Should’ve Taken The Deal

by Ayako_Drawingz

Summary:

To provoke and encourage the trollhunter to give up, Bular and his father decided to, for the first time, switch an adult human with a changeling.

Now, Trollhunter Claire Núñez needs to figure out what to do about her crush’s mother being switched. Her crush being Jim Lake Jr., a boy she’d never actually talked to.

Notes:

New long fic let’s go! Im very VERY overwhelmed with stress right now, and writing makes me feel better, so hey! Why not!

Posting schedule may be established! I’m hoping to commit to twice a week! Stay tuned for when I decide that lol!

Chapter 1: This time, we will not fail.

“Now you don’t need to-“

 

 

Bular roared in-between Strickler’s sentence. The prince threw a large empty crate across the museum; a large bang echoed through the room. The crate fell apart- and Bular stood, staring at it, breathing heavily.

 

“Bular, if I may… I think we need a better— approach. ” Strickler began, taking his chances, reasoning with the angry monster. Bular froze in place, but didn’t threaten the changeling.

 

“What approach would you suggest? Impure.” He spat out the last word, looking over his shoulder with sharp red eyes.

 

He wasn’t listening with kindness, like the other teachers at the high school who would ask him for his suggestions with curiosity. The school was almost made completely by the additions he’d suggested in the past, considering how long he’d been teaching there. Though no human would remember enough to care.

 

Bular listened with malice, desperate to get what he wanted, but he also remained so incredibly angry about being desperate in the first place. Oh well. He was listening at least.

 

“Well, you know how emotionally delicate humans are. We’ve come up with a plan to use that weakness to practically make her come to us.”

 

“And how might we do that?! My father has been locked away for centuries, and this is our clearest shot to getting the bridge open!”

 

“Nomura, the goblins, and I will take care of it. I assure you, this will be the key to our success.” Strickler folded his hands, a calm smile on his face. Bular snorted, and turned around to face Strickler. He took only two large steps to get to the man, and poked a finger into Strickler’s chest.

 

“Do not fail me, Stricklander.“ He said. The troll turned away to watch over the finished bridge as he had done with the pieces for centuries,

silently dismissing Strickler.

 

Strickler gave the prince one last glare before leaving. He pushed the large fabric tarp away and was met by Nomura. He gave her a sharp nod, which she returned. And they walked.

 

“So, you give him any details?”

 

“Not any about the actual plans of our strategy, but I gave him the idea behind it. Just to give us some creative freedom.” He spoke quietly. They stepped out of the museum, the sun hitting their human skin.

 

“Creative freedom, because we’re doing arts and crafts with the kiddos…” She smiled sarcastically, making fun of him. None of his sinister speeches ever landed with her. It was infuriating…

 

He was about to leave, but noticed her going farther outside of the museum than she usually did. She usually would have returned to fixing an old painting. Strickler would swear it was evenly tilted every time.

 

“Are you not staying here? This is your sanctuary.” He asked. Nomura rolled her eyes. She looked almost sad.

 

“Not since he decided to take refuge here. Now I can’t even enjoy it. And the goblins made a total… mess of the staff-only sections. I need a break.” She scoffed. Then her shoulders picked up, and she smiled “Shouldn’t you have been at that silly school of yours today?”

 

“No, unfortunately. There’s a human holiday going on, and the high school had a ‘half day.’”

 

“They add a new holiday almost every year.” Nomura scoffed.

 

“According to my students, there’s more than one every day.”

 

“Ugh. They celebrate a lot for a species so weak.”

 

“I think it’s about their short lifespans. But enough about them…” He trailed off, trying to make her catch onto their conversation change. He looked around at the few humans that were around the park, none able to hear them from their distance.

 

“Ah, who to take?” She smiled, as if her sharp Trollish teeth were there. “Is that what you’re thinking?”

 

“Yes indeed. We need someone close to the trollhunter, but not too close. If solving the problem is just out of her reach, then our plan will work.”

 

“Hm, so it has to be someone that is protected by her need to keep magic secret…” she rested her chin onto her fist in thought.

 

Now, Strickler would rather not ask her for advice in the slightest. Yet, he was at a loss, and she was clever in these situations.

 

“How about her little brother?” He suggested. “New baby brother, the nursery would love him.” He smiled, and she shook her head. His smile dropped.

 

“No, coming from the person that said it should be out of reach, you picked someone very easy for her to just keep the secret with. No… we need someone connected to someone she cares about. Someone that the person she cares about really cares about…”

 

“That’s confusing.”

 

She squinted at him in annoyance, before looking away. Then her eyes lit up.

 

“What? What is it?” He urged her to speak. 

 

“Does the girl have a crush…? One of those silly teenager ones with the blushing and the hand holding.” She mockingly baby-talked. 

 

Strickler’s mind immediately pinpointed exactly who. But his heart dropped, he felt sick.

 

James Lake Jr., The girl has had her eyes on the boy since freshman year. They didn’t talk much. Not at all some times. But Strickler overheard her with her friends, and saw her watching him while he worked…

 

James was- though Strickler should have never connected with any sort of human in any way- the favorite of his students. He worked hard, he took care of his mother, he stood up for the weaker children, never caused a ruckus in class, and was a joy to teach.

 

Strickler saw him as a son. To possibly think of…

 

“She does…” He cleared his throat. “But how? Changelings only switch with babies. The nursery won’t take a teenager! And we couldn’t possibly bring him through that thing in the first place!”

 

“You’re defensive, stricklander.” She said suspiciously, but shook her head. “But it’s not the boy we would take. We would take someone close to him. Family perhaps?”

 

Strickler clicked his tongue. He’d never admit his relief. He’d met Jim’s mother a few times for conferences. Mostly to tell her about how incredible her son was. If they were looking for a close familial relationship, that would be gold.

 

“Yes. He only lives with his mother. No connected family as far as I know.”

 

“Perfect-“

 

“- But…“ He interrupted. “There’s no way that she could fit through the fetch. ”

 

She smirked. “You think too small! We take the mother the way the humans do it. Stricklander, they have cells at the Janus Order headquarters. Do you think they’ve just been hanging out down there? Technology has changed. Magic as well.” 

 

“W-Wait a second,” he sputtered. “You mean they’ve figured out a way to have the familiar in the same dimension?!” His eyes widened, and he lowered his voice. “… But how?!”

 

“Something about tricking the world into thinking she’s not in the same dimension. But they only have one dimensional cell, so we can’t just start using this for every changeling. We keep her there and switch her with an older troll than usual.“

 

She shrugged, as if they were having a normal conversation- and weren’t talking about kidnapping someone.

 

It was a bit risky, but it would work. It wasn’t like they would have to do it for more than a couple months at best. They just needed to make sure Claire would react soon after.

 

Having a human trollhunter really did make a difference in approach…

 

“That… that would work quite nicely. Now how do we take her?”

 

“Leave that to me. Just give our trollhunter some hints. Job should be done by tomorrow.”

 

He hesitated. So soon, Barbra Lake would be taken from the world forever. But he nodded. The sooner they got the Trollhunter and her amulet, the sooner Gunmar would rule the surface again.

 

“Thank you, Ms Nomura.”

 

“Don’t mention it.”

 

And they went their separate ways.

Chapter 2: Crushes and being crushed.

Notes:

PLEASW ignore if there are any weird spaces or random letters. Or tell me, that’s better. Because my little brother was quite literally tackling me when I was going over and re-doing the italics 😭

Heavy armor scraped against stone as she slid underneath a giant blade; the blade barely missing her head. The metal screeched, and she flopped onto the ground as the Hero’s forge returned to normal.

 

As the last platform settled into the rest of the ground, Claire slowly picked herself up. She dusted off the armor and de-summoned her sword.

 

“Hey! Claire bear, that was pretty good!” Mary shouted from her spot next to Darcy. Both were crisscrossed on the floor, both wearing anxious yet supportive looks on their faces.

 

Claire huffed. “Thanks!! Phew… That was-“

 

“Sharp?” Mary blurted out.

 

“Dangerous…?” Darcy added

 

Claire didn’t listen to their words, and smiled. “I was thinking… alive.” She said, and began walking over to them.

 

“Sorry… we’re just worried. What if this place kills you before Bular can even get the chance?” Darcy said.

 

“It won’t . Trust me. How did I look?”

 

Mary brightened up. “Like a superhero!” She squealed. “ Eeee ! I can’t believe you can’t show this off!! You’d totally get Lake’s attention.” She giggled. Claire stiffened up as she got to them.

 

“Mary, this is trollhunting! It’s not to get guys, it’s to save the world! And I’m not sure that this… ” She gestured to her armor. “Is how you get guys’ attention.”

 

She rubbed her eyes, and Mary’s boy-crazy excitement faded to concern. Darcy had been sporting the look far longer, however.

 

“Claire,” Darcy began. “You look… really tired. Are you okay?”

 

Claire stood in front of the two, and she sighed.

 

“I don’t know. I mean, I have to save the world- and that should be my top priority… but I also have to continue my human life at the same time! The play, taking care of Enrique, my grades, homework, college prep…” She sat down with them on the floor. “ I don’t think I’ve properly slept since I got this thing.” She mumbled.

 

“C.B…. Thats a lot on your shoulders. Are you sure you can’t just not do the play?-“

 

“No!” She shouted, much louder than she had intended. “I can’t quit the play or my parents will start asking questions! Plus…” She began, annoyance on her face. “Other than Eli, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one in this school who actually cares about theatre. Steve is only planning to audition because he wants girls to see him acting all ‘Romeo-ey.’”

 

Mary laughed. “Romeo-ey? How long did you need to read Shakespeare to come up with that one.”

 

“Hey, that was actually a quote. He said that.”

 

“No way.” Darcy snickered.

 

“Yeah. Romeo and Juliet will be a blast.” She said, groaning as she talked.

 

 

She was obviously being sarcastic. With basically nobody else to play Romeo- since boys wouldn’t audition- Steve was going to make the play a nightmare. Her armor suddenly de-summoned, Claire quickly caught her falling amulet in both hands. Wow, she was definitely still getting used to that.

 

“Hey… you know who could play a good Romeo…?” Mary smiled mischievously, asking less of a question and more so prompting Claire to catch on. Of course she did.

 

“ No ! I’ve only ever really talked to him once! And we don’t even know if he can act. Or if he even likes theatre.” She said quickly, trying to dismiss the idea.

 

But Jim as Romeo…?

 

She wouldn’t admit it. But she could totally see it. Realistically though? He’d never audition.

 

“Come on Claire! You’ve been totally crushing on that guy. Just give it a chance!-“

 

 

“ Lady Claire!…” An old voice shouted from across the room. Claire straightened her back, only now realizing how she’d been slouching. She looked to the sound…

 

Vendel stood at the large door by the training button, his hands behind his back. His “iconic” (as Mary called it,) stoic expression on his face.

 

Upon seeing him, she quickly scrambled to her feet, an awkward smile on her face. The troll came closer to the three.

 

“How has training been going for you? Make any progress…?” He said, gesturing to the three girls.

 

“Uhm, yeah! I was just taking a break!”

 

“Yeah, get off her case!” Mary snapped as she crossed her arms. She stood up to stand beside Claire.. 

 

Upon seeing Mary stand up, Darcy scrambled to stand with her. “She’s doing her best!” She shouted. Less confident than Mary- due to the fact that she was yelling at a giant stone monster that could probably kill them if he wanted to. Darcy actually had some sort of sense.

 

Vendel spent almost a minute staring at the two, and rubbed his face in annoyed exhaustion. “I’m still unsure of their importance in the forge- but anyways, I am not here to ridicule you. I was watching your training from the seats above. You are doing quite well for a beginner, and as someone without any prior training before your time here. I’m actually impressed.”

 

“Thank you, Vendel.” She said in the voice she usually used to with teachers or other authority figures. “ I appreciate it.” She said in Trollish. She spoke slowly, making sure her pronunciation was exact. The smile on the old troll’s face was worth it.

 

“And we appreciate you, Trollhunter.” He said, in a completely different and happier tone than before. “However, I do have something else for you…”

 

She raised an eyebrow, Darcy and Mary expressed their own confusion through tilted heads. Suddenly, Vendel shouted. His voice echoing through the room. Claire brought her hands up to her ears.

 

“BLINKOUS!!”

 

Claire whispered a “ Huh…?” Before a blue troll with multiple eyes and multiple arms sprinted through the door, a very large mossy troll walking behind him. The troll doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

 

“Apologies, Vendel!” He huffed. “Aaarrrgghh and I got a bit sidetracked!…”

 

“You both were supposed to come in with me. What possibly could’ve happened.” Vendel grumbled.

 

“Rude troll tried to hurt library.” The large troll said, who Claire guessed was “Aaarrrgghh.”

 

“Yes… people don’t seem to have any respect for literature these days.” He stretched, finally breathing normally again. His eyes snapped up, “He tried to-“

 

He gasped when he saw Claire. He seemed almost starstruck, his hands flew up to his face, his eyes sparkling.

 

“The human trollhunter! Ah, I haven’t seen you since my dear friend and I entered the cave below your living space.”

 

“You mean basement…?” Mary squinted her eyes at the two, pointing a finger. Darcy shrugged.

 

“Yes! That’s what you call it.” Blinky and Aaarrrgghh joined the four. Blinky beaming as Aaarrrgghh simply gave the girls a warm smile.

 

“These two…” Vendel extended his arm to them. “Will be your trainers. I will still observe and teach you. But I do have to lead the rest of trollmarket.”

 

“Oh, alright! So… you’re Blinky,” She pointed to the six eyed troll, who nodded- his smile wide.

 

She moved her hand to point at the other troll. “…And you’re Aaarrrgghh?” She said.

 

Aaarrrgghh gave a hum of affirmation. Blinky clasped both pairs of his hands together.

 

“We would be honored to train you, Lady Claire. My friend and I have heard very promising things about you!”

 

“Oh?… O-Oh, thanks! I’d be honored to be trained by you two as well.”

 

“Splendid. Well good luck, all of you.” Vendel said, waving them off.

 

 

 

 

 

The next day at school, Claire was a mess.

 

She’d been up all night studying A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore , as Blinky assigned her- and it was hard. Incredibly captivating, but HARD.

 

Between reading the book and all of the homework she had last night, she’d had hardly any sleep. So with maybe five minutes down her sleeve, she was basically a zombie. Only on the inside, however.

 

Claire was practically a master at going to school with no sleep and then looking as if she had a perfect eight hours. She suppressed yawns, kept her stride steady, and made sure to drink water. Nobody ever questioned a thing!

 

Except for her friends.

 

 

She took out her lunch box as she told her friends about the book. “-It took a while to decipher the symbols, but once I did- it was really easy to comprehend!” She told her friends, who looked to each other with deadpan faces.

 

She paused her lunch. Looking between her friends, confused. “What…? What is it?”

 

Mary sighed, “Claire, are you zombie-ing again?”

 

Claire instantly took defense, even though every single time she did- they saw through it.

 

“No! I just read it before I went to sleep?”

 

“Right. That book was heavier than Eli. And usually that’s not saying much, but a book?” She cringed.

 

“Girl,” Darcy said, twirling her spaghetti absentmindedly. “You need sleep. You can’t protect Arcadia, practice for your audition, do school, and everything else while you’re running on nothing.” She looked at her with worry.

 

Claire took a deep breath. “Guys, I’m really glad you care about me, but I’m fine! I’ve been juggling all sorts of different things since I was way younger. Remember the time when I-“

 

“-Had a dance recital to practice for, tech week, and finals all in the same two weeks? Yeah, we remember. You were so overworked. We never want you to have to be that way again, C.B.!” Darcy said, her voice getting louder and more intense as she talked. “And now you have the world to save!… and…”

 

She trailed off. But Claire noticed it wasn’t in a way where she noticed she had nothing else to say, but in a way where Darcy knew something she didn’t. In fact, it was both of her friends. Mary suddenly looking as if she remembered something.

