Background from Pinterest; Model on picrew [Name: Yoiko; credit to them] edited by me
[Dollhouse: Prom Queen|Porcelain Dollhouse Prom Queen]
"I'm bored."
I say to Delilah, who's sitting next to me, fiddling with her scissors. Her most favorite ones, I dont know where she got them and she refuses to tell me. "Mhhmh," She says, acknowledging my boredom. We are still waiting for class to start, and just we are, Zack walked in. The sour looking new kid. To be honest, he actually looks good, and....I have had a crush on him for a few days. He just looked at me! Oh my God, my face is heating up again. I've been thinking about asking him out, but I'm kind of scared.
I remember Delilah explaining how he felt so familiar and that she hated that. But there was nothing familiar about this guy.
It's been about a few more days, and let's just say I think I'm in love with Zack, but Delilah has a problem with him. She says she can't trust him. There's definitely something off with him, about how he's always nearby or always looking at us. To be honest, I never really noticed. Maybe it's just coincidental...
Ok, today's the day I'm going to ask him out. I plan on talking with Delilah about it to let her know. It was a breezy and chilly day. We were sitting outside on the benches eating a snack, we both were in a good mood, time to tell her...
"Delilah?" I asked quietly... "Yes?" She replied, her mouth full of strawberries. I hesitated before telling her.
"I'm, I'm going to ask out Zack on Monday." My face was reddening quickly, and Delilah stared at me in shock.
"No." She said, biting into another one. My heart shattered, and I was so mad at her.
"Why not?" I asked, with a little more attitude than I meant to.
She looked at me with sadness in her eyes.
"There is something really wrong with him. Trust me, I can't make it out, but you don't want someone like him in your life." She explained, grabbing a banana.
My anger started to go down but rose again. "There is nothing wrong with him! You're just being paranoid!" I huffed.
There was nothing that I could see. He was generally a nice guy, a little distant, but that's ok! Delilah was always worried about things more than she should be, and usually, it's not a problem. The wind started blowing faster, and it was blowing hair in my face, sticking it to my lips, seeing as I was wearing lip gloss. I moved it, and it got in the way again. I glared at Delilah as she continued to eat the fruit.
"You can't tell me who I can and can't date!" I angrily shouted.
She dropped her strawberry and stared at me.
"I'm your friend, I'm looking out for you. Please understand Ari! He's bad news, and I care about you too much to see you get hurt." Delilah rushed.
I was too mad to listen. My anger reached its peak, and I decided I've had enough. I really really liked Zack, but Delilah's paranoia is going to mess it up! I stood up, the air blowing harder. I walked away very angrily.
"Where are you going!?" Delilah called out. I ignored her and kept walking. "Wait for me!" She shouted, and I heard a tripping noise. And a slight 'ow' from her direction. I was still mad at her, so I kept walking away, she didn't follow me. Walking off, I kept mumbling about her insensitive behavior. I cooled off a little bit. Maybe I overreacted a bit... I replayed what happened.
"I was a total jerk!" I moaned and sat down on the floor.
"She probably WAS just looking after me..." I muttered, burying my face in my knees.
Footsteps echoed nearby, and I raised my head in that direction. I looked up and saw Zack, his black bangs, a little ruffled from the wind. He was wearing his stripped red and black sleeved shirt with a band picture on it. The band was 'Black veil brides.' I guess he's a fan of their music. I never saw him as the type... He stopped right in front of me. His blue eyes pierced my soul, but I found it rather comforting. He sat down next to me and looked straight ahead.
"So everything ok?" He asked me.
My mind went blank. We've never been alone when we talked, Delilah or someone was always there. I didn't know what to do, so I just nodded my head silently.
"No, you're not. I can see it in your eyes." Zack said, turning to face me.
I sighed.
"Actually me and Delilah got into a fight. She was just trying to help me, but I acted like an ass."
