The Demoness of the Hall

*** Libby’s POV

***  ~ One Week Ago

Xan laughs heartily as Arnie rushes out of the door he’d been pulled into mid-chase. “Alright, I have to admit, that was kind of fun.” The large bear man quakes with even more amusement. “Still, Libby, how incredibly out of character to want to help out someone you just met. You have a crush on W or something?”

The thought nearly makes me wretch as Tammy joins in with Xan’s laughter. “Huh, I thought I was the only one that could change my colors, but you’re getting pretty red there Lib. I think you need to spill!” I know I'm not getting red. I might be eminently flusterable, but at least I can tell when my face is betraying me… most of the time.

Honestly, these two… “We literally met the guy like a week ago, hung out with him, what, a handful of times? I don’t like him. I only suggested we lend a hand since we kind of pushed him to help Haley in the first place. All this trouble he’s going through, yeah, it’s at least partially our fault.” 

“And who wanted us to ask W for help in the first place?” Xan says, voice dried up and barren of all previous joy. “Libby, we tease… but you’re still carrying a torch for… you know who.”

“We’re not children, Xan, you can ssssay her name,” I hiss, getting a bit annoyed. “And I am not carrying a torch for her! She made her choice. Honestly, I don’t miss her…”

“But you do miss who she used to be,” Tammy says, gliding close to me and wrapping a feathered arm around my shoulder. “We all do, Lib. You most of all, I’m sure.” Tammy’s feathers shift to a soft blue. “But at some point, you need to let go of her memory. Everyone who knows you can see that it’s still eating you from inside.”

Slithering out of my friend’s embrace, I cut a quick path for the door. “I… I appreciate the concern you two, but really, I’m fine.” With that, I swing the door open and rush out into the hall, hoping to escape from that emotional minefield… only to end up in a completely new volatile situation.

Standing alone in the hallway is a woman I’ve avoided like the plague for two years now. Clare is slack-jawed and tearing up as she stares down a similarly empty hall. Hoping she doesn’t see me, I try to turn around as quickly as possible, before hearing her choke out a sob.

Goddamnit it. I am not the right person for this. Seeing me is only going to make whatever she’s going through worse. I… I need to leave. Another cry escapes her, and I deflate. Slowly, I approach Clare, being sure to make enough noise so she isn’t startled when I tap on her shoulder.

The woman turns her head slightly and sees me. Strangely, this elicits no real reaction from her. “H– Hi… I… You were crying and… Do you need help?”

Clare sniffs loudly and clears her throat. “No… no I don’t. I’m fine. Besides, you’re not exactly a friendly face.”

I smile wryly at her comment, which might just qualify for understatement of the century. “True, I’m not. This might be… no, this is absolutely two years too late… but I am truly sorry for what happened… what I did.”

“Noted.” Clare’s voice is cold and distant, and immediately she stares back out at the hallway she seems so intent on observing. I stay next to her for a few minutes, not quite knowing what to do or say in this situation, content to let this uncomfortable stillness slowly crush me. “She– she pushed me away.” Clare finally says, “She never pushed me before. Certainly not back then… but she’s never done that, even when I would try to talk to her nowadays.” She pauses for a while again.”She just pushed me away, and left.”

“Clare, I–”

“I’m done, waiting. I’m done, trying. I’m done pining for someone who doesn’t exist anymore. For a friend that can’t even look at me anymore. I– I wanted to be there for her, but it hurts. It hurts so much.” Clare’s shoulders start trembling again as a new wave of tears starts to flow.

Without saying another word, I stand with Clare, crying alongside her, for the same exact reason, but a completely different person.

*** Present Day

Alright, chips, black bean dip, then salsa. That’s the order, final answer. I finish arranging the bowls on the coffee table, making sure they’re each equidistant apart and positioned perfectly.

…

But why does this feel so wrong!? I mean, the big bowl being all the way on the left just looks unbalanced, right? But if I put the dips on either side, then it ruins the whole flow, you grab a chip first, then make your decision. But does my putting the bean dip first mean that I’m making some bold statement declaring it to be superior, and thus, the correct choice over the salsa? I can’t be playing favorites with the dips like that! Wait… what if I put them both to the right, one on top of the other…

No! Nope! Now they’re both too close to the edge of the table and the last thing I want is to spill the dip and–

Mom’s door swings open and she makes a B-Line for the exit. “Hey, mom, can I get your opin–” Before I can even get a sentence in, she’s out of the house. The heavy wooden door slamming behind her echoes in the newfound silence of our home. “Yeah, thanks, good talk.”

I sit back on the coils of my tail, in our large, quiet house, all alone. You’d think that being out of trouble for a couple of years would at least make it so that mom could look at me again. You’d think it’d earn the privilege of seeing dad for more than just a weekend visit every few months. Somehow, the only thing that’s changed is the pervasive silence, which honestly is enough to make me miss the yelling.

What am I doing!? I can’t be thinking about that nonsense. I have to figure out the right order for the snacks. This is the first time anybody’s come over in… damn, has it been years? Xan and Tammy are both way too involved in extracurriculars… and each other, and Haley…

The chips! If I just put less of them out, in a smaller bowl, then…

I sigh out loud. None of this matters. I know it doesn’t. W’s not going to give a damn about the Feng Shui of the frito-lays. Really, I don’t either… and I certainly don’t care what that absolute jackass thinks about me and my home!