 

“Okay, now what is it?” She asked. She felt her stomach rumble, and half of her attention went to her food. She began to eat, but kept her eyes on the two.

 

“We were thinking…” Darcy began.

 

“…That we could fight with you!” Mary finished.

 

Claire almost spat out her food. No way! Claire let them come to training since they had insisted, but them actually fighting? Being in danger? It wasn’t that she didn’t want them to, but her friends didn’t have the armor like she did. They…

 

“You could get killed! Guys, you saw Bular! How do you think-“

 

“We would train with you!” Mary stated as if it were obvious. She straightened her shoulders all serious-like. “And get strong enough to at least back you up. You’re not alone in this Claire Bear. Even if you think you have to be.”

 

Darcy nodded along. “Yep. We’re Mama Skull! A team! ”

 

Claire sat in disbelief.

 

They… could they? Could her friends really help her?

 

If she could… then so could they.

 

“I’ll… I’ll think about it.” She said. She smiled at them, and the two smiled back with excitement, taking her answer as a yes.

 

 

 

 

During their free time, Mary wanted to hang out in the gymnasium. Claire knew it was to watch boys, but she rolled her eyes fondly at her friend.  Claire had to hand out Romeo and Juliet posters to people anyways, and where better to find boys to try out than here?

 

They sat on the bleachers, a spot they’d sat in together since they’d started high school- upper middle row by the edge.

 

Mary waved to a few boys playing basketball as Darcy and Claire talked about the book Blinky had given her.

 

“So you can read all of those symbols?! That’s awesome!” She whisper yelled as Claire showed her a few photos of the book’s pages.

 

“Yeah! I can teach you them, if you’d like.” Claire whispered back.

 

“Totally!”

 

“Ooh… those look cool! I’m not really much for reading, but I’ll totally do it if it’s important to our whole Trollhunting thing!” Mary joined their whispers. Claire’s eyes lit up at both of her friends’ curiosity in the book.

 

“Yeah! We can go over it together. There are tons of techniques and magic stuff in here that could help you guys out in the field.”

 

“Nice. But I think I wanna try using a mace.” Mary smirked. Claire was about to giggle, but then stopped herself.

 

“OMG, you’re serious??- Not that I’m not taking you seriously. You’d rock a mace!!” Darcy sputtered.

 

Mary’s smug smile turned into an insecure one, she shrunk in on herself. “Are you sure? I mean I was half joking but-I-kinda-want-to-use-a-mace-but-I-wasn’t-sure-!”

 

Claire put her hands on her usually unbreakable friend. She gave her the warmest smile she could muster. “Mary, I think a mace is your weapon. I can totally see you smashing goblins with it… and Darcy…” She hummed in thought.

 

“Darcy, what would you think about a bow and-“

 

“YES!” She pumped her fists into the air excitedly, smiling ear to ear.

 

A group of boys  near them on the bleachers stopped their conversation to stare at her. Darcy responded by keeping her arms up and staring at them with wide eyes. Her face turned red and she thrust her hands into her pockets, looking away.

 

The boys went back to their own conversation, though after giving them a look of “what in the world…?” and Darcy laughed awkwardly under her breath.

 

“ Yes. Yes I would like a bow.”

 

Claire laughed softly. “I saw a plain bow and arrow set in the forge, and a basic mace too. But I’m sure we can get you guys cooler magic ones-”

 

She was interrupted by Mary shaking her arm. She looked up to see her friends face, the girl biting her lip in excitement.

 

“What? What is it? ‘Tight jeans’ Hank?” She genuinely questioned.

 

Mary snickered. And she looked at Claire smugly. Oh no…

 

“ Keep going, Tobes! Almost there !” A boy shouted from the ropes.

 

“ Almost… got it…! ” Said a strained voice in return.

 

She looked to where Mary pointed for her, and there was Jim, cheering on his friend. He couldn’t help but laugh at his friend, and Toby laughed along with him.

 

He had this stupid little giggle, Claire didn’t know what it was about it, but it was… adorable. Like he was cute and supportive, but also really shy, but he also didn’t care what anyone thought?

 

He was almost never not by Toby’s side either, and their weird relationship made them pretty popular- though they weren’t popular in the slightest.

 

Did she have a crush?… Yeah. She had for a while now. But she also knew nothing about him that wasn’t completely obvious. Like the color of his hair. And his eyes. And the specific letters he pronounced weirdly-

 

“Awww… you’re totally red.”

 

Claire blinked herself back to earth, and stared at Mary with wide eyes. Then, after processing what she’d said, Claire felt her face get hot and she elbowed Mary in the arm.

 

Mary giggled as she fought Claire back, and the two got into a friendly shoving match (to the DEATH.) Until Darcy tapped her shoulder.

 

“Claire… Jim’s looking at us.” She said in a strained whisper. Claire froze, but tried not to immediately look at him.

 

She heard footsteps coming closer, and then allowed herself to look. There, a sheepish Jim accidentally made direct eye contact with her. He cringed, and then waved at her.

 

“Oh, hi! Uhm…” She said. Great going Claire ! Next you’ll be on a date together at the ‘ uhm’ diner eating some ‘ uhhh ’ sandwiches.

 

“Hey! Uhm… buenas noches!” He said, laughing awkwardly.

 

“You speak Spanish?” She said, trying to find something to talk about. Despite the fact that he said ‘goodnight’ as a greeting during the afternoon.

 

“Uhh… uhm…” He fiddled with his hands, looking away. She saw Darcy’s eyes widen in her peripheral vision. Darcy softly elbowed her, and then handed her a flyer.

 

Romeo and Juliet…

 

Claire looked at the stuttering teen in front of her, and then the flyer. Well, here goes.

 

“Do you like Shakespeare?” She asked.

 

He blinked at the question, leaving whatever deep and embarrassed place he was his head. “Shakes…speare?”

 

“The school play. We’re having trouble getting boys to audition… I’d—I’d like to see you there.”

 

Jim stares at her for longer than normal, and then nodded slowly, and then quickly as he visually processed her words. “Yeah. I’ll try out. Should be fun!” He shrugged, giving her a smile.

 

Claire smiled back to him, and the bell rang. His friend called him over to get to their class, something about “detention forever.”

 

Jim left with Toby, waving her goodbye before he disappeared through the doors. The girls got up to head to their class as well, Claire almost tripping getting up and getting down from the bleachers.

 

After they got out of the gymnasium, Mary looked as if she were about to explode. She not-very-subtlety waved her hands around with excitement, and after taking a glance around the hall to see Jim and Toby running to their class and out of hearing range, she squealed.

 

“Look at that! He said yes!” She said. Claire tensed with embarrassment.

 

“Yes to going to a play, Mary! If anyone else had asked him-“

 

“But he went up to us. He went up to you !! C’mon C.B.! I can’t be the only one who believes in you, girl!” Mary said as they began to walk to their class.

 

“I believe in her.” Darcy quickly cut in. “I’m just not obsessed with guys.” She shrugged.

 

“Yeah, of course D.! But— Claire . Did you see the way he looked at you?”

 

“ No , I was busy trying to be cool about it! You know? Just- talking!…”

 

“What did he say in Spanish though?” Mary asked, not in a suggestive way- she looked genuinely curious.

 

Confusion washed over Claire’s face, and she sputtered. “What- Mary you take Spanish. He literally said ‘goodnight.’ It’s one of the first things they teach you.”

 

“I’m failing Spanish! You know that! You heard my…” She looked around, nobody there. Yet she whispered. “My heart essay…” She shuddered.

 

Darcy snorted beside her. “Yep. But most of school doesn’t. They were too busy with how they were also gonna fail that test.”

 

“But you guys didn’t fail it!”

 

“I’m fluent already, Mary.” Claire laughed as she spoke. “ Aaand I was kind of shrunk that day.”

 

“I take Spanish on Duolingo.” Darcy smiled mischievously. Claire had to quickly stop an embarrassing laugh as soon as she’d said it.

 

“Look, I want to get that app, but I’m scared for my family .” Mary said with false fear, waving her hands ‘ominously.’

 

“You were just complaining about your mom the other day!” Darcy joked.

 

“The rest of my family then!”

 

“Just keep your streak! Trust me, just because my dad’s a police officer doesn’t mean he can defeat the ‘Spanish or Vanish’ guy. It’s all up to you, and that jobs pretty easy compared to saving the world.”

 

“Guys,” Claire interrupted them. “We’ve got to get to math.”

 

Darcy quickly pulled out her phone, and she gasped. “Shoot!”

 

The other two girls took her response as a sign, and they all promptly ran to class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Thank goodness we’re not doing that other algebra stuff we were doing last month. This stuff was kinda easy.” Mary said as they gathered their stuff to leave the classroom.

 

“Apparently it gets even harder. I don’t know if I’m ready…” Darcy groaned, shoving a difficult book into her bag.

 

“Eh, that’s what you guys get for not being a ‘rad’ nerd like me.” Claire said.

 

“You’re a pretty nerd. You’re different. A ‘rad’ nerd is someone like Eli.”

 

“Thanks!” Eli randomly shouted enthusiastically from across the room.

 

“Not a compliment, Eli.” Mary rolled her eyes, and dramatically snapped her pencil case closed like a flip phone.

 

“Aww…” He said, and he sulked away. Mary put her pencil case into her bag, along with putting her water bottle into the side pocket.

 

Claire sympathetically half smiled half frowned at him, but turned back to her friends.

 

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?” She cartoonishly batted her eyes.

 

Darcy snorted. “Hey, she’s not lying. I’m seriously wondering how you haven’t been in a relationship the past two years we’ve gone here. Even if you do have the hots for Jim.” Darcy zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder.

 

“I’m trying, but I’ve had studying to do. My parents have these really big expectations. I’m still baffled I convinced myself to even think about my crush-“

 

“ Claire Núñez, Mr. Strickler would like to see you.” The loud speaker screeched. “Claire- Núñez.” It repeated, and the scratch of a mic being put down and the audio being cut rang through the room.

 

Mary looked towards the speaker. Raising an eyebrow. “Did you… like- leave something at history earlier?”

 

Claire’s stomach twisted a bit. Had she done something wrong? She zipped up her bag. “I don’t know… I guess I’ll meet you guys at the ‘cafe’ when I’m done?” She said, putting emphasis on cafe. They knew what she’d meant. They’d been going to training after school every day since they’d found out about her new secret life.

 

Mary and Darcy both hesitated uncertainly, before Darcy nodded. Mary followed along, putting on her bag.

 

“‘Kay, good luck Claire! Hope you’re not failing history!” Mary said as the two of them left the room.

 

After they left, her eyes lingered on the door. She unfroze, and sighed. Hopefully there wasn’t anything wrong. She didn’t know if she could take any more academic stress over trollhunting and her thousands of other things to deal with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She opened the door to Strickler’s office hesitantly, the door creaking loudly from the speed.

 

Strickler’s head snapped up from a paper he was grading to look at her, his eyebrowes raised. Upon recognizing her, his face turned neutral.

 

“Ah, miss Núñez. Come in.” He smiled. She didn’t know what it was about him at the moment, but there was something off about the feeling in the entire room. She stepped in, and carefully closed the door behind her.

 

The room was silent enough that she could easily hear her footsteps as she walked to the chair across from him at his desk. She sat down and placed her hands on her lap.

 

“You… wanted to see me?” She said.

 

Strickler capped his pen with a click, and placed it down onto the desk. “Yes, now don’t worry. Your grades are just as remarkable as they’ve always been. I’m just worried about you in particular.” He frowned, his eyebrows furrowed sadly.

 

She almost breathed a sigh of relief. So that was out of the way. What else was he worried about?

 

Something still felt weird…

 

“Now, forgive me for being so forward, but it’s important that we get this straight as soon as possible.” He said.

 

“The truth is, miss Claire- Gunnar’s reign is inevitable. Yet you choose to fight a war against him that is much, much older than you.” He smirked. The room went cold, she felt nauseous.

 

She heard her heartbeat in her ears. The only thought going through her head?…

 

What. The actual. Fuck.

 

She inhaled shallowly. “Who?” She said, she squinted her eyes and tilted her head just noticeably enough.

 

“Don’t lie to me. Bular told me everything about your quarrel the other day. You and your friends barely made it out of that alley alive. Seems you don’t have much control over that amulet of yours.” He folded his hands. He looked so calm. She wanted out. She wanted out now.

 

Before this guy literally killed her!

 

“I… I don’t…” She attempted to deflect. “I don’t know who that is. You’re scaring me.”

 

His smile dropped, and he rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter what you say. We know. And we have a deal for you.”

 

She still didn’t want to admit to him that she was the trollhunter, but she shrunk into her chair a little. He took it as a response, and that calm demeanor washed over him again.

 

“We need both you and your amulet to open the bridge. Now tell me, would you do that for us?”

 

Her stomach dropped. “Never.” She said, barely above a whisper.

 

“Well then, we thought you might say that. I even hoped you would. Because that makes this little game a little more interesting.” He said as he slid a photo to her backside up. She was afraid. Afraid of what could possibly be on it.

 

She took it in her hands, and flipped it up. There she saw a familiar face smiling. Someone’s class photo.

 

Jim’s class photo.

 

She swallowed nothing, and looked away from the photo and back to the man. He glanced down at the photo as well, then he leaned just a bit over his side of the table.

 

“I know you care for the boy. So-“

 

Suddenly she stood up, her hands gripping the table in anger. “What… did you do? Did you do anything to him!? Tell me!” She yelled.

 

His eyes went wide and he began shushing her, bringing up his arms as what could either be a block, or a means of calming her down. But she had just gotten over being scared. Rage was better.

 

“Look, look. We haven’t done anything to the boy. No, that would be too easy a problem for you to fix. We did, however, disrupt the natural order of things in his life. His mother isn’t the same. Let’s just say in your speak… she’s changed actors.” He chuckled under his breath.

 

Her mind was everywhere at once- trying to piece it together. And then he did something that made it click.

 

His eyes flashed orange.

 

That was it. He was a changeling. Like the lady at the museum she’d unfortunately run into while getting Mary’s phone back from a pack of goblins. The shapeshifters Blinky had told her about.

 

“You… you switched his mom?- but you only switch babies-“

 

“We do.” He interrupted. “But, we’ve figured out a bit of a loophole in that rule. So, Jim might start to have a hard time at home. Unless…”

 

He trailed off, letting her complete the sentence in her head. She tensed. “Why…? Everyone was sure he was your favorite student. Why would you hurt him like this? He looks up to you.” Well, from what she knew he did. And for an almost stranger, she knew more than average.

 

“Unfortunately, there are things that need to happen if we want Gunmar to reign again.”

 

“ Uhhh , who is we?” She said, and crossed her arms. Rather mess with him instead of openly showing how freaked out she was at the moment.

 

“None of your concern.” He said, his eye twitched. Then, what looked like a mask came over his face- the annoyance and evil turning into a soft and ‘ understanding ’ smile. “I dismiss you now, Trollhunter. Please do think about the consequences of your actions.” He folded his hands  and rested his chin on them elegantly.

 

She could hardly think, unable to stop the horror from showing on her face from when she stood up and when she walked out of that room.

 

She closed the door behind her with a lot less care than when she’d come in. She stood outside, her heart racing, and tried to calm her breathing.

 

That just happened.

 

Holy crap that just happened.

 

She forced her legs to move away from his office, and her strained walk turned into a run. The hallways were almost empty, the only exception being the janitor.

 

She ran into the courtyard and got a fresh breath of air. There were a few lingering students, but none looked at her. She ran outside the gates and quickly unlocked her bike.

 

She had to get to Trollmarket. Fast .

 

Chapter 3: What have I done…?

Summary:

Claire desperately wants Strickler’s threat to be a lie.

Notes:

Ur bananas :3 happy reading!!

First day on the job, and to be honest- she was impressed with Ms. Barbra Lake’s life. Her home was clean, there was excellently cooked food in the fridge, she worked in medicine so she made a fine paycheck… This was probably the best human that Quell could’ve gotten to replace!