After explaining, I buried my head in my knees again. Zack's demeanor changed completely, and he started asking lots of questions.
"What about? Are you two okay? Did Delilah do anything?"
He sure was nosy. I felt too embarrassed to answer the first part. I drew a deep breath.
"We're fine, we just fought, and what do you mean?"Did Delilah do anything?" I questioned him.
"Nothing. Forget it."
He calmed down a little bit but was still tense, I could sense it. I thought for a minute... something felt oddly comforting being in his company. I knew it, Delilah WAS worrying too much. I battled my thoughts about asking him out. After all, if he rejects me, not only will I have gotten mad at Delilah for nothing, but it will be so embarrassing... With a heavy weight on my chest, as I worried about his answer, I looked him in the eye. His gaze met mine, I couldn't tell what he was thinking his eyes didn't show much emotion, except... a hint of calculating something. Like he was thinking deeply about something, and it was hard to figure out. I swallowed my fear, and my mouth went extremely dry.
"Hey Zack...would you like to out with me?" Asking, I felt incredibly stupid. Fuck he's gonna reject me!
He looked at me studying my expression before something clicked in his brain and he smiled. I smiled too. Did this mean I'm not going to get rejected? His smile did not meet his eyes...but I felt like he meant it.
"Sure."
He really said sure...I was over the moon with excitement. I didn't want to seem too out there so I smiled and nodded my head. He stood up and held out a hand. I took it and pulled me up, I felt so many things at once. He held my hand as he walked me home. I was so happy, I completely forgot about our fight. Let's just say after I got home, I felt bad again and wanted to fix it when we were at school tomorrow.
Our discussion did not go well. I told her that I asked him out and he accepted. Her face paled and she looked horrified. She kept telling me to break it off and that her instincts were telling her he's a bad person but I pushed her suspicions aside. I had enough at some point...
"Please Ari, I'm begging you!" She whined again.
"Enough! Stop it!" I shouted and she froze.
"Look this us happening whether you like it or not!" I finally snapped.
"But Ari I'm just looking out for you, your my best friend!" Tears stung her eyes.
I turned away from her, "maybe I don't want to be friends anymore."
I walked away and she chased after me. "Ari wait! We can talk about this!" She begged. I pushed her aside. "Leave me alone alone." And with that I walked away. I heard the distant sobs behind me, I felt bad but quickly changed back to angry as I continued down the yellow painted halls.
Delilah was a very distant person now. Didn't raise her hand and had heavy bahs under her eyes and she looked malnourished. I grew worried but it would just hurt her more if I go over and pursue her to take care of herself. One day came to school with a porcelain doll. It had long white hair and looked terrifying but Delilah held it like it's the world's most beautiful treasure. She carried it everywhere, it definitely got her some looks and laughs. I saw all the times people were laughing or pointing but I ignored, afraid to get involved. This went on for a few days and one day, on the news, six people were found dead. Sliced up it was awful, I recognized some of them from school, especially Shelly, she was one of the girls who picked on Delilah, Thomas, the boy who's a grade below us. Jamie was the lunch helper and Thomas was the science club captain. That was definitely a lot of deaths. The police conducted a lot of investigating. But they came up empty. Zack was completely unfazed by them, he said I shouldn't worry about it all too much. To be honest our relationship feels a little weird. He's a bit more distant then I thought and he goes off alone too. I'm ok with it, whenever we're together, it's still amazing.
We have prom in a week and I'm hoping Zack is going to take me now that he's my boyfriend...wow saying it out loud feels so surreal. I boasted about Zack a lot, trying to show Delilah how good if a guy he was. That's day, he asked me to prom and I was so excited. I walked into class and spotted Delilah looking angry. I loudly said, "I got a date to prom! Isn't my boyfriend so amazing." Delilah scoffed and looked away. I understood why, it was completely valid but she needed to see the truth. The news report from this morning aried again after school and hearing it again made me sick to my stomach.
