Interlude: Et tu, Maura

Fien's POV (after the rehearsal)

We were walking in a group to aunt Sandra's house. It was fun talking with Elodie, Eline, and with Maura joining, there was finally someone my own age to hang with, and to top that, It was someone that also liked yuri.

Although I had already talked to Valerie and Mia, I found them harder to approach, but I was making it my mission to get closer to them tonight. I had to if I wanted to help Claire and the team with their case. After all, I was in the play and had an important scene with Mia.

Mia had been very scary during rehearsal, and I had become really afraid of her in the scene where she had to kill me. I knew it was just acting, but still, I was having a hard time separating the real Mia from the acting Mia. Knowing her reputation as a notorious bully did not help that fact.

Valerie, on the other hand, acted like a sweet older sister toward me, but every time Mia arrived, the look in her eyes reminded me of the scene where she had to kill me. It seemed very hard to befriend both of them. The only ones I noticed succeeding so far were Claire and Anna. I had to get better at this. One day I wanted to follow in Claire's footsteps as the FBY director, but for that, I needed to up my game. I was certain Claire must have had some special training to be so good at this. I had to make sure to make inquiries about that if I was going to be serious about my ambitions.

I decided to try approaching the two of them again with a compliment. That should ease things up “With the two of you in the lead, our play is certain to be a success. I am so glad that I get to be a part of the play!”

Valerie patted my head and said, “It is nice to have a cute energetic thing like you around too.”

I felt proud at the praise of a sixth-grader, but then Mia said with glaring eyes “I enjoyed killing you over and over. I think we might need some extra practice.”

Her undertone clearly was meant as a threat inside the fake compliment. My instincts told me to back off. I thought about what Claire would do. Claire never backed off, now did she? I remembered what she did to Mia to make her respect her. I swallowed. There was no way I could do something like that, but I could also not let it go. If I did, I would fail my mission, and failing was not an option.

I must have looked dejected because Valerie hugged me, patted me some more, and said “Don't go teasing our cute underclassman. I like having her around. It feels like having a cute mascot.”

I noticed Mia gritting her teeth. I did not like to be referred to as a mascot, but maybe this time, I could make it work out positively for me. I decided on a different approach and made cute puppy eyes toward Mia.

I noticed Mia's cold eyes melt. I just had to keep this up a little longer. Valerie had noticed my tactic, started laughing, and then joined me by looking with begging puppy eyes at Mia.

Mia's hard stare had long since melted and I noticed her struggle until she finally broke.

“Argh Fine! You can be our mascot. But I expect an equal amount of attention!”

I jumped and made a little dance and then hugged Mia. I accomplished my mission. I made friends with both of them.

Mia, not being used to having someone act so close to her, was blushing heavily and patted my head a bit uncomfortably. But Valerie's approving gaze soon made her loosen up.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed Maura watching me. When she noticed, I noticed her gaze, she quickly turned away and started talking to Eline. Those two had been getting along pretty well.

I dashed toward the three of them and told them proudly I managed to make friends with Valerie and Mia. Elodie and Eline laughed at my enthusiasm and I noticed Valerie and Mia were laughing too. Maura on the other hand seemed less happy.

“What is the matter? Did I do something wrong?” I asked her.

“Hmph, it's nothing.”

Well, it clearly was something, if she was acting all tsundere on me. I poked her side and said, “Come on, tell me.”

“No!”

“If you don't tell me I will have to use my secret weapon.”

“Secret weapon? Don't try to fool me. There is no such thing.”

I guess she left me with no choice... I started tickling her like crazy.

She laughed like crazy “No stop! Mercy!”

“Are you ready to tell me?”

“You are such a bully, but two can play that game!” She initiated a counter tickle attack, so I was forced to disengage and retreat so I ran away. Maura was running after me and it soon turned into a game of tag.

The four other girls were laughing, and while we were having fun like that, we soon arrived at aunt Sandra's place.

Aunt Sandra was not home yet from work. We sat down around the dining table. Elodie went to the kitchen to prepare us some tea and some snacks.

We started by taking out our scripts and started looking for places where we could accentuate the GL and BL tension. For some extra scenes between Juliet and the nurse we had plenty of inspiration, and Elodie's yuri collection was a great benefit.

At the BL part, we got stuck. That was until Mia suddenly shot awake and started saying that Mercutio should be clearly made uke. Because Romeo had to remain a strong character since he also had to seduce Juliet.

What the hell is a uke? I kept quiet because I did not want to appear stupid to my new friend.

“But would it not be cute that he also has a softer side, when he is around a manly man?” Valerie then asked.

BL certainly was a world on its own, but apparently, Valerie and Mia had some knowledge about it. Mia especially seemed to become really passionate about the subject. Unfortunately, not before long, they were having a quarrel about if we should go for Romeo x Mercutio or Mercutio x Romeo. It was getting a little out of hand, and remembering our Y-file I decided to interfere. I mean that is what Claire would do, wasn't it?

