.this is what you came for. cleo/naomi (clue}

[charade]

cleo.

"Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do
I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams"

Of all the people that might have invited her out for brunch, she never would’ve expected Naomi to. She knew it was a part of the game, and obviously, the girl wanted something from her. Maybe some clout via association or for Cleo to put in a good word for her with the volleyball coach; something to that effect, but if she was being honest, it was a step above what she had expected Naomi to be capable of. How did the saying go? It was always the quiet ones? Rumor had it that Naomi was a busy-body.

The other girl was friends with Grady, or used to be or something. Cleo wasn’t sure. Grady had mentioned her a few times, and there were some pictures of their younger days in Grady’s house that she’d noticed the last time Grady’s parents had had her over for dinner, but the fact of the matter was that Naomi was unimportant to her. Boring even. What was her major again?

Oh right, singing. Yes, she’d mentioned that in homeroom. Had someone mentioned that she'd been hanging around Clara? No, that couldn't be right. 

The café was a wonderfully upscale place, the kind that made their croissants fresh and had its eggs imported from district ten on a frequent basis. One of the ritzier places on the right side of district six. Naomi was full of surprises. Cleo spotted her when she walked in, sitting at a quaint little spot for two by the window. The hostess showed her to the table. Cleo slid into the seat and did her best to look unimpressed as she hung her purse on the back of her chair.

“Thank you so much for inviting me to brunch, Naomi.” She said with a deceitful smile. She wagged a finger in Naomi’s direction as she scanned the menu’s selection of savory crepes. “But we don’t really hang out now, do we? What’s this all about?” She was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter.

“Yes, I’ll have La Printaniere,” she said sweetly. It was a delicious combination of mushrooms, tomato, onion and swiss cheese with a béchamel sauce. “I’ll have a french vanilla latte as well.” She finished as she folded the menu over and handed to their waiter with a wink. He was kind of cute, in a dressed up sort of way.

Maybe she needed to convince Grady to start wearing bow ties.

She turned her gaze back to Naomi, arching an eyebrow questioningly.

“So, any particular reasons for this lovely little brunch date? Or did you just want to bask in my presence?” She laughed teasingly, but there was a hard edge to her words.

elegant

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

Naomi doesn't consider herself reckless. There's a fun little game to be played when you're a fox rubbing shoulders with rabid wolves; up until Scarlet's death Naomi had considered herself an expert. She's got a touch like cotton, soft enough to feel pleasant but not so vibrant as to stain the skin. Naomi spent years collecting little secrets, though she's never been sure as to why it felt so good hoarding the the vulnerable bits of her peer's broken souls.

Or if she does know, she'd rather not think about it.

And Naomi Valero is not known for stupid mistakes. At least, not until junior year. Now she's sitting in a stiff-backed chair made of braided oak, surrounded by the rich scent of cinnamon and sugarcane in a Cafe that costs a little more than one of the paychecks her brother sent back to her last month. Now she's praying she can sneak into the wolf's den and remain in tact.

Loyalty was of little importance to Naomi. Her kind words held no hint of promise and putting herself in jeopardy for the sake of another was masochistic at best. Gratitude could not erase scars, it could not repair broken bones. She prefers avoiding pain in the first plaace.

That's why things ended the way they did with Grady and Mav - full of bitter words and nursed bruises - none of them were willing to burn for the other. They were better off for it.

Her eyes stay glued to the door, teeth working into the bed of her thumbnail as they had been for the past fifteen minutes. She's managed to pull off most of the pastel pink polish by the time Cleo arrives.

Loyalty is of little importance to Naomi but she finds she can't stand the way Cleo talks to Cass. She's drawn towards the conflict like moth to a flame, always hovering near enough to see the carefully concealed agony dancing listlessly in his frozen gaze. It quick became unbearable. So, a plan has been hovering half-baked in the back of her mind for a while now. She put it into action on a whim.

She tallies another mistake the minute Cleo sits down across from her. Naomi's smile is calm, bright enough to feign relief in spite of the way her heart has crawled up into her throat.

Another game has begun, but Naomi feels like this is the first one she's set up to lose. "Are you so against making new friends?" She leans forward, as she speaks, letting her head fall to the side in genuine curiosity, "Grady might not think I'm worth knowing anymore, but I can assure you I'm an absolute joy to have around."

Their drinks arrive, Naomi's ordered her coffee black.

"I don't propose dates unless they'll be mutually beneficial, I promise." She clings tightly to her mask, praying it doesn't slip. "You've got impeccable taste, by the way." She lifts her coffee to her lips and burns her tongue on bitter things.

[charade]

cleo.

"Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do
I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams"

"I already have someone to bring me water after practice,” she said snidely, examining her nails. “If that’s what you’re asking.” She sipped at her latte and absorbed the information. So, Grady and her weren’t friends anymore? But she wanted to make nice with his girlfriend? Grady is such a good judge of character, she wanted to say, but she bit down on that barb before it escaped from between her teeth.

Was Naomi angling for her man? Good luck, he wan't even paying as much attention to her as he used to. As if he'd have the time of day for the girl next door. 

Mutually beneficial.

Cleo was unable to prevent herself from rolling her eyes. God help her, another word nerd.This wasn't the way she liked to play the game. When she played her little mind games with boys there was always a physical component, whether that was coyly patting Maverick’s knee or shoving Cass into a locker.

Girls were more difficult. Them, she had to watch out for. Stella’s nails could scratch her back or claw her eyes out if she didn’t maintain their friendship. Most of the other girls she hung out with could be dealt with using a few intimidation tactics if they started to upset her.

