Formally a decrepit and unused portion of the St. Mary's school grounds. The fourth floor held many abandoned classrooms that were shadowed by the more up to date facilities next door. On this floor, at the very end of the hall was a single room. While the sign above it read `D-14 - Art Class`, the graffiti tagged three-point crown under it spoke of its true use. The Royalty. That's what had once been housed here. Clarice Queen founded the club years ago under the guise of an after school art club. The truth behind it was more sinister, at least to those who found themselves on the wrong side of the Queen's justice.
Terry stood within the room. Her green eyes focusing on the framed student picture of the recently deceased Clarice Queen. The picture sat upon a rather comfortable looking chair. Red leather and slick in design by the way it looked. Fit for a queen, it seemed; but that is exactly who it had been for. Terry crouched then. Her hands reaching to sweep back her skirt so that fabric would tuck against bent knees. The tanned girl now eye-level with the photo. Only a few weeks had passed and it still felt like a dream; as if none of this were real.
She swallowed back some gathered saliva and cleared her throat while tilting her head to the side. "You left me with a mess." she said with a sigh.
Terry wasn't alone. Not any longer. She heard the door open from behind and the sounds of footsteps soon after. Two distinct strides. One more serious, while the other aloof in its choice of where to step; as if the owner had no real interest in a destination. It was an easy guess for Terry as she stood up and looked to the two of them.
Kiyomi, leader of the Asian Culture Club, as she called it. A girl with a rather crazy reputation; one Terry knew first hand about. Kiyomi dressed for intimidation. This seen by her choice of using the long winter skirt all year around, the same with that long sleeved blouse. The Kendo Club jacket adorning her form also showed the base of operations for her little slice of St. Mary's pie.
The other girl. Jia. Lieutenant of Kiyomi and also her target of infatuation. While Jia seemed to harbor feelings for Kiyomi, it was always fleeting and seemed to change as time went on. A cute boy passed by the school gates? Jia was the type to fall in love at first sight. It was obvious she saw her relationship with the other girl as nothing more than a way to pass the time, but Kiyomi's bullheadedness would prevail either way. She wore the same Kendo Club jacket as Kiyomi's, though hers had been pink.
"How's the nose." Terry said while pointing at her own.
The question brought attention to the bandage that clung across the bridge of Kiyomi's nose. That, and the obvious swelling and bruising that is on display. Jia took a closer look at the injury when Terry asked her question. "It's pretty puffy." she said, which prompted Kiyomi to push her away in a sign of annoyance. While Jia was left to regain her balance ( though she did almost fall over a chair ), Kiyomi shook her head before speaking up.
"It's fine," she said. Kiyomi's voice sounding terribly odd due to the nose injury. It took everything Terry had to muster to keep herself from grinning at the sound of it. Why? Because she knew where it came from. It was her own fist that crossed the girls features to inflict that painful damage. St. Mary's politics and water buried under the bridge. The pecking order had been established and their little squabble done away with.
"You found Riley?" Terry said. Kiyomi had never been one for small talk so Terry found no reason to delay the inevitable. She circled about the small desk that stood between them and set herself in front of it. A lean pressed the small of her back to the rather heavy wooden piece of furniture. This conversation felt far too serious. Terry wasn't used to being the one starting these, she hardly even participated in them when it came to being involved with the club. But she couldn't run from these things, at least not right now.
Jia would be the first to speak. "Of course we found her! You act like she was hard to find." she said with glee. Her smug attitude cut the tension out of the room. Terry was thankful for that, though the ego in the girls voice had caused her to deadpan in a way. This only fed into Jia as she smirked. "I beat her up good.. then Kiki joined in, isn't that right?" Jia said as he reached to flick at Kiyomi's hair.
"She won't be calling herself Neo Queen anymore," Kiyomi paused to swat at Jia's hand. An aggrivated look cast in the girls direction, one Jia read as a reason to retreat back some steps. Kiyomi ignored as Jia rose both of her hands while muttering a few `sorry's` under her breath. Instead she looked back to Terry and grinned. Kiyomi grinning meant either two things, you were about to get the crap beat out of you... or she was really happy about something.
"You think this is going to work? Will goody-goody Ashton really join because of this?" Kiyomi's words only caused Terry to sigh out.
The half and half tilted her head back and looked up the ceiling. She pinched at the bridge of her nose, trying to alleviate the pain of the headache she felt creeping up on her. "Ahhhh," she began in a rather unsure sort of way. That hand pressed back to the edge of the desk and she leaned her form forward. Terry shook her head left to right then shrugged. "Who knows.. You told Riley not to **** with Siri again, righ'?" she said while looking up to Kiyomi.
"She told her." Kiyomi gave a side nod in Jia's direction. The gesture had been enough to cause the pink jacket wearing girl to smile. Terry exhaled through her lips in a way to cause her bangs to flutter while she watched Jia begin to shadow box during her victory prance about her corner of the room.
