Chapter Text
It was the last class of the day. Almost everyone was already checked out. Students were yawning, and some were already openly napping. The teacher must have checked out, too. They only sighed and continued teaching, even with their audiences’ minds already in someplace else.
Lily was no different. She was either busy twirling her pen or looking outdoors. The weather was perfect for some naps. Lily was already planning a nap session in one of her favorite spots. The only thing that broke her concentration was the bell ringing.
Lily quietly packed her things and left the room with no fuss. It was the first day after winter break. Everyone would probably be excited exchanging stories with one another. She doesn’t want to be around such an atmosphere. Not only did she have no one to talk to about such matters, she also had nothing to share. Lily had no time to sulk, though. She had plans. Napping under her favorite tree was just what she needed after all those boring classes.
“Lily,” A familiar voice called out just as Lily exited the classroom. “A moment please.” The nurse smiled and waited for Lily to come to him.
Lily pouted. Whatever Lynn wanted, it was not good. Lily tried to recall if she did something to worry the nurse during the holidays, but nothing came to mind.
“This is about the after-school activity,” Lynn couldn’t wait for Lily to join him any longer and instead went closer to her. “We need to discuss some changes in yours.”
Right. The Monday after-school activity everyone was forced to participate in. It was boring, and it was hell. Lily had tried her best to skip and not participate in those.
“Wait.” Lily realized and eyed Lynn cautiously, “I’m not part of your group.”
“Well…” Lynn dragged his words and smiled, “That’s why I said there were some changes.”
“Heya,” JB popped her head into the meeting room and was met with varying degrees of groans and grunts. “Hey. I haven’t done anything yet, and you babies are already whining.”
“Lynn’s late,” Nate crossed his arms and started fidgeting his leg out of frustration.
“Heh, if he doesn’t arrive within 15 minutes, then the meeting is canceled,” Everett happily chimed in while he fiddled with his cell phone.
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Shiloh said.
“I don’t know about you, dear, but I don’t want to risk leaving this room just to see a text from Lynn saying we have to come back for the meeting.”
“Of course you don’t, Bae,” Nate stood up and started pacing the room, “You’re just lazy like that.”
“Awww,” JB cooed and smiled, “I missed this.”
“What’s there to miss,” Jeremy deadpanned.
“Sorry, I am late. I had to reorient someone before we start our activities for the year.”
Lynn entered the room in a hurry. Everyone was confused about the statement, but there was not enough to go on. Though no one in the room was interested in deciphering Lynn’s cryptic message anyway. Nate was about to begin his lecture about tardiness when he noticed that there was someone behind Lynn the entire time.
“Starting today, you will have another member of the group.”
For the first time since the group started this afternoon activity, this was the longest silence they had ever held. Lynn turned to his side and smiled at the new addition to the group, urging her to introduce herself.
A small built girl with long white-blueish hair and blue eyes awkwardly stepped up closer and mumbled, “I’m Lily.”
“What the fuck,” was the only thing Everett could muster. “Why is she here!? What did you do to be kicked to this poor excuse of a group.”
“Now, now.” Lynn tried to placate the incoming slew of questions and complaints that were about to come out of their mouths. “Why don’t you continue your introduction before I explain the changes to the group?”
“I’m Lily.”
“We know,” Jeremy said.
“We’ve heard,” Pran followed.
Lily pouted and puffed her cheeks out of anger. “Jeremy, Pran.”
“Lily,” the two chorused.
“What the hell,” Everett commented at the absurdity he was witnessing,
“Please, just continue the introduction,” Lynn pleaded for the second time.
“The name’s Lilian Hall. Call me Lily,” Lily said and looked at the two just in case they wanted to butt in again. When they didn’t, she continued, “I’ve been a student of SSB since freshman year, and starting today, I will be part of this group.”
“Why is Lilian-”
“Lily. Call me Lily.”
“Ah yes, sorry, dumpling,” Bae then turned to Lynn and asked, “Why was Lily moved here into this group? I don’t think she meets the criteria of our group quite well.”
“Psh. She’s Ice Queen. She fits in here,” Everett exclaimed. “I am more surprised she was not put here in the first place.”
“Ice Queen?” Lily asked innocently.
“That’s…” Shiloh stopped and waited if the others wanted to answer instead, “That’s some of the guys’ nickname for you. Ice-cold responses and glares that could kill you are what they often say about you.”
“Huh,” Lily crossed her arms and added, “Were they too scared to call me that in front of me as well?”
“Well…yeah,” Shiloh answered.
“Who would call Ice Queen, Ice Queen in front of them,” Everett exclaimed like it was the obvious statement on the planet.