 

Now, to be the first changeling to ever replace an adult human? It was thrilling. Gunmar the black had given HER of all changelings the honor! The honor to aid the dark lord in finally being freed. Her! She really needed to thank Nomura for nominating her…

 

How much fun was she going to have while she did it? Oh, don’t even ask! She would go on for ages about her plans for the Trollhunter’s little human ‘crush’!!

 

She stood in the mirror of Barbra’s room, the lights off causing her reflection to look as if her own shadow. Her sharp teeth suddenly flashed into a grin, the only things you could make out was that dear smile of hers and her glowing eyes.

 

She then changed into Barbra, and she smiled sweetly, posing and taking in her new form. Yeah, she could take on the role of a mother. How hard could it be?

 

Especially when you’re supposed to be playing a bad one…

 

 

Oh, how that little girl should’ve taken their offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sharp cold air of fall blew in Claire’s face. Despite living in California, it was uncomfortably cold. Especially since her blood had felt as if it had gone cold itself just a couple minutes ago.

 

She flew down the street on her bike, peddling as fast as she could, ignoring the way her muscles burned. This was all her fault!

 

The ride to the bridge couldn’t have felt longer, the entire way she wished she could just teleport there. However, she made it to the canals, and rode down to trollmarket’s entrance.

 

She sloppily drew her archway, her hands shaking. ‘Come on, come on, come ON!’ She thought desperately.

 

She pushed the gateway open as soon as it began to glow that faint blue, and she dashed down the stairs. The smooth crystals threatened to make her slip as she ran down them, but spared her.

 

She ignored the grumbles she got from the trolls she pushed past, unable to stop- unable to breathe- and unable to think straight. The library came into view, and she heard the familiar voices of her friends.

 

She ran into the room, the second she began to let herself breathe- her lungs felt cold and tight.

 

She couldn’t-

 

She couldn’t actually breathe!

 

“Lady Claire?!” Blinky shouted. She leaned against the doorway, her legs felt like jelly.

 

“Claire bear! What’s wrong?!”

 

“Claire?! Are you okay?!” Her friends called for her, but she couldn’t tell which one was which. Maybe she was still panicked? Or maybe her symptoms were the consequences of pushing your body to the limit trying to get from one place to the next/

 

Blinky ran over to her, Aaarrrgghh right behind him. Blinky took her hand and led her to a stool.

 

She sat down as she realized that she was breathing- but in the worst way possible. She heard her own harsh, jagged, and wheezing breaths. Blinky stepped away to give her space. She needed to tell them- she needed to tell them NOW.

 

“Changeling!-“ She grasped her shirt by her chest tight, fighting back the pain. “Strickler- He’s a changeling!”

 

Blinky’s eyes widened, and Aaarrrgghh’s entire body froze up. She could finally see Mary and Darcy, hovering over her as well.

 

“What?! Like that creepy lady at the museum!?” Mary asked, her eyes wide as she shuddered in remembrance. Darcy held Claire’s hand.

 

“Claire bear- hey! Breathe with me. Okay, girl?” Darcy smiled at her with warmth, and began to visually demonstrate her breathing in and out, silently urging Claire to copy.

 

She knew this drill, they’d done it before- but she didn’t want to take the time to breathe- she needed to do something! Jim’s mom was taken and whoever took her place was going to do something to him and it’s ALL. HER. FAULT!

 

“C.B! Please, breathe with us okay?” Mary held her other hand. Claire gulped even with her mouth having been as dry as that steak one of her Tio’s had made at that one barbecue when she was younger.

 

She started to copy Darcy and Mary, her breaths coming out Jagged at first. She couldn’t help but notice that Blinky and Aaarrrgghh had stepped away completely, both with worried and helpless looks on their faces.

 

After a few minutes of breathing and connecting with her surroundings and just letting her friends walk her through it- she sighed, her heart rate relatively back to normal.

 

“C.B, what happened? Did something chase you? Was it bular?” Mary asked. The two friends still held her hands tight, continuing to ground her.

 

“No- it’s- it’s Jim! And Strickler- agh, it’s complicated!”

 

“Just start from the beginning, Lady Claire. We will listen.” Blinky affirmed her, Aaarrrgghh agreeing with a grunt.

 

She breathed in and out a few more times, before she got the story straight in her head to say aloud.

 

“Strickler is our history teacher at the school. He called me in, and just suddenly told me about Bular and Gunmar- and everything else.”

 

Blinky’s brows furrowed, but he stayed silent, continuing to listen. He obviously wanted to say something, however.

 

“He had these orange eyes that he just flashed at some point, and asked me if I would open the bridge-“

 

“-That’s preposterous! Why on earth would he expect you to agree?!” Blinky burst out. He crossed both sets of arms, enraged.

 

“Right?! So I said no! Then he said that apparently he’d hoped I would say no because it ‘made the game at lot more interesting .’”

 

Mary’s eyes grew anxious. “Interesting?” She said with suspicion in her tone.

 

Darcy nodded. “That’s… really creepy.”

 

Claire nodded back. “And then… And then he gave me this .” She said, about to take out the photo.

 

She hovered her hand over her purse. Did she even want to look at the photo? Did she want to see Jim’s face before she caused his life to turn upside down?! A happy and normal smile she’d never truly see again?…

 

She sharply inhaled, and pulled the school photo out of her bag. She handed it to Mary- Darcy, Aaarrrgghh, and Blinky leaning over her shoulder to see as well.

 

Mary gasped loudly. “Jimmy?! Is he a changeling too!?” She thought aloud. Aaarrrgghh and Blinky and Aaarrrgghh had some identical reactions of horror after she’d yelled. Blinky held up a finger to the girl’s mouth, shutting her up.

 

“Sssh! Shh!” He whisper yelled. “Be quiet with that, won’t you?! If word got out that changelings were in Arcadia, Trollmarket would break into chaos!”

 

“Very bad. Trolls scared.” Aaarrrgghh added.

 

Mary winced. “Soz!” She apologized, Blinky being taken aback by the texting speech- since he was unfamiliar with it.

 

Darcy cleared her throat, and the three of them looked at her. Darcy jerked her head at Claire twice. ‘Listen to her’ going unsaid, but understood.

 

Claire swallowed anxiously. “He said…” She cringed into herself.

 

The four of her friends waited for her to speak, all eyes, including all six of Blinky’s, felt like an entire city looking straight at her. Excepting something.

 

“They switched his mom.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blinky aggressively flipped through book after book, tossing every one that didn’t hold the answer he was seeking wherever which way- uncaring about if or how they landed.

 

“This is impossible! It just can’t be!” He shut a dusty book in one hand with a snap. He slid it away from him and opened another, which he started to read at inhuman speeds just as he had the rest.

 

“Changeling only switch with baby. Adult too big for portal.” Aaarrrgghh said. The three girls and the brute watched Blinky throw, open, and read book after book. Never finding what he was looking for.

 

Darcy tapped her foot restlessly. “We need to go over there. What if- what if he was lying? Who says Jim’s mom was actually replaced? Maybe he was just trying to get into your head…?” Darcy offered. Claire just didn’t believe it…

 

Blinky shut another book with another snap. “That must be it! Changelings lie almost religiously! We just need to check on that boy…” He paused. “Who exactly is that boy?”

 

Claire was caught off guard by the question. She’d never told them, had she…

 

“Jim is my… uh…” She blushed, and scratched the back of her head.

 

“Her true love!” Mary announced, folding her hands and tilting her head against them with a giggle. Claire blushed harder.

 

“He’s my crush! Just…” She crossed her arms. “I like him.”

 

Blinky’s mouth formed into a firm line as he visibly thought, then he nodded. He put his hand on his chin. “Yes… targeting a romantic interest of yours is a lot more likely to cause you distress…“ , He clicked his tongue. “Alright then. We check on Jim and his mother. Let’s go!” He said. He made his way to the doorway, not waiting for anyone else.

 

 

Then the other four followed him out…

 

 

 

 

“Wait- do we even know where he lives?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hm, she’d always wanted to live on a dead end.

 

 

It always felt like kids who lived on them just.. owned their own little plaza. As a kid, she had been majorly jealous of the two houses on the dead end near her house.

 

Who knew that’s were Jim had lived all this time? Well, Darcy had.

 

Darcy had told them the address. Apparently as a Girl Scout she’d visited Jim and his mother when she’d gone door to door selling cookies. She remembered them specifically because Jim’s mom had given her extra money to keep for herself- which was what Darcy had used to buy what would be her favorite stuffed animal from then on.

 

“ She was so nice… I was so jealous of her son that I saw in the living room playing with his action figures.” Darcy had added.

 

By Deya’s grace, Claire prayed that she hadn’t gotten that woman taken from this world. Taken from her son.

 

It was dark by now, the sky almost completely black, was purple with its remnants of the sun’s light. Insects were the only thing you could hear.

 

 

“Here we are.” Darcy said as the three girls popped up from behind a large bush beside Jim’s house. Blinky and aaarrrgghh hid behind even larger bushes, looking through the window.

 

Claire quietly snuck out from their hiding spot. She could hear the television inside…

 

She rolled onto the grass and quickly pressed her back onto the wall right underneath the window closest to the entrance, where the noise was coming from. Just like she’d been trained, though she felt like she was from Spy Kids.

 

Then, she heard soft laughter.

 

She held her breath, and she took her back off of the wall.

 

She just barely lifted herself up to see through the window, where she saw what was definitely a living room, the overhead light off and the blue glow being the only reason she could see him.

 

There- sitting curled up with a batch of popcorn- was Jim. He smiled so warmly, chuckling at jokes Claire wasn’t focused on enough to hear herself. Because all she could see and hear… was the boy whose life she’d supposedly ruined forever .

 

Normally she’d be a mess, seeing him. He was cute even now, when nobody was -supposed to- be looking. But her crush was pushed into the back of her mind. Jim was in danger.

 

And that danger made a double beeping sound as it locked in the driveway.

 

Jim’s eyes widened as he heard the noise, and Claire darted down to hide again. She hadn’t even noticed a car pull in!…

 

“Oh, shoot!” Jim whispered to himself inside. She heard footsteps run to a different part of the first floor, and she heard ceramic plates hitting each other. Must be his kitchen, was he setting the table?

 

Keys jingled as the clattering continued, metal being added into the mix of noise. The front door opened.

 

All five of them held their breath.

 

 

“Mom! How was work?” Jim said sweetly. He so audibly loved his mother. It was adorable!…Pushing aside the circumstances of Claire hearing him talk to her.

 

“Good.” A woman’s voice said dismissively.

 

Claire’s heart dropped. She looked to Darcy, who had already been shaking her head slowly.

 

Oh crap.

 

Nothing was said, and the noise quieted for a second, as if Jim were hesitating.

 

“Oh, well- uhm… I made your favorite-“

 

“Shouldn’t you be studying?” His ‘mom’ said with harshness in her voice.

 

“Wh…What? I already did my homework. Mom? What’s wrong?”

 

Claire heard a loud scoff. “Nothing, kiddo.” Her words felt like sharp teeth, piercing into the hope Claire’d had. Hope that he’d lied.

 

“I… I don’t understand? Mom, you can talk to me if something’s going on at work- you know? I tell you everything, I can handle it-“

 

“Oh shut up, will you!”

 

 

Two of Blinky’s hands came to his mouth. He was feeling something… she couldn’t make out his feelings with just his looks, however. Aaarrrgghh cringed like he was the one being told to shut up. And her friends…

 

They were speechless. They knew Jim. They knew him and this…

 

“… Mom ?”

 

 

“ Just… go to your room. I got takeout on the way home.”

 

 

“But- I usually cook this on Fridays… it’s like- our thing. Why would you-“

 

“I was hungry, and maybe I didn’t want to deal with this today. Just go to your room. I’ll clean this up.”

 

Silence was all that could be heard, until there were sad and slow footsteps, and then the sound of stairs creaking as someone walked up.

 

The clattering started again. Most likely “Barbra” cleaning up like she’d said. Claire quickly ninja rolled again to find herself underneath the kitchen window… And she peaked over the edge…

 

There was a ginger haired woman in doctors’ scrubs, washing dishes that Claire knew were already clean. She looked so normal yet…

 

 

Her eyes.

 

 

Her eyes glowed orange.

 

 

Claire lowered herself down to the ground again, before whoever that actually was decided to take a look out the window. Her ears rang.

 

She turned to her friends with horror written on her face.

 

She nodded.

 

 

Jim’s mom was switched. And it was all. Claire’s. fault.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

More coming soon! I think for my sake I’m going to establish a once a week schedule, so expect posts on Wednesday! I may post extra however- but I’m trying to make sure that yall will be getting once a week at least.

Chapter 4: A stab to the gut and a swing of a mace

Summary:

Next day, Claire sees Jim at school. He’s…different. On the other hand, Darcy and Mary receive gifts!

Notes:

Hello guys! I’m so sorry this took a while to get out, as I got really stumped with how the story was going to go along. I wasn’t sure when to introduce certain topics or experiences since I’m so used to straight up one shot-solutions or shorter stories. This is my first time writing something that I plan on taking slowly.

Along with that, I would like to not that Mary and Darcy have hardly any information in canon, so there will be a lot of fan-development from me. I really want to build on these two, like I have serious plans for them, so I hope that’s exciting for yall!!

Enjoy!

Claire walked into school, and for the first time ever, she wanted anything else but to be there. Well, maybe not the first time, but it was the most intense time.

 

School was never something Claire necessarily hated. Of course, as all teenagers did, she got annoyed by certain amounts of homework and some cringy teacher humor. Yet she never hated it. She knew it was for her future. Since she caught onto topics pretty easily, she rarely felt that distraught frustration she saw so many other students fall victim to. Trollhunting had definitely put a bit of a dent in a few of her less confident subjects- but they would be fine! Her education would be fine.

 

Now, she knew that when she walked into that school— right by his locker would be a different Jim Lake jr. Guilt pulled at her mind like a difficult puppy with a nice sock. It was just one night. 

 

But eventually it would be two.

And three,

And four.

Then weeks.

 

Mary and Darcy seemed to share at least a portion of her feelings.

 

They stood in front of the school entrance, right before the courtyard. Claire had stopped, almost physically unable to continue. The girls caught on, and stayed back as if they were simply talking before school.

 

“Do you guys… think he’ll be any different? It’s only been one night, but…” Claire said quietly. She didn’t know what she’d expected. A no? Reassurance? 

 

“I dunno.” Darcy said quietly. “You heard him yesterday. Imagine your mom goes from loving and sweet to mean and snappy out of the blue?” She glances at an increasingly devistated Claire, and sputters. “I-I mean, there’s a chance that he’s just a bit confused instead of totally different! It was just one night!” She tried to assure Claire by putting a hand on her shoulder. Claire tensed, even though she appreciated the attempt- she wasn’t in the mood for touching. Her mistake felt like an eternal weight on her shoulders.  

 

And Strickler calls Jim ‘Young Atlas’…

 

“Claire, everyone has rough days with their moms. Jim can’t be any different!” Mary said softly. Maybe that’s what Claire had wanted to hear, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Maybe even worse.

 

Claire sighed, and motioned with her head for them to go inside. The two other girls exchanged glances, then nodded with their own shades of worry on their faces.

 

As they entered the courtyard of their high school -just as Claire had anticipated- Jim was at his locker with a chattering Toby. Any other day this would look normal. In fact, she normally wouldn’t have noticed them. But now, looking closer at the two boys’ conversation…

 

Signs were showing.

 

Toby smiled at Jim like he was begging for a smile- or even a tug at the corner of Jim’s mouth as he cracked a couple mediocre jokes. He talked mostly about people in the school or about something he’d seen, as if he a were a jester trying his best to cheer up his lonely king. Jim simply put away an couple and grabbed a couple of books. Claire couldn’t see his face, but his body language was… empty. Lost.

