What Needs to be Said

[April Ward]

April was happy to be back at school after the uncomfortable break she'd just had. She had been happy with the news that she and her dad would be moving into Kyle's place, at least during the holidays, as she could tell her father cared a lot about Kyle and wanted this really badly. But October hadn't agreed, and April was glad to be around people that didn't glare, speak french to her face or insult her with an air that made it clear that they thought you too stupid to get it anyway. She wanted to be friends with the girl that may someday be her step-sister, but she was making it difficult.

But after a few days of seeing her friends again and getting used to the school and the lessons again, she knew she had to talk to the older girl. She couldn't be allowed to be that rude to April's father anymore, or her own. April just didn't understand why it was hard to be happy for someone else. So now she was looking for October, hoping that she wasn't in the Ravenclaw common room where April couldn't get to her. In the end, she spotted her wild curls from a distance at the Ravenclaw table as she scanned the Great Hall, and she headed over to take a seat beside her. "October, hi." She said, though her voice was a lot less excited than it usually was. She was serious about this.

 

[October Alcott]

Being back at school was a relief, after their fraught holidays, but the sudden load of classwork was... a lot. Third year was harder than October anticipated, and she was beginning to regret signing up for almost every subject available. She hadn't slept much last night, working on an essay that felt like it went on forever. And for some reason she thought it was a good idea to add Quidditch practices to that schedule. Foolish. She was beginning to feel constantly exhausted, and the year had barely begun. But the idea of dropping a subject now was laughable. That would mean admitting defeat.

October was weakly prodding at her oatmeal, too tired to quite bring herself to pick up a spoonful and eat it, when she felt someone sit down next to her. She didn't look up or register who it was until she heard her own name, tensing up at once. What was April doing here?! They had such a nice system of avoiding each other at school, why would she ruin it like this? October didn't even begin to have the energy for this, not looking up from her oatmeal. "Hello." She said curtly, though her exhaustion still showed in her voice. "What do you want?" October was determined to keep up her practice of only addressing April in French, not willing to give up her language because some new people wanted to invade their house.

 

[April Ward]

April rolled her eyes and snorted when October started speaking in French. Really? Was her English button broken? "You know, we're not at your house now." She said with a shrug. "And if I can't understand you, it's kind of hard to hold up a conversation. You're being really immature. mean, I can't speak another language but I could just make up one and say everything on my mind in that and then you wouldn't know what I said. It's very frustrating, watch." She stuck out her tongue. "Bluh bleh blah, mutt poom wee, lala popo woopie." She laughed at herself, but a part of her hoped she was making the other girl angry, as October madeher angry. "C'mon, stop being a jerk," she then added. "We need to talk, and even if you'll just talk French back at me I'm still going to talk at you so you may as well respond in disdain in a way I can actually understand. Where's the fun in calling me stupid if I can't hear you say it, after all?" Her voice took on a sharpened edge at the end, and the smile dropped from her face as she looked at October with a cool expression.

 

[October Alcott]

October scowled. How dare April make fun of her language?! It took all of October's control to keep from lashing out at the girl, but she kept reminding herself she was better than that, she was better than April's immaturity. "In my FAMILY, we speak FRENCH." She said icily, glaring at the younger girl. "If you want to try to butt your way in, either learn our language or get out." It was taking every bit of October's self control to retain her composure. "You have no place in my home, near my father, acting like you belong there. You'll never be part of our family."

 

[April Ward]

April scowled right back at October, not afraid of her. She snorted as the girl reminded her that in her family they spoke French. "Yeah, cool. I'm not going to learn a language in a week. You know this, you are just being petty." She told her, dismissing her. "I'm sure dad's gonna get French lessons at some point and I'll promise right now I will too, okay? Happy? Ready to talk like civilized people that can understand each other?" She didn't wait for a reply, barreling on. "Good! I want you to stop being such a brat to my dad, he's trying his best and you are being horrible to him. He loves your dad, and I don't understand why you can't be happy for them. Kyle is happier with him too, so why are you being selfish about all this?" She eyed the girl critically. "Why aren't we good enough for you when we're good enough for Kyle? He likes me, he loves my dad, you're the only one being a problem in all this, don't pretend you don't think you are better than me because you certainly act like it. Do you really want your dad to leave mine and be miserable so you can be happy and stuck up and speak French all day?" April forced herself to stop rambling, reminding herself that it was only fair to let October talk back to her. She was just so angry about the sad looks her father had been giving the older girl. It was clear her disapproval and rejection were causing him pain and that was not okay.

