The Milkshake

"Lucy, where are you going?" asks a tall young woman with black hair to her friend, who was quickly heading to the door while grabbing her school jacket on the way.

"Sorry, Clara, but I need to go see my boyfriend..." the young woman responds briefly while quickly leaving the dormitory.

Door slamming

Alone, Clara, who kept her right hand raised even after her friend left, sits down hard on the wooden chair right behind her, letting her arms fall into her lap while her posture gives way; her gaze, wide with surprise at her friend's action, quickly transforming into a look of despair.

Looking at the hand in her lap, Clara could clearly see the uncontrolled trembling of her limbs.

For some reason, the castle's natural pleasant cool climate felt as cold as the uncomfortable chill plaguing her stomach.

Lifting her head while looking at the now empty room, her vision gradually began to blur and, before she realized it, sobs were coming out of her mouth on their own.

Gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, a choked lament of despair is murmured as the young woman curls up helplessly: "I-I'm s-scared!"

"..."

Knock-knock

Startled by the noise but still drowning in despair, Clara raises her face, watching the door with wide eyes and wet cheeks, not knowing what to do.

Knock-knock-knock

"Clara, are you there?"

"He-Helena?" Clara responds with a glimmer of hope.

⁂

"Sorry, Clara, but I can't leave Oliver in this state..." Helena says while caressing her friend's back, whom she'd consoled after bringing her to Oliver's room, where he slept.

Holding back tears, Clara murmured, "S-she left me alone..."

Seeing her friend's despair, Helena proposes while helping her dry her tears: "Why don't you take a room here next door? Dan and the other boys are nearby... And you can always visit while I take care of Oliver." She says, nodding toward Oliver, who slept in the large double bed where they sat.

"D-Dan? You mean—" Feeling strangely shy at the mention of their mutual friend, Clara tries to change the subject. "Oliver, i-is he okay?"

"No... We don't know, it's been 3 hours and he still hasn't woken up..." Helena responds, looking away to the floor, lost in thought.

"Are you—"

Interrupting Clara, Helena continues: "Oliver could wake up at any moment, so I have to be strong for him..."

Seeing that her friend was also suffering, Clara slaps her own face lightly, startling Helena in the process.

"What are you doing?!"

"Being your friend!"

"Wha—"

Interrupting Helena's confusion, Clara, who now with proper posture was a head taller than her friend, hugs her, burying her in her chest while running her hand through the back of her hair: "I'm here for you, okay? I'm sure Oliver will wake up soon!"

"..."
"..."

Sniff

Starting with a wet sniffle on her chest, soon Clara joins her friend in an unrestrained crying session that leads them to discharge their frustrations until dark.

...

In an exquisite room dimly lit by weak yellow lights, a large canopy bed kept its curtains closed while occupied by a man and two women.

"Hey, Helena..."

"Hi, Clara..." her friend responded while staring at the finely carved canopy ceiling, barely visible from the little yellow illumination leaking through the thin privacy curtain.

"You know what I want right now?"

"What?"

"A strawberry milkshake."

"..."

"I also want a strawberry milkshake..."

"From where?"

"I don't know, McBonald's?"

"McBonald's? I'm talking about a real milkshake!"

"Hmmm... Shake Sack?"

"Shake Sack is good... but I'd die for Six Guys right now."

"Six Guys? Come on, their milkshake tastes like ass!"

"Tastes like ass?!"

"Tastes like six guys' ass!"

"I was trying to be polite, but come on, you know very well what Shake SACK's milkshake tastes like!"

"Tastes like wha— Eww! You're nasty!"

"I bet if it was Oliver's sack, you wouldn't complain!"

"I bet if it was Dan's sack, you wouldn't complain!"

"..."

"Hahahahah..." ×2

"..."

"Hey, I think if a strawberry milkshake from Diary King appeared, even Oliver would wake up..." Helena says, stopping looking at the carved ceiling and turning to look at Oliver, who slept apparently carefree to her right.

From her left, Clara interrupts her thoughts while hugging her belly: "He'll wake up, okay?"

Turning to her friend, Helena nods in confirmation while yawning: "I know... good night, Clara."

"Good night, Helena."

"..."

"Good night, Oliver."