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What Happens at Winter Peaks (Skeith x Ava)

Moving to stand beside Reina, Alison listened quietly, resting the lantern upon the edge of the fountain's bowl, casting the orange glow over the water's surface. At first she didn't even register the oddity in what her room mate had said, smiling lightly as she dips her head in a light nod. "I'm sorry, that must have been ha-..." Realisation dawned suddenly, cutting the brunette's words off short as she casts a sideways glance toward the girl next to her.

Of course she was not so prudish not to know that there were those who felt attraction toward the same sex, it was just a rather unexpected revelation. No wonder she felt so uncomfortable the religion that saturated this place. "...um, hard. Yes."

Alison grimaced at her own awkwardness, shuffling slightly upon her feet before turning away from the fountain to peer at the various pathways laid open to them.
 
Riena could see that what she said had thrown Alison off a bit. "I'm sorry if if it comes as a surprise. But it was probably best that you find out now, rather than six months from now." She gave an awkward chuckle before lowering her gaze. "It's never something I've been shy about, or something I've tried to hide. I've never been 'in the closet' about it." She continued, running a hand through her messy ponytail.

"I don't expect you to understand, but please don't treat me like some kind of lost soul or sinner." Her gaze fell. "I'm going to be surrounded by enough of that kind of talk this year anyway." She forced a laugh before a small smile grew on her face. "Don't worry, it's not like I'm going to try to kiss you or anything." She shook her head before lowering her gaze, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry, I can't seem to stop stumbling over my words..."
 
A frown creases Alison's brow, her own gaze lowering toward the water before she turns away, setting the lantern upon the ground before her arms curl about herself. "I wouldn't...I wasn't going to treat you like that..." Shivering slightly, the brunette turns her head away from Reina, staring down one of the dark pathways. "You can be whatever you want to be, I'm not going to judge you.."

It hurt that Reina would think such of her, but then perhaps it wasn't surprising - no doubt it was down to experience. Alison drew in a light breath, the frown disappearing from sight as she forces a small smile to her lips as she turns back toward her room-mate. "It isn't my place to judge." She stoops, recollecting the lantern from the ground as she takes a step toward one of a number of pathways. The night air was growing cooler about them and Alison had begun to shiver slightly, "I'm pretty sure you aren't the only one here...I think Rebecca down the hall also likes girls, you know....I could introduce you if you wanted."

The young woman fidgets, rubbing awkwardly at her arm as she spares a careful glance over her shoulder, back toward Reina.
 
Reina was surprised that Alison had taken it so well and was so accepting. A happy smile spread across her lips. This was what a friend was supposed to be. She wanted little more than to give the other a hug in gratitude, but after the prior revelation, Reina acknowledged that it would be an awkward experience for Alison. Instead she gave into simple words. "Thank you."

She gave another look at the fountain before moving to catch up to Alison. She could see that Alison was getting cold, though her gaze grew concerned when Alison looked back at her. She moved to walk beside her. She cursed herself for leaving her coat in the room. She'd have happily given it to her, but it couldn't be helped.

"Is something wrong? I'm sorry if I spoiled your evening." She apologized quietly, her hands moving to hold one another behind her back again. Reina never was one to tip-toe around others feelings or worry about offending them, but Alison was genuinely trying to be her friend. So she was doing her best to avoid making things awkward. Which was only making things worse. "Why don't we head back to the room? You look like you could use some warming up."
 
Back to the room sounded like a wonderful idea for the air was growing colder and her shivering more pronounced. With a light nod, Alison turned and led them down a previously unexplored route, lifting the lantern high to give them enough light. She took the turns with no hesitation or pause, leading them steadily through the maze and out onto the other side. "Hmm? Oh. No, no...I just..." A low sigh escapes the young woman, nose scrunching a touch as she turns toward the school building, most of the lights aglow with soft light.

As grateful as Alison was for Winter Peaks, she was not blind to its flaws. Judgement, the place was full of judgement. Teachers, students, the head mistress - all of them. Right and wrong was very defined here and being attracted to women was considered entirely wrong. "..Maybe you shouldn't tell anyone else that, ah...for a little bit."
 