"Then that's all we can do righ' now." Terry brushed back strands of dark brown hair; though they fell back to place, making the gesture useless. "The balls in her court, you know? I ain't one hundred percent or nothin', but she should know this is the best choice of things." The room fell silent between the two of them. Jia had been off in her own little world of victory right now so Terry didn't quite count her in the conversation. Kiyomi would be the first to speak up as she shoved hands inside her club jacket.
"Jamie?" she said. This question had Terry perking up and laughing out in response. "She jumped on it the second I asked, ain't no trouble there. ***** owes me anyway, you know how much booze I ran for her? I got shot at for that ****, real talk." This had her grinning as she recalled the memories. It's funny how a near death experience could be so hilarious now. Kiyomi seemed to share in this sentiment and laughed as well.
"Then you're the Queen now, huh?" Kiyomi's grinning expression faltered when she saw Terry's look of sorrow. "Terry, I..." she began while taking a step forward, though stopping when Terry rose a palm to her. "I'm fine.. But, I ain't the Queen. Clarice is still the leader this crew.. even if she's gone," Terry glanced to the framed photo of the woman sitting upon that red leather chair. She would then look back to Kiyomi and said, "I'm jus' the co-leader, keepin' the seat warm until we find someone good enough to keep on with the legacy." Terry leaned back then. Her eyes looked to the many glow-in-the-dark stars that lined the ceiling of the spacious room.
"What would you have called yourself?" Terry said then. This question caught Kiyomi off guard, but with a look of contemplation she'd respond. "Jia thought the Boss sounded good." This statement caught Jia's attention. "You are the boss though, Kiki.", which prompted the response of "Shut it." by Kiyomi.
"Good thing I busted your nose then, 'cus that kinda' sounds lame.." Terry teased with a grin. Kiyomi returned with one of her own, "And King sounds any better? Or are you going back to Prince Charming."
Terry set palms against the edge of the desk once more. A quick push of them had her launching away from the wooden furniture and helping her forward into an easy stride toward the door. She reached out and pressed a hand against Kiyomi's shoulder in passing. "It's the King to you, girl.. I have to set some standards." she said while patting. "Jia.. Stay on the floor, an' text me when Ashton shows up." Terry felt awkward ordering the girl around, but it came with the position.
"When?" Kiyomi said with a perk of a brow. "It ain't no if. Ashton's too polite to jus' send a text sayin' no. She'll show up an' do that face to face if that's her answer." Terry responded while repeating again to Jia, this time with a point of a finger. "Stay on this floor.", she said. Jia offered a half-hearted salute before collapsing against a chair covered in a rather fluffy pink blanket. "Right-o! Hail to the King!" she said and began fishing out nail polish from her bag.
"Don't say that." Terry groaned out and closed the door behind her.
Terry stood within the room. Her green eyes focusing on the framed student picture of the recently deceased Clarice Queen. The picture sat upon a rather comfortable looking chair. Red leather and slick in design by the way it looked. Fit for a queen, it seemed; but that is exactly who it had been for. Terry crouched then. Her hands reaching to sweep back her skirt so that fabric would tuck against bent knees. The tanned girl now eye-level with the photo. Only a few weeks had passed and it still felt like a dream; as if none of this were real.
She swallowed back some gathered saliva and cleared her throat while tilting her head to the side. "You left me with a mess." she said with a sigh.
Terry wasn't alone. Not any longer. She heard the door open from behind and the sounds of footsteps soon after. Two distinct strides. One more serious, while the other aloof in its choice of where to step; as if the owner had no real interest in a destination. It was an easy guess for Terry as she stood up and looked to the two of them.
Kiyomi, leader of the Asian Culture Club, as she called it. A girl with a rather crazy reputation; one Terry knew first hand about. Kiyomi dressed for intimidation. This seen by her choice of using the long winter skirt all year around, the same with that long sleeved blouse. The Kendo Club jacket adorning her form also showed the base of operations for her little slice of St. Mary's pie.
The other girl. Jia. Lieutenant of Kiyomi and also her target of infatuation. While Jia seemed to harbor feelings for Kiyomi, it was always fleeting and seemed to change as time went on. A cute boy passed by the school gates? Jia was the type to fall in love at first sight. It was obvious she saw her relationship with the other girl as nothing more than a way to pass the time, but Kiyomi's bullheadedness would prevail either way. She wore the same Kendo Club jacket as Kiyomi's, though hers had been pink.
"How's the nose." Terry said while pointing at her own.
The question brought attention to the bandage that clung across the bridge of Kiyomi's nose. That, and the obvious swelling and bruising that is on display. Jia took a closer look at the injury when Terry asked her question. "It's pretty puffy." she said, which prompted Kiyomi to push her away in a sign of annoyance. While Jia was left to regain her balance ( though she did almost fall over a chair ), Kiyomi shook her head before speaking up.