“They would if they were not a coward,” Lily answered and pouted, “I bet the worst I said to them was ‘No.’ Such cowards.”
“So is she placed here because of that,” Shiloh asked.
“No. She was moved here because her last group was having a hard time making her participate.”
“Ha! Better exchange Pran then.”
“Everett,” Lynn reprimanded and continued, “Well, to be honest, she was originally meant to be in this group. But the other teachers feared that your attitudes would scare her off.” Jeremy chuckled under his breath, which earned him a glare from Lily. “By the time we found out JB was going to be placed here, it was too late to put her back here again.”
“Was moving here even necessary?” Nate asked, “The program is halfway done. The other group could have suck it up and live with it like we do.”
“I dunno about you guys, but I don’t think your constant whining and moaning is considered as ‘living with it,’” JB teased. “I bet she did something to warrant her to be switched! OR! Maybe someone finally understood the appeal of you guys and begged to be moved here. Finally, someone with taste.”
“Awww, no matter who will be added here. You will always be my favorite JB.”
“Thank you, Shiloh,” JB quickly dismissed Shiloh’s advances and paid attention to Lily instead, “So who is it? Who’s the lucky guy?!”
“I don’t think any of these guys are that good enough to go through such hassle,” Lily flatly said, earning her a scoff and a middle finger from Everett. Lily retaliated and stuck her tongue out back at Everett.
“Don’t be shy. If that’s not the reason, can you tell us who you think is the most attractive here? Except for me, that is,” JB urged.
“I, uh, Pran?” Lily answered confusedly.
“Don’t involve me in this,” Pran huffed.
“Ah, so now I can’t even mention you,” Lily raised her voice and placed her hand on her hips. “First, I was not allowed to speak to you. Now, I can’t even say your name. What’s next? Should I just pretend you don’t exist?”
“Yes, if you are just spouting nonsense. Don’t bother coming to me or talking about me.”
Lily pouted and slammed her feet in anger. “Is being friends with you a crime now?” she mumbled.
“I don’t need friends,” Pran reiterated.
Bae chuckled and earned a few brows turned from the group, “Sorry. It’s just Everett and the others call her ‘Ice Queen’ but all I see is a very expressive albeit immature–”
“Princess,” Jeremy chimed in and added, “Spoiled Princess.”
“Yes, princess would suffice her more than a queen.” Bae agreed, which earned a glare from Lily.
“Can we go back to the topic,” Nate rubbed the bridges of his nose and continued, “Why is she here?”
“Well… Lily didn’t do anything to the last group if that is what you are wondering. And that was the problem. She wouldn’t join the conversation unless someone asked her to, and she also tended to miss some meetings. The members of the other group complained about Lily bringing the whole group down, so it was decided that she should move back here since she was originally supposed to be here anyway.”
“Wooooooow. Are you as gloomy as Jeremy for you to be unanimously evicted like that?”
“I don’t know what you mean by that, but I guess they don’t think that me giving one-word replies counts as ‘trying enough’. They feel bad and awkward when I don’t join in, so the atmosphere is just always like that when I’m around,” Lily answered Everett.
“But you’ve been very cooperative with us just now, so I don’t understand the problem they faced,” Shiloh wondered.
“Maybe we are that great that we brought her out of her shell,” JB optimistically explained.
“Well, that was our intention. We thought if the peaceful group couldn’t make her cooperate, your colorful personalities might force her to participate. I’m glad we are off to a good start.”
“This is only her first day,” Jeremy said as a matter of factly, “Don’t count on it.”
Lynn sighed and couldn’t argue with that sentiment. He was glad she was joining in as he would have hoped. But Jeremy was right. It was the first meeting, and he knew Lily wouldn’t have been a problem student if she had been really that cooperative before.
“Do you have any questions left for Lily?” Lynn asked but met with no response. “I think this is a good part to end the meeting then. See you next Monday.”
“I’m here! Am I late?” JB entered the room and was greeted by Nate’s groan. “Oh, who is even later than me?”
“Lily,” Lynn replied, half defeated and half disappointed.
“So the thing where she didn’t attend some of the meetings was true,” Shiloh asked.
“What the hell? Why does she have a free pass when I don’t,” Everett angrily exclaimed, “I’m not showing up to the next meeting.”
“No, you are not doing that,” Nate growled and turned to Lynn, “You better not make this slide, Lynn.”
Lynn sighed and contemplated, “She has reasons. We need to be very understanding for her.”
“Like hell she does. She is wasting everyone’s time. She is not the only one having problems, and I’m not going to be the one who would be coddling her just because she has some stuff she can’t deal with.”
