"Try me."
Fred swallowed hard, his entire body trembling under Bruno's gaze.
"Okay, okay! I... I didn't mean anything by it! Just... calm down, alright? I won't say anything about her again. I swear."
Bruno finally stepped back, his cold aura melting away, though his eyes still held a dangerous edge.
"See that you don't," he said quietly, starting to walk towards the exit. "Because next time, there won't be any warnings. You can insult me, but not her."
Fred scoffed in disbelief.
"Really, dude!" he muttered, still terrified, but he had to protect his pride.
The next sound he heard, apart from his pounding heart, was the loud bang of the door.
Bruno had left the room.
Fred swallowed and slowly raised his hand to his face.
"What the hell was that? My whole body was shaking like a leaf. That fool, if only he weren't the son of Hathaway..." He clenched his pink palm tightly.
"What a simp!"
---
Beauty went home that day, enduring yet another round of humiliation. She had a dull, throbbing ache in her head, but she paid no attention to it.
Certainly, it must be due to crying, she thought, walking straight toward her house. Her body was heavy with exhaustion.
Pushing the front door open, she stepped into the quiet, empty house. The silence reminded her that her parents were still away on vacation, leaving the place eerily still, except for the faint hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
Her stomach churned as waves of nausea swept over her, but she felt the need to eat something, hoping it might help settle her.
She dropped her bag on the couch and slowly made her way to the kitchen, her legs feeling weak beneath her. She briefly considered cooking something, but the mere thought of standing over a stove made her feel worse.
She changed her mind.
Walking to the fridge, she opened it and grabbed a couple of chocolate snacks, some leftover fruit, and a packet of crackers.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she picked them up, and she almost dropped the crackers but caught them just in time.
Without bothering to sit at the dining table, she leaned against the counter and started eating slowly.
Once she had eaten enough to stave off the hunger pangs, she walked sluggishly to her room. Each step felt heavier than the last, and by the time she reached her bedroom door, she had to pause for a moment to gather her strength.
She pushed the door open and headed straight for the bathroom for a hot shower.
---
By 11 p.m., Beauty's fever had spiked, and she was shivering uncontrollably beneath her blankets.
The cold seemed to seep into her bones, and her hands trembled as she reached for her phone. In her hazy state, she knew she couldn't handle this alone. She needed help.
With blurry vision, she scrolled through her contacts to text her best friend, Jessie. She tapped on what she thought was Jessie's name and quickly typed out a message, her fingers shaking as she composed it.
"Jess, I'm so sick. I feel like I could die. My parents aren't home, and I need you. Please come, urgently, if you can."
She hit send, hoping Jessie would come quickly.
Curling back into her blankets, she closed her burning eyes, hoping the fever would break soon.
Then, she remembered the door was locked. Her body was weak, her muscles heavy as if weighed down by bricks, but she knew she had to keep the door open in case Jessie arrived.
She pressed her lips together and forced herself out of bed, her legs trembling. Each step felt like she was dragging herself through thick mud, her legs wobbly and unsteady.
Her breath came in shallow gasps as she moved slowly across the room, clutching the wall for support. She nearly stumbled but caught herself, her fingers gripping the doorframe tightly.
She reached the front door, using the last bit of her strength to unlock it. The cool air from outside brushed against her fevered skin, but it did nothing to relieve the intense heat radiating from her body.
She unlocked the door and then turned back toward the kitchen.
As she walked, her legs felt even weaker, her entire body screaming for rest. Her hands grazed along the walls, using them to steady herself.
Her energy was drained. She walked slowly, heading to the kitchen which seems to be impossible to reach, she put her hands on any object that could support her weak muscles.
Finally, she reached the kitchen table and collapsed into a chair to rest. Her foggy mind made her forget why she had come to the kitchen in the first place.
To get ice or hot water?
She rested her head on the table, too exhausted to stand or walk any further.
"I am going to die tonight," Beauty whispered, tears stinging her eyes.
That made the headache worse. She groaned and rested her head on the table again. Her body was shaking, and her temperature was spiking.
She couldn't help it and slid down to the cold floor.
Hugging her knees, shivering, she whispered, "Please... Jessie, please... come fast and help me."
Beauty knew it was somehow hopeless. Jessie couldn't just wake up and head over to her place in the middle of the night,that's if the message had been received in time.
"God, help me," she sobbed, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
---
Bruno was working on his laptop when his phone beeped. He ignored it, assuming it was nothing important.
An hour later, when he was done with work, he removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. Before heading to bed, he decided to skim through his inbox, which had been piling up with unread messages.
As he scrolled through, one name caught his attention.
Beauty?
He gulped hard, his heart skipping a beat.