Reina felt a little guilty as she watched Alison shiver in the cold. The maze was Reina's idea, and she should have known exploring an outdoor maze at night, in a mountain based school called "winter peaks" was a bad idea. Further guilt gnawed at her when she heard the following suggestion. She'd now burdened Alison with the secret that should have been her's to bear. She bit her lip as she lowered her gaze to the ground for a moment. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm certainly not suicidal."

Reina placed her right hand on Alison's right shoulder, draping her arm around the woman's shoulders. "Here, let me help." Honestly trying to help the girl stay warm, she gently rubbed Alison's arms with her hands. Free of the maze, there was no walls to intercept some of the chilly wind from their exposed skin.
 
The touch was unexpected, in fact it almost made the young woman jump and pull away. That was until she realised just what Reina's intentions were and relaxed a little, offering a sheepish smile up at her new-found friend. "O-oh..thank you." The friction of the raven haired girl's hands certainly helped ease the chill that had settled over her and they made their way back up to the dorm rooms near enough arm-in-arm.

Alison returned the lantern to its rightful place, after extracting herself gently from beneath Reina's arm. She was just leading the way back upstairs when the figure of the Head Mistress loomed upon the landing, dark beady eyes peering down at them critically. "Hampton. I trust our new arrival is causing you no trouble." The brunette faltered half way up the stairs, suddenly looking terrible nervous, slim fingers tugging slightly at her skirt, "Oh, no Ma'am! No trouble at all." A swift shake of the head follows, Alison sparing a hurried glance toward Reina and then back at the older woman.

Beatrice scowled down at the two, in particular Reina, lips pursed. After a long, long moment the woman finally waves a hand, gesturing back down the corridor. Not once did the headmistress' gaze leave the two, not as they made their way up the rest of the stairs and along the corridor and certainly not until they had both disappeared into their room.
 
Reina met and held the head mistress's gaze with a harsh glare of her own. She wasn't even remotely intimidated by authority and often sought to battle it. She kept her gaze locked the entire journey up the steps, only breaking her gaze when they passed her. Her eyes briefly flashing to Alison before looking to the floor, disappearing into their room.

Reina breathed a sigh of irritation as they entered their room, taking a seat at her bed. "She really grows on you, doesn't she?" She asked, sarcastically. Her eyes turning to the door before turning back to Alison. "What's wrong?" Reina asked as she looked over at her new friend. The head mistress had painted a scowl on Reina's face, but it had vanished quickly when she'd noticed the ill effect the encounter had on the other girl.
 
Alison pressed her back up against the door, easing it shut as a faint shudder creeps down her spine. A weak smile toys upon her lips as she eases herself away from the solid wood and settles upon her own bed, legs swinging distractedly. "Oh, well...I've been here for about two years and she still[/] makes me nervous, like...like I've done something wrong.." The young woman exhales slowly, reaching up to work the tie free from her hair and shaking out the long strands to spill about her shoulders.

"Some of the teachers here are really nice, others...hmm, well, strict." Fingers comb through the raven strands anxiously, pale eyes drifting about the room before her hands fall to rest in her lap, "So, what classes do you have tomorrow? The teachers will have your textbooks and stuff, and I can help catch you up on what you might have missed. I'm sure we'll have some classes together." Alison spoke hurriedly, as if trying to distance herself from the topic they had been previously discussing.
 
Reina examined her schedule when it was brought up. With classes starting as early as tomorrow, it wasn't much time to get settled or commit her schedule to memory. Which in Reina's mind, spoke to the school's level of patience. The schedule looked to have a pretty basic A day-B Day schedule. It looked like her A-Day consisted of mostly her academic courses and then her B-Day consisted of some more lax courses, such as Phys Ed, Bible Study, and such. She shared her schedule with Alison, the words 'Bible Study' left her mouth with a bit of an edge.