 

Claire, Mary, and Darcy went to their lockers. Luckily, Claire’s was nearby the boys in question. Her locker was on the right side of the back wall leading into the school, the two walls of lockers separated by double doors. Jim and Toby were on the left. She did her best to listen in as she ‘grabbed her books,’ to hopefully get a sense of Jim’s state.

“Man, this smells great, Jimbo! What’d you put in it this time, buddy?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Toby sniff a paper bag, and close his eyes like it was the best thing he’d ever smell. “Hm, not too spicy… but definitely not too little spice.” He laughed, and playfully elbowed his low energy friend. “Seriously! You should go on those teenage-prodigy chef shows! You’d rock!” He smiled wide, but as he waited for any sort of response other than a locker closing a lot less quickly than normal, it faded into uncertainty.

 

“Hey, dude. You alright? You’ve been so quiet all morning. You know me, man! I’m not really good at fights, but if it came to you I’d totally knock someone out-“

 

“-Tobes, it’s okay! I just…” Jim suddenly held just a bit of life, turning to Toby- which now let Claire see his face. His hair was messier than normal, and his bangs seemed to have only been combed instead of the usual bit of gel he had in his hair to keep it down, which Claire had actually never seen before. 

 

“I dunno, man. Something’s up with my mom. She came home yesterday and she was so… angry. But like, at me, I think.”

 

Toby was physically taken aback by Jim’s words. “What..? At you? She’s been tired before but like, that seems suuper weird.”

 

“Yeah…” Jim’s eyes looked not at the floor, but in its direction with lost eyes. “She said a lot of stuff this morning when I gave her breakfast. She uh…” He cleared his throat. “She didn’t… want it.”

 

Toby paused, and Claire felt like throwing up. She actually might!

 

“Man- thats like… super out of character for her. She loves your omelets! Who doesn’t? Seriously, I can’t name one person who hasn’t had their entire life changed by your recipe, Jimbo.”

 

Jim barely laughed. “That’s probably because you and mom are the only ones that have actually eaten my cooking. Well, other than the raccoons and my third grade class...” Jim adjusted his bag strap on his shoulder. “I just hope there’s some sort of short term thing at work that’s stressing her out. My mom wouldn’t just change overnight- right?”

 

“Yeah!-“ Toby snorted “Come on, sweetest mom in the entire world becomes mean and dismissive the next day? It’ll pass Jimbo, promise.”

 

Jim sighed, and softly smiled at Toby. “Thanks, Tobes. You’re the best.” He gave the shorter boy a friendly elbow to the arm. Toby chuckled as well, Claire could see the relief on his face after Jim smiled.

 

“No problemo.” He elbowed Jim back. 

 

As if the bell had been waiting for their conversation to end, it rang loudly- making students all around the courtyard groan and quickly shut their lockers. Claire was startled back into reality when she realized she’d just been in front of her open locker for a strange amount of time. Her eyes widened, and she harshly nabbed her history textbook.

 

As soon as she’d spun around to get going, Mary and Darcy seemed to magically appear behind her. She jumped at the sight of them- then once she recognized her friends and the shock wore off, she leaned against her locker, her head hitting it with a clang. They had all heard the previous conversation.

 

Mary and Darcy looked as worried as they had when they’d been waiting for Darcy’s cheerleading response. Mary with a rarely seen grimace, and Darcy with furrowed brows and crossed arms.

 

“So, yesterday wasn’t just some nightmare. That all actually happened.” Darcy said in shuddering breaths. She held herself tightly, something she did when she felt anxious.

 

Mary spoke softly, “Claire bear… this isn’t your fault.” Her eyes looked into Claire’s own. Claire looked away.

 

“Mare, it is. I had to have a stupid crush on him- and I made him a target.” She held her arms tightly around herself like Darcy had- as if it were the only way to keep herself together. “A-and it’s not like I can tell him his mom was switched with a magical troll changeling because then he’d think I’m crazy!”

 

Darcy winced. “Damn, this is like… bad. This is really bad. For the record, Strickler was always my least favorite teacher.” Claire’s arms dropped hopelessly.

 

”This isn’t just bad, it’s…” Claire’s head hit her locker with a clank. “It’s evil. Jim shouldn’t have to go through this- and he doesn’t even know he’s going through it.”

 

“…Hm.” Mary said, not adding any sort of context and seeming inside her own head as she stared into space.

 

Claire picked up her head, and tilted it at Mary. “What?”

 

“Nothing- or I’ll tell you later? Lemme think for a while.” Mary said, still looking away.

 

Claire looked back up at Darcy. She raised an eyebrow, and Darcy shrugged in return…

 

…

 

They all paused, Mary thinking whatever she was thinking, Darcy fighting internal battles in front of Claire’s eyes with fidgety hands- Claire breathed in and out, the courtyard silent enough to let her thoughts flow smoothly.

 

Wait…

 

The courtyard was silent. Not a single squeak of a sneaker, or obnoxious chuckles from a group of rowdy boys. Nobody texting with their ringer on so it made those tapping noises, and nobody closing a bag or their locker.

 

Everyone had already left for class

 

“Shish-kabobs! We’re late!” She said frantically- causing a n immediate chain reaction in the two other girls, panic flaring in their own eyes as they ran to the doors. Claire quickly zipped up her bag, poking her previously grabbed history textbook farther in so that she could fully close it. She stumbled as she sprinted to meet her two friends who beckoned her to hurry at the doorway.

 

 

 

 

 

Strickler spoke in the background, pointing to a timeline as Claire exhaustedly stared at Jim. She could be burning holes into the back of his head if she were perhaps angry with him, but she liked to imagine that she was burning apologies into his head. Though, that was just in her mind. His head would ever so slightly follow Strickler’s pointer, following intently. Every now and then he would go down to his notebook and start to write like his life depended on it. He was that changeling’s favorite student for a reason, you know.

 

All the noise around her was muffled besides the occasional scrapes of paper turning and other classmates desperately trying to hide a seasonal cough or sneeze to avoid embarrassment. Claire turned her paper only when she heard others doing it as well, so that she would seem more present than she was. It was easy to pretend to listen. 

 

When she would usually be absorbed in whatever war recollection Strickler was teaching them from- she couldn’t be less interested in anything he had to say. Or maybe she should be, considering his newly discovered alias as a servant of evil, he could be teaching them lies. Maybe he re-wrote the textbook? What if all the things Claire had studied for hours and hours were some sort of evil Gumm Gumm agenda? That’s what her dad would say…

 

A sharp crumpled up piece of paper hit her left shoulder, and she flinched. She turned her head quickly to see the culprit- expecting a popular girl with a too-big ego, or maybe even one of Steve’s goons. 

 

However, it was actually Toby. Jim’s best friend. 

 

He accusingly squinted at her, and something in Claire’s mind flashed the awful idea of him knowing, and him blaming her as he should. She knew it was incredibly unlikely. As in there were a lot of unlikely things and that was in the top three. Her whole body tensed, and she subconsciously held her breath.

 

“Psst- hey!” He whispered as if he hadn’t already caught her attention. “What’s your deal?”

 

Deal.

 

The word echoed in her head louder than a child’s shout in the largest cave. She just barely shook her head to discretely wipe it away like an Etch-a-Sketch. Toby’s head tilted and his eyebrow raised with suspicion.

 

“N-nothing. Nothing… Just zoned out in his direction.” She gave him a toothy smile, she knew it was that awkward smile she does when she gets caught. She couldn’t help it! He exhaled sharply through his nose and his expression went back to being defensive. 

 

“‘Kay. He’s had a hard day, I’m just being careful- I guess.”

 

…

 

She had originally felt like he’d been mad at her specifically- but now that side of Toby she’d seen back in the courtyard was showing strongly. A look that said he needed to protect Jim, help Jim, and make Jim better. Two peas in a pod, those two.

 

She thought about letting his statement end their ‘conversation.’ Yet, her brain continued to think, as it does. An option bubbled up from the back of her mind. She could use Toby as a way of helping Jim out! She couldn’t just go up to him knowing about his home life and trying to comfort him, but Toby could. She wouldn’t even have to spill any Trollish-stuff! 

 

“I heard you guys in the courtyard.” She put her eyes on the board- the projection was blurry and faded- but leaned in his direction so he could hear her easier. She regretted saying anything, ways that the conversation could go down racing through her head. Defense once again faded from his face, and he looked… sad. “Is he okay? I’m… worried.” She admitted. It was the first time she’d ever admitted to anyone but Darcy and Mary that she felt anything towards Jim.

 

That seemed to work in her favor, because a mask she didn’t even notice before seemed to come off. His eyes softened as he looked at the back of Jim’s head, the boy deeply engrossed in both the reading and Strickler’s speech. Toby sighed through closed teeth.

 

“I…don’t know. His mom’s always been like- the best. She’s always been like a mom to ME, even. For her to act like that…? Something’s up. Something weirder than a bad day.”

 

Claire’s eyes widened, and she picked at the corners of her nails. Toby knew something was up! But he couldn’t possibly know that what was actually happening was happening- right?!

 

“I wish I could help.” She said with a crack in her voice. Pages flipped all around the room- and she quickly turned her own while looking from Toby to Jim and back to Toby.

 

He looked… curious now. Claire noted that he was very expressive. You could read nearly anything he was feeling from his face.

 

“Maybe you… can.” He said, his eyes widening, and his posture straightening like he was being gently and slowly pulled up by an invisible thread. He was coming up with some sort of idea, she guessed. He smiled, and suddenly he looked like a child about to get a carnival lollipop. 

 

“Why… uhm…” He twiddled his thumbs underneath his desk. “Uh, w-why don’t we hang out some time? You, me, Jim, Darcy and Mary?” He suggested. Claire’s shoulders eased, and her body lost most of its tension. Was… was that a good idea?

 

It could possibly be a way of helping Jim on the inside- without him even knowing. She’d be able to somehow- maybe just slightly right her terrible wrong. Was this a decision she could make without Mary and Darcy? Maybe even Blinky?…

 

She must’ve been taking too long for his anxiety, because he started to ramble. “Uhh… uh!- Jim- and-I-are-really-all-we’ve-got-and-maybe-he’d-feel-better-if-he-hung-out-with-more-people-“

 

“I’ll think about it.” 

 

He almost continued to ramble past her confirmation, but he stopped abruptly. “Really?”

 

She smiled calmly. “Yeah, you guys seem fun to hang out with anyways- and I know we don’t really know each other all that well- but I care about Jim.” She put her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand. “Just no ‘boy funny business’, okay?”

 

He was physically taken back- by the accusation or her semi-confession, or her just agreeing- she wasn’t sure. But he nodded with his face still completely blank with shock. “Y-yeah! No funny business, trust me, Jim isn’t anything like Steve.”

 

“Yeah, Steve sucks.” She snickered, and he laughed back. Even with all of the stuff with Jim’s mom and Trollhunting… maybe being their friend would be a pretty good thing for them. Toby and Jim were ‘losers’ by popular high school boy standards- but the only reason she wasn’t considered a loser in her field was because she only presented her ‘professional self’ at school.

 

Maybe this would be fun. Maybe… she could even have a chance with Jim….

…

 

No. 

That was wrong. 

That twisted her stomach so uncomfortably. 

She sighed, and chewed her lip. Feelings of guilt, sadness, and shame filled her head- mixing in with the hope, love, and excitement she’d felt just seconds ago. It was like a feelings-soup. And it didn’t taste good.

 

The two of them went back to their books, Claire wondered how Strickler or Jim hadn’t noticed them talking for as long as they had. Maybe Strickler had, but he didn’t interfere for his own sadistic, evil reasons. The bell rang soon after, and she hoped today’s full lesson wouldn’t stray too far from the book- since she hadn’t heard a single word.

 

On the way out, as Students rushed to get out of the classroom like a herd of buffalo, she glared at Strickler- who was picking up papers on his desk. 

 

He made eye contact with her, and she could only see the memory of those orange eyes that had ruined everything just yesterday. He smirked, and just as they had before, his eyes glowed ever so briefly that if Claire hadn’t been waiting for it, she wouldn’t have caught it.

 

Her mouth tightened with sickness and frustration, and she quickly proceeded into the hall.

 

She turned the corner to see Mary and Darcy being the last to exit Ms. Janeth’s class. Mary looked utterly exasperated and exhausted, and Darcy looked surprisingly proud of herself- though she sympathetically smiled at Mary and pat her back.

 

“Jeez, Mare. What happened to you?” She said as they began to walk together. They all had the same class next period, Spanish.

 

“Ugh, I swear I am never going to do math again when I’m an adult. Never. Again.” She said through her teeth. 

 

“Let’s just say Ms. Janeth called upon a certain girl who had no idea what was going on because she was texting.”

 

“Hey,” Claire shrugged. “Atleast you’re not failing the class like Steve.”

 

Darcy laughed, “Love how Steve is like… our comparison for everything. ‘Doing badly? Atleast you’re not Steve!”  

 

That got a laugh out of Mary. “I swear, I’m a little delusional when it comes to guys sometimes-“

 

“Very delusional, actually.” Darcy cut in, Mary rolled her eyes with a smile.

 

“—Okay, but- at least I’ve never had a crush on that guy, eugh…”

 

“Eugh indeed… speaking of uh… guys…” Claire said, remembering the very important decision she had made just around ten minutes ago.

 

Mary raised an eyebrow, and Darcy furrowed hers in confusion. Claire bit her lip.

 

“What if… I just had a whole conversation with Toby back in history about Jim and Toby kinda suggested that we make plans to hang out with them and try and… be… friends…?” She cringed, holding her purse strap.

 

Mary and Darcy both showed signs of shock, then went into their own full reactions. Mary almost beaming, and Darcy smiling with soft enthusiasm. Mary squealed.

 

“Claire bear! You basically just got the best friend’s blessing!!” She exclaimed almost a bit too loudly. Claire crossed her arms and she shushed her as they passed a group of whispering girls.

 

“Mary! Shh! Also, that’s a stretch.” Claire said.

 

“She’s a little right and a little off track.” Darcy tucked her thumbs into her corresponding backpack straps. “It means a lot more than that, but come on- maybe Toby does see something in you two!” 

 

Claire smiled, to be honest… she hadn’t even thought that during their conversation…

 

“That would be…” She felt her cheeks get hot. What if Jim liked her back? What if Toby knew that?-

 

That feelings-soup in her brain started to boil- just as it had gone down.

 

She tried not to show her sudden apprehension, and simply gripped her bag strap tighter. “But think about it from a Trollhunters standpoint! We get a way in to see what’s going on with that changeling. Maybe we could get her to spill about where Jim’s mom is!”

 

Darcy nodded. “Yeah…” She kept nodding until she really meant it, and she smiled with determination. “Yeah… That could work! Then we alien-style go like- ‘take me to your leader!’” She spoke the quote robotically, mimicking a sci-fi movie.  

 

Claire looked to Mary for her reaction, expecting a giggle at Darcy’s jokes. However, she was met with that expression of thought that Mary had sported just before class. 

 

“Mary?” She tilted her head, and Mary blinked. She opened her mouth- nothing coming out at first. 

 

“O-oh? Oh! Yeah! We take down the bad guy!” She laughed. But Claire raised an eyebrow. It just wasn’t genuine. 

She had something on her mind. 

 

“Mare? What’s up?” Claire finally asked, unable to stand something going unsaid.

 

Mary looked up, as if unaware- but the facade crumbled almost immediately. She played with her hands, something she only did when she was going to say something either one-hundred percent controversial, or something completely fine that she assumed was completely nuts. “Well, you know… what if we invited them to the team?” Mary said, starting off a bit off, then gaining confidence in her words as she spoke. “We could keep an eye on the changeling, and you and Jimmy would get super close!” She giggled, her voice gaining confidence as she went on.

 

“And there she goes, into Lala-land never to be seen again.” Darcy chuckled and rolled her eyes. Mary playfully shoved her. 

 

“Come on Darcy! Even without the cute romantic stuff, they could totes help!… plus, if we told Jim, the whole ‘mom thing’ could go a lot smoother. He could help us help him.”

