Shane = Bold

Cleo = Italics

Vaughn = Underlined

"No, you can't."

Cleo ignored Shane's panicked tone, continuing to pull the shoe onto her foot. Attempting to disregard his obvious distress proved to be a much harder task than she had originally anticipated. Vaughn, of course, was joining the serenade of objections from his certified perch on the couch.

Pulling the laces tight, Cleo almost suffocated her foot in an attempt to take her mind off the two males' complaints. She refused to listen to them. All they did were mirror her own doubts.

"Cleo, can you please stop being an idiot for once in your life?"

Cleo rolled her eyes, seeing that her cousin had finally resorted to his usual tactic of tactless insults. 

Her hands shook as she crossed the laces over each other. She refused to back out now. Cleo refused to sacrifice her tiara of endurance for a crown of cowardice. No. That would be allowing them to win, enabling them to have the upper hand. It would be handing over the sanction they needed in order to become victorious. It would be the worst possible alternative. It would only cause them to rise higher on their pedestals of artificial glory. 

Causing one Queen to tumble from her throne of lies would not be enough. All they would do is simply move on to another suitable target. The process would continue until there would be one sole, lone ruler sitting on a throne of emptiness. 

Cleo refused to contribute to the cycle of hierarchy. She knew from experience that wearing the crown wasn't much fun.

She tucked the left lace under the right lace and pulled tight once more.

So, no, she would not back down.

She would brave the corridors. She had to. It wasn't an option. She would keep her head held high as they poisoned the oxygen she inhaled with insults. For every insult she would infiltrate the air she exhaled with resilience. She would continue to wear her crown of self-worth that never truly existed in the first place.

She did the final step, tying the laces into a double bow.

Cleo then proceeded to push past Shane and through the front door. "I'm going to school whether you like it or not."

She walked out of the door, not realising that Shane was prepared to follow her wherever she went.

There was no question of separation.

The laces were already tied.