WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

As she slammed the final nail into the wooden awning, Veronica Healy slightly leaned back to inspect her work. Seeing no problems herself, she looked down from the ladder she was currently standing on, calling out to the girl that was holding the base. "Think I'm done! Does it look good to you?"

Looking up, a short and chubby girl examined the awning from below. "It looks fine from down here!" She confirmed. Hearing the affirmation, the redhead took it as a sign to climb down the steps, rubber mallet in hand. Fully on the ground, she passed the mallet back to the girl. "That's pretty much all of the construction, right? Is there anything else we need to worry about?" Veronica asked. The girl shook her head.

"Not really. Just props and painting, thanks to you! You sure you don't want to be my successor?"

"Be the next stage manager? I appreciate it, but no thanks."

Right before they went on to their next task, the two girls noticed the grand drapes of the stage ruffled vigorously as someone made their way backstage. Much to Veronica's annoyance, Seina Douglas peeked her head into the space, looking around in awe at the set design. "Oh great…" Veronica groaned.

"You know her?" The stage manager questioned.

"Not really. She's just a nuisance. I'll take care of it." With a sigh, she headed over to the unwanted guest, whose body is now fully in the backstage, wandering around like a curious child. Once she noticed Veronica, Seina gave her a warm smile. "There you are! I didn't know you work backstage?"

"Yeah, I do." Veronica curtly responded. "Now go back. Backstage is off limits."

"I would, but they're doing rehearsals now. Harrison said its bad luck for outsiders to watch for some reason, so I came back here."

"Okay, and?! You still can't be here."

"What?! But, w-where am I supposed to go?!"

"Where you go is NOT my problem. Now leave. I won't say it again." At Veronica's more intimidating insistence, Seina lowered her head as she started to go back. After taking a couple of steps, she stopped to turn around, adorning a pitiful smile. "...Can I at least watch you work?" She nervously asked. "Pretty please?"

"..."

–OD!–

"WOAH!" Seina yelped as she was pushed out the backstage doors and into the auditorium hallway. Landing on her knees, the girl looked back at the culprit of this act with shocked anger.

"OW! THAT WAS SO MEAN-" SLAM!

Veronica shut the backstage doors on the younger girl, paying no mind to the words that were spat at her.

–OD!–

Stroking up and down with the paintbrush, Veronica continued to color the picket fence. As she sat there conducting this monotonous task, the thought of the young girl continued to buzz around her mind. She didn't feel guilty kicking her out, not at all! That girl was just so… suspicious. There was no way Veronica could believe the girl just came here to 'look' around. Meriwether must have sent her here for some stupid idea. There's no other reason. To stuff down these creeping thoughts, she persisted to brush the fence with a bit more force.

"Um… Do you want some help with that?" Asked a familiar voice behind her. Recognizing the voice from not even 15 minutes ago, Veronica gritted her teeth in frustration as she violently whipped her head around to the voice. Sure enough, as if she spoke of the devil, Seina was standing behind her with her palms out against her. "Wait, wait! I got permission this time, I swear!" She explained in a panic.

Veronica widened her eyes in disbelief. "Permission?" The redhead looked around the backstage to search for the stage manager. Once she found her, the stage manager was already looking back, putting a thumbs up in the air. With a defeated sigh, the older student turned back around and silently continued to paint the fence. Subtly fidgeting behind her, Seina spoke out again. "So, was that a no on the help? I need to help if I want to stay."

"Do what you want." Veronica tersely replied, keeping her eyes on the wood. After her reluctant approval, Seina sat a couple of feet away from her, taking another piece of wood and a paintbrush to start painting herself. For the next couple of minutes, that was all the two students did; painting their respective boards in complete silence. They kept this silence until the younger girl tried to strike up a conversation.

"So… Do you like it here? Working backstage?"

"..."

"I can see why. Painting these fences is kinda relaxing, haha!"

"..." Veronica remained steadfast in her silence, putting down her finished fence panel to pick up a new one to paint. Finally taking the hint, Seina stopped talking and focused on painting. However, right before she took another stroke, she heard a response. "I don't believe you." Veronica bluntly said. The freshman raised her eyebrows at the sudden declaration. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"That 'hanging around for fun' bullshit. I don't believe you." Veronica was looking up at Seina, staring at her with a piercing glare. "I don't know why you came here, whether it was Meriwether's idea or not. At this point, I don't even care anymore. All I know is that you're lying to me, and I'm not going to play along with it. So just paint the fence."

Letting those words linger in the air, Veronica went back to work, leaving the freshman to mull over what she said. After a couple moments, Seina put down the piece of wood she was working on and put her hands on her knees. In a shy and quiet tone, she said a simple, yet powerful phrase. "You're right."

"Hm?" Veronica once again looked up to the young girl, this time out of slight surprise. "I said you're right." Seina repeated a little louder. "There was another reason why I came here. Please hear me out."

"...I'm listening."

Slowly tapping her fingers against her kneecaps, Seina resolved herself to confess. "...I wanted to get to know you more."

That statement took Veronica for a loop. Out of all the reasons she was prepared to hear, THAT was not one of them. Trying to remain skeptical, she decided to press further. "You wanted to know me more? Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know! I just… wanted to see if you were as bad as I heard." Seina tried to explain. Hearing her reasoning, the redhead started to understand what she was trying to say.