 

“Damn Mary, you’ve got a point…” Darcy nodded, eyebrows raised. 

 

“Don’t act like I don’t usually have good points, D! I have great ideas!”

 

Claire stayed silent. The thought twisted her gut in an awful way. She didn’t focus her eyes on anything.

“But then he’d know.”

 

Mary and Darcy both went silent, both looking down at the floor in thought.

 

“I guess. But if we do become friends with them, and we hang out with them… We’re just going to see it get worse, and Jim won’t even know why. We’d have to tell them eventually, C.B.” Darcy mumbled, sadness in her voice.

 

Claire paused, her steps faltering and then picking up again as soon as the mask had slipped. Her head-feelings-soup boiled in a way that made her want to grab the Advil from her bag. 

“I guess that’s what I meant.” Mary leaned over to try and see Claire’s face past Darcy. “We’d tell them eventually, and then they’d join!”

 

They arrived at the classroom door. “I’ll think about it.” She said blankly, attempting with all of her might to put on her usually voice. What was going on in this head of hers that was so gosh-darn loud? “We didn’t discuss any sort of dates when I was talking to Toby...” Claire said, and then as she remembered, her eyes lit up- partially her own doing rather than body language. “But…I’ve got a surprise for you guys once we get down into Trollmarket!” She waved her hands excitedly, hoping to hype the girls up, and hype them up she did.

 

Mary gasped. “Ooh!! What is it?”

Darcy placed her hand onto the handle, ready to let them all in. “Girl, it’s a surprise. We’ll see it then!” She said, then making eye contact with Claire- though she kept her more relaxed demeanor, her eyes sparkled like an excited kid for just a second. Claire leaned into a hand that she promptly put on her hip. 

 

Darcy opened the door, and they all walked in.

 

 

Claire pulled her bike out of the rack, smiling to herself as she thought about her surprise. Giving gifts to her friends made her happy- and this would be the best gift since the legendary gift of Darcy’s thirteenth birthday!

 

Darcy then seemed to appear out of thin air, grabbing her bike right next to Claire’s own. “Sooo….” She said, with a suspiciously ‘casual’ tone. “What did you get us?”

 

Claire nearly snorted. “What happened to you ‘seeing it then’” she vocally implied rabbit ears to her words, her hands busy holding onto her handlebars. 

 

“I know! I tried! But I’m so curious I’m gonna die!!” She said dramatically, fidgeting with her now completely disconnected padlock. 

 

“What happed to seeing it then-“ Mary’s voice suddenly appeared out of thin air as well from behind Claire, and Claire jumped like a cat with a cucumber. 

 

“I already said that!” Claire said, turning enough to see both girls on both sides of her. 

 

“You cannot talk, Mary.” Darcy nearly laughed. 

 

“Neither of you can!” Claire genuinely laughed through her words. “Let’s just go down to TM so that you guys can stop wondering.”

 

“Tm?” Darcy raised an eyebrow. “We’re calling it TM now??” 

 

“Who trademarked the trolls?? I hope it wasn’t Disney.” Mary jokingly scoffed.

 

“I would hope we’d be by Dreamworks. Sony in second place.” Darcy added more to the shenanigans. 

 

Claire tapped her hand to her forehead in amused disbelief, she laughed. “Guys! It’s just a way to shorten it! What? Are we supposed to go around saying ‘Troll Market’ everywhere? There are changelings amongst us!” She whispered most of her sentence to prove her point.

 

“Maybe we could just call it ‘the market’…” Mary said dramatically, posing her hands together and pulling them apart as if she were revealing the words physically. “Ooh-! Or headquarters!”

 

“The forge?” Darcy finally stopped turning her padlock and put it into her bag. “I mean that’s where we spend most of our time. Or the library.”

 

“Whatever you guys want to call it! Let’s just go!” She smiled, and the three of them led their bikes out.

 

 

 

 

“Okay, is it some sort of mission we’re gonna go on?” Mary guessed as both she and Darcy kept up with Claire while they carefully- but excitedly went down the crystal staircase. Claire didn’t respond, but she had a smile on her face. 

 

It felt nice, making her friends happy. She felt like she was doing something good amidst the horrible thing she caused. Her smile would falter every now and then when she remembered Jim’s face, his voice that night— but it would come back strong when her friends smiled so brightly at her. Maybe she didn’t deserve those smiles.

 

Darcy hummed. “Okay, is it-“

 

“Stop guessing!” Claire interrupted. “If you actually get it, then it won’t be as good when we get there!”

 

They all hopped off of the last crystal step, and the two girls beside Claire mumbled with feigned annoyance. Claire waved to several trolls, then returning the gesture with smiles, or a brief “whatever…”, or an acknowledging nod and grunt. Mary skipped alongside her while Darcy walked with purpose in her step. 

 

They got to the Hero’s Forge entrance, Claire beckoning her friends to follow her, acting calm despite how excited she was to show them both her gifts. Mary avoided looking at The Deep as much as possible, as she always did when they walked along the bridge to the main platform.

 

On the platform, Blinky and Aaarrrgghh were waiting for them with a large wooden trunk. Blinky fiddled with the lock before his ears picked up and he turned around. He and Aaarrrgghh waved.

 

“Ah! Lady Claire! This was a bit heavy, we just got it situated. I’m sure your friends are excited!”

 

“You bet we are!” Mary said, smiling wide. “What’s in the treasure chest, Blinky-bear?”

 

“Well, you see-“ Blinky was about to go into explaining-mode, before doing a double take. “I’m sorry, what? Never mind. You see, Lady Claire asked us to round up a few specific items for you two!” He said, the girls finally making it to the main platform to stand before the trunk.

 

“Can I open it?” Mary asked.

 

“Go right ahead, Mary.” Blinky stepped back, gesturing calmly to the trunk. Mary flicked open the lock, and pushed up the heavy lid with a soft grunt of exertion. Aaarrrgghh used his finger to help bring it all the way back to its open resting position. Behind Mary, Darcy gasped, coming closer to beam at the Trunks contents.

 

“Are those…?” Darcy said above a whisper as Mary dramatically wiped her forehead- then paused as soon as she’d open her eyes by a squint.

 

“No. WAY!” Mary excitedly brought her fists up and close to her chest, smiling wide as she looked back at Claire “Claire bear!!! Are these for real?!” Darcy looked back as well, silently adding to Mary’s question.

 

Claire laughed and smiled at the two with warmth- as if she were a mother looking at her children on Christmas Day. “Well, I asked Blinky to grab some weapons based on what you guys told me. I didn’t really know what to look for, so he offered. I’d thank him more than me.” She gestured a hand to Blinky, who upon noticing the sudden attention on himself brought a hand to the back of his neck. Claire thought she could even see a bit of blush from embarrassment.

 

“Well, yes I uh- suppose!” He shrugged tightly. “Aaarrrgghh also aided in procuring this assortment. Choose what calls to you!” 

 

Mary squealed, and Darcy gasped with anticipation as her hands hesitantly hovered over the weapons. Claire walked over to Blinky, who had been watching her friends with a look of pride on his face. She slid close, and whispered as the two dug through the trunk.

 

“So- how dangerous are these again?” She whispered as she raised an eyebrow. 

 

“Well, I didn’t want to give them simple common weapons, Lady Claire! They have magical qualities similar to your sword.” Then, realization his his face like a pie. “Was that… not what you expected?” He whispered back.

 

“Oh uh- no! It’s just that they’re only beginning their training, you know? Like- now. They’re begging now. I wasn’t sure if they had anything… deadly that they didn’t know how to handle?” She cringed, smiling awkwardly. 

 

Blinky’s surprise quickly turned into a look of endearing relief and confidence. “Ah well, you yourself started out with The Sword of Daylight. It makes sense for them to begin their journey the same!” He looked back at them, and Claire noticed a few maces on the floor, Mary having nearly her entire upper body dived into the trunk as she searched, and Darcy very intricately inspecting a large bow. 

 

Aaarrrgghh nodded. “Will learn.”

 

“I… guess. I’m just worried about them.” She sighed, a little embarrassed by her own concern. Blinky put a hand on her opposite shoulder, like a half hug.

 

Blinky opened his mouth, that knowledgeable look on his face as if he were about to share with her the key to the universe- before he was cut short by a squeal that could only be-

 

“THIS! THIS ONE!” Mary said, and Claire’s eyes snapped to her. 

 

Mary quickly raised a chain mace into the air. It had three mace heads hanging by three chains, golden accent parts, and a pink gemstone on the handle a bit higher than midway.

 

Darcy pried her eyes away from a bow she was practice-aiming. She looked up at the mace, and her serious resting face dropped into wonder. “Woah, that looks straight out of sailor moon…”

 

Mary turned her head back, mace still epically raised in the air. “I know right?!” She said, her voice sounding as if all the air was squeezed out of her from giddiness. 

 

“Mare, that’s awesome! Blinky, where did you find it?” 

 

Blinky smiled wide, and brought a hand up to his chin. “Ah! I had a hunch that you would spot that one! Years ago I bought that excellently crafted mace from a visiting seller. I wasn’t sure why it called to me, but I see now that it had a purpose I wasn’t aware of. Though, I’m not sure exactly of the magical nature of it.”

 

Why did Blinky buy a weapon like that? He wasn’t necessarily the type to buy anything but books unless it had some sort of historic purpose. Did he really think that he could’ve predicted that somehow? 

 

“Wait- this is magic? Are all of these magic?!” Darcy said, eyes darting from Blinky to the bow in her hand. 

 

“Yes! Of course they are, Claire here requested as such so that you two would have your own advantages outside of yourselves! Now, what magical qualities…” He put a hand on his chin. “Well, I’m not sure. Ah- Darcy, have you decided?” 

 

Darcy held up a bow and a bag of arrows. They looked foresty, the traditional aesthetic of enchanted-ness that Claire thought of when she heard forest myths. The bow looked like a branch off of a tree, the arrows were silver, and the leather quiver had flowers and leaves embroidered onto it right before the opening where the arrows were stored. Darcy looked… unsure.

 

“Maybe. I like a lot of these- and I think I want this one. But I just don’t feel any sort of calling. You know?”  

 

Blinky raised an eyebrow. “None? Well, there’s nothing against trying out different ones as you learn! Other than… learning every option. But do not feel pressured, Darcy!” He crossed his arms, and Darcy smiled anxiously- without confidence in the way she held her bow. 

 

Aaarrrgghh came closer to Darcy, who was slightly startled as he came by.

 

“Suits you.” Was all he said.

 

And Darcy smiled.

Notes:

Please do leave a comment!! They’re super appreciated :3

Chapter 5: Ah, the weekend!

Summary:

It’s the first weekend since everything, and Claire is extra worried about Jim. Mary has some technical difficulties, and Darcy goes off on her own journey offscreen!

Oh, and Vendel.

Notes:

Ooh, well that took a second too. I’m not very fond of this chapter? It’s been written for a while, but I was putting off posting it.

I hope you like it, and I’m sorry it took so long guys!! I had a REALLY busy July. With scout camp and my law class back to back (2 weeks in total) my brain was everywhere lol. Enjoy!

The weekend came around, the time where kids her age were going out to movies or skateparks. It was when you would cross your fingers for a sunny day. The teens of Arcadia were busy hosting parties or maybe just playing video games with their friends. Now how was Claire Nuñez spending her weekend?

 

She was panicking. Then maybe some training scheduled for later. For now, she was panicking. A lot.

 

She hadn’t even noticed it at first, going about her morning as usual. Then it had hit her, and the anxiety of not getting to check on Jim’s condition started up like a storm, energy buzzing in her head like lightning.

 

 

 

Her new little brother proudly giggled in his bouncy chair as her father cooed and played with him. Her mother had her phone glued to her hand as always, taking care of something important or other.

 

Claire poured out the cereal, and then the milk just enough where the cereal noticeably rose. Her mom brushed past her, preoccupied with a call she was about to make. Claire grabbed a spoon, ignoring the way her mom’s absentmindedness made her feel.

 

She stuck it harshly in her cereal and walked to the living room to sit down and eat. She thought to herself as she prodded at her food.

 

She thought about yesterday, and her friends’ weapon situation. Mary seemed perfectly happy with her gift, which was wonderful! However, Darcy was unsure. While it was okay to be unsure, Claire wanted Darcy to be happy with what she would fight with.

 

The bow was beautiful, a nice wooden bow with green moss and golden swirls that complemented most of Darcy’s wardrobe. The arrows matched the rest of it well. Claire was almost jealous. Why wouldn’t her friend like it?

 

She took a bite of her food, and looked up absentmindedly, until her eyes landed on the motivational-quotes-calendar on the wall.

 

Huh, she’s been a Trollhunter for almost two weeks now. So much has happened- it felt like a year. Getting chased by Bular, Mary and Darcy finding out, and…

 

 

Jim .

 

 

Her prodding slowed—then stopped as she stared. Not ahead of her, but at nothing really.

 

It was the first time she wasn’t able to check on Jim. That… scared her.

 

What was happening to Jim now that it was a weekend? Was it getting worse? Was he even home?

 

Was she supposed to go over there? Just check in to make sure he was okay as they had two days ago?

 

Her mouth tightened into a line. Her dad and brother’s once heartwarming playtime becoming a ringing annoyance in her ears. This was one of those times where she needed quiet.

 

She needed to think.

 

She looked around for her mom, and picked up her bowl. She snuck past her dad, who didn’t notice the cereal in her hands as she climbed up the stairs and quickly made it into her room. She wasn’t supposed to have any sort of food upstairs, but it was either that or she’d waste a perfectly good bowl of cereal. Which was also not good in her house.

 

She placed it onto her nightstand, and with a lost stare, sat down onto her bed.

 

Claire was panicking now.

 

What a great Saturday morning…

 

Was she overreacting? Maybe. She couldn’t get her thoughts straight- and through the static mess of her mind, she could only hear one clear phrase over and over.

 

It’s my fault .

 

She swallowed nothing, and picked up her cereal, taking a bite. It didn’t settle well in her stomach, but she kept eating. She needed to eat before training, or she’d definitely get a bad cramp.

 

She knew there was nothing she could do for now about Jim’s situation. She felt helpless, hopeless, and just so angry. At herself, or the enemy? Probably both.

 

A sharp “ ping!” noise came from somewhere in her blankets, and she put the cereal down quickly. Claire frantically fished out her phone to read whatever text she’d gotten.

 

Mary’s name showed at the bottom of her lockscreen coming from the girls’ group chat. It didn’t show the text because of a setting Claire had put on to stop her nosy parents. She opened her phone and read the text.

 

Mary: Hey Claire! When are we heading down to Trollmarket?

 

Before Claire could type back, Darcy’s name showed up as typing, and her name popped up next.

 

Darcy: You mean trademark!!!

 

Mary: Headquarters!!!

 

Claire snickered lightly, the laugh just barely making it out. Who knows how she’d be handling this without her friends by her side?

 

Claire: We can head down soon, we’ll meet at the canal. Just let me eat something first ✌︎('ω')✌︎

 

Her text got two thumbs up reactions, and she closed her phone. She picked up her cereal to continue her eating… but well…

 

It was all soggy.

 

She sighed, almost wanting to facepalm. She shoveled most of the mushy cereal into her mouth so that her mom wouldn’t fuss about it. It still tasted fine, but the texture was annoying at best.

 

She changed out of her clothes and into her favorite papa skull t-shirt, jacket, and the rest. She swung her purse over her shoulder, seeing the amulet glow from the inside with anticipation of training.

 

“Yeah, we’re going…” she whispered absentmindedly at it as if it could hear her. She nabbed the bowl from her nightstand, opened her door, and closed it behind her.

 

She snuck downstairs with the bowl, her dad still playing with Enrique and her mom still upstairs in her office. She dumped the small amount of leftover cereal in the trash, and placed the bowl in the sink.

 

“Dad!” She called out as she made sure that she had her phone and of course, amulet. Even though she knew it would always be there unless someone stole it, she liked to be prepared. “I’m going out with Mary and Darcy!”