“I’m sorry,” Lily appeared from the room, her hair and uniform completely disheveled. She then turned to Nate and replied, ”You don’t have to ‘deal’ with me. I don’t need to be coddled, either. Lynn, since Nate is so prissy about starting on time, just continue the meeting if I’m not here.”
“No,” Lynn firmly answered. “You have withdrawn from your peers, and this is the only mandatory activity for you to socialize. As your group advisor, I would not allow you to miss out on any more of your teen life. I understand and empathize with you, so I will give you leniency, but I would not allow it to the point you will be able to skip on it.”
“I…I understand,” Lily was taken aback. Ever since she entered SSB, this was the first time someone cared enough to not give in to her ridiculous pleas to get out of school activities. “I am very sorry everyone. I can’t promise this will be the last, but I will try.”
Nate scoffed, “Try harder.”
“Can I ask a question, sugarplum?” Bae asked, gesturing at Lily’s disheveled appearance, “Were you attacked by something before you came here?”
Lily blushed and huffed to try to hide her embarrassment. She tried to comb her long disheveled hair and sat on a free chair. JB handed her a handkerchief, and Lily tried her best to tidy up her face and uniform.
“Lily,” Lynn called out after the meeting. No one even glanced at the two, and they just left the meeting room. “Were you sleeping?” Lily nodded. “If you are having problems adjusting to the group, just tell me.”
“I’m fine. I just thought there was some time to spare, so I took a nap,” Lily answered. Lynn didn’t reply and tried to read her if she was lying or not. When Lynn couldn’t find anything amiss, he sighed and let her go.
“Next time this happens, I have no choice but to find you so we can arrive at the meeting on time.”
Lily lightly smiled. The kindness of the nurse was not missed. “Please, don’t be a Nate.”
Next Monday came and in order to ‘try harder’ Lily opted to take her naps in the meeting room instead. She would never be late if she was already sleeping there in the first place. It was a bad place to sleep in but she needed to make do. Lynn was trying so she ought to at least try to.
Before she could fully get a shut-eye, Lily felt something thud on the table and someone sat next to her. She waited for the person to make themselves known but when they didn’t she opened her eyes instead to check for herself.
It was Jeremy.
He was reading a book next to her. Or at least trying his best to make it look like he was reading a book. There was a box full of desserts from the bakery Lily and Pran used to work at.
“I found it outside,” Jeremy replied, sensing Lily’s gaze on the box.
“Really?” Lily knew Jeremy enough to know he was acting aloof on purpose. She opened the box and started munching the cookies.
“It’s poisoned.”
“I lived a good life,” Lily said as she finished the cookie she was eating. She gave Jeremy a wide grin and took his hands to her body. Jeremy was flustered in more ways than one. “Now, there’s proof of your fingerprints on me.”
Jeremy quickly took his hands away from her and reached out for his hand sanitizer. “You ridiculous woman. And you wonder why we don't want to be associated with you,” Jeremy’s face was viscerally disgusted, and was washing his hands with the hand sanitizer multiple times. Instead of anger, Lily only felt satisfaction and a bit of nostalgia from the scenery.
“Thanks for the desserts.”
“I told you I found it outside.”
“Why do this Jeremy,” Lily asked with confusion in her tone. “I don’t understand you or Pran at all.”
Jeremy sighed in resignation. Clearly playing dumb about the desserts was not gonna fly with Lily. “It was Pran’s idea but he doesn’t want you to get the wrong idea so he asked me to do it instead.”
“Then why…” Lily asked, more confused than before. After she found that both Pran and Jeremy transferred to SSB, she tried to get closer. Lily knew they were not close before but they were the only people who knew her when they were young.
“I actually don’t understand you, Lily. We were not friends. I think you called me a bully more than my own name when we were kids. You don’t talk to Pran at all. Why are you trying to befriend us all of a sudden.”
“Because,” Lily bit her lip. It was a truth she didn’t want to admit aloud. “I know the two of you would not care enough about me to lie to me.”
“Have some better respect for yourself,” Jeremy curtly replied.
The conversation died down not soon after. Either Jeremy was really not in the mood to talk anymore or Lily was not in the mood to argue about their conversation. Lily knew it was dumb. She didn’t really want to be friends-friends. Especially since she knew both Pran and Jeremy had stated multiple times that the only friend they ever needed was each other. But Lily wanted to at least have the same relationship as they had before. But now they were treating her as if she was a total stranger. They were one of the few memories she remembered fondly from her childhood and even if the memories were not that happy to begin with, she was nostalgic nonetheless.
“Is she seriously allowed to eat while we are in a meeting,” Everett pointed at Lily while she was busy making her way through the desserts Jeremy gave her.
“It was not a rule,” Lily smugly said as she made a show of eating the brownie in her hand.
