3:38 PM [School gate]
Prudence stood by the school gates, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, trying to appear nonchalant. But inside, she was thrumming with nerves. 'Oh my gosh, I finally have my chance,' A small smile tugged at her lips.
The warm wind threaded through her curled hair, dainty necklace flowing. The metal fence behind her creaked every now and then, as if sighing under the comfort of the sunlight. A few leaves clung to the pavement.
The school behind her buzzed with the usual post-class murmur, but its liveliness had dimmed over the months. With the recent headlines, fewer kids loitered at the gate. Most rushed home straight away, parents waiting in cars like hawks.
"..." She usually took the school bus.
She'd been working diligently to get closer to Dolores. Everything had been part of the plan: delivering his missed schoolwork, conveniently being around when his teachers asked for errands, staying after class to help him with whatever he asked. It'd been months of subtle effort.
She'd first noticed him at the start of the year. It was his sharp, almost severe beauty that caught her— a collection of angles and intense, fox-like eyes that made her stomach do a confusing, exhilarating flip. She cataloged him like a project: the three small birthmarks— under his right eye, by his lip, on the bridge of his nose, the ones glimpsed in gym class on his wrist and neck, the defined lines of his abdomen during a basketball game. 6'1". Toned. She'd done her research, too.
To her relief, most of the student body were obsessed with Adonis, the tanned, pierced, drawling golden boy who made her skin prickle. Every interaction with him felt like a performance, his smile never quite reaching his cold, grey-blue eyes.
She remembered the first time she mentioned Dolores in passing, Adonis smiled too wide and didn't blink for a full ten seconds.
Occasionally, whenever they're in the same room, she feels a sharp glare on her back which lingered and weighed. The few times she'd caught his eyes on her at school and in parties, a chill crept up her spine.
He can't stand not being the center of everything.
Dolores's admirers were a silent minority: those too intimidated by his aloofness, those already taken, and her. Prudence, knowing her window was small, had moved quickly.
The pursuit had cost her. The bubbly, people-pleasing facade that had secured her a large social circle last year had begun to crack under the weight of her singular focus.
Friends had drifted away, their texts growing less frequent, their glances tinged with secondhand embarrassment. She's so obvious. It's kind of pathetic. The whispers were a dull ache, a price she told herself was worth paying.
The wind picked up again, brushing her dress against her knees, leaves rustling on the sidewalk.
"Hey." A clear-cut voice rings out from the right where Prudence was leaning against a wall, taking her out of her trance. Dolores stood there, expression unreadable.
"You're finally here!"
"Sorry, but I have to pick up a few things before we can go to my house."
"Is that so? How long do you think you're going to take?"
"I'm probably gonna be done at around 4 minimum. You can go home without me then go to my house, I'm just gonna take the train later since it's congruent with my schedule."
"Ah, okay..." She replies, clearly disappointed they couldn't travel together, "Well, see you!" Nonetheless, she puts on a smile while waving a goodbye and walks up to the school bus, "I'll be there by 4:30."
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4:28 PM [Dolores' house]
Prudence mentally prepares herself before ringing the doorbell of Dolores' home.
She looks at herself through a phone camera for the 9th time in a row, scrutinizes her dress, and checks her breath. Hoping he'd like her outfit, she changed into a floral yellow sundress she thought a guy would like.
She took every liberty to make herself presentable: She'd scrubbed, powdered, and prepped— natural, but flawless. Just enough to impress without looking like she tried. She had prepared like it was an interview.
The house loomed before her, its silhouette elegant and beautiful against the evening sky. The windows reflected soft hues of gold and mauve as the sun dipped lower, contrasting against the way purple shadows clung to the edges of the building.
She clears her throat before promptly pressing the doorbell.
Ding-dong.
After a few seconds of silence, the door opens and she is greeted by Dolores' gorgeous mother, smiling with practiced warmth.
She was beautiful in that quiet, elegant way Prudence always admired.
"Hi! You're Prudence, right?"
"... Yep!"
"Dolores is just upstairs, come in!" She says while pointing to the stairs with her arms in a very welcoming manner. In accordance to her expectations, the house's interior matched the exterior— ornate, classy, spacious, and expensive.
Everything gleamed softly under antique ceiling lights, from the polished floor tiles to the carved banisters on the stairs.
"Don't mind me, haha." Prudence replies as she takes off her shoes, as per the custom in Asian households.
"Just leave those at the floor, no need to fuss with the shoe rack."
"Ah, okay." She does as she's told, and Dolores' mother heads to the living room.
With that, Prudence ascended the stairs slowly, each step giving her more time to breathe and calm herself. The upstairs hallway was wide and pristine. 'This house feels too big for three people', she thought, eyes lingering on the high-quality vintage wallpapers.
The quiet was so complete, her own heartbeat sounded a little too loud.
Prudence gives herself a quiet slap on the cheeks with both her hands, then goes to the door marked by Dolores' name, knocking twice.
Just a moment later, a listless Dolores with messy hair and basic clothing opens the door, "... Oh, you're here. You remembered all your stuff, right?"
"Of course!" Prudence chirped, quickly scanning Dolores' room and taking a mental picture of it in a discreet manner.
Her first impression is that it's very neutral-toned and more modern, dissimilar to the rest of the house. The only 'colours' there were navy blue, white, black, and gray. Furthermore, there are only basic furniture: a spacious corner desk paired with a chair, his twin-size bed, and a big shelf with all sorts of boring-looking books.
The only thing saving his bedroom from looking like a prison cell from Norway for rich boys is: a wide glass door adorned with curtains leading to a balcony, and another door that probably leads to his own personal bathroom.
After she briefly rates his room a solid 10/10 in her mind, Dolores continues on, "Can you make sure you have everything you need and that you didn't accidentally lose something on the way here? Wouldn't want you losing anything important."
Prudence does just that, going through her tote bag and confirming that she has all the materials she needs with mock ceremony, "Yep, it's all here."
A few seconds of awkward silence ensues due to Dolores staring at her in silence. His expression twists into something unreadable.
Just when Prudence is about to open her mouth, he beats her to it, "Come, follow me."
Saying this, he leave his room, closes the door, and walks to the big room she had noticed earlier.
"You're not taking anything with you?"
"... Don't need it. I'll just use yours." He quietly replies while opening the door.
With the door opened, Prudence finds a private library: a bunch of bookshelves adorned with books and a table in the middle. Must have cost a fortune. Financial situation seems to be a 10/10.
The room was filled with the faint, woody scent of old pages and something else— an undertone she couldn't place. It wasn't unpleasant, just... sterile.
She presses on and tries to make conversation, "Ahh, so many books! Your family is so rich~".
Once again, a few seconds of silence ensues due to Dolores not saying anything back, instead just opting to take a seat on a chair and staring ahead.
This time, Prudence is the first to say something, "Is it just me or are you even gloomier than usual? No offense, haha."
Dolores shakes his head and replies as if waking from a dream, "I think I just need some caffeine." Then, he adds, "... Would you like some tea?"
"Sure!" Prudence senses that Dolores isn't okay, but decides not to pry. After all, they're not that close yet.
However, instead of leaving immediately, she still decides to stay for tea. She'll just find an excuse to dip out after.
Hearing this, he leaves the room and goes downstairs. As he left for the kitchen, she sank into a chair.
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