 

Her dad didn’t look away from Enrique, but he saw him smile wider in acknowledgement as she spoke. “You stay safe, young lady!” He said as Enrique grabbed his finger with a giggle.

 

“I know, dad!” She said, and opened the door and stepped out onto her porch.

 

When she closed the door behind her, making sure it was fully closed by pulling it just a bit more than normally closing it, she sighed.

 

She pulled her bike out from the side of the house, noting with a wince the way it clicked from her having left it in the rain a week ago. She really shouldn’t ruin her bike, but sometimes she was just in a hurry!

 

She hopped on, clumsily making her way comfortably on the seat and out onto the road. Then she pedaled away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ Down here, C.B.!!” Mary called with one hand cupped to her mouth and one raised in a wild wave. Claire slowed to a stop at the edge of the canal, then walked her bike down.

 

“You guys have your stuff?” She asked.

 

“Yeah!!” Mary giggled. “I can’t wait to see what my mace can do! Did you see how pretty it was? It’s gotta be great.” She crossed her arms, and Claire could sense her pride in her choice.

 

“I left my stuff down there- but I dunno.” Darcy said, suddenly looking conflicted. “The bow’s kinda grown on me, but I still don’t feel like it’s the one. Something’s just not right yet…”

 

Claire smiled softly, and kicked her stand into place. She walked over and put a hand on her indecisive friend’s shoulder.

 

“Maybe Blinky just… couldn’t find something that matched your energy, you know? Why don’t you go out and look for something that suits you? It is a market!” She offered. Darcy held her head low, but her eyes moved to look at Claire. Her head raised slightly. Claire took her hand off of the other girl’s shoulder.

 

“You mean wander Trollmarket like… alone?” She asked with a small tilt of her head.

 

“Yeah! Go look around! Mary’s already been through pretty much everywhere she could go—you know from back when she snuck in to follow me around.” She glanced at Mary, who shrugged with a ‘guilty’ look on her face. “If you want to, now you can try!” She gestured to the stone wall hiding the hidden city.

 

Darcy looked to the wall, then away as if contemplating. “Okay… I think I can do that!” She said, excitement seeping through her uncertainty.

 

“Awesome- now let’s go!” Mary said, and Claire realized that the girl had already used the horngazel. Mary gestured to the doorway much larger than her, then ran over to the two honestly surprised girls. Mary grabbed both of her friend’s hands, pulling them to and into the doorway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Come… on! Magic! Abracadabra- or whatever!”

 

Mary waved her mace in the air, not yet annoyed, but Claire could see her signs of becoming annoyed. The three mace heads swirled in the air, blurring together like a speeding wheel.

 

Claire dodged a rock. Why she was still using stones as her training, well only Blinky knew. “Hey- ah!” She dodged another, and Blinky smugly smiled. “Mary, you can always choose another! There’s nothing that says-“ She jumped out of the way of one, then two, then three stones in different directions. She huffed. “There’s… nothing that says you can’t fight with a non-magic weapon!”

 

Blinky looked as if he were about to strike again, but his smile faded, and that intellectual expression came upon his face. “It is a magical item, however. Why it is not bending to Mary’s will, I do not know.” He turned to Mary, who was pointing and talking—though too quietly for Claire to hear— to the mace.  He switched to a yell. “Mary, have you tried hitting it against anything ?!” He called out.

 

Mary scoffed. “Geez, I dunno, dad! - Yes! Yes I have!” She said, now exasperated.

 

Blinky threw two innocent hands up in the air, and turned back to the Trollhunter. “Well, perhaps its magic just has to get used to her.” He said, mostly to himself. Claire’s arms rested, and her sword tapped against the ground.

 

“What does that mean?” She said.

 

A small rock hit the back of her head, causing her to wince in pain. She looked back to see the culprit, who was a guilty looking Aaarrrgghh. She squinted at him with revenge on her mind. Her intentions seemed to have communicated well, because he flicked a couple spare rocks into the Deep while looking away from Claire.

 

Blinky began to speak, gaining the trollhunter’s attention once again. “It means, Lady Claire, that the weapon’s magic simply could not know how to mix with a human user. With you not being of magic like us trolls and other species, magical devices such as weapons and other tools have trouble bonding to you. Theoretically, this could be your friend’s problem!” He said, a hand on his chin.

 

Her mouth screwed to the side. “But… my amulet seemed to work with me fine. Why didn’t I have that problem?” She put her sword onto her back, now that she was almost sure that no rocks would be thrown at her. Blinky seemed to note this, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at her action, then looked away and cleared his throat.

 

“Ah, but you did have that problem! I’m sure you remember how it took some time for the amulet to fully respond to your command! You may be bonded to it via destiny, but it did have some trouble in the beginning.”

 

That… was true. She felt bad for both of her friends. Mary couldn’t even get her mace’s magic to work- and Darcy wasn’t even sure if she liked her selection.

 

So much for a gift. So much for it being the one thing Claire could really do right within the chaos.

 

She looked over to Mary, who had brought out her phone, mumbling her search—“ How to… activate magic weapons… No, not that! Ugh…”— to herself. Darcy was off looking for her own tools, whatever they may be.

 

Claire didn’t know what she, herself, wanted. Did she want them to have perfect weapons so that they could fight by her side? Or was this better- keeping them safe by taking away their means of battle?

 

She was about to go over to Mary. Apologize, maybe. She wasn’t sure. But before she could call out her friend’s name- someone called out hers.

 

“ Lady Claire !” A loud but old voice called from the surrounding seats from the top of the forge. She flinched in surprise as it echoed heavily through the great arena. Her head snapped to look up at the viewing area, and after a bit of scanning, she saw Vendel.

 

He had both hands behind his back, and that eternal disapproving glare on his face. He repeated her name.

 

“ Lady Claire -“

 

“She heard you, old guy!!” Mary shouted.

 

Claire’s eyes widened in surprise, as if Mary’s words had been blasphemy. She aggressively stared and cleared her throat at the girl, who in turn, raised an eyebrow with a look of w hat did I do?!

 

“ Ah, hello, Vendel! What seems to be the issue ?” She yelled back politely, making sure she presented well. The elder troll seemed pleased, and something that felt so normal within Claire was pleased as well. She was known a lot of her life to be a teachers pet, or as a kid- a suck up. She made sure to calm it down in highschool, but sometimes…

 

Sometimes, she appreciated an adults approval of her. It was how she was raised, essentially. That was just… how she got her confidence.

 

“ I would like to speak to you in the Heartstone, if you may .” He said. It wasn’t a question, even if he had phrased it as such.

 

Internally, she wondered. Was she doing something wrong? Had she done something wrong before now? She suppressed an anxious grimace. “Of course! ” She said “ I’ll meet you there?” She added in Trollish.

 

He was quite far, but she could almost feel the approval coming from the Troll way up there. “ Yes. Do not keep me waiting.” He nodded, and left.

 

“What was that last bit about?” Mary shrugged with loose arms.

 

“Just extras!” She said as the armor fell away into blue mist as she ordered it to in her head. She caught the amulet and ran to her purse. She scooped up the bag and pushed the amulet somewhere inside. “I’ve gotta go, see ya!” She said, waving back briefly before focusing on the path ahead.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There you are, Trollhunter. Come sit.” He said as she entered. The glow and warmth of the heartstone was better than any fresh-out-of-the-dryer blanket. He gestured to a stone seat.

 

“You wanted to see me?” She said as she walked, then sat down.

 

“Mm, yes. About the Lake boy.” He took his own seat, and she froze.

 

Lake boy.

 

“What- how do you-“

 

“-I know many things, Trollhunter. You all may have tried to keep to yourselves, but I’ve heard rumors from a gnome or two.”

 

“Gnomes… told you all of that-“

 

“No! I was spying on you five. You are not very secretive, I’ll have you know.”

 

Her face felt hot from embarrassment, and she cringed. “Oh.”

 

“And you know that Trollmarket cannot know of the changelings in our midst? The chaos that would ensue if enough were fearful enough?”

 

“Yes… Vendel.”

 

He stayed quiet, and stared at her ashamed form. He stood up, and grabbed a small book with a blank leather cover. With his back turned to her, he spoke as he inspected it.

 

“You and your friends have been… much less disruptive than I’d thought you’d be. You’re interested in Troll culture, speak our tongue, and try to help even with the mundane things of Trollmarket.”

 

She took in the words, and her head raised in pride. She saw a book being handed to her—the small book from before. She blinked at the troll, then took it.

 

“Trollmarket is happy to have you, and you help more than you are required. Regarding the situation, how have you been… er…fairing?” He hesitated, as if questioning whether he should say the last part at all.

 

She placed the book on her lap, not sure what it was about due to the lack of a cover.

 

How was she fairing?

 

“Me? I’ve been fine! I’m just worried about him… wait, what do you know about Jim?” She dodged the question.

 

You don’t talk about feelings to adults.

 

He looked down at her with something that looked like… pity? Or something of the sort. He blinked, and his face went neutral.

 

“I know that his mother has been switched disregarding everything we knew about changelings, I know that he is important to you, and I know that you are redirecting our conversation from my question .” He got slightly angry at the end.

 

Adults… usually don’t get angry about that?

 

“I dont- I wasn’t-” she sighed, “I just don’t usually talk about stuff like that. Really, I’m fine. It’s stressful. Hey, maybe even a little scary, but…” She faded off.

 

“…but?” He said, almost knowingly.

 

She picked at her cuticles, and looked anywhere but at Trollmarket’s leader.

 

“It’s my fault.” She put out quickly. A weight was lifted, but the heavier guilt of pouring that onto an adult felt like an even heavier weight. “It’s all my fault”

 

His face softened. “Bular is at fault, Trollhunter. Gunmar is at fault. The changelings are at fault. How would you—most likely our most delightful Trollhunter— be at fault here?!” He yelled, and she felt an anger form inside of her. Why couldn’t he see-

 

“It just is, okay?! I had to have a stupid crush on him! It’s my job to protect everyone- I put him in danger—That’s why!” She yelled  back, if he would just understand-

 

She covered her mouth.

 

She just yelled at the leader of Trollmarket.

 

Vendel paused before he looked away. “I…see. Though that is your own mind telling you as such. It is not the truth. If you will not see reason, there is not much I can offer to help. Look into the pages of that book when you leave. You are not in trouble, Lady Claire.” He pointed to the book, then walked away. “ Goodbye,” He said in Trollish. She noted that it wasn’t the normal form of goodbye- with an extra part at the end. She might ask Blinky about it, because she was being dismissed.

 

Feeling small, Claire got up while holding the book to her chest, and left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She walked back into the forge, and saw Mary waiting for her. Now Mary was dodging rocks from both sides pretty easily. She most likely had an advantage from her gymnastics lessons making her so agile.

 

Blinky threw another stone, glancing briefly in her direction without a reaction. Then before he threw it, his eyes went wide and he smiled. “Lady Claire! You’ve survived Vendel!”

 

She cracked the smallest smile, snickering at the semi-joke from her trainer. It faded quickly and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, still uneasy from the previous conversation she brought up the book enough to see the blank cover. “Yeah. I guess.”

 

“Claire bear! How was death-row?” Mary said, also noticing her presence from Blinky calling to her. Aaarrrgghh stopped throwing rocks.

 

“Go bad?” He tilted his head.

 

“Uh, not really? I don’t… really know how it went. He knows about Jim though.”

 

She heard multiple rocks hit the floor as Blinky and Aaarrrgghh’s hands went slack.

 

“How?!” Blinky said, absolutely appalled. Then, Mary’s eyes widened at something in the distance beyond them all. “We were vigilant in our secrecy- he couldn’t have possibly-“

 

“Darcy! How was your hunt?” Mary said excitedly, waving to the girl behind Claire. Claire turned, and saw Darcy walking towards them with a paper in her hand that kept her eyes on, despite the fact that she was walking. Claire couldn’t really read behind her expression, but she looked at it calmly. She folded it and put it in her pocket, then smiled warmly.

 

Well, something good must’ve happened today…

 

Ignoring the churning feelings of guilt— now not just because of Jim but because of her previous conversation—Claire put on a smile. Or more so it formed on her face. Darcy seemed happy.

 

“Darcy! I knew you could do it! Did you find anything?”

 

Darcy nodded. “Yeah. I think so.” The mascot’s eyes landed on her, and they shone with hope.

 

Though there was silence.

 

“What… what did you find?” Mary asked, confusion in her voice from the lack of explanation.

 

“Just…” Darcy began… “Just something that might help. I think I can do it.”

 

That… was even more cryptic.

 

“I’m glad!” Claire said, despite that. “You feel better?”

 

Darcy nodded again.

 

 

“I think so!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The moonlight lit up her room from her windows, and Claire stared at the book in her hands. She observed every groove of the leather, and the little tab that sealed it shut by it going through a loop on the cover. She removed the tab carefully, and turned the cover.

 

Blank.

 

…She was certainly confused. What was this thing supposed to be?

 

She turned another page, and it came up blank.

 

Turn, blank

 

Turn, blank.

 

And repeat.

 

Why would Vendel give her a blank book? Was there something she was missing? There had to be something!

 

She took the front cover, and dangled the book by it, turning it every which way, until a small piece of yellow parchment fell out of the pages.

 

She looked at it, the book still dangling from the cover, then she put it down and carefully picked up the little piece as if it would dissolve right then and there.

 

This actually had writing on it.

 

 

“Dear Trollhunter. I knew it would go this way before we had talked, so, I present you an idea. Similar to a function that changelings have with their human familiars, simply write the name of who you would like to see, and the book will describe his current state. I know that boy is worrying you, and I know you feel helpless. I hope that this will bring you peace of mind, if I cannot.”

 

Signed, Vendel, of Trollmarket.

 

 

 

Well… it would help.

 

She put the piece down, and then picked the other book back up.

 

She opened to the first page, grabbed a stray pen from her nightstand, and wrote with nervous hands.

 

Jim.

 

Then, the book came to life, and letters began to magically appear.

 

 

He’s sitting on his bed in his room, keeping his attention on the noises around him, waiting for the sound of his mother coming home— which he knows will not come until tomorrow…

 

Won’t come until tomorrow?

 

She was neglecting him.

 

Claire wasn’t… happy with the results. However, he wasn’t in immediate danger. Maybe that was enough for now. At the least it would let her sleep tonight.

 

She closed the book, sliding the tab into the slot, and slid it underneath her bed. She mentally said thank you to the old leader, and after an hour of waiting, fell asleep.

Notes:

Ah well, that’s a little bit creepy, Claire! Anyways- we didn’t see Darcy the majority of the chapter! So, I’m giving you guys— the readers— the choice!

Do we want a little bit of a rewind and a little bit of a POV change?

Chapter 6: Recitals! Also, arguments. Like two of em.

Notes:

Ah, I strike again. Or more so depression, self-doubt, stress, and anxiety have struck me again. BUT WHEN HAS IT NOT AMMIRITE????

Also, I know I asked about the POV change, meaning yall would get to see what Darcy had been up to. However I have decided to keep that information all to myself until the characters find out!! Muhahaha!!

Again, this fic is an experiment for myself, and I’m trying things I’ve never done before. Enjoy! :3

“Trollhunter! Trollhunter! It’s an emergency!”

 

“Bagdwella, this had better be important! I am teaching our Trollhunter valuable knowledge about our sanctuary! Interrupting the growth of her mind is extremely rude!” Blinky sand longing to speak of Troll culture once again.

When Claire, Darcy, and Mary had been just dying to do anything other than mental work that night after school, Blinky had decided that an important part of protecting Trollmarket was understanding Trollmarket. He’d been acting like a tour guide all day, taking them everywhere. Honestly, Claire might’ve even been a bit glad that Bagdwella needed help. Her usually sharp-until-the-end brain was feeling like mush under the weight of new concepts, and Bagdwella’s requests were usually easy and mundane. Gnome infestation? Missing artifact? It sounded like a vacation.

