Not So Composed

[Odette Madison]

She had done it. Odette had stood in front of the entire school and apologized. She had remained composed, sure of herself. But now that it was over, she couldn't keep the mask in place any longer.

She had run blindly from the hall after leaving it, tears blurring her vision. She burst into the first girl's bathroom she could find, her sobs escaping her as soon as she knew no one would see her. She gripped the sink for support. Her mind was screaming at her to at least get into a stall, to hide herself away until she could compose herself like a normal human being, but she couldn't. The stares had gotten to her, she could still see them all look at her. In her memory, everyone had been jeering and laughing, even though a part of her knew that wasn't true.

With horror, she realized she was making quite a bit of noise. She pressed one shaking hand against her mouth to stifle her sobs, but the tears were still running. How could all of this have gone so badly? Why did she even do it? It didn't seen even close to worth it anymore.

 

[Margo Ellis]

When Margo slipped out into the entrance hall, Odette had already disappeared. Knowing she couldn't very well have vanished into thin air, the Ravenclaw set off in a quick-step down the first floor corridor, peering into every vacant (or not) room in search of her friend. It was funny, she mused, that she still considered Odette a friend. The truth was, for all of her lies and deceiving, she was still the only girl in the entire castle who'd taken an interest in Margo's life, and for this reason alone the Ravenclaw could not bring herself to cut ties. Perhaps she needed a good influence in her own life - and perhaps Margo could provide her with one. Vowing in future to stick to her principals - which meant no more slanderous flyer distributing - she strode a little further down the corridor before coming to a sudden halt.

Someone had sobbed, and whilst Margo had never heard Odette cry before, it was indubitably her. Her pursuit now gaining direction she started off for the girl's bathroom in a jog, hesitating briefly outside the door before pushing tentatively inside. "Odette?" she said, feeling as if she were invading the Slytherin's privacy. Nobody liked to be found when they were crying, but she imagined Odette liked it even less so. She slid into the room and closed the door artfully behind her, unsure how best to proceed.

 

[Odette Madison]

In her burst of emotions, Odette didn't hear Margo's approach until she was literally inside the bathroom with her. She spun around, glaring through her tears. "Go away."She hissed, though the effect of her anger was diminished by the fact that another round of sobs bubbled up in her throat. She clenched her eyes shut as they escaped. "Just g-go away." She whimpered as she turned around again, hoping it would hide her face somewhat. Her shoulders slumped and her hair fell forward, helping her hide more. "I don't w-want you here. You s-shouldn't look at me. I'll be fine. FINE. I... I just don't feel well, that's all." Her words were choked out between her sobs and she wished she could stop time until she was able to compose herself. Margo was supposed to be intimidated by her, fear her a little. How was that supposed to happen if Odette acted like a blubbering mess in front of her? Worse, she was acting like a little kid. She had managed to keep her composure so well in the Great Hall, and now it was all ruined. Would Margo tell anyone? If she did, Odette would push her into the lake. Strangely enough, that thought calmed her down just a bit and she glanced at the other girl, wondering what she was thinking. Surely she was happy to see Odette like this, it was ammunition against her. That was how the world worked, after all.