But Naomi didn’t seem all that intimidated by her, not in the way Ally St.Cloud wavered between fawning over her like a puppy and cowering in fear like a –

Well, puppy.

Fear was what she specialized in. She examined everyone around her for weaknesses and exploited them. Picked at the scabs with a finely manicured nail and made them bleed. Because the more a person was focused on covering their scars, the less likely they were to see hers. Whatever it took to win, to stay on top. If standing out meant stepping on everyone in her way, then so be it.

She eyed Naomi’s drink of choice with distaste.

Black coffee was just so boring, the drink of choice for librarians, math teachers and janitors.

You have impeccable taste.

It was a transparent attempt to butter her up, but she enjoyed hearing it anyway.

It was a pity the same could not be said for Naomi.

“Yeah, I taste pretty good.” She said airily, wondering where the waiter had gotten to. Maybe the food would come faster if she showed a little leg. But it was her eyes people had to watch out for, the ones that saw openings on the court and the field, that scanned a room to see who was and was not paying attention to her, that were constantly searching for buttons to push.

Those eyes caught something asymmetrical as Naomi took a sip of her motor oil.

“You really ought to touch up your nails,” she said idly, her eyes narrowing disapprovingly. “We’re not in middle school anymore.” Cleo waved dismissively, not wanting to hear a rebuttal.“But you didn’t answer my question. Cat got your tongue?”

elegant

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

Naomi never thought she was strong enough to stare into the sun with a smile. She tastes only adrenaline in her next sip, reveling in the disgust that flashes across her companion's features. It's hard to cycle through so many masks and not let something genuine slip through the cracks every once in a while. Naomi's in her element on the edge of a cliff, trying to take control of an oncoming storm. She lives for this.

Cleo is by far her most ambitious project, untempted and unshaken after the first exchange of thinly veiled contempt. No matter what Naomi says, they're not seeking friendship. This meeting is all about the waltz they thread in between. I taste pretty good.

"I'm sure there's quite a few who could vouch for that." It's only fun when you push your luck, pressing on weak points in molding wood to see where it will break the quietest, to search for the ways it will bend instead.

She's jealous of Cleo's freedom, how easily she falls into the things she wants. It's almost absurd to Naomi, who's every move is weighed against what others will think, to be so genuine in her intentions. You needn't ask what Cleo wants, you can see it in the fire simmering within her eyes. Hungry, scalding, feral as it rakes it's way up and down Naomi's face and falls to her ruined nails.

It's the little details that will be her undoing. She quickly slips her hand under the table, covering her embarrassment with a soft cough. Another sip of coffee, this one tastes like anticipation. Words weigh heavy on her tongue and she hates that she cannot tell if they are the right ones. "It's not an easy answer, that's all." She manages, ever resting in a spineless equilibrium.

Cleo knows that. Cleo has no intention of letting her stay there either. "Everyone knows you're going to rule the school some day," Play to her ego, she'll like that. It's merely a bonus that Naomi doesn't have to lie about it. Sometimes it's hard to believe that she and Clara are sisters. Clara carries their beauty differently, it's almost softer. Welcoming Naomi whenever they spend time together. It pleasant, it's comfortable, it's something Naomi actually enjoys doing.

Sitting here across from Cleo? Naomi absolutely understands she's sat across from a queen. Her companion's disapproval doesn't help things, but Naomi didn't arrange this meeting expecting kindness. "I'm only trying to get ahead of the game. It's the smartest course of action where I'm sitting."

With a hand clenched into a fist under the table and a mouthful of lies.

[charade]

cleo.

"Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do
I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams"

It was suspicious, but Cleo had let it slide unanswered. Quite a few? It was the truth, but there was a lilt to Naomi’s voice that made it difficult to determine whether that was meant to be a compliment or an insult.

She’d dated a few boys before going steady with Grady, but no one knew that she’d fooled around with Benji in the library. Did they? Cleo’s eyes narrowed over the top of her coffee. Answers were easy, or were supposed to be, as long as you asked the right questions.

Still, as Naomi continued, she had to resist the urge to preen. So, Naomi could recognize which way the wind was blowing. Good. It was increasingly unlikely that this was some plot of Clara’s or something. Perhaps the girl could be trusted after all, even if she maddeningly, could not ever arrive at her point. Was she actually looking for a friend or something and just being incredibly weird about it? If that was the case, then maybe she could oblige.

“—the smartest course of action from where I’m sitting.”

So there it was it. Of course it was.

Cleo looked for the waiter and ignored the tiny twinge of disappointment somewhere deep inside her. It was the way the world worked. She knew that. It had been silly to entertain the thought that someone might actually want to get to know her, even for a moment. Everyone in the world was a user, or they were getting used. There wasn’t anything in between that.

“Every court needs a jester,” she said with a wicked smile. “Though that position is already filled by my favorite punching bag.” Cass of course, was the jester in question, but that had little to do with Naomi. She had her king, she had her knight and her top advisor that would poison her with little provocation in order to take her spot. Hell, she even had a footstool. What else did a queen really need?

And what did Naomi want from her? The girl was a natural at dancing around the issue. No wonder she’d never dated anyone in the school, they’d have driven themselves to insanity out trying to figure out what she wanted for her birthday or other holidays.

Best to just cut to the chase.

“In what way are you trying to get ahead?” she asked directly. Insistently. “Obviously, there are a great many things I can do for you. But—“she paused, tilting her head curiously and examining Naomi's outfit with a closer eye. It wasn't hideous. Not something she'd ever wear, but it showed a modicum of taste. “What exactly are you offering me?”

elegant