Tripp sat under the wide red and blue umbrella, one hand holding Violet's while the other grabbed his gin and tonic. In front of him, a ten-man band played some of the laziest jazz he had ever heard and he couldn't stop himself from cringing when the singer tried to reach a high note and failed spectacularly.

"I've heard better jazz at a depression commercial," Tony said, unforgivingly, as he rang a tiny, silver bell.

Immediately, the jazz band stopped playing. Standing up and bowing before them, they quickly removed their instruments and cleared the space for the next band.

"Are we in the mood for classical?" Violet asked, her eyes fixed on the menu in her hands.

Renata was quick to shut down the suggestion. "God no. If I wanted to be bored to death, I would talk to my mother."

"How about Bossa nova?" Laetitia asked, peaking at the menu over Violet's shoulder.

"That's just ethnic jazz," Renata replied, drumming her nails on the table.

"Oh, there's a mariachi option. I bet Teddy would like that," Laetitia said and Tripp didn't know how to interpret the comment. "Too bad he's not here. Where is he, again?"

"At the Mauve Letters," Tripp quickly answered. "He had a deadline for his SSoM column."

"I'm actually a fan of what he's doing with the SSoM," Bradford said and twelve pairs of eyebrows raised in response.

"I didn't know you could read, Brady boy," Tony teased, punching Bradford in the shoulder and bringing out a loud grunt from the burly young man.

"You should read it," Tripp went on, ignoring the boys. "It's actually quite funny."

"I'd rather have a Pap smear." Visibly upset, Renata rolled her eyes and snatched the menu from Violet's hands. "Just call for the DJ, have him play whatever."

Tony obeyed and rang the silver bell thrice. In a matter of seconds, the space in front of them was occupied by a tall and muscular man with long, blonde hair tied in a man bun.

"Play some Avicii," Tony commanded and the DJ obeyed, producing the opening notes of Wake me Up.

"Emilia loves this song," Scotty said, gloomily, his eyes wandering around the grounds, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Laetitia put an arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, you poor thing. I can't believe she dumped you. And so close to Fall Colours."

"Do you know who she's going with?" Scotty asked, teeth so clenched that Tripp was certain they'd burst out of his mouth at any moment. "I'll kick his ass, however he is."

Renata's blue eyes glimmered with chaos and her full, red lips beamed in triumph. "As a matter of fact, I do know who she's taking. You'll just love it. It's a rather strange match, wouldn't you say so, Tripp?"

Her frosty, bright eyes went to him and Tripp ignored the sudden chill that went down his core, lifting the hairs on his arms in a rather notorious way. Smiling, he frowned and tilted his head, trying to make sense of the girl's words.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his eyes staying on her.

Her smirk became a full Joker grin. "You mean you don't know? I would've guessed your good friend Teddy would've told you by now. He's Emilia date for Fall Colours."

Tripp felt as if Renata just bitch-slapped him. Frowning so hard that his face actually tightened, he waited for a few seconds before speaking again. Scott, however, was faster.

"But he's a fag," the young man said, his fist slamming against the table. "She'd rather go with a fag than with me?"

"That can't be," Tripp denied, a soft laugh escaping his lips. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Emilia told me herself," Renata went on, clearly enjoying the havoc that now spread across the table. "She says they're going as friends. Apparently, our little wetback eased his way into Emilia's heart and now she's fully on his side."

"Why didn't Teddy tell me?" Tripp asked, more to himself than to the rest, but that didn't stop Violet from answering him with another question.

"Why would he have to tell you? I mean, you don't tell each other everything, do you?"

Tripp felt his cheeks blushing and he quickly bounced back. "Of course not. I mean, we tell each other a lot but not everything. Like, we know our birthdays and stuff, but I don't think we tell each other too much. But this, I mean, this is huge."

"I think we all know why he didn't tell you," Renata said, biting her lower lip and playing with her hair, like she did when she teased Teddy. "He's in love with you."

Tripp almost choked on his gin. Coughing, he bent and placed his elbows on his knees, trying to breathe through his nose in an effort to catch his breath.

"That's ridiculous!" he finally said, wiping his mouth with a paper napkin.

Renata remained undeterred. "Is it? I've watched him most closely. His eyes light up every time you so much as walk into a room. He probably thinks the sun shines out of your ass."

"Just because Teddy is gay doesn't mean that he likes every single straight guy around him," Tripp defended his friend, trying to ignore Violet's inquisitive gaze.