"Let me guess. Oliver hasn't been talking very nice about me, huh?" Veronica inquired.

"No! Well, kinda." Seina tried to cover, but to no avail. "It's just that you two don't get along at all, so I got curious. I wanted to see who you were in person, rather than in rants." Veronica leaned back on her hands, listening intently.

"So, am I?" Veronica asked.

"Are you what?"

"As bad as you heard?"

"...I'm not sure yet. He wasn't lying about you being 'physical.'"

"Only against people who don't listen to reason." Veronica stared up at the ceiling, as if she was reminiscing on past times. She started to speak again. "Look, I'm flattered that you want to get to know me and all, but there's nothing I want to talk about with you. Nothing personal."

Seina's eyes shifted downwards in disappointment for a moment, only for them to rise back up with newfound hope. "Let me ask one question? Please? I don't wanna leave empty-handed"

"You are annoyingly persistent, you know that?" Veronica humorlessly scoffed at her perseverance.

"So I've been told."

With a huff, she gave into the freshman's request. "Fine, ONE question. Nothing about him and I reserve the right to refuse answering."

"Okay! Um…" Under those conditions, Seina mused on her perfect question. "...Why did you join the Theatre Club?"

"Why did I join?"

"Yeah. I could be wrong, but you don't seem like the type to enjoy it."

Veronica faintly raised her eyebrow in surprise, impressed with the young girl's perceptiveness. "Well, you're not wrong. Theatre wasn't exactly my… first choice."

"Then why stay?"

"I guess I stay for the people. I like some of them… they're nice." Veronica responded thoughtfully. "Must have been the same for you, right?"

Seina tilted her head in confusion while the older girl continued with her reasoning. "Please. Are you really going to tell me you were jumping at the chance to become vice-president of a club in your first year? I know he convinced you somehow."

"I thought you didn't want to talk about him." The freshman remarked.

"I'm not, I'm talking about you. You joined because of him, didn't you?"

"I did, but I didn't join JUST because of him."

"Then why did you?"

"Because it makes me happy." Seina said, as if it was an answer to a simple question. It was now Veronica's turn to look confused. "It 'makes you happy?' That's it?" She asked. Seina made a face as if she was insulted.

"Do I need any more reasons?"

"No, I'm just surprised." Veronica clarified. "I didn't think it was that simple." Seina only slightly looked away from the redhead, the ceiling lights reflecting on her glasses.

"I don't think it's simple." She muttered. Veronica observed Seina with an unreadable expression. After a couple of seconds, she came up with a question. "So, you're saying if you weren't happy in C.L.U.B, you'd just leave? Just like that?"

"Yes, I would," Seina immediately answered. "Don't get me wrong, I love everyone there! But… I don't think I could stay there if I wasn't happy. Not even for them."

"Being happy means that much to you, huh?" Veronica questioned, slightly taken aback at how fast the girl answered her question. She continued to stare at Seina, who herself looked as if she was in another place entirely, her dimmed eyes contrasted with the light in her glasses.

"I know it sounds selfish… but yeah, it does." Seina solemnly replied. "I mean…

If you're not happy, then what's the point of living, right?"

–OD!–

After rehearsals ended, everyone began to pack up their belongings and head their own ways. Exiting out the auditorium wing's doors, Seina and Veronica prepared to say their goodbyes to one another.

"Thank you for talking to me again." Seina said sincerely. "Sorry if I was a bit annoying."

Veronica shrugged off her concern. "Whatever, it wasn't so bad. It passed the time, at least."

"Does that mean I can come back?"

"I didn't say that. Geez, I give you an inch, and you take a mile." Seina laughed at the redhead's sarcastic reply. As they headed outside, the freshman stopped walking as she remembered something important. Turning towards Veronica, Seina spoke with a serious expression. "There's one more thing. It's really important."

"What is it now?" Veronica sighed.

"Do you like the Mets?"

"Say that again?" The older girl didn't even try to hide her befuddlement as she requested to hear the question again. Seina remained determined in her seriousness as she repeated what she said.

"Do you like the Mets? This will answer all I need to know about you."

"Seriously? Sorry, but I'm more into stock-car than baseball."

"Doesn't matter. Just answer the question. Yes or no?" As the young girl's eyes bore into her, Veronica couldn't help but be a little unsettled by the random intensity over such a trivial question. Seeing no other way out of it, she chose to answer randomly. "...Yeah? I guess?"

In a split second, Seina's face shifted into a big smile as she unexpectedly gave Veronica a tight hug. The older girl didn't even get a chance to react before Seina quickly let go and headed off to her destination. "H-Hey!" Veronica sputtered. "What the hell was that for?!"

"Don't worry about it!" Seina exclaimed as she waved behind her. "I gotta go! See you later!"

"What! No, wait! I want to change my answer!" Despite her pleas, Seina was already long gone, leaving Veronica more confused than before. As she stood there with her ears red, she didn't spot Vincent running up behind her. "Sorry I'm late!" He said, unaware of his friend's condition. Veronica stayed silent.

"...Are you okay?" Vincent asked sincerely. Veronica turned to Vincent, fully showing her flustered expression. "...Vince?" She started.

"Uh… Yeah?"

"Next time, learn to say no."

END!