 

[October Alcott]

Once upon a time, they had been friends, and April knew just where to slide her little daggers, to get deep under October's skin. The comment about being good enough for her dad was a step too far and something in October snapped, as she slammed her knife and fork furiously down on the table. "Because you're NOT good enough!" She snapped, turning to glare at April with full force, standing up to get a slight upper ground on her stepsister. "You've never even TRIED to be good enough, you've never put in a day's effort on ANYTHING in your LIFE! You won't take those French classes, I guarantee it, you barely take schoolwork seriously, you never even CARED about ballet, you don't care or try at anything!" October could feel herself tearing up with rage, but she didn't let it stop her. "You've never had to WORK to be LOVED in your LIFE, and now you're being given things you DON'T DESERVE! Work hard, every day, until you're exhausted, and then be told you should have tried a little harder, and THEN I'll call you my sister." She spat, turning to walk away from the table, sick to her stomach.

 

[April Ward]

April was dumbfounded by October's outburst. It seemed like the girl had been feeling a lot morethan arrogance, though she definitely thought April was stupid and didn't try hard. As if! It wouldn't be fair to either of them if the conversation ended here, so she followed October and grabbed her arm. "Wait, you can't just say all that and then walk off!" She exclaimed with a frown. "I DO try hard. Maybe I don't care about school as much as you do but I try! I definitely tried at ballet! I don't see how you can say I didn't, you saw how I trained just like you!" She tried to make everything seem effortless, sure, but that didn't mean it was. She thought October knew that. "You don't have to try to be loved, your dad loves you! We could love you too if you would let us. I don't need to be called sister, I'm not asking that much. I just want you to be civil with us! You act like we don't deserve as much as your presence around us, it's irritating and makes you seem arrogant when I know you're a good person. We used to be friends, right?" October had been the girl April looked up to most in ballet class, hearing her say these things really hurt though she tried not to show it. Her stupid bottom lip was quivering a little though, and she bit it to stop it. "Do you really hate me that much?" She asked, unsure why the question slipped out. She wondered if Kyle knew how October felt. Would it be April's place to say something?

((Godmod Approved))

 

[October Alcott]

October wasn't prepared for April to stop her, but the other girl did anyway. She didn't have time to fight the tears back properly before turning to the other girl, glaring at her furiously. "You have no idea what you're TALKING about!" She snapped, glaring at April. "Everyone lets you get away with whatever you want, you treat everything like a big joke! You wouldn't know hard work if it slapped you in the face, but everyone treats you like a baby, like it's just fine for you to coast through life never doing anything and you're just perfect anyway! I'm the only person treating you like everyone treats ME! You're not good enough, and you won't be unless you WORK.HARDER." October accentuated her point with a couple of sharp, angry jabs to April's chest. April's last question actually took her aback for a moment, but she was too angry to back down now. "Work harder and I won't hate you." She snapped, trying to turn to go again.

 

[April Ward]

April was tired of getting shouted at by October, especially in the middle of the great hall. But at least it was some sort of reaction that wasn't aloof arrogance. "I don't treat everything like a big joke, but not everything in the world is so super serious!" She snapped back. "If people are treating you like that, that's wrong of them! That doesn't mean I'm doing something wrong. But you know what? I think the only person treating you that way is you yourself." She scoffed and crossed her arms. "I won't try harder for you, I am happy with myself. I love myself, I don't need you to like me too if it's that difficult for you." She swatted the girl's hand way. "All I want is for you to treat my father with some respect, he hasn't done anything to you." The other girl turned to walk away with another last remark and April officially lost her temper. She let her go but stamped her foot. "Fine! Hate me!" She called after her. "But I hope you know YOU'RE the one acting like a baby." She stuck out her tongue at October's back, seeming unaware that she was contradicting her own statement with the gesture.