…

Alright, maybe a little, but the smallest possible amount of care! You know those graphs with an asymptote approaching zero on the y-axis but never quite reaching zero? Well crank the x-axis to ten million and we’re at about how much I give a damn about W and his stupid jokes, and adorable quirks, and dorky smile–

What if I just dumped both dips on the fucking chips and called it a day!?

I just… it’d be nice if someone actually wanted to hang out again, besides just messing around at school. Do I reek of desperation? I really hope not, I did bathe.

All this, and it’s not like he’s even coming as a friend. We just got paired together for a dumb project, and now he’s obligated to help. No amount of fussing will change that fact. I’m spending my weekend waiting on an acquaintance because I have nobody else to share my time with.

The doorbell’s sharp ring nearly gives me a heart attack. Well, speak of the devil– actually, the devil’s friend. Taking a deep breath, I force an inviting smile onto my face and slide to the door.

“Hey W, glad you found the–” As I swing the door open, the words I was trying to speak previously die in my throat. This isn’t W. Standing in my doorway is an absolutely gorgeous woman. I’m not even kidding, she’s just… wow. “Umm, hi, I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else. Can I help you?” Really, can I do absolutely anything for you? Buy you dinner, hug you, kiss you, start a life together, dealer’s choice!

The woman staring back at me has the most adorably smug expression I’ve ever seen and I can feel my cheeks betraying me by starting to burn up. “I hope you can help me. My math grades are absolute garbage.” The woman smirks.

Math, what an incredible coincidence that an absolute smoke show would arrive at my door looking for help with math the same day W is supposed to…

…

Looking at the woman again, seeing the way she seems on the verge of a laughing fit while smiling widely at me, it dawns on me. “No fucking way.” The gorgeous bunny woman in front of me bursts into a giggling fit, shifting back and forth on her fuzzy feet while my brain melts down in real-time. “There’s absolutely no way.”

“You know, I was actually kind of dreading having to introduce myself to everyone again, but if this is what it’s gonna be like, this is gonna be fun!”

“You…” Yeah, this is the point where all words fail me. This woman, this gorgeous, delightfully playful rabbit, is… “W?”

The woman in the black sundress looks up at me with wide eyes, and waves kind of awkwardly. “Oh, yeah, guess I never did get around to telling you all… I go by Willow now. It’s nice to meet you again, Libby!”

With I’m sure the most dumbfounded expression I’ve ever worn, I slither to the side and wordlessly usher Willow into my house. She happily bounces in, absorbing the sight of my mom’s disturbingly manicured queendom. Picture frames organized by size hang across every wall of a family that seems unable to smile. Unburnt candles, book-ending shelves of uniform and symmetrical tchotchke formations. No dust, dirt, or debris of any kind. Not a shred of evidence to suggest that this place is inhabited by living, breathing people, and isn’t just a model home meant to impress prospective homeowners. The whole place just screams “I have a stick up my ass the size of Yggdrasil” and I am acutely aware of how uncomfortable this place can make a permanent resident, let alone a visitor.

“You… have a lovely home,” Willow says in a tone that’s obviously straining itself to be polite.

“Um… thankssss.” Shit, now’s not the time for a nervous tick, or hiss, as it were. “We… we can set up and work over here if that’s alright?” I say, gesturing to the table I’ve pre-loaded with a snack.

Five minutes. Five minutes of dreadful, awkward, please goddesses let someone just fucking say something for the love of all that is good in this world, silence. After getting out our books and turning to our assigned chapter, I sit stone still, staring at the words on the page while trying to comprehend exactly none of them. Every time I look up, I see Willow looking back, which of course prompts me to take my gaze straight back down to the page where I can’t possibly make an ass of myself.

“Libby?” Willow asks, causing every muscle in my body to tense. “Are you… are you uncomfortable with me changing the way I have?” I’m sorry, what? “I… I know it’s not exactly the most usual circumstance, but, you are kind of one of the few friends I have here… and I was hoping you’d be okay with this… with me.”

If ever there was proof that we live in an imperfect world, it was that misunderstandings this grand were somehow possible. Forcing myself to look directly at the bunny girl, despite the imminent risk of getting flustered all over again, I respond. “Willow, that’s not it at all! I just… there’s…” I take a steadying breath and continue. “Honestly, I’m just more than a bit surprised. I mean, I’ve only known you briefly, but given our past interactions, I never would have guessed…”

Willow’s shoulder’s relax as she melts a bit into a sigh. “Yeah, you and me both. This was an extremely recent development! I mean, not just the change but the whole reason behind it. I’ve been really clueless about myself for some time, but everything worked out for the best, I think.”

“I’ll say, you’re gorgeous!” There goes my mouth, working faster than my head as usual. The bunny blushes and smiles sheepishly. “Wait, alright, that came out wrong. I mean, your metamorphosis, it was good… for what you wanted, of course… I’m assuming… I… I’m going to shut up now.”

