Who: Clair Montgomery-Andrews and the Lloyds. When: Friday, after school Where: Various (Kitchen, Library, Clair's room) What: Interaction between Clair and the respective Lloyds.
Sometimes, bits and pieces of fairy tales get tangled up with real life. You hardly ever notice it happening though. Said bits almost never containing princes on white horses or damsels in (legitimate) distress.
For example,
She meets Claudia in the kitchen. A sight which frankly makes her want to back right out of its double doors again. Too late, the other girl looks over her shoulder and sneers. "Don't touch the cookies blondie. Wouldn't want you growing too big for your overpriced skirts." Claudia is all insults as usual. Haughtiness in her posture. Steel behind her dark eyes. Well...Clair is no wilting flower either. She goes to grab a cupcake and holds her head high. She thinks that Claudia Lloyd is too hard and mutters "Bitch." under her breath as she leaves.
Later on she meets Griffith in the library. Only by meeting she's actually bumped into him. The books they were carrying are now scattered all over the carpet. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." How many times has he repeated himself? Griffith shrinks away from her and looks small and lost in his over sized clothes. Behind the curtain of brown bangs his dark eyes are glazed over. Fear? She pushes the books into his hands. Whatever the emotion, Clair has no patience to indulge it. Griffith Lloyd is too soft. She backs away.
Even later she gets a visit from Arthur. It sounds as if he's kicking on the door, his voice ringing quite clearly from behind it. "Tomorrow's Saturday, I thought we could start early!" Clair's just not in the mood and she opens up with every intention of telling him so. Only he's carrying two mugs of hot chocolate and it only takes a look before he's stepping inside and setting the mugs down.
She's sure he's noticed her messy hair, pulled again and again into one haphazard ponytail after another. He's probably noticed that there is a pencil behind each ear. The way her eyeliner is smudged. She's sure he's noticed because he doesn't comment and just sits at her desk, look at the math and mentions her over by wriggling his index finger.
Arthur's eyes are never quite serious as he guides her through the problem. He stays relaxed so that she never thinks that he's talking down to her. The hours pass and she doesn't even notice that he's stopped talking and that she's solving problems all on her own. "For payment, you'll have to spend Sunday with me as well." He says taking a sip from his hot chocolate. "Or you can wear my leopard print underwear. It's all washed. You can choose." He's smirking in a way that makes her want to bounce his mug off his head.
"Arthur Lloyd." She sighs out his name instead, which is really Clair speak for 'Thank you' in such situations. 'Thank you. You can do whatever you want now. I'll kick your ass later.' He seems to understand this too, and he grabs her hand and pulls her out the door. Arthur is certainly not a prince on a white horse. Her only claim to being in distress was a pesky math worksheet. But in the end, it was just right.