 

“Oh, it’s horrible! A fight has broken out just over there! They’re breaking everything around them!”

 

Oh well, vacation cancelled.

 

“A fight? About what?” Darcy questioned, tilting her body to look down the way Bagdwella had pointed, as if it would help her hear them. Claire could faintly hear sounds of shattering and yelling, but it wasn’t new for any resident or regular of Trollmarket. Trolls weren’t known for their polite or well-mannered nature. Other than Blinky, who was known exactly for those things.

 

“About-“ Bagdwella sputtered, like tasting something bitter. “About what?! Why would I know!? Just hurry!”

 

Claire hesitated out of confusion, but her body drove her to the scene anyways. The rest of the team followed her closely as the voices got louder and louder with each preoccupied troll they passed. They turned a corner and-

 

“Say it! Say it again, I dare you!”

 

Claire easily spotted the two trolls, them being surrounded by debris and worried bystanders. Some rowdy trolls—that were most likely not there accidentally—cheered them on. The rest looked frightened by the display. Though the frightened ones did nothing to stop the fight.

 

A large red troll with stalagmite-looking spikes on his back had cornered another jade green troll into a wall. The wall behind the smaller was caved in and cracked, as if he had been thrown into it. Claire couldn’t see the red troll’s face since he had his back turned to her, but the green troll smiled proudly despite his obvious strain. She vaguely recognized the two as residents.

 

Claire reached for her amulet, but her hand hovered over her pocket.

 

What was her amulet going to help in this situation?

 

This wasn’t an enemy-victim situation like she was used to. This wasn’t a goblin, or Bular. It was an argument between two civillian trolls. 

 

Would she be able to calm them down? Could she threaten them with some sort of banishment, or… what, community service? Did she have that jurisdiction? If it were Bular, she’d go for the kill 

 

She was frozen, completely unsure. She anxiously glanced back at her friends, who mirrored her own squeamish-looking face. She’d never stopped a fight before- other than that one time with her parents. These weren’t her parents, though.

 

She could hear Bagdwella and Blinky urging her to do something, though the instructions were drowned out by the shouting.

 

“ What is the meaning of this?!” She heard a familiar old voice say in Trollish. Vendel approached the two, and the red troll’s fist slowly dropped. 

 

“Vendel! Hey, didn’t see ya there!” The red one laughed anxiously. Vendel’s scowl grew deeper.

 

“This is no way to treat our market! Your immaturity is grounds for banishment! Do you understand?!”

 

The red troll looked like he’d pissed himself, and he nodded, letting go of the green troll. “O-of course, Vendel!”

 

Vendel flicked his hand in a shooing motion to the two, and they shamefully ran off like scolded dogs. When they were gone, and the crowd dispersed, Vendel seemed to stand in place, before Claire noticed he was looking at her.

 

He walked over with the recognizable sound of his footsteps and his staff clinking against the ground. She stood up as straight—but also as naturally—as possible.

 

“You stood by as your charge—the market— was being terrorized. Why ?” He said, stoic as always, but still with a hint of genuine question.

 

“Ah, Vendel!” Blinky clasped his hands together “Lady Claire was simply unsure of the right action to take! I will be teaching her placation methods post-haste!”

 

“Hmm? Is that so,” he spoke slowly, “The Trollhunter fights and brings peace, through battle and through speech. Good day to you, young one.” He turned around, but before he could leave, Claire just wanted to get one thing in.

 

“Uh- hey, Vendel? Thank you. For the book… it really helps.” She smiled.

 

He turned his head back to see her, observed her for a second, then gave her a very faint smile. “Yes, I hoped as such,” he nodded, and with the same sound pattern of step-clink-step-clink, he left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School was quieter during the beginning of arrival. Eventually it would become bustling, then when the bell rang it would dissapate. Claire’s friends—knowing her new reoccurring “mission,”—left to their own lockers as she headed to hers.

 

She obviously spotted him at his locker, Toby once again at his side like a yipping fox. Jim’s back faced her as he looked through his open locker. Claire noted the way his hair looked messier and how his posture didn’t portray his old spirit.

 

As what would become routine, she clicked off the padlock to her locker, opened it up—the old metal screeching and clicking—, and began to “organize.” She’d purposely put any books she’d need from here to lunch into her bag earlier, so that she could focus…

 

 

 

“Sorry I didn’t make anything today, Tobes-“

 

“No- no, dude it’s fine! I’m on a diet anyways, only reason I’d be sad about that is ‘cause you love cooking.” Toby said, his pack packed to the brim, yet he attempted to stuff another textbook inside. Maybe he just needed something to do while they talked, or maybe he just didn’t want to re-visit his locker today?

 

“We just… mom hasn’t gone out to get groceries recently, so we didn’t really have anything much. I mean, I asked her if I could go myself, but she said she didn’t trust a teenager with her card.”

 

“Dude- what? Your last trip to the store was like… a week and a half ago.”

 

“Yup.” Jim sighed, and he shut his locker . “We still have salt though. That’s the important thing.” He joked, and smiled at Toby. The smile hinted with sadness, but there was warmth in his eyes from looking at his friend .

 

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on with her— and I really wish you would tell me,” he spoke the second part with a strained voice , “You can eat with us, alright? My grandma loves making food for people, you especially, dude!” He gently took one of Jim’s hands. Jim sighed, and smiled half-heartedly.

 

“Yeah.. I might have to. Thanks, Tobes.”

 

“I’d let you live with me, just say the word.”

 

“I think I know that pretty well,” he  shrugged, smiling wider this time. Toby wasn’t facing Claire, but she could imagine his own smile. The shorter let go of the other’s hand, and looked down at the fully-stuffed-yet-still-not-complete book bag.

 

“A’right, I’m gonna pack this up, Kay? You gonna head to math?”

 

“Yeah, probably. I seriously don’t want to have to sit in the front or in the back with Steve, so… uh… Tobes?” Jim snickered , “You need help with that?” He raised an eyebrow .

 

Toby pushed the book in with a strained sound, then as he stopped putting force on it, he breathed out the air . “Ah- nope! All good here, Jimbo! I’ll be right there, save me a spot?”

 

“It’s Ms. Janice, you think she’d let me save spots?”

 

“Well, I’m doomed.”

 

“You can just… hold it?”

 

“I’m already holding two other books, Jim!”

 

“Then come back to your locker later!”

 

“I can’t get back here until the end of school! I’m against the clock on Mondays, you know this!” Toby hissed, though his tone was still playful.

 

Jim sighed, and laughed as he spoke . “Kay, dude. See you there.” He shrugged, and left, moving with a few other teens through the open doors, though he obviously kept his distance as to not actually be part of the crowd .

 

 

She watched him disappear into the school, and just as she was about to turn back to her not-very-organized locker, she accidentally made eye contact with Toby, who was knowingly staring right at her. This instantly scared the stars out of her, and her head quickly stuck to her locker and her hands began to move things around.

 

“Hey-“

 

Claire yelped and flinched as Toby appeared right beside her locker. He had a blank expression, though he was waiting for her to calm down. She relaxed her tensed muscles, and shut her locker while still keeping wide-eyed eye contact—like a staring contest.

 

“Toby? Hey- er- what are you doing…here…?”

 

“First of all, aren’t you an actor? You are terrible at lying— and acting like you’re not watching someone. Though, Jimbo wouldn’t be able to tell if paparazzi was behind him screaming for his attention, so there’s that,” he said blatantly. Claire snickered, but abruptly stopped herself.

 

“I- Sorry- I just… zoned off! In that direction!” She shrugged one shoulder, then closed her obviously not organized locker. Gosh darn- even if she’d talked to him once, that wasn’t an invite to spy on them! She frantically tried to pull her backpack zipper up, though her nails slowed her down. Ugh, he probably thought she was some bully-

 

“So, you see what we’re working with?” He said, less blank and more… offering.

 

She stopped all frantic movement.

 

Oh,

 

Ohhh!

 

“I- are you sure?” She turned to the clock, huh, five minutes until she’d have to rush to class. She looked at Toby, and noticed he wasn’t holding any books. He had just wanted to stay back!

 

Which meant he knew she was watching them the whole time.

 

“Do you want to help Jim?” He asked her, full seriousness in his tone.

 

Yeah. More than anything, actually.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Great. Then today’s tryouts, right? I’m gonna get him to go, and I need you to just… I dunno, give him an actors pep talk! Break a leg and… all that,” he explained, then gave her a thumbs up and a smile!

 

“Uh, yeah. How would that help with— excuse me if I heard wrong— him apparently starving at home?” She said, with accidental bite in her tone.

 

As soon as the words left her mouth, she’d regretted them. She was just…

 

She was so mad that she couldn’t do anything. That this was her closest chance, and all she could do was give him acting pointers?

 

How could she right her wrongs?

 

His smile faded slowly and he looked away. “I don’t know. I’m not sure what to do myself. I just… I just don’t need school to be any more of a nightmare for him if his normal escape is gone. I mean- Something in me wants to call CPS, or whatever, but… you know how they are. Jim would never approve of it even if the worst happened, and it still feels a little bit like a drastic idea.”

 

She… hadn’t thought about child protective services.

 

She hadn’t thought about actual human responses to these situations at all. Thing is, she didn’t think about it because this wasn’t a human situation. What would happen if they were called? Did the changeling know that was at risk?

 

“I… get that, I think. Sorry I was so snappy, I… I’m just worried.” She put a hand to the back of her neck and looked away from him.

 

“Why?” He asked.

 

She looked back, and the hand fell. “What do you mean?”

 

“Like,” he began, his hand moving with him as he spoke. “You’ve never even talked to Jim other than that one time he went up to you in the Gym. Why do you care so much? Everyone else just… turns a blind eye.” He stuffed the gesturing hand into his pocket as if to silence it, murmuring the last part of the sentence.

 

“It’s… true. I don’t really know a lot about Jim. I had talked to him before that, but that was… years ago. He’s always just been… like a source of light in this place- and now…” she trailed off, and that sick feeling settled in her stomach.

 

Anything now is your fault.

 

“Now… he’s dim. And I feel like everyone’s feeling it- whether they know it or not.”

 

Toby stared back at her, a serious face. His mouth then formed into a line, and he made a ticking noise with his tongue. “‘Kay then.” He nodded, then life came back to his face. “Sorry- don’t mean to get all cold on ya! I just wanna make sure I can trust you, you know? Lots of people think it’s fun to poke at people that aren’t having a good time. But do you get what I was saying before?”

 

Claire tried not to be surprised by the sudden change, so she just nodded. “Uh- yeah! Best way we can help is by making his life here a little better. So I talk to him before the play.”

 

Toby pointed finger guns at her. “Yup! Well then, see ya, Claire,” he said before he swung his backpack over his shoulder and ran to the nearest double door.

 

“Bye…” she waved to him as he disappeared. Her hand held in the air for a second, before dropping.

 

She had to talk to Jim later. That was what made that nausea start up. Stars, it seemed like every day the world found another way to show her how badly she messed up.

 

Well, better get to class anyways, because the girls were gone already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunchtime came around, and Claire sat next to her friends like always. She opened her lunchbox to see the sandwich her dad had made her along with a granola bar and apple.

 

Her lunch usually varied from simple sandwiches, to leftovers from the night before, to a fun assortment of fruit and some sort of protein her dad had the motivation to make some days. Mary usually grabbed something from an outside restaurant, today being a burrito bowl, and Darcy got the school lunch, though some days she would bring something from outside.

 

Not like it mattered what each of them brought individually, because they’d all share anyways!

 

“C.B.? Can I please have like… half of your granola bar?” Mary asked, looking at it longingly.

 

“Give me a couple chips you got on the side and we have a deal.”

 

“Deal!”

 

“Ooh, Mary, can I have some chips? I’ll give you… uh…” She trailed off, looking at her school lunch. It… wasn’t the prettiest. Chicken surprise. Claire mentally winced.

 

“Some carrots could work.”

 

“Deal.” Darcy agreed.

 

Claire took a bite of her sandwich, trying to focus on her friends rather than the buzzing that had been in her head since that first awful day. Sometimes she could be normal, when she focused on their happiness, she could forget all the “what ifs” that would dance in her head. Or- more so wrestle in her head.

 

Like, what if she’d distanced herself from Jim before it had happened?

 

She should have cut him off as soon as she’d gotten the amulet.

 

Or she should’ve protected him somehow. She should’ve expected there was a changeling in her school!

 

If Strickler was one, who knows who else could be? Who else was in danger?

 

She should’ve been there- she should’ve stopped Strickler.

 

She should’ve killed Strickler that very day, instead of running-

 

“ Yo, C.B? You doing alright?” Darcy put a hand on her shoulder, along with a concerned look.

 

Mary came in a lot softer. “Are you being nice to yourself in there, Claire Bear?” Mary said.

 

“I… I just… yeah. I’m fine guys. Just zoning out. Science was a bit rough on me! Not my strongest subject, you know?”

 

The two girls watched her, then looked at eachother- that nope she’s not okay look on their faces. They looked back at her, Mary unsure and Darcy contemplating something in her mind.

 

“Well auditions are today! Are you excited?” Mary offered for conversation. “You’ve got a monologue, right?”

 

Claire nodded. “Yeah, just one from the play. You know, Juliet.”

 

Darcy suddenly snickered into her pizza. “I don’t know why we always do the Shakespeare plays and stuff. Shrek jr. is like… right there.“

 

They all giggled, Claire covered her full mouth, and Mary obviously struggled to not choke on her water. Once she swallowed, she hit the table.

 

“DARCY! You almost killed me!” She jokingly accused her, getting a snort in reply.

 

“It wasn’t even that funny! There’s frozen jr., the little mermaid- uh, jr. I think.”

 

“C’mon!” Mary said, nearly yelling in Claire’s ear now, “You’re missing all the good ones! We’re not in middle school, Darce! What about legally blonde? Claire would be an awesome Elle woods.”

 

Claire swallowed some more of her sandwich, “Mary, I’m more of a Vivienne if you ask me, but you know that girl in math? She sits at like-the back? She’d nail that role instantly. She has a really good voice too.”

 

“You’ve heard her sing?” Darcy asked in between a chip. She attempted to cover her mouth, but it was more like she was just holding up her hand.

 

“Yeah, she tried out freshman year. Ms. Janice put her in ensamble though, because she used to get really bad stage fright.”

 

“Huh, is she trying out this year? I think I remember her being a bit quiet back then, but she’s definitely not now.” Mary asked.

 

“Nope. I asked her, since again… kind of lonely in this scene right now… but she didn’t want to because there wasn’t any singing.”

 

“Oh huh.” Mary nodded. Her eyes gazed off, before she looked back and punctuated with her fork, “Respect, though. She knows her talent! You’re right, by the way. She would be a perfect Elle.”

 

Darcy pitched in suddenly, “Okay but guys, who would we all cast as the star characters if our school did legally blonde the musical-“

 

“ C’mon, Pepperjack! Say that again? I couldn’t hear you !” Steve’s voice rang out through the cafeteria, silencing almost every conversation.

 

The three girls looked to the sound of the bully’s voice, and their eyes landed on the scene.

 

Steve towered over Eli, his hand gripping the smaller boy’s shirt that pressed him into the wall. Claire internally winced, it looked like it hurt. Eli whined leaning his face as he could from Steve’s own.

 

“M-monsters? In the canals! A couple days ago… I-I know how it sounds!-“

 

Steve and his goons laughed, him specifically laughing in a way easily comparable to a madman. Claire frowned.

 

She knew Eli. Eli had been in every school play since their first year in middle school. So had she, and therefore as theatre kids, they sort of stuck together. Even if it didn’t really get personal.

 

What Steve was doing wasn’t right. Not like he ever knew what was right.

 

She could… intervene? She could definitely take on Steve.

 

She would do what she… well what she thinks she was supposed to do in Trollmarket. Eh… “mediate?” No… that was for when there isn’t an actual victim.

 

Talk. Though Claire wanted to kick Steve’s ass for this, this way wouldn’t get her suspended.