--------------------

A few weeks had passed since the first night Reina had come to Winter Peaks, and while she was definitely starting to get used to life there, she was growing increasingly frustrated. She wasn't at a point where she was taking it out on others, but she wasn't very good at masking her less cheerier emotions.

She'd seen some of the more excessive punishments for acting out, in her time there. Many were riding the line of the child abuse. In some other cases she'd seen girls taken from their rooms, coming back a couple days later a little quieter.

One night, after the evening prayer, Reina exited the main hall in a clearly dark place. "I really don't think I can do this anymore." She admitted. "That lady is really starting to piss me off." She spoke in a low growl, to hopefully avoid catching unwanted attention. "I'm not that hungry today, I think I'll just head back upstairs." She said a little louder, after remember they were headed for dinner.
 
The past few weeks had been wonderful for Alison. While she enjoyed the peace and privacy of not sharing a room with anyone else, she had also grown rather lonely. There was something comforting about the sound of another's breathing nearby in the midst of the night when she woke from the nightmares that troubled her. It was also nice to have someone to speak with, while she was well liked amongst most of the girls, enjoying one's privacy made it rather difficult to make any firm friends. Sharing a room forced her to speak and spend time with another.

It turned out that their schedules were rather similar, with the two girls sharing a number of classes. Alison was true to her word, helping Reina catch up with the what lessons she had missed, sitting with her as they worked through their homework together.

As had become the norm, Alison trailed along beside Reina as they made their way out of the main hall, pulling up short as her friend voiced her complains. Oh certainly, it was no secret that the raven haired girl did not enjoy a great many aspects of Winter Peaks, but Ali had been hoping that maybe, just perhaps, it was becoming a little more bearable. Apparently she had been wrong. "That lady? Oh you mean the Head Mistress? Well, yes...she can be a little uh...strict?" Alison grimaced, sparing a brief glance about them to ensure none of the teachers lurked nearby.

"Do you want me to bring you anything up? I can probably hide a few pieces of fruit, maybe a sandwich? For later at least, if you don't want it now..." The young woman fidgeted, "Or we could finish off what is left of the stuff we bought the last time we went to town?" A light smile spread across her lips at this suggestion.
 
Reina loved to see Alison smile, and in the end, it was the best tool of persuasion the girl had her disposal. Whether she realized it or not. Reina nodded quietly at her suggestion, returning the smile. Having a best friend was as alien to Reina as it was to Alison so she was constantly and consciously trying to make sure she didn't say or do the wrong thing. She especially didn't want to make her uncomfortable, what with their differing sexual orientation.

She looked about the hall, before breaking off from the moving crowd of students and faculty to head back for the dormitory. In truth, Reina had developed an attraction for the more savory young woman. It was something that was growing difficult to keep to herself. Every once in a while a comment would slip. Reina would comment on Alison's hair that day, or on the days she'd wear more casual clothing she'd comment on how nice it was to see her out of her uniform. Still, it was getting more and more difficult for her to pretend she was someone she wasn't and hard to pretend that Alison was little more than a good friend.

As they drew closer to their dorm, she gave a quiet sigh. Grateful to be away from the crowds and noise. "Sorry about this, I've just got no appetite today." She said quietly as she opened the door to their room.
 
Alison's smile brightened at her friend's agreement, nodding enthusiastically as she fell in behind Reina manoeuvring her way through the crowd and against the general flow of traffic. The dormitory rooms were near deserted but for a few girls who had run up to their room to leave or collect something and so they encountered little resistance as they stepped into the sanctuary of their bedroom. Easing the door shut behind her, the brunette crawled onto her bed and heaved the heavy window up and open, propping the small block of wood in place to hold it open, allowing a cool and refreshing breeze to swirl about the room, causing the curtains to dance.

"Oh, its fine. You feeling ok? You aren't sick or anything are you?" Alison seemed generally concerned as she fished a box out from under her bed, their little storage place for the goodies they had bought from their last trip into down. The remains of a chocolate bar, a couple of cans of soda, some crisps and so forth - things that they rarely got to enjoy otherwise. Shrugging her shoulders, the teen shook her cardigan from her shoulders and tossed it to the foot of her bed, kicking off her shoes at the same time to settle cross-legged upon her bed.
 
