It's been a million years. My sleep schedule is completely screwed over, so most updates will be written very early in the morning. Or very late at night, depending on how you look at it.

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~ Y/N's PoV ~

Having abandoned my mask for a day (the festival was ending in several more), I squinted into the glaring sunlight outside the costume shop.

The sunlight wasn't warm, per say, but it certainly didn't hurt the drab atmosphere. It spread persistently over awnings and street signs, forcing them against their will to appear a little less sad and a little more alive.

Due to this, or perhaps in spite of it, people were out and about. The street was dotted with shoppers, couples with children, and a few Shakespeare characters.

The day was bright, I was among people, and I felt good. Not that I didn't usually.

I felt a smile creep onto my face as I pulled out my phone and plugged in my earbuds. My playlist was a monstrosity, which my brother used to point out, often accompanied by a "You're depraved on account you're deprived of real music, Y/N," with a lopsided grin. We'd then spend hours listening to the same song on repeat. It was always the same song.

I clicked on it.

As the intro started, I felt myself stepping with the drums and snapping with the claps. I hummed along with the guitar. Then, I decided that social norms were crap anyway.

"I saw him dancin there by the record machine," I sang at mid volume. A lady looked up from across the street and smiled.

That settles it, I thought.

"The beat was goin strong, playin my favorite song, and I could tell it wouldn't be long till he was with me!"

My gradual increase in volume had reached the point where people around me were turning their heads. I had moved to the center of the street (still blocked off for the festival) and gained the attention of pretty much everyone within earshot.

"Singin, I love rock and roll! So put another dime in the jukebox, baby! I love rock and roll! So come and take your time and dance with me!"

Grinning, I turned down the volume, removed one earbud, and ignored the strange looks from the people around me.

Hearing a scoff, I turned.

"Joan Jett? Really? The song's not even that good," said Coraline.

"Shut up," I snapped.

"No, I don't think I will."

We stared at each other for a long moment, electricity humming through the air between us. I took the opportunity to note the color of her eyes: an annoyingly fetching purple.

"Whatever. See you around, Poison Oak," I grumbled, and promptly turned back toward the costume shop. An easy emotional escape was in order.

~ Coraline's PoV ~

I was glad Y/N had turned away before my face went red. Not without an oddly guilt-like feeling, I looked down at my palms, which had been devoid of poison oak rashes since the day Wybie introduced us.

Screw this. I need a walk in the woods.

~ Back to Y/N's PoV ~

"Pompous, petty poison oak with purple eyes," I mumbled under my breath as I tried my mask.

Mrs. D turned to shoot a curious glance my way. "What's that, hun?"

"Nothing, just a girl," I sighed. "Pompous, petty, prissy, purple, proficient in pointless perfectionism."

"What's her name?"

I pretended not to notice the suggestive raised eyebrow on my employer's expression.

"Coraline Jones."

Mrs. D hummed, looking decidedly in any direction but mine. "I would've thought her name was Petunia or Patty or somethin like that, with how you're goin at those P words."

I let out a dry laugh. "Yeah. I'm off my alliteration game today, I guess. The only C word I could think of was concentric."

And captivating, said my unhelpful brain, which I quickly chided it for.

"Anywho, I'm headed out. Soon it won't be acceptable to wear a mask out there anymore," I called over my shoulder as I moved to the door.

"Good luck with the girl!"

I cringed a little, though at exactly what I couldn't tell.

Does she think I-

What did she mean by-

Why am I thinking of-

Captivating, contagious, cute-

"UGH!"

I slammed my fist into a tree, immediately regretted it, and then realized that in my flurry of thoughts my feet had taken me to the woods. Convenient, more like.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

I whipped around, carefully concealing myself behind the tree as the unknown figure came into focus.

Of course. Of fracking course. Might as well have fun with it.

I shimmied quietly between branches until I was suspended precariously, parallel to the trail. As Coraline drew nearer, I sat on an overhanging branch and waited.

Suddenly, I was upside down and right at her eye level. She shrieked and jumped back.

"Merely me, m'lady," I laughed, smirking under my mask.

"You can't just do that!" she exclaimed.

"I think you'll find I can, darling."

Ever so carefully (didn't want to make a fool of myself after that perfect entrance), I latched onto the branch with my hands, unhooked my knees, and let my feet hit the ground.

She gave polite applause, and I flourished a little bow.

"So, what are you doing so far from town, Robin?" she inquired before the obligatory awkward silence could settle.

"Oh, nothing much. Cooling down. Getting some air. It's a lovely day for P words, did you know that?"

"What are you cooling down from?"

I silently cursed my luck as I scrambled for an excuse. Finally, I sighed.

"Just had a bit of a spat earlier. Someone unknowingly hit a nerve, that's all."

Coraline gave me a sympathetic look and slid to the ground, leaning against the tree. She patted the spot next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as I sat down.

"I..."

"Love rock and roll?" she finished with a crooked smile, then flushed and looked away. "Sorry. It's stuck in my head."

I chuckled dryly. "Don't blame you. It's a good song."

"It really is."

We sat in a semi-comfortable(?) state of not speaking, her humming the song and myself questioning my entire impression of her, which was just... well. Just FaNtAsTiC. Great thing to do while sitting next to the person. Highly reccomend.

"The festival ends tomorrow," I blurted before I could stop myself.

Coraline frowned. "That it does."

"So... I'll be leaving."

"Yeah."

A pause.

"Not, like, leaving with the other players, mind. I don't get paid, I'm just a huge nerd." I internally winced at my word choice, but Coraline laughed.

"So you live in town?"

Heck. "Of course not! My kind is unwelcome in your mortal coil. I reside on the bank where the wild thyme blows, where the oxlips and the nodding violet grows."

"Is that near town?"

Damn this girl and her persistence. "Forty minutes, put a girdle round the earth."

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

UM. "Hic et ubique! I am here and there and everywhere. You've seen me a thousand times and yet we've just met now."

Coraline looked down and away. I suddenly found myself fighting a wave of guilt.

I put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Look, I won't disappear. I'll work up the courage to talk to you without-" I caught myself before saying making you mad "-wearing a mask eventually."

"Well." She exhaled. "I don't know what I expected, but that's probably better. Thanks."

Her genuine smile hit me like a little kid on a scooter, unexpectedly running over my toes and leaving me to hop around on one foot helplessly. A complete simile, of course.

"It's not great. What sort of ending did you picture that conversation having?"

"Dunno," she said, then grinned. "Maybe you're an alien and you wear a mask so that your sensitive extraterrestrial skin doesn't take in too many photons from our sun. That was one possible outcome."

I snorted, which cascaded into loud, uncontrolled laughs in an instant. Coraline joined in and we sat there, leaning against a tree and trying in vain to catch our breath.

If only Wybie could see this, I thought, but somehow knew I wouldn't tell him about any of it.

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I cannot apologize enough for the ridiculously scarce updates. High school plus rehearsal four nights a week have a way of sucking up one's free time.

If you know my usual take on swearing: yes, I'm actively avoiding it here. Wattpad is full of smol readers, and while the Shakespeare community can handle it, I suspect many Coraline fans would rather not.

Au revoir, my loves. See you next century when I post chapter five.