 

 

“You’re so funny! Why do you do it, nerd? Some cry for attention?”

 

“I think we know who’s crying for attention, Steve.”

 

Steve turned around furious, but his eyes softened smugly at Claire’s face. It made her internally gag, ugh.

 

“Oh, hey Claire. What’s up.” He said, without a hint of any actual concern for her current state. He probably forgot what she’d said as soon as he’d seen her.

 

“Did you even hear what I just said? Seriously, you’re nearly a senior and you’re still doing this. Isn’t it time to… I dunno… get a hobby?”

 

“I have like- a ton of hobbies! You should really watch me play basketball sometime-“

 

“What I mean is, let him go.” She said, and crossed her arms.

 

“Thanks Claire!-“ Eli exclaimed, smiling, before yelping as Steve pushed him further into the wall.

 

“Shut it, Buttsnack! And, Claire, l’m just trying to help him! You know, guys being guys! Right, Pepperjack?” He spoke through his teeth, and sneered at the other. Eli didn’t frantically nod as per usual, but he didn’t deny it, which was a win in Steve’s book. “Claire, just listen to what this guy’s been spouting! C’mon, tell us again, Pepperjack!”

 

“I don’t need to hear it. Let him go.” She interrupted. Why would she entertain his twisted idea of fun? He scowled at her.

 

“Seriously, mind your own business!” He said, finally adding bite to his words. At least he was getting with the program.

 

“Let him go… Let him go—“ Claire heard Mary’s voice behind her at their table, followed with the thumping of the table moving just the slightest.

 

“Let him go, let him go!” Darcy and Mary began to chant, when Claire turned back to see them, She saw them both standing up and lowly pumping their fists.

 

For a couple seconds there, it was the quietest chant she’d ever heard, until she heard another familiar voice join in, and when she turned to the sound, she saw Toby pumping his fists as well. Jim sat next to him, then stood up, and began chanting too. Soon enough, the whole cafeteria followed.

 

She turned back to Steve, whose eyes now darted every which way. His friends backed off, basically ditching the jock.

 

“I-I….” He sputtered, then, a door slammed, and the chanting ceased immediately like a well-trained orchestra.

 

“Alright, what’s going on in here!” Coach yelled, his default volume. Steve instantly dropped Eli, and put on his student-athlete-of-perfection face.

 

“Nothing coach! I was just helping Eli off the floor here. There was a spill.” He shrugged with false warmth and softness. How someone could be okay with learning to switch like that instead of actually learning kindness baffled her.

 

“Whatever! Get over here!” Coach dismissed, and walked back through the doors, them slamming behind him promptly.

 

Steve’s face dropped, and he glared at Claire, utilizing his gaze like a sharp knife. He leaned in close, but Claire kept up her stance. “I’m watching you,” he whispered, and then with another call from coach, he left.

 

She held a hand up to Eli, who took it with his own shaking hand.

 

“Thanks!” He said.

 

“No problem,” she nodded. “Break a leg later, alright?” She shrugged, then headed back to her  friends, who were frantically giving her thumbs ups.

 

“Ah- you too! Break a leg, my fellow thespian!” He yelled back.

 

She sat back down and began packing her lunchbox into her bag since lunch was about to end, then Mary tapped her on the shoulder.

 

“Huh?” Claire softly said in surprise, and Mary giggled, and threw a thumb back to where Steve had just left.

 

“Gay or European?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claire opened the door to the auditorium early. Ms. Janice knew she would always make it on time since Claire has been in every single play or musical since freshmen year. However, it was always good to make a good “first” impression every year!

 

She scanned the room for Jim, anxiously wondering to herself if he would show up at all. She saw a few chairs with teens slumped in them either on their phones or mentally reading the script, she also saw—and heard— Ms. Janice doing practice lines. Not one of the slumped teenagers was Jim.

 

She frowned, and walked to a chair nearest to the stage. She placed her bag onto the ground and sat. A couple more students came through the doors she had just walked through, talking as they looped their bags onto the chairs farthest from Claire. Well, people were still arriving, she was early.

 

“Ahem!” Her head picked up instinctively as Ms. Janice vocally “cleared her throat” to get the auditorium’s attention. Teens kept talking, completely unaware of her attempts. She sighed, and pinched her nose bridge. Then she clapped her hands.

 

“Alright, alright everyone listen up! More of you will be coming in as time goes, but we only have so long for rehearsals. I’ll be calling names to the stage now!” She announced. Calling names was worse than picking out of a crowd. There was nowhere you could hide for more time, all you could do was hope you were at the bottom of the list. Claire was prepared, so it affected her less, but she saw panicked stares and heard frantic scrambling for paper behind her.

 

“Eli Pepperjack?” She called, and looked around in the distance.

 

“All right!” Eli exclaimed, and in surprise her eyes darted down to see the smaller boy that had been in front of her the whole time.

 

“Ah- yes, Eli! Go on then. I’d assume you’ve progressed since last year?”

 

“Absolutely!” He nodded, and ran into the backstage area, emerged from the leg, and walked to center stage.

 

Eli did well, then more and more students came and went. Some were shakier than others, one threw up backstage from stage fright, and only two—atleast appeared to have— had full confidence. Them being Eli and the girl they had been talking about earlier who had decided last-minute to audition. Claire was really happy for her! Though that meant she had competition, she wasn’t worried.

 

There was one thing she was worried about, however.

 

She kept glancing at the back doors, waiting and continuously feeling disappointment as not-Jim teens opened them.

 

Until he finally had.

 

She’d looked back, nearly having given up on him coming, but that familiar faced peeked inside. He closed them behind him to lessen the noise rather than letting them slam back, and placed a stabilizing hand on his bag strap.

 

Was she going to talk to him? She’d promised Toby, she’d promised herself, but could she do it? Or would her mind betray her, and keep her back?

 

Jim sat two rows down from Claire, a seat with nobody surrounding it. Claire’s anxious mind wanted to tell her that the specific seating was her fault, but he’d never been exactly extroverted, had he?

 

“Claire Núñez! Ah, it’s great to see you again, dear. You’re in queue!” Ms. Janice happily called on her, and Claire’s mind stuttered from the switch in attention.

 

 

“Ah- ah okay! Coming!” She said, and grabbed her Juliet excerpt paper. She ran backstage as Ms. Janice called the last person in queue up.

 

She readied herself, reading some lines from the page in her head to imagine the tone she’d use.

 

However as she read the words didn’t feel right. They were the ones she’d practiced every night since the play choice had been announced, but now…

 

She wasn’t feeling this monologue.

 

Now she was anxious about something familiar. Unpreparedness. She should just go up and give it all she had, she had it memorized and thought out already.

 

Or she could… she could use a different one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Please, I just… I can’t do this. I have school, my future to prepare for!”

 

“I assure you, the relevance escapes me-“

 

“You- You what? Look, I have a new little brother to take care of. He needs his big sister, I can’t be out- out trollhunting! Also the… getting torn apart by a vicious troll named Bular part is kind of a deal breaker. ”

 

“Deal-breaker?” Blinky asked with half confusion and half confusion.

 

“I can’t die!”

 

Blinky…well… blinked all six eyes at her, then chuckled, “why, there isn’t anybody to my knowledge that can escape death, Lady Claire.”

 

Claire squinted incredulously, then shook her head with an annoyed sigh. “No- I mean I have a life to live! A brother to see grow up, colleges to apply for, A career path! I’m sorry, but can’t someone else take it?”

 

Blinky frowned, “Lady Claire, the amulet called to you . It chose you, it is your-“

 

“What, destiny?” Claire cut in, what like a fairy tale?

 

“-Sacred obligation.”

 

“Basically the same…” She put her hand to her face.

 

“You cannot refuse it. You cannot give it back. It is yours until you die-“

 

“And I’d like to actually live before that happens!”

 

“Lady Claire, you are now responsible for the protection of two worlds—human and troll alike. If you do not keep the balance, evil trolls like Bular will come into yours and wreak havoc.”

 

Claire’s eyes softened along with her frown. She looked down at the amulet in her hand, taking in all the intricate details and pieces. “You’re saying this… Bular. He can hurt people? Like my family? My friends?”

 

“More than that, the whole world. Even more, the small hidden worlds that hide within that world you know.”

 

“And you,” Aaarrrgghh pointed at her, then returned to looking at her family photo wall.

 

“Not. Helping!” Blinky whisper-shouted through his teeth at the mossy troll, whose eyes widened, guilty. He smiled with a soft and awkward laugh that would’ve shook the house if she were in a book.

 

“Well, I feel like I’m included in the whole world.” She gestured to him, off-put by the separation of her as the Trollhunter.

 

Blinky looked guilty as well, and cringed and folded all of his hands in pairs. “Well—with the amulet now in your posseesion, Bular will seek you out, and…you will face him one way or another. He has been battling Trollhunter after Trollhunter for centuries.”

 

Claire grimaced. “Oh. Okay. I think…” she looked away. Great, there was no avoiding this guy either. “I think I need time to process this, okay? Can I have a day to think about it?” She said, mind fuzzier than before.

 

Not only was she tired after a full day, but she now had to process the fact that death could be right around the corner in a healthy way. Like she’d always dealt with things! In a healthy way… right.

 

“Fine, fine. We will return tomorrow. We shall return tomorrow, to begin your training!” He smiled with all of his sharp teeth.

 

“Alright… yeah…” She said, patting her hands against legs, not knowing what else to say. Aaarrrgghh left first, having trouble getting out of the door. Blinky followed behind, and Claire looked to the large wall. Every picture frame family photo, only two with Enrique depicted in them.

 

"Lady, Claire?” She heard Blinky behind her. She snapped out of a trance, and looked at him with uneasy eyes.

 

He hesitated, then nodded once to himself with the tightening of a supportive fist. “Lady Claire….”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claire put her original paper into her bag. She knew what she was going to say.

 

However, maybe she could make one more last minute decision.

 

“Wonderful job, Christina. Claire, you’re on! Steve, you’re queued!” Ms. Janice sung the last two words. Claire walked onstage, and as she got to center stage, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath in through her nose—and out through her mouth.

 

She opened them to see the full auditorium, Ms. Janice had a hand over her mouth with her eyes full of surprise. She might be known for her good acting, but the daylight armor was sure to be a surprise.

 

The other students looked at her in awe, Eli specifically cheering her on. She didn’t look directly, but she saw Jim watching her, face not in complete awe like the other students, but full of wonder.

 

Gosh, did she deserve it?

 

She fought the urge to physically shake the thought away, but even then it would still linger in the back of her head as it did now. It wasn’t the thought she had to focus on, all she had to do was pull out the speech she’d internalized since that day not so long ago.

 

“Destiny… Destiny is a gift.” She began, looking out to the back wall with a look of courage. She could say the words all she wanted, but she had to act! It was what she was good at. That and her recently found skill at combat.

 

The amulet glowed stronger for a moment, as if urging her to go on. “Some go their entire lives, living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth.” She broke up the sentence for effect. “That was feels as though a burden—pushing down upon our shoulders is actually a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights .” She brought her hand back and grasped the hilt of her sword without much thought. She brought it out and swung it to point at the audience. She heard small gasps throughout the seating area.

 

“Oh, she’s good…” Ms. Janice said quietly to herself in amazement.

 

“Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor , that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don’t think,” She swung her sword to the side and then placed it onto her back.

 

“Become.” She finished.

 

The entire auditorium was silent. Her fellow students stared with wide eyes, not a single phone out. Ms. Janice as well was bug-eyed. Then she smiled wide.

 

“Great job, Claire!” She clapped, and everyone seemed to immediately follow. She looked around the room with pride swelling up in her chest.

 

Then she noticed Strickler peeking through there doors with an empty look of anger on his face, not noticing Claire’s new attention on him. He then pulled back and shut the door behind him.

 

Her eyes lingered on the doors while the claps continued, Eli cheering the loudest. She breathed in again, much weaker than when she’d started, and walked offstage. She grabbed her bag, though something caught it.

 

Steve.

 

Claire stopped, not yet putting up a fight for her bag, but she held on firmly in case he actually tried to take it.

 

“Oh, you thought you could just get away with the stunt you pulled today? I don’t usually fight girls, but I might make an exception for you if you cross me again. Sound good?” He smiled mockingly, and strained like his face was containing his rage in an ugly way.

 

“Don’t care. You’d be crossing me, Steve.” Steve’s face dropped into a stern look of confusion. She felt his grip lessen, and she tugged her bag away from him. “Go break a leg. In sports terms, I mean.” She walked away.

 

Well, that released a bit of tension that she’d felt from seeing Strickler. She hadn’t seen him since he’d called her to his office, and now the the sight of him made a pit form in her stomach.

 

If it was anyone’s fault but hers, it was his.

 

“Steve, you’re on! Jim, you’re on queue!” She heard Ms. Janice call. Claire froze just before the exit. Her mind kicked into gear, and her eyes darted around to find Jim. He was in the exact same spot, but now he was standing, a paper in hand.

 

And now he was… walking over.

 

Shoot!

 

She dashed away from the entrance and back into the backstage area. She heard Steve begin his monologue. What did she do? Did she talk to him, or awkwardly pass by as he came in?

 

Well, now that was sounding worse than the original iffy option. She bit the inside of her cheek, placed her bag onto the ground, kneeled by it, and began to aimlessly rummage through it as if something were lost inside.

 

She heard his footsteps, and then the sound stopped behind her. She pretended to have not noticed him until she zipped up her bag, stood up, and turned around.

 

She immediately made eye contact.

 

It almost frightened her, but she didn’t let it show. She let out a small, “ oh!” And he leaned slightly backwards to give her mostly metaphorical space.

 

“Oh-uh, hi!” He said quietly, either out of surprise or so that he wouldn’t be heard. Claire decided the latter, and did the same.

 

“Hi.” She shrugged one shoulder with a smile.

 

“I- uh… I really liked your audition. You were amazing.” He said, that wonder from before showing in his voice. “Great costume by the way… it’s awesome.”

 

“O-oh! Uh, thanks!” She stuttered. She didn’t deserve his compliments. If he knew what she’d done, what she caused, he’d take them back.

 

Oh come on Claire! Do what you promised!

 

“Hey, you’re gonna do great, alright? You memorize your script?” Damn it, was that all she had to say?!

 

Jim nodded, and held up the paper. “Yeah. I had to do a paper on Romeo and Juliet back in 9th so I knew what I wanted to do already.” He sighed, and the paper hit his leg as his arm dropped. “I think I’ve got stage fright though.” He smiled with self-pity.

 

“Then speak from the heart. Don’t look at the audience- close your eyes if you need to. Just pretend you’re in that world. See who you’re speaking to in your head. Try to imagine collecting all the feeling you can and pack it into your chest.” She just started spouting any acting tips she knew. Maybe it would work?

 

Jim looked down at the paper and watched it for a while. Claire thought to herself about the length of Steve’s monologue, because he was… still going.

 

Jim nodded, and glanced back up at her. “I think I get it… thanks, Claire.” He smiled with warmth, pushing back a strand of hair in his face. 

 

Claire nodded, and smiled as well. “Of course…” Ms. Janice called for Jim finally, and the boy in front of her’s head picked up at the noise to look at the stage entrance.

 

“Well, that’s you!…” She said, though it was honestly a roughly moving conversation, she hadn’t wanted him to leave so quickly.. “Break a leg, Jim.”

 

He hesitantly nodded, then headed to the stage. She could’ve left right then, but she had to make sure of something first.

 

As Steve came off stage, he looked at Jim with visible malice. However, his eyes accidentally locked with Claire’s, and she gave him as much as a minatory glare as she could muster. Jim was able to pass without problem, and Steve was stuck there standing

 

 

That would show him. For now.

 

And she made her way back to her seat.

 

 

 

Notes:

So I… REALLY like writing the trio doing normal teen girl stuff. I keep trying to stop myself but… it just keeps happening. Anyways leave a comment!!! I really appreciate them <33 ( ´ ▽ ` )