“Lynn please make that as a rule,” Nate quickly reacted with pleading eyes.
“You should at least have the decency to ask if we want some,” Everett said.
“Like you want one,” Lily rolled her eyes. “You just wanted to have an option to say no.”
“Heck yeah, I do,” Everett scoffed, ”My mother already has me sorted with treats. I don’t need your leftovers.”
“But twinkle, if we wanted some, would you give us some?”
“No. This is a gift and I don’t want to disrespect them by giving it away,” Lily answered to which Jeremy groaned. Bae, on the other hand, chuckled. He didn’t seem offended at the prompt rejection at all and was just curious about what Lily might have to say if he asked.
“Maybe we should make our next meeting a tea party so everyone would be happy,” Shiloh happily tried to add in.
“No,” Nate simply said and had no business nor energy in giving any more explanation.
“That’s cute posy. But a sophisticated activity such as a tea party is wasted on these people,” Bae answered.
“We will have no tea parties on these activities,” Lynn finally put a lid on the topic that made Nate sigh in relief.
“Unless!” JB chimed in, putting Nate’s sour mood back, “Someone would make it their party game for their birthday.”
“What? Are we playing pretend tea parties with toy sets or something,” Nate added ridiculously. JB face lit up with the suggestion that made Nate backpedal. “No, we are not doing that! Besides the only people left who haven’t done theirs would not pick that ridiculous idea of yours.”
“Maybe, I would!”
“No, you don’t. That’s too safe for you. You would do something that would ensure chaos,” Nate retorted.
“Ooooh! Lily could do that for her birthday party,” JB suggested making Lily and Lynn freeze in place, “I bet you would like that since I heard from Jeremy you like being treated a princess. We could do dress up too.”
“No, we don’t!” Nate exclaimed with more force this time. “Please be a reasonable one and don’t do this,” Nate looked at Lily pleadingly.
“My… my birthday has already passed,” Lily said, earning a cough from both Jeremy and Pran.
“Aw, that’s a shame,” JB dejectedly responded, unaware of the responses of the others in the room.
“I think that’s a good spot to end the meeting. Thank you for coming everyone. See you next Monday,” Lynn clapped his hands and put the meeting to a close.
“Are you fucking kidding me,” Everett shouted as he entered the room, “Are you planning on eating again during our meetings?” He gestured at the basket that was placed in front of Lily’s. He couldn’t even help but realize that the basket was ten times bigger than the box she was eating at the meeting before.
“I thought we made it a rule,” Nate angrily stomped and looked at Lynn, “I thought we made it a rule, Lynn.”
“Now, now,” Lynn calmed the two and ushered them to their chairs. “She asked and I have given her permission.”
“Oh cool,” Before Nate could have another outburst, Shiloh entered the room and exclaimed, “Are we actually having a tea party?”
“No, we’re not!” Nate exclaimed.
“That sounds very weak statement when we can clearly see food at our meeting room table, sweetpea,” Bae chuckled, clearly enjoying Nate’s agony.
“Geez, why are you so against tea parties anyway,” Shiloh pouted.
“I smell desserts,” JB entered the room, unaware of the chaos before her. “Is this for us,” JB turned to Lily and asked.
“Yeah,” Lily happily nodded and opened the basket’s lid, “Everett won’t stop whining about not getting any from mine last meeting so I thought I should bake you some to make it even.”
“...You made these for us?” Everett uttered in disbelief.
“I made sure all of you at least have one favorite in there. And there’s more to go around so you can do seconds or thirds.”
“How did you find our favorites,” Everett asked as he carefully selected one of the desserts on the basket.
“I asked Shiloh.”
“Eugh,” Everett quickly threw the cookie from his hand to the basket and shuddered, “No, thank you. I don’t want anything coming from Shiloh’s mouth.”
“Hey!”
“More for me then,” Jeremy cooly said as he took another helping from the basket.
“I never thought you would be eager to eat and share food with anyone from this group,” JB noted.
Jeremy sighed and gave her a cookie, “I wouldn’t but it’s Lily’s.” JB raised her brow but welcomed the gesture anyway. It’s rare for Jeremy to be this candid with something so it better be good.
“Holy shit,” JB exclaimed as she munched her dessert, “This is heavenly. I didn’t know you were a great baker.”
“Told you so,” Jeremy replied and took another one for his own.
Everett got curious based on their reactions and hesitantly picked back the cookie he threw on the basket. He was also surprised about the quality of the dessert, but when he saw Lily looking at him for his reaction, he just shrugged and muttered, “S’good”.
Lily smiled. Right at that moment she felt she had finally been part of the group and it will only go crazier from here.