"It's fine," she said. Kiyomi's voice sounding terribly odd due to the nose injury. It took everything Terry had to muster to keep herself from grinning at the sound of it. Why? Because she knew where it came from. It was her own fist that crossed the girls features to inflict that painful damage. St. Mary's politics and water buried under the bridge. The pecking order had been established and their little squabble done away with.
"You found Riley?" Terry said. Kiyomi had never been one for small talk so Terry found no reason to delay the inevitable. She circled about the small desk that stood between them and set herself in front of it. A lean pressed the small of her back to the rather heavy wooden piece of furniture. This conversation felt far too serious. Terry wasn't used to being the one starting these, she hardly even participated in them when it came to being involved with the club. But she couldn't run from these things, at least not right now.
Jia would be the first to speak. "Of course we found her! You act like she was hard to find." she said with glee. Her smug attitude cut the tension out of the room. Terry was thankful for that, though the ego in the girls voice had caused her to deadpan in a way. This only fed into Jia as she smirked. "I beat her up good.. then Kiki joined in, isn't that right?" Jia said as he reached to flick at Kiyomi's hair.
"She won't be calling herself Neo Queen anymore," Kiyomi paused to swat at Jia's hand. An aggrivated look cast in the girls direction, one Jia read as a reason to retreat back some steps. Kiyomi ignored as Jia rose both of her hands while muttering a few `sorry's` under her breath. Instead she looked back to Terry and grinned. Kiyomi grinning meant either two things, you were about to get the crap beat out of you... or she was really happy about something.
"You think this is going to work? Will goody-goody Ashton really join because of this?" Kiyomi's words only caused Terry to sigh out.
The half and half tilted her head back and looked up the ceiling. She pinched at the bridge of her nose, trying to alleviate the pain of the headache she felt creeping up on her. "Ahhhh," she began in a rather unsure sort of way. That hand pressed back to the edge of the desk and she leaned her form forward. Terry shook her head left to right then shrugged. "Who knows.. You told Riley not to **** with Siri again, righ'?" she said while looking up to Kiyomi.
"She told her." Kiyomi gave a side nod in Jia's direction. The gesture had been enough to cause the pink jacket wearing girl to smile. Terry exhaled through her lips in a way to cause her bangs to flutter while she watched Jia begin to shadow box during her victory prance about her corner of the room.
"Then that's all we can do righ' now." Terry brushed back strands of dark brown hair; though they fell back to place, making the gesture useless. "The balls in her court, you know? I ain't one hundred percent or nothin', but she should know this is the best choice of things." The room fell silent between the two of them. Jia had been off in her own little world of victory right now so Terry didn't quite count her in the conversation. Kiyomi would be the first to speak up as she shoved hands inside her club jacket.
"Jamie?" she said. This question had Terry perking up and laughing out in response. "She jumped on it the second I asked, ain't no trouble there. ***** owes me anyway, you know how much booze I ran for her? I got shot at for that ****, real talk." This had her grinning as she recalled the memories. It's funny how a near death experience could be so hilarious now. Kiyomi seemed to share in this sentiment and laughed as well.
"Then you're the Queen now, huh?" Kiyomi's grinning expression faltered when she saw Terry's look of sorrow. "Terry, I..." she began while taking a step forward, though stopping when Terry rose a palm to her. "I'm fine.. But, I ain't the Queen. Clarice is still the leader this crew.. even if she's gone," Terry glanced to the framed photo of the woman sitting upon that red leather chair. She would then look back to Kiyomi and said, "I'm jus' the co-leader, keepin' the seat warm until we find someone good enough to keep on with the legacy." Terry leaned back then. Her eyes looked to the many glow-in-the-dark stars that lined the ceiling of the spacious room.
"What would you have called yourself?" Terry said then. This question caught Kiyomi off guard, but with a look of contemplation she'd respond. "Jia thought the Boss sounded good." This statement caught Jia's attention. "You are the boss though, Kiki.", which prompted the response of "Shut it." by Kiyomi.
"Good thing I busted your nose then, 'cus that kinda' sounds lame.." Terry teased with a grin. Kiyomi returned with one of her own, "And King sounds any better? Or are you going back to Prince Charming."
Terry set palms against the edge of the desk once more. A quick push of them had her launching away from the wooden furniture and helping her forward into an easy stride toward the door. She reached out and pressed a hand against Kiyomi's shoulder in passing. "It's the King to you, girl.. I have to set some standards." she said while patting. "Jia.. Stay on the floor, an' text me when Ashton shows up." Terry felt awkward ordering the girl around, but it came with the position.
"When?" Kiyomi said with a perk of a brow. "It ain't no if. Ashton's too polite to jus' send a text sayin' no. She'll show up an' do that face to face if that's her answer." Terry responded while repeating again to Jia, this time with a point of a finger. "Stay on this floor.", she said. Jia offered a half-hearted salute before collapsing against a chair covered in a rather fluffy pink blanket. "Right-o! Hail to the King!" she said and began fishing out nail polish from her bag.
"Don't say that." Terry groaned out and closed the door behind her.