Vivien watched as the light started to enter her room. She had barely slept last night, but it was all worth it.
Her notebook had notions about how to brew the potion which reverses the curse. She ripped the page with the list of ingredients and explanations of how to stir.
She folded the page four times, keeping it in her pocket.
It was getting colder outside, so she kept her hands hidden in her jacket from the cool air. She moved fast in order to arrive earlier at school.
They needed to present their project in front of their classmates today, and Vivien dreaded that thought.
But as Sylas had told her, the project must be done and presented. There was no backing out from it.
She moved precariously to class and waited for the iminent moment the two would talk in front of everybody.
The nervousness she felt only started to settle in when the english teacher came in. The girl started to think if there was enough time for them to present as well.
Perhaps they would have to talk next time they had an english lesson.
She counted the minutes as they ticked by, watching various projects being presented in front of the class.
Sylas had reassured her people would love their project, and she was aware of that, it had a lot of interesting informaton.
But she knew people wouldn't like her in particular and the way she would present their work.
She had an awkward and monotone style of showcasing absolutely anything.
Eventually, the two were called in front of the class, and Vivien tried to calm down her emotions.
She got up from her seat and stood in front of the class with her chin raised up.
First was Sylas. He explained everything he found about self-love with excitment, sometimes pointing to the images he glued on the page.
The project would get bonus points if they used a good enough vocabulary, and Vivien was an expert at that.
Their teacher especially assigned the project so they could use various words. Not to mention, the teacher would make everybody rate the projects once they were all presented.
That made the girl even more nervous than she had expected.
Then, Vivien's turn to talk came. Her cheeks were bright red and burning.
She was also trembling, as it always happened whenever she had people's attention onto her.
The girl talked, she could at least do that. Of course, she was constantly aware of what her voice sounded like or the way she moved.
She was sure she would be mocked and hated for even the slightest mistake, tremble or stutter.
She finished presenting and the class applauded them.
The girl felt happy, but at the same time, she feared whatever anyone was thinking in the moment about her.
Her and Sylas took their seats. Once the girl sat back down, all her worries went away. She felt like she had accomplished something.
She turned around when feeling a slight touch on her shoulder. It was Sylas with his hand raised, asking for a high five.
She raised up her hand and high fived him happily.
That would be her last time she was enjoying the attention on herself ever again, because she heard the classmates in the back talking about her.
They said she smells bad and that they despise her, also adding that nobody would ever miss her.
She also heard them saying they couldn't wait to escape from her when school would finally end.
When hearing that, Vivien's brain couldn't quite comprehend the words for a second.
It settled in slowly, and when realizing what was said about her, she felt like breaking down in front of everybody.
But she didn't let herself cry.
She dropped her head down gently and covered her face with her hair. Her cheeks were still bright red, and she didn't want to let her feelings show.
Sylas had also heard those words and decided to speak for her. He turned around to the people talking in the back and spoke so only them could hear.
„Interesting theories for someone history won't even footnote. That much projection usually requires a therapist."
The people who said all those awful words simply laughed even more at what Sylas added.
„Oooo, he's taking her side!"
Vivien just wanted to crawl somewhere and think about how hated she felt everywhere she went for the rest of the week.
There wasn't anything that could make her escape the sudden embarrassment she was in.
The moment stretched on for what she imagined was hours, and she struggled not to show how bad she was feeling the entire time other classmates kept presenting their own projects.
People's opinions change every single day like the loaves of bread we cut.
Sometimes we cut them perfectly, sometimes they're uneven, sometimes they're too thick or too thin.
Nothing is ever the same, and nothing will ever be the same way it used to be before. That was a rule set in life, though nobody knew how or why.
Her whole mood was shattered. She didn't want to keep listening to her classmates talking anymore.
Then came the moment of rating each project. Theirs got third place.
Once finding out about the news of how well their project was perceived, Vivien was glad to hear the bell ring. She waited for the teacher to step out the classroom, then she walked to the bathroom.
She needed a few moments to be alone with her thoughts.
Who knew what other horrible words they were speaking about her without her knowing?
They probably talked about how weird she was very often, maybe the whole class hated her without her even knowing.
What if even Grace and Rachel simply tolerated her, and Sylas only used her just to get rid of the curse brought upon them?
She turned on the faucet, letting warm water touch her hands. This was a coping mechanism to her.
Anything warm to the touch usually made her feel a bit more calm.
She washed her hands and tried to stop the thoughts from circling through her mind, but it was useless.
Tears swelled up in her eyes and were ready to fall. She just didn't want to cry, but she did so anyway.
Later, after the incident, she walked down the hallway. Her nose was a bit red from all the silent crying by herself.
She remembered all the bad words, how the classmates checked what she was watching on her phone and didn't respect her privacy. How people talked that she walked as if she was possessed, and even one teacher said she walks like a geisha.