"Not every straight guy, just you," Laetitia mocked and she and Renata let out high-pitched, hyena-like shrieks.

"If I were you, Lancaster, I'd put some distance between you and that boy," Tony spoke, his heavy voice dropping on him like a pile of cement. "You don't want people talking, do you? Rumours starting, gossip spreading."

"Yes well, I really don't care about that," Tripp said, his voice hardening, his shields rising.

Tony shook his head. "Perhaps you don't but how about Violet? How will she feel if her boyfriend is seen as the Shawn Mendes of Royalwood?"

Forced to face her, Tripp turned to Violet, whose face turned pink before his eyes.

"Tripp can be friends with whomever he wants," she said, her voice shaking underneath a coat of steel. "Besides, I know he would never look at Teddy that way. It's impossible."

"I think Tony's right, mate," Scott spoke, still holding on to his anger. "Better to keep that Teddy character at a safe distance. You know, to be sure."

Tripp cleared his throat, having had enough of this nonsense. "If Teddy felt anything but friendship for me, I'm sure I would've noticed already. He's my friend, I know him, therefore I would know if he liked me and he doesn't."

"If you say so," Renata said, shrugging and turning her attention back to the DJ.

Slowly, the rest of the table did the same and Violet's eyes were the last ones to look away. Tripp knew that Scott's words had left their mark on Violet. The question now was, how long it would take for her to say something again.

Tripp could only wonder.

********

An hour and a half later, entering the Dominion, Tripp felt lightheaded and slightly nauseated. In hindsight, having three Gin and tonics on an empty stomach might've not been the wisest of decisions. All the talking about Teddy's supposed crush also made him a tad weary, so when the opportunity came to say goodbye to his fellow Stags, he jumped at it, not wanting to waste any more time.

With Violet choosing to go shopping with Renata, and Teddy locked in the Mauve Letters office for the rest of the afternoon, Tripp had no choice but to go back to the Dominion, a place he did not particularly cared for, but that was slowly growing on him.

Locking the front door behind him, a slight chill travelled down his back when he realized he might be alone. He considered leaving and going to the library or the gym, but the uproarious sound of thunder let him know he wouldn't be able to leave the place in a while. Thus, dragging his feet in defeat, he lit all the lights on his way to the kitchen.

One of the things he appreciated about this place was the perpetually full refrigerator and the always stocked cellar. The white kitchen greeted him with a brightness he still could not get used to. He reached for one of the blueberry muffins that rested in a basket on the island and decided he would eat it in his room. However, he needed some tea to accompany it, so he walked to the steely stove, which lit in anticipation at his touch.

The purple kettle screeched just as another thunder roared in the sky and Tripp almost dropped his teacup when a shadow on the other end of the kitchen startled him.

"Bloody hell, Bianca!" he said as the girl's frame came out of the shadows.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, her voice barely overcoming the rain. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I just did, maybe ten minutes ago," he said, lifting his teacup. "Fancy some tea?"

She drew a weak smile that her eyes didn't share. "Oh yes, thank you. I was asleep. I seem to be sleeping a lot lately. I don't even realize when I do it anymore."

She sat in one of the black stools behind the island and grabbed a muffin. Standing in front of her, Tripp understood she had been crying. Her blue eyes were puffy and bloodshot, her nose red on the corners and her round, pale face hid under several layers of unspoken feelings. Holding back a sad smile, Tripp refused to give her any of his pity. He figured it was the last thing she needed.

"Here." He handed her a teacup and sat beside her, silent, unsure of what to say. Finally, he decided to tackle the matter upfront. "Hey, are you okay? You seem a bit down."

She gave him another automatic smile and cleared he throat, as if trying to stop her voice from sounding broken. "Oh, I'm fine, don't you worry about me. It's just..." She stopped herself and bit her lover lip, her nails digging on the wood of the island, as if trying to hurt it. "It's been a hard couple of days."

Instinctively, Tripp placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a tight squeeze. Realizing what he had done and unable to face her, his eyes instead wandered around the kitchen, trying to find a place not covered in white. He hummed a soft Um before speaking.

"I know it hurts right now, but know that the world doesn't end, it just feels like it does."

Her attempt at a smile crumbled under the weight of her incoming sobs and Tripp knew he had opened a door he wouldn't be able to shut.

"It's just so difficult sometimes," she said, tears falling on top of her muffin. "Seeing them together. Seeing him w–with... her." She spoke that last word with a jaw so clenched, her entire face shook as her nails dug deeper into the wood.