Reina took her seat on her bed, her legs crossing as she rubbed at her brow. "I'm fine, I just can't be around all of that nonsense right now." She admitted after a moment. She took a can of soda from the box, cracking it open and taking several long gulps as a satisfied gasp escaped her mouth, having finally come up for air. "It's getting harder and harder to pretend I'm someone I'm not." She said quietly as she moved her hands to cup around the can.

She lowered her gaze after a moment, examining the can she was holding. "You were right about one thing, the people aren't as bad as I assumed. But it's hard to know that friendships and stability are bought with a lie." Every 'amen' and every silent nod instead of an angry retort was a pain that pegged her frequently. "I can't keep pretending." She finished her soda, tossing the can in a small waste basket.

She shook her head after a few moments. "I'll find a way to vent. I'm not going to cause you any trouble by raising a ruckus or anything."
 
A frown of concern creased Alison's brow as fingers idly toy with the long honey-brown strands. It wasn't exactly a surprise that Reina wasn't comfortable with the way some things were done around here and the teen had done her best to try and make her room-mate feel as comfortable as possible. Sadly there was only so much that she could do. Sighing gently she leant forward, pale blue eyes drifting over her friend's face for a long moment.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I just...I don't want you to get into trouble, the teachers can be...uh, pretty mean...you know?" Any answer she might have received was cut off by a knock at the door which opened seconds later to reveal two girls a year or two old than them, one of them being Rebecca - the girl that Ali had mentioned on Reina's first day when the uncomfortable topic of sexuality had come up. The brunette had begun to wish she hadn't introduced them as the older girl was a well known trouble maker.

"Oh, hey girls. Skipping dinner? Come down to our room, eh? We have beer!" A grin spread across Rebecca's lips upon noticing how the shy little thing's eye widened at such a suggestion before setting her gaze upon Reina. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
 
Reina opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again when she heard the knock at the door. Reina couldn't help but smile when Rebecca and her room-mate appeared at their door. Rebecca was a plenty nice girl, beautiful and every bit as much of a rebel as she was, but Reina had to admit that she didn't feel a strong attraction to her, though she did appreciate Alison's attempt to help her cope by introducing them.

She nearly beamed at the mention of beer. It had been a few weeks since her last beer or her last smoke, long enough for her to have basically kicked either addiction if she'd really given it the effort. Her gaze shifted to Alison, the smile was still on her face, though far less excited as she did so. "Come on, it'll be fun." She repeated, shooting Alison a wink. "You don't have to drink, and I promise I'll only have one or two." She said quickly, forcing a pout on to her lips.
 
Alison looked entirely sceptical as to just how much fun it would actually be, glancing between Reina's hopeful expression and Rebecca's rather smug one. This could end badly, with all of them in a while lot of trouble should they get caught, but this had been the first time the brunette had seen her room-mate look excited about anything for the past week. A soft sigh escaped the teen as she nodded faintly and forced a light smile to her lips, nobody liked a kill-joy. "Sure."

Rebecca beamed, ducking back out of the room and disappearing down the hallway, leaving the door wide open. The older girl's room was almost right at the back of the residential building, tucked around a corner and a lengthy walk for any noisy teachers that happened to decide upon checking that particular block of rooms. By the time Reina and Alison followed after the room was already rather crowded.

With the door propped open at least half a dozen girls were sat upon the beds or the floor, a couple leaning out the window as they sent clouds of cigarette smoke up into the night air. A beer was pressed into Reina's hand before the raven haired girl was pulled into the the crowded room, a cigarette offered in her direction as well. "Don't worry, I've got a couple of girls on watch. No one's going to catch us." Rebecca spoke with such confidence as she leant back against the wall, sipping on her own beer as she sent a wink in Alison's direction.

