped against his bed.

"Look, one, I don't think he's full-gay. Probably mostly," he shrugged not bothered, "but, two, I don't care. Just 'cause he's gay, it doesn't mean he has to be lame."

"So you're gonna help him by making him feel bad about himself. A well-intentioned bully."

"That's the plan. Why? Is that a confusing archetype for you?" Riven leaned in as they shared chuckles. Tara groaned quietly from her spot, anymore of this and she would plunge a knife in her stomach just to make it stop.

"And that's my cue." Tara muttered awkwardly pushing herself off of the bed starting to walk to the door when Sky came in. She smiled thankfully at her other best friend, but the brunette told herself she shouldn't have allowed herself to be talked into coming with them in the first place. Because when two people obviously want to get together, why would they want a clingy best friend?

"Hey Tar," Sky greeted the girl with a smile, not shocked to see her in their dorm as the three amigos often hung out in each others dorms. Sky glanced around only then noticing the two others, his voice hung with scepticism at the sight of the two vaping, "Hello." They didn't greet back.

Tara moved with Sky back to his area of the room and sat cross-legged on his bed. The blonde set down his blue folder and removed his backpack. At least now that he was here she might have some sort of help.

"Oh, shit, sorry." Beatrix held out the vape for him.

"No, thank you." Sky held out a hand in refusal, "Daytime? Not smart, Riv," he fanned the air wondering how Tara had dealt with all the smoke in the air, "If Silva catches her up here-"

"Beatrix." The fairy interrupted, "Not 'her.' Beatrix."

"And, uh, Silva left. I kinda snooped to make sure," Riven assured his blonde mate who just gave him disapproving glances, Riven carried on, "Something about meeting up with a military detachment from Solaria, ask your girlfriend."

"You're dating the princess? Shit!" That was pretty much most peoples reaction when they found out Stella and Sky were dating, "Is it weird having sex with someone who looks just like you, or is that kind of the point?"

Tara's eyes widened in surprise and had to hold back a snort, Riven grinned as he noticed her amused eyes looking downwards to not tick off Sky anymore.

"If the Solarians are coming..." Sky started but was cut off as Tara sat more forward looking at the group with interested eyes, "that means the rumours must be true, they've captured a Burned One!"

"The Solarian prison is no joke, I guess they're gonna transfer it." Riven agreed. "You see, the upshot is..." He leaned into Beatrix's neck and kissed her there lightly whispering, "we've got nowhere to be."

Beatrix smirked at him, "Speak for yourself. I'm gonna head to the library." Not five seconds later the fairy had left leaving the three specialists sat in a short silence. Tara couldn't help but feel relieved since the girl had left. It wasn't that she didn't like the fairy, it was just that she had fitted in so easily with Riven that over the past few hours the female specialist had felt slightly redundant.

"I don't have the time to tell you all the reasons why that's a bad idea," Sky gestured to the door which Beatrix had just left through. 

Riven didn't seem too bothered as he played back on his bed taking a hit from the vape, "Yeah yeah."

The silence was slightly awkward, something the trio weren't used to, hence why the only girl decided to leave while she wasn't dying from the tension. "Well I've got a hot date with my bed so I'll see you two later." The brunette brushed herself tapping Sky's leg as a goodbye. Riven waved a hand but remained on his bed.

Tara wandered down to her own room not really feeling much. Sometimes, days were hard yet others were fine. An endless tipping scale of emotions, but Tara knew all teenagers went through something like this. So she never voiced her real emotions to her friends, thinking it would just be a burden when they were already so busy.

Dumping her bag on her desk she pulled out her phone as it vibrated:

ONE NEW MESSAGE

Riv 😈
u okay?

Tar👿
yep. why?

Riv 😈
u seemed uncomfortable earlier

Tar👿
I wonder why.

Riv 😈
srsly, r u okay?

Tar👿
I'm just tired, dw about me

Riv 😈
c'mon tar, u know u didn't have to stay
if u weren't feeling well

Tar👿
I know I didn't have to stay
I have this thing called free will
its great, u should get some

Riv 😈
ha ha, ur so funny
I forgot how to laugh

Tar👿
what would you do without me?

Riv 😈
die.

Tar👿
that's a tad overdramatic
and besides, dying seems like an adventure

Riv 😈
that's worrying and dark
seriously get help
im booking u into a hospital as we speak

Tar👿
thanks
I appreciate it

Riv 😈
ur welcome
done and dusted

Tar👿
will u have the room next to me ?
in this theoretical hell hole ur sending me to

Riv 😈
duh
can't let u have all the fun

Tar👿
Riv, I couldn't live without u either
READ.

Her message went unanswered, she rolled her eyes and climbed into bed. It was early afternoon yet all she wanted was a nap. It had been a busy day after all. She was in no way prepared for the  news Sky would come storming in later with.

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•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

author's note - I know its been bloody ages. and for that you have my apologies. personally I'm not a fan of this story but someone sent me a really kind message yesterday which motivated me to write a chapter. I'm not sure if this story will be coming off hold but eh.... maybe