Cleo = Italics

Eddie = Italic, bold and underlined

Vaughn = Underlined

"V...v...vaughn?"

"...heeelllooo?"

"Y...you're n...not Vaughn."

"No...I am not and, seeing as he is currently healing from a stab wound, I would say that I'm kind of glad that I'm not. I, my distant embodied voice, go by the name of Edward. Eddie if I happen to like you but...only if I like you."

"E...eddie?"

"...yeah. Eddie. We just established that. You alright there darlin'? You sound a bit upset."

"I...I'm fine-"

"Honey, I can hear you crying. Last time I checked crying your heart out isn't exactly a sign of happiness."

"They...they could be tears of happiness."

"Darlin', your voice has broken six times already and we've barely been speaking for thirty seconds."

"..."

"Can I assist those tears of yours darlin'?"

"No...no. I'm fine. Can you put Vaughn on the phone please?"

"You know Vaughn? Wait...that was dumb. You have his number, of course you know Vaughn. You're not...you're not his girlfriend are...are you?"

"NO! God no."

"Why are you laughing?"

"I'm his cousin, you idiot. As in-"

"CLEO! Oh my gosh, Cleo! Yes. Cleo. Sorry about that. I didn't even recognize your voice. Sorry 'bout that darlin'. Are you alright?"

"...yeah. And it's fine. You've only known me for like twelve hours or something."

"Sorry that Vaughn couldn't pick up the phone himself. The lazy boy just couldn't get his heavy, but extremely good- looking, ass off of the couch to come and get the phone himself."

"I'VE BEEN STABBED YOU IDIOT!"

"Shut up Vaughn. This conversation does not concern you. You are not part of this inner circle of friendship. Go and be antisocial or something."

"Excuse me? Last time I checked that was my phone you were holding."

"Hush peasant. The King must do his duties and save the damsel in distress."

"I'm not in distr-"

"How can I assist you, damsel?"

"I...I...never mind. I'll just hang up. I...it doesn't even matter."

"Vaughn, babe, do you have a baseball bat I can borrow? I left mine back in Manchester."

"Why on earth would you need a baseball bat?"

"I'm about to beat up some assholes that messed with your cousin."

"Eddie I really don't think-"

"I...I think there's one under my bed."

"Under your bed?"

"Uh-huh. I'm scared of the dark."

"So... you keep a baseball bat to fight the monsters away?"

"...yeah."

"That's kind of adorable."

"I'm permanently adorable. Now, hand over the phone. I want to talk to Cleo."

"Nuh-uh. I've got my horse saddled up for battle Vaughn. This is my moment to be the knight in shining armour. Don't ruin this for me."

"Eddie...I'm serious. She could be in real trouble."

"You alright down that end Cleo?"

"...n...not really."

"What? What happened? Are you hurt? How many people's graves do I need to dig?"

"I...I'm fine...physically. It's sweet that you care though."

"Of course I care darlin'. I'm not going to risk losing one of my bridesmaids."

"...bridesmaids?"

"Yeah. Bridesmaids. For my wedding."

"...wedding?"

"Yeah. Wedding. To Vaughn...hey Vaughn, do you want to stand on the left or the right of the altar?"

"...wedding?"

"Uh-huh. Now shut up. I'm dealing with your mentally broken cousin."

"Mentally broken?"

"Yup. I figured since you're fine physically then there must be something wrong in that pretty little head of yours. What's the problem darlin'?"

"I...it's stupid."

"It can't be that stupid if you're crying about it darlin'."

"..."

"Is there a reason that you don't want to tell me darlin'? Too good looking for you?"

"No!"

"It made you laugh though."

"I...I just...it makes me seem a little bit pathetic."

"Darlin', Vaughn has told me what you suffer through. You're not pathetic; you're just a little too nice to fight back."

"..."

"What did they do to you Darlin'?"

"I...I...I've always prided myself in rising above all that is thrown at me. I mean, I...I was shoved into a locker and still managed to walk into the school with some kind of dignity."

"...but?"

"I...I don't know why it got to me so much. I...it's not that easy to ignore. Being shoved into a locker is one thing. Hate messages I can handle because I can just delete them before they're burned into my eyes. But this...I can't delete this. I...it's there for the entire world to see."

"What did those jerks do to you darlin'?"

"They...they spray painted the row of lockers with insults aimed at me and...and stuffed my locker with handwritten hate letters."

"...oh darlin'."

"It...it shouldn't have gotten to me but...but it did."

"Darlin', please stop crying."

"I...I can't. I...I've just got all these images in my brain and I know that as soon as I walk back out there it...it'll still be there and...and I don't know if I can see all of that again."

"Where are you?"

"In...in the janitor's closet...it's pathetic, isn't it? Letting all these things get to me."

"Not at all darlin'."

"But...but it is. I...I shouldn't be shaken up like this. I...I should have seen it coming. No amount of talking is going to make it all go away."

"You need stop being so damn nice about it."

"...w...what?"

"I know for a fact that if you let your mouth run you could insult every living, breathing thing with enough salt to sting their eyes. No...insulting people isn't the nicest way to go about things but...you need to fight back Cleo. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to solve the problem."

"B...but that's exactly what I don't want. I don't want to be the mean girl anymore."

"Then don't be. Being kind doesn't mean that you have to go around being nice to everyone. Being kind means being nice to the people that deserve it and standing up to the people who don't. Being kind means that you have to tell the people hating on you exactly what they are doing wrong because that's the only way that they're going to change."

"Y...you really think so?"

"I know so darlin'. Go out there and be the Queen that you were meant to be. Except this time, earn your crown instead of snatching it."

"Th...thanks Eddie."

"You are very welcome darlin'. I know what it's like to be discriminated for ridiculous reasons."

"Y...you do?"

"You think it was easy being the gay fag of the university?"

"N...no. I suppose not. What did...what did they do to you?"

"They used to insult me and beat me up on a daily basis."

"...used to?"

"Uh-huh. Used to be part of my daily routine. Then I decided that I'd had enough of their **** and fought back."

"How...how did you know to stand up for yourself?"

"Because a certain cousin of yours told me to."

"He...he did?"

"Yup. I think he had been watching me get abused for a while and finally decided that enough was enough."

"Is that how you first met?"

"Yeah. Just came up to me one day in the car park and told me to stop being such a damn coward and stand up for myself."

"Vaughn doesn't exactly sugar coat things, does he?"

"He's the bluntest guy I've ever met."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry babe. Your good looks more than make up for it."

"Shut the hell up Eddie."

"You know you don't want me to."

"Thanks, Eddie...I...I know what I have to do now."

"Yessssss. The Queen is back Vaughn. Our Queeeeennn is back."

"You are so weird."

"You know you love me for it."

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Yeah...sure. Whatever you want darlin'."

"Can you ask Vaughn not to tell Shane?"

"Shane?"

"Yeah...a guy I know."

"Why not?"

"I...I don't want him to think that I'm not okay. He worries too much."

"That's not a bad thing darlin'."

"You...you don't think so?"

"Nope. He'll probably be more worried if you don't tell him."

"..."

"Oh...and Cleo?"

"...yeah?"

"Listen to some really badass music whilst you're roasting them. It'll make you feel more empowered as a person."