Tripp gulped on his own saliva as his eyes went from the girl's nails to her clenched teeth. He found himself slightly leaning away from her.

"Yes," he said, clearing his throat and turning his attention back to his muffin, "I can see how that would be hard. But you know, there are lots of boys in Royalwood and you're a beautiful girl. I'm sure you can find another one..."

"But why?" she interrupted, anger spitting out of her mouth. "I shouldn't need to find another one. I had one! Tony was mine! We had been together since the eighth grade! And Renata knew it! She knew how happy we were. And she stole him from me, just because she could! Why should I have to suffer? She is the bad guy!"

Her silent tears had now turned into full blown sobs, to the point where Tripp pondered what was louder, the girl's cries of the rain's thunders.

"Well, Tony was a bit guilty too, wouldn't you say?"

Bianca waved her hand, as if discarding his words. "Boys are idiots. They don't think, they're basically walking cocks. But girls are smart. We know better and Renata knows best. She knew exactly what she was doing and she did it to hurt me."

Suddenly, Tripp became the sole guest in a trashy talk show. Eating pieces of his muffin as if they were popcorn, he waited for her to provide an explanation for her accusation. When she didn't, he couldn't stop his question: "But why did she want to hurt you?"

Bianca turned to him, her eyes rolling and her mouth releasing a sigh of disbelief. "Isn't it obvious? She was jealous! Tony is the most popular guy in Royalwood. He's tall, athletic, smart, talented, fucking hot! He's the Stag. And I was his girlfriend. We were the golden couple of Royalwood and that was a threat to Renata's Queen Bitch throne. She doesn't love him, she'll just use him, then throw him away. And you should be careful."

Tripp actually gasped. "Me? Why me? What do I have to do in all this? I'm not that tall, definitely not athletic."

Once again, she rolled her eyes at him, as if the answer was too obvious. "Violet and you are quite the couple. You're quickly becoming popular in here. If you two do anything to threaten Renata and Tony's place as the Golden Couple, then she'll come after you."

"I'm sure we can manage..." he began, but she grabbed his hand, startling him.

"Do not take her for granted," she said, her voice shaking, her nostrils flaring. "You have no idea what she's capable of. No one does, until she does something so cruel, so shitty that you have no choice but to see her for who she really is."

Tripp frowned, considering her words, before releasing a soft laugh that was met with icy, accusatory eyes.

"What?" She stood so fast that the bench fell to the floor. "You don't believe me?"

"Renata can be a tad difficult, but you're making her sound like some kind of villain."

"That's exactly what she is!" Bianca said, slapping the island with her hand. "If Jonathan Gossett was still alive, he'd tell you just how cruel she can be."

Tripp felt his heart racing out of his chest, and he wondered if Bianca could see its outline through his shirt. The girl's words echoed in his ears, and for a moment, they were all he could hear. Slowly, he understood. Licking his suddenly dry lips, he stood up and approached Bianca, who had begun to walk backwards, her hand on her mouth, as if she had spoken the worst words possible.

"What does that mean?" he asked, his tone dead serious. "Did Renata do something to provoke Jonathan Gossett's suicide? Is that why he did it during Stag Night? Did he want her to see him?"

Bianca shook her head, her hand no longer covering her mouth and Tripp thought he could actually see the colour leaving her face.

"No, no, of course not. I didn't mean anything by it..."

The sound of the front door opening made them both turn their attentions towards the foyer. A pair of familiar voices broke the accumulated tension between them.

"Hello, babe?" Violet's voice spoke, making him momentarily forget about Bianca. "We couldn't go shopping. This rain! We couldn't even leave the school grounds."

Turning back to face Bianca, he found a pair of wide, glassy eyes that seemed to be screaming everything her mouth was unable to.

"Please, I beg you," she said, grabbing his hand and holding it with both of hers, "don't say anything about this. I spoke without thinking, I swear. Please don't say anything."

Tripp tried to say something but he wasn't quick enough. Letting go of his hand, Bianca crossed the kitchen in two strides and disappeared up the backstairs. The sound of a door closing let him know she had locked herself in her room.

Violet and Renata walked into the kitchen. Both slightly wet and looking at him with confused eyes, they stood in the door frame, waiting for him to say something. Tripp's eyes stayed on the stairs, his mind still pondering Bianca's last words.

Then, realizing he couldn't act strange towards Renata, he walked towards the stove and lit it again.

"Tea?" he asked, flashing his pearly whites, not a trace of doubt in his voice.