The bunny girl laughs, “Damn, Lib, you’re smooth as sandpaper, you know that?” I swat the wascally wabbit with my tail. “Hey, no fair! You have a secret weapon tail, and all I have is a glorified cotton ball above my ass!” Falling for the cheapest trick in the book, my eyes immediately drop to catch a glimpse of the aforementioned tail, before I hear Willow gasp dramatically. “Libby, eyes up here! I am a lady after all!” Willow says, wiggling her hip just a bit and smirking.

This, of course, means war. Extending away from the ground, I lean over the table, getting as close as possible to Willow. “You are a lady, a very pretty one.” The bunny’s cheeks start changing color, ever so slightly.

“Ha, come on, Libby, I think we established on day one that I am immune to your… would you call them charms? I think the term would be very generously thrown around if you do.”

Mhmm, say what you want, little rabbit, I haven’t gone for the kill shot yet. “Why be so cruel? Don’t you want to be my good girl?”

*** Willow’s POV

The fucking power of those words rips the narrative back to my perspective. I don’t quite know what that means but HO-LY-SHIT. It’s no secret that Libby is drop-dead fucking beautiful, but considering before today I’ve either been met with subtle jabs or downright hostility, this fucking turnabout in personality is as jarring as it is wonderful. Did I say wonderful? Because I mean, terrific! Wait, no, that’s not right either. Unnerving. Good, yes! Unnervingly awesome. Goddamnit brain, you stop twisting my words!

“Woah! Offsides, foul, out of bounds, other sports terms I barely understand! That’s gotta be against the rules!”

The snake woman shrugs as she continues slowly approaching me. “You know what they say, all’s fair.”

This isn’t fair, this is cheating. In what, I have no idea, but this feels as far away from fair as I’ve ever experienced in life! “Wait, what about the math project?” Look at me, choosing math over a hot snake woman. I’d say my parents would be proud, but even they’d want to kick my ass for this one.

“Sweet mother, I cannot math, slender Aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a bunny.”

If it’s possible to blush oneself to death, I fear it may happen soon. My face is absolutely burning, and no words seem able to make the steep climb from my voice box to my mouth, stumbling and staggering along the way.

*** Libby’s POV

Although teasing the formerly unflappable Willow is intensely fun, I notice that beneath the blushing and sputtering nervously, she’s trembling a bit as well. I retreat to my side of the table, resting back on my tail. “Does this kind of thing make you uncomfortable, Willow?”

The bright red bunny starts slowly returning to her normal complexion. “I mean, no, I don’t think so? I– maybe? Look, I know I kind of started it, and I probably shouldn’t have. I just thought it’d be fun to tease you a bit… but, I didn’t think it’d go so far so fast and… yeah.”

My eyes fall back to the untouched snacks between us, as I hunch my back and try to be as small as possible. “I… I shouldn’t have taken it as far as I did. Especially without asking. I was trying to get back at you, but when I saw you get flustered, I thought it’d be okay to push a bit more.”

“No! You didn’t take it too far, at all!” Willow chimes in emphatically. “Trust me, everything was one hundred percent appreciated! But… I’ve never felt like that before. Put it this way, nobody has ever tried to turn me into a blathering mess like that. This is uncharted territory for me and… I think I need some time to process?"

My spirits lift, hearing that I didn’t completely mess that up. “Yeah, of course, that makes perfect sense!”

“Plus… I’m still trying to figure out what I am to Haley…” That… is also a valid point. My jaw clenches at the mention of her name, but I try to keep a smile on my face. “Would you mind, if we just worked on the project for today? And I promise to figure out the other stuff, as quickly as I can?”

“Willow, take your time. If you do end up wanting to flirt, or whatever, later… I want you to be completely comfortable with it first.” Summoning up the courage of every mythological hero I revered growing up, I look Willow in the face and say, “I’ll respect whatever you want. This isn’t some timed thing. I… like you. So, days, weeks, months, whatever, just let me know how you feel when you can.”

There is another awkward pause. Truly, if I ever ascend to an eternal throne as a deity of future myth, my domain shall be uncomfortable moments. Eventually, Willow smiles and nods. Somehow, the two of us are able to focus on the trivialities of math long enough to put together what will certainly be a barely passable presentation before Willow heads out for the day. As she’s leaving, it looks like she wants to say something, but decides against it, and at this point, I’m certainly not going to pry.

I clean up what’s left of the chips and dip, before settling into another agonizingly quiet night at home. A soft chime interrupts my solitude as my phone buzzes to life with a message.

-Lib Free or Die Hard, hell of a spell you cast today. Honestly, the nerve of you moving into my head rent-free like that. I should be allowed some kinda compensation for room and board. Maybe coffee, next weekend?” -Willow

A wide smile blooms on my face as I message back.

-Oh no! My dastardly plot has been discovered! I suppose a hot drink is the least I can do to make it up to you. But don’t think I won’t be ready to enact more villainous schemes when the time arrives. Muahahahahaha!!! -Libby

This goofy string continues for some time, as I enjoy my night in my not-so-quiet house, serenaded by the chimes of a new and exciting friendship.