She was also asked if she was autistic, and all these events hurt Vivien so badly, she just didn't know what to do with them.
The girl was always kind to everybody, she respected them and helped them out in need, but whenever she needed any help people seemed to act weird, as if she was insignificant to the world.
She kept being nice despite knowing people wouldn't do the same for her because she knew what it felt like to require a helping hand out of the heavy emotions.
She looked at everybody, she saw every occurance, because she was aware of how it felt to be invisible in this world. Yet again, nobody did the same for her, nobody noticed her as she did for others.
Why did others smile at everybody else except her, as if everyone else meant more than her? Why did everyone forget about her?
As she was walking down the hallway, she saw Sylas. It seemed like he was looking for her.
Once locking his eyes on her, his smile grew bright. He walked forward.
„Viv, sweetheart, don't disappear like that!"
His smile was so bright, the girl wanted to cry again.
How was he always so good at seeming happy all the time? She just wanted to be the same way he is, perhaps people wouldn't talk bad about her then.
She was thankful he always tried to bring a positive energy wherever he went, more thankful than she could have possibly imagined in the moment.
„I merely sought mental clarity after finding out about our project. It got third place, that's astonishing!"
„I told you things would work out. Half of the words you used when writing your part were totally foreign to me. It was no wonder we got third place, we deserved it. Or more so... you deserved it."
She was grateful he didn't bring up anything about what her classmates said, although her brain was replaying the moment over and over like a broken film reel until only emptiness was left in her soul.
„Uh... Sylas. I don't know how to communicate you this... but... I want to tell you something, with the earnest hope that I won't create an unpleasant atmosphere after conveying it..."
„It's worth saying it. You haven't even told me what's on your mind and you already assume the worst of me. Am I that scary?"
„Only a little... but truth is I aspire to grow a demeanor as formidable, intimidating and scary like yours! I will buy heavy boots and a bandana, and you shall see me coming to school adorned in new attire, embodying a new persona. I'll be cool one day, you need to watch the transformation take place! Like in transformers."
He chuckled softly after imagining the scenario in his head. He felt a sudden fondness for her.
„I'd like to see you try. Anyways, what did you want to tell me?"
„I wanted to thank you for the fact that you always try to uplift people's moods, no matter what day it is or if you're feeling bad yourself. I notice how you always laugh and joke with everybody to make their days better, and I admire that a lot. Classes wouldn't be the same without you here. It's something that has been lingering in my mind for a while, and I wanted to share it with you."
The boy paused for a second.
He didn't expect to hear such words kind words coming from her. Nobody had complimented him or thanked him for something before, this was a new feeling. His eyes dropped to the ground and he reached up with his hand to touch the back of his neck in embarrassment.
„It's nice of you to say that, sweetheart."
„No problem. I've got more where that came from. Do you wish to lend me your attention so I can keep going?"
„It's like you're trying to break my composure, but please, keep going. I might believe all the compliments if they're coming from you. Flattery does make the time pass by faster, so go on."
„My well of compliments has run dry. You have fallen into my trap! So you DO like to hear compliments!"
„Ah… a trap?" Sylas let out a low, theatrical chuckle, leaning closer to her with a grin as they kept walking. „How delightfully cruel. You lure me in with kindness, dangle affection just within reach, then no more praise. Just silence." He pressed a hand to his heart again, gasping. „Truly... the most beautiful betrayal I've ever experienced. Fine, fine, if there are no more compliments... then I suppose I'll just have to make you say them. Watch closely, this is how a master manipulates."
He cleared his throat and spoke softly, leaning forward again.
He gave her a slow, crooked smile, half playful, half something deeper that she couldn't quite understand.
"I'll use one lethal weapon: the truth. I'll tell you exactly what I'm thinking when you walk into a room. How your voice cuts through my worst moods like I've finally found an antidote to rain. Then… I stop. Leave it hanging in the air like bait. And I wait. Eventually… you'll panic… and say something sweet just to fill the silence."
"Or," he added, tilting his head with mock innocence, "you'll break first and compliment me out of sheer self-preservation."
„That sounds scary. Please don't do it."
„Your loss.", he shrugged. „Ugh, I've already exceeded my quota of genuine emotional outbursts for the year."
„You keep count of your emotional outbursts? So weird!! You said... antidote to rain? What does that-"
„Stop talking, I can't focus on the sound of the wind.", he interrupted what she was about to ask.
„There's no wind?"
„I said stop talking!"
The two walked forward to class in silence, steps heavy with unrenowned emotions.
A strong fire ignited their ambition to keep going forward, no matter how dark their past may have been.
After a while, Sylas turned to Vivien. She noticed the movement and the girl locked eyes with him, smiling at him.
„Do you want to go get caramel tarts later?", he asked.