The brunette fidgeted, shuffling from foot to foot as she spared a glance down the corridor before stepping further into the room. She felt entirely out of place. Certainly, alcohol wasn't a new phenomenon to her, but she had rarely partaken herself and politely declined the can that was offered up to her as she found a spare piece of floor on which to sit. Conversation moved to the teachers and the school, the girls taking an opportunity to let off steam in relation to their somewhat oppressive education - bad mouthing religion, the church, the headmistress, and their families back home.

Beer was passed around freely, shared amongst those gathered as those leaning out the window rotated round until most had had their tobacco craving sated for the time being. Rebecca threw herself down upon the floor next to Alison, grinning lazily at her as she offered over her half-finished can of beer. "Go on, just a sip? What's the harm?"
 
Reina beamed when Alison agreed to come to the party. She was immensely relieved when she found that it was a proper party with multiple people in attendance. It would have been a dangerous game to put the sexually frustrated Reina in a room with alcohol, Rebecca, and Alison. Though the crowd made her far more likely to simply lounge about.

She'd taken her turn cycling to the window to enjoy a couple cigarettes before enjoying a couple beers. She'd almost managed to forget she was in an all-girls school. She smiled, laughed, and joked with the rest of the girls in the room, finally feeling a little free. Still, her eyes wandered back to Alison from time to time, checking in on the shy young girl.

She'd already had about three beers by the time that she saw Rebecca offering one to Alison. However, she wasn't so impaired to forget that Alison had gone out of her way on her behalf. Reina slid into position on Alison's other side, snatching the half empty beer. "Don't mind if I do!" She said with a laugh. She knew exactly what it made her look like, but she was at heart, trying to look out for Alison.
 
Alison offered a grateful smile in her room mates direction as the beer was snatched promptly from Rebecca's hand, rendering her rather pathetic excuse unnecessary. She rarely drunk, even before she had arrived at Winter Peaks, and it didn't take her long to succumb to the effects of alcohol. While she trusted Reina, the brunette was wary of the.intentions of her other school mates, particularly considering how disappointed Rebecca now looked.

In the corner a couple of girls were boldly making out, their cans of beer still clutched in their hands. Alison watched, or at least until she realised that that was what she was doing and hurriedly averted her eyes, colour rising in her cheeks. Rebecca laughed, nudging the blushing girl a couple of days before scrambling to her feet and fetching another beer for herself.
 
Reina caught sight of Alison observing the girls in the corner, only noticing because she was subconsciously watching Alison. As soon as Rebecca rose to her feet to fetch another beer, Reina leaned over to Alison whispering quietly. "It's okay to let loose a little once in a while." She said with a smile, raising the half empty beer a little. "If you're getting uncomfortable, we can go back." She said after a few moments.

Her eyes fell to the half empty beer in her hand, drinking it quickly. Reina was definitely beginning to get a pretty serious buzz, three and a half beers into the night. "I'll grab a couple for us, and then we can head back." Reina said as she pushed herself up from the ground, steadying herself as she reached a standing position. Despite her rebel streak, she was something of a light weight. She walked over to where the beer was stacked, grabbing a couple of cans. She gave Alison a wink before motioning to the door.
 
A shy smile returned to Alison's lips as Reina leant in to speak to her, reassuring her. Perhaps her new friend was right, but the young woman didn't see herself 'letting loose' around these particular girls and why did that have to include drinking alcohol. Couldn't she be fun without it? She spared another uncertain glance about the room, skirting around the kissing couple for fear it would draw further comments. Had Reina not suggested taking their leave, Alison would have no doubt made her own excuses and slipped back down the corridor to the safety of her bedroom.

By the time the raven haired girl had seized hold of two cans of beer, she had pressed herself to her feet and begun inching toward the doorway. Alison uttered quiet apologies as she slipped passed the various groups of girls standing about the door and out in the hallway. Finally, the laughter and chatter of Rebecca's room faded as the two made their way down the corridor and into their own room. Just was they were stepping inside, a girl was hurrying down the corridor and, upon spotting the cans in Reina's hands, hissed, "Teacher's coming!"

Alison ushered Reina inside, tugging upon her friend's arm as she rushed to push the door closed and hopefully avoid drawing the attention of whomever was about to crash Rebecca's party.
 