I pushed it out of my mind by drawing. Well more like writing, I wrote his name multiple times, I just love him so much. That's when Delilah came up. Um...it's about you know who.' Delilah started. A passerbyer whispered voldemort to himself before walking away swiftly. 'What about him?' I said coldy. I was hoping that she'd finally get over her paranoia. 'Um uh' she tried to speak. 'Come on, I got class soon.' I snapped. 'I- I think you should be careful around him I um....' She tried to say. I rolled her eyes. Not this again, I thought. 'Yes, you made that quite clear,' I got up. 'Wait, I-I saw him with another girl alone and just wanted to let you know know his eyes looked...' She stopped midsentence and I felt uneasy. 'Listen, something is off about him. Trust me!' Delilah said. 'You're just jealous he's mine and not yours!' I huffed, having enough. 'No listen to me, please, Ari!' She said tears in her eyes. 'No!' I walked away full of anger yet again.
Ok, maybe she wasn't jealous, but I'm just so angry that she can't see the good in Zack! At class I was reading a story and I started regretting my outburst. But I won't be friends again until she leaves my relationship with Zack out of our friendship. I don't want her help and I don't want her to be constantly nagging me on it. Speaking of, today at lunch Zack was nowhere in sight. I ate lunch alone and I felt lonely then 3 girls came up and started asking lots of questions about Zack. They talked about him all flirty and started getting too personal, like his prom outfit. I had enough, "leave me alone, I'm his girlfriend so leave him alone too!" And with that I walked away. Right into Zack.
"Hey Ariana." He kissed my head.
I felt better, "hey."
"Whats wrong?" He asked me.
I smiled, "nothing."
He frowned at me.
So I had no choice but to explain. He nodded slowly and said he'd take care of it. I didn't know how, but I was assured.
Prom Night[]
I wore a long green dress and my hair was in brown curls. Me and Zack were going as fairy themed. I felt so pretty and Zack came to pick me up. He looked so good that I was a blushing mess. He held out his hand and he walked me to the car and drove me to prom. I smiled the whole way, humming. After entering the prom, the music was a playlist full of songs requested by classmates and other people who went yo our school. The prom was held at an empty building by our local woods. Our school had no actual prom or room big enough so, since this was in the school district it was allowed.
Zack had danced with me for a few songs before I needed to sit down. Zack told me he's going to help out around the prom. Isn't he a sweetie? I was relaxing kinda lonely without him and after a few minutes Delilah came up to me. She looked pale, sweaty, and panicked. 'What?' I snapped. 'H-hes gonna kill them!' She breathed. I was confused, then angry. "Lay off of Zack for like more than a week!" She told her. Why can't she just leave him alone for God's sake!? I went searching for Zack, after an hour I grew worried but suddenly when I walked by the basement door, I was dragged in. I struggled and slipped down the steps, my arms felt bruised and I had a few scrapes. She dragged me farther away, I've shouted, "Get off of me, you paranoid jealous little.." but I stopped because of the horror show I saw.
Delilah looked like she wasn't human she was insane! Zack was chained up and bodies were everywhere... She was shouting about how 'he told her' and how I let them bully her. I cried, I felt scared and awful. But Zack was trying to protect me? I couldn't think straight, my flight or fight senses activated and I ran for the door just to be grabbed and dragged again. Delilah had white hair now, her once blue eyes, black as coal, soaked in blood. She had the craziest look ever as she laughed and I slipped on the doll and cracked it, Delilah's face cracked too, she pinned me down and started viciously stabbing my face as I screamed louder and louder.
Delilah carved me into one of the most beautifully crafted dolls next to Zack. She hung her up on the wall. I saw everything but couldn't talk or move, I was forced to lay still as she worked. When she was done, she admired me from afar. "Silent and poised, a friend that will never leave!" She giggled. I watched as she ran up the stairs and came back down with new 'dolls.'