“Okay fine, we will let the mascot decide,” Mia said with an angry tone.

“Fine.”

Four eyes were pinned on me, and six eyes of the other girls were watching the situation I got myself into. But then I remembered Claire's tv-show and said. “Why don't we ask the CYA's BL specialist?”

I took my phone and called Ms. Odes. I felt really nervous calling a teacher that had been a real professor. Luckily she picked up her phone and I put her on speaker. I explained the BL dilemma we were having with Romeo x Mercutio and Mercutio x Romeo.

“I am glad you thought of me to solve this. Although my expertise on the matter is not as great as Kath's, in this case, the answer is of course Romeo x Mercutio.”

“But why?” Valerie asked. “Would it not be nice to also portray a softer side to Romeo?”

“For a single scene, I would agree with you. But it is because of the revenge fight afterward. Nobody would accept a uke Romeo defeating Tybalt.”

That argument seemed to have put an end to that discussion. I was happy that I was able to defuse the situation. Even if I didn't do it myself, I managed to put the situation in the hands of our most qualified person, and it had delivered the desired result. Everyone was acting happy again.

We started implementing the ideas we had. I couldn't help but feel genuinely happy to be doing something so fun with friends.

In the meantime, aunt Sandra had come home and asked if the girls were all staying for dinner.

Except for Eline, our three other guests refused the invitation, they did not want to be a burden. After all, the visit was unannounced and was just to do some group homework.

Aunt Sandra looked happy that Eline accepted the invitation. “I will notify Rosa to come here for dinner too in that case.” She left us humming a song with a skip in her step.

We were finishing up our work when aunt Sandra called me over. Apparently, I had a call from my parents on the fixed line.

That was so typical of my mother. She could call me on my smartphone as anyone would, but she always called on a fixed line. That way she knew for sure I was where I said I was. It felt like she didn't trust me, even if I had never been somewhere else.

Aunt Sandra handed me the phone. I could immediately hear from the tone of my mother's voice that she was not pleased.

“Fien, good to have you finally on the line. First of all, what are you doing at school being part of that FBY thing! You never asked me permission for that. You better be sure that it won't affect your grades.”

How the hell did she find out? Did aunt Sandra tell her? “I will make sure it won't mom.”

“I have made sure to subscribe you to some extra online courses to hone your talents. If you have time for that kind of stuff. I expect to see you making progress with them too.”

There went my extra time to read. Why did she always have to push me so hard?

“Yes, mom.” I knew arguing would only get me more of those courses to plow through.

“Next thing, Fien, I received a call from Kath Lyst about you.”

Kath Lyst, that's Anna's mom. Why would she call my parents?

“I do not know how you got in contact with her, but I hope you realize that she is mine and your father's big boss. Depending on how you act around her and those close to her, you could cost us our job and our careers.”

“But I never talked to her.”

“That does not matter. She has her eyes set on you, and because of that also us. She will make you an offer regarding your education next week, you are to say yes, and be enthusiastic about anything she says, you understand me!”

There it was. I was being headhunted again... Ever since I solved that unsolvable theorem in that live math contest, I was always getting offers like that. Up to now, mom had protected me from them, but since it could influence her own career, this one got through. I did not want to do maths. I wanted to bury myself in nice warm yuri and become the FBY director. Why did I have to be good at math?

“Yes, mom,” I said dejectedly.

“Oh and another thing. I heard you made friends with Maura, Ms. Lyst's niece. I probably don't need to remind you, but be sure to be good friends with her, and don't do anything to upset her. That could cost us our job too you know. Her mom is really important.”

So Maura was in on it too. I thought she wanted to be my friend, but it was just about business. I would make sure not to say anything wrong around her, but friends... Can you be friends like that? She could have at least asked or said something before I got this call...

We said our goodbyes and finished our call.

I ran immediately to my room and started crying. Why did my mother have to be so unfair? Why could I never have regular friends that wanted to be close to me, just for me, and not because they wanted to recruit my talents?

Now I was being blackmailed into whatever Kath Lyst would ask of me. I had seen on the talk show with Claire how vicious she was. I did not want to have anything to do with her, but I was to be her puppet. And the worst part of it was Maura. I felt really betrayed by her.

Elodie entered my room and patted me “There, there, just tell me what happened.”

I told her sobbingly what my mother had said to me, and about what I found out about Maura.

“We will discuss this with Anna and Claire. I am sure they will know what to do. Eline and I will keep Maura away from you. We will do it without her noticing. Rest assured.”

I put my head on her lap and cried for a little longer while she patted me. I was glad I was staying at Aunt Sandra's place. Because of that, at least I had Elodie to comfort me right now. I would not know what I had done if I had been on my own.