This was certainly not Reina's first rodeo, so to speak. She quickly moved into the bedroom. "Don't worry, I've done this before." She said quickly. As the door closed behind her, she stashed the cans into an empty laundry sack, hooking them on the corner of the window, before hanging it on the outside of the building. She slid the window closed before allowing herself to plop down onto her bed with a smile.

Reina listened quietly for sound out in the hall before laughing out loud. "This is exactly why I never play the host. Someone always gets caught." She shook her head before pushing herself up and lazily shuffling over to sit on Alison's bed. "You know..." Reina began quietly before, crossing her legs. "When I said, that it was alright to let loose, I didn't necessarily mean alcohol. I just mean let yourself have fun once in a while. Break the rules, take a risk." She gave a small smile before brushed some of her hair back out of her eyes. "You know what else is alright? Being curious." She said with a slightly broader smile, obviously referring to Alison watching their two classmates making out.
 
Alison watched with barely veiled admiration. While she didn't really approve of deception or disobeying authority, she had to admit Reina's actions were rather ingenious. Few would think to look outside the window, unless this was a common practice - she wasn't sure. A light smile crept across her lips as her room-mate settled down upon her bed and the two shared a look for a moment before the shouting and commotion from Rebecca's room crept down the corridor. The young brunette grimaced, sparing a brief glance at the door before inching toward her bed and sitting down nervously.

She wasn't so amused about their schoolmates' predicament, cringing at the sound of raised voices as pupils screamed and protested while they were marched away for whatever the Headmistress deemed necessary punishment. Thankfully they were left undisturbed and as things began to gradually grow quieter and calmer outside, Alison relaxed. While reassured by Reina's kind words of explanation, colour rapidly rose to her cheeks as the topic changed.

The brunette fidgeted, pushing at her own hair as she stammered a response, "Oh no...I was just-...I wasn't..." Her mumbled explanation trailed off and she lowered her gaze to the thinly carpeted floor.
 
Reina smiled softly as she moved her hand to rest on Alison's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "There's no need to be shy around me. We're friends, remember?" She asked quietly. A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I'm not going to force anything on you. You've been kind enough to show me that same respect. Just know that you don't have to hide things or shy away from me. I want us to be close." Reina chewed her bottom lip for a moment, before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on Alison's cheek, holding her lips there for only a second or two before rising from the mattress.

She returned to the window, where she retrieved the beers from the bag hanging out the window. Tucking the cans into one of her drawers on her dresser she sat back down on her own bed. Her eyes on the floor before she breathed out slowly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm here if you need me. For anything." She laid down, with her face to the wall in silence, choosing not to add another word.
 
The teen's gaze shifted to settle upon the hand resting upon her knee, watching as the digits squeezed before lifting her head enough to send Reina a sideways glance. "I know, I know. It's just..." A faint frown touched Alison's brow as her eyes lowered again. Her experience of gentle touches and kind words was limited indeed, she had received few hugs at home and little encouragement, what schooling she had attended outside of Winter Peaks had been mostly in isolation. As for any romantic encounters, well they had been just as limited. She'd kissed a boy once, a shy nervous kiss that had ended as swiftly as it had begun. However, all this remained unsaid as Alison lapsed into silence once more, nodding simply at Reina's continued words of reassurance.

The touch to her cheek was unexpected, causing the quiet young woman to shift just slightly as her room mate's lips made contact, eyes darting to the side to glance sideways at her raven haired counterpart. It didn't linger, not for but a second, before it was gone but still it had kindled a warmth within the girl that almost made her shiver. A darker shade of red rushed to her cheeks, gaze lowering hurriedly as Reina stood and moved away from her. Only while she was busy did Alison lift a hand to trace fingertips against the previously kissed skin.

Silence fell heavily over the room once the raven haired teen had settled upon her bed, Alison fidgeting upon the edge of her own. What did one say after being kissed? What did one do? A frown furrowed the girl's brow again, nose scrunching as she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, and then felt thoroughly stupid seconds afterwards. "Thank you."
 
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