The snickering from the table behind them increased. Phoebe kept staring at the table, trying to fight back a million different emotions. After a pause, Jane spoke. “They covered her lockers with sticky notes saying ‘lesbo freak’ last year.. spread rumours, started chains on social media..”
Elide’s jaw dropped and anger flared up inside of her, “Assholes…” She muttered, half turning to glare at them again, “Dicks… all of them. That’s messed up.”
Phoebe sat up suddenly. “I’m going to the washroom,” she said quickly before turning away and making for the doors.
“Phoebe…” Elide watched her ago, wanting to go after her but also not wanting to make the situation worse for her.
(Could she follow? Just to have something to do w them both?)
(Ye)
After a moment or so, Elide decide it best to follow. She stood quickly and headed off in the direction Phoebe went, ignoring the quiet snickering.
(Thanks Sorry)
Phoebe pushes the bathroom door open and made straight (hah pun) for the sink. It took her exactly three seconds to start crying.
(All g)
Elide slowly pushed open the bathroom door, biting her lip as she heard Phoebe crying, “Phoebe? It’s me…”
Phoebe’s head shot up. She hastily wiped the tears from her face. “Sorry.”
Elide quickly walked over and wrapped Phoebe in a hug, "You don't need to say sorry when you haven't done anything…"
Phoebe turned her head away. "I'm being stupid. And wasting your time."
“No. No you are not. You have every reason to be upset and you are definitely not wasting my time.” Elide said as she pulled away from the hug.
Phoebe just shook her head. "I'm overreacting." She rubbed furiously at her puffy eyes. "I cry so easily–"
“Phoebe, look at me,” Elide rested her hand on her friends cheek, “You are not overreacting. It’s okay to cry…”
Something inside of her froze up, but she remained unchanged on the outside. "It's not like they acted on the comments more than… maybe twice?" Those two times had been enough. The rumours had reached her mother. They hadn't been the same since.
“That’s still two times too many,” Elide’s looked at her softly but still worriedly, “No one should have to be subjected to those comments.”
Phoebe turned away so that Elide couldn't see her face, feeling more nauseous than she wanted to admit. She knew what Elide was going to ask; why weren't Josh and Jane here? The answer to that was… complicated. She knew that they had been doing their best to help a few months ago, that they'd been way over their heads, but she didn't want to subject them to that again, and besides that they didn't know how to help her so she'd told them not to try. It had taken a while to convince them to do so… but to her relief it had worked.
“Phoebe please… please talk to me. I need… I want to help you. Please…” Elide knew these signs. Someone who didn’t want to open up to people. She’d done it herself after her entire family had died, “If you don’t want my help I can leave…”
Phoebe looked down at the ground, her eyes tracing over the grooves in the floor tiles for a minute or so before she trusted herself to speak. "They– the rumours got back to my mom," she stated blandly. "She believed them. They didn't stop."
“Are they? The rumours?” Elide asked quietly, biting her lip.
(wait, she means 'are they true' right?)
(Yeah, sorry should have made that clear)
(np dw)
Phoebe's shoulders drew up instinctively, quickly relaxing when it hit her who was asking the question. After a long pause, she answered briefly.
"Yes."
Elide nodded slowly, “Okay… that’s-“ She cut herself off before she could say ‘good,’ “Thank you for telling me the truth.”
Phoebe finally looked back at her.
“Anytime.” It was said as an almost whisper, her voice was hoarse but she had calmed down significantly.