Chapter Text
Worthless. That singular word pretty much summed up how Stella had been feeling for some months now. No matter what she did to get rid of this intense sentiment, it consumed her entirely, becoming more profound as it sucked the living joy out of her life, bit by bit.
Her own reflection caused her to cringe, the girl staring back at her didn’t dare smile once, echoing the distress she was in, and her lips were pulled together in a thin grim line. Even though she knew how ugly the black rings beneath her hazel eyes looked, she couldn't bring herself to look at them.
Every morning she woke up at the crack of dawn with barely any sleep from the night prior. She can thank her constant crying and excessive pondering for that. On the other hand, she also felt some solace in this habit that she had unintentionally adapted. Waking up before anyone else gave her the leverage of being able to hide her sorrows through the best thing ever created in the magic dimension; makeup.
She grossly covered up the facial features that would have shown her inner turmoil with coats of concealer. If the girls saw the state she was in, they’d not only bombard her with questions but would also begin to worry about Stella’s well-being. Truth be told, she didn’t need that right now.
She understood well enough that she was a burden and there was no way in hell that she was going to dump her problems on her best friends. None at all.
Best friends? She halted at that. Does she even have the right to call them that?
Everything she said or did pissed them off. She knew that she had a big mouth and that majority of the time she truly needed to just shut the fuck up but turns out, they despised her for it.
Snobby, bratty, and egotistical. Those words were everyone’s first choice in defining the type of person she was. Somehow, Stella unintentionally let those bitter labels brand her and they refused to wear off. Heck, even Aisha used them, telling her that her selfishness and uncaring attitude is the reason no one likes her — granted that happened last year when the two fairies weren’t well acquainted, it still stung.
They all tend to gravitate away from her, she’s been noticing that. Why did she even bother, then? It’s not like she was ever going to be better than the self proclaimed leader of the Winx. Perfect little miss Bloom.
Stella despised her, enough said. The red haired fairy made it a priority to belittle Stella and their friends at every single opportunity that fell in her lap. The amount of times she’s heard all about how powerful and superior Bloom is irked her. All that buzz about her being the possessor of the dragon flame was cool at first but when you make that your whole personality trait, it gets old.
It honestly made Stella feel like shit. Did her powers even mean anything? Guess not, her name wasn’t Bloom. Her own father compared the two, wondering why Stella couldn’t be as poised. If this went on, Stella was bound to lose her sanity and go ballistic. However, it wasn’t just her who shared that sentiment, so did the other Winx. Being aware of that provided her some sort of solace but her mind directed her thoughts elsewhere.
Her parents.
She scoffed, how useless was she? She failed to stop their bickering, finding herself rather accustomed to the loud voices that filled the halls of Solaria’s castle. Not a day went by where they had a civil conversation, they opted to swear at one another instead. It hurt her deeply. They once used to be such a happy couple and so in love that for the longest time she thought that someone cursed them. Although, that was far from it.
She fiercely snapped her eyes shut, barricading the tears within them, refusing to relive the memories of her weeping over the state of her parents' relationship.
The Princess of Solaria can’t even keep her own life from falling apart, forget the subjects she’s expected to rule over in the future. Perhaps she should lose that title as well, along with everything else.
She gazed out the window, observing the fairies and Specialists conversing and enjoying the evening.
Alfea was hosting a party in full swing; music filled the air and conversation could be heard from a block away. She would have jumped at the chance to party the night away with her friends and her boyfriend—well, she had no idea what their relationship was or where it stood—on any other day.
They’d flirt, make out, fuck, go on dates, and talk almost everyday. Yet, she knew that he repeated this same process with many other fairies, for fucks sakes, witches too. But her? She somehow ended up falling head over heels for him. Whenever they were together, her heart started to beat so fast that she had to catch her breath. She would be caught dead before she uttered these words to him but she imagined a whole life with him. A dry laugh escaped her lips, she desperately needed to stop dreaming of things that were unattainable. The fantasies in her head had to permanently be put to rest before they ignited false hope within her.
Whatever brew between them stopped when sadness, regrets, and insecurities monopolized her. Now she barely talked to him, she willingly couldn’t hold a conversation with him because he’d be able to read her and realize that something was terribly wrong – that’s how well he had gotten to know her and she wasn’t ready to face her own emotions at his mercy.
She shook her head, catching herself for the second time. Who was she kidding? He probably spent his valuable time with much more significant women. Naive of her to think otherwise. He had sent her multiple messages asking her when they’ll be able to meet, she dismissed them, breaking her own heart when she pressed the delete button. She convinced herself that some other girl was a better match for him because what was she other than fragile and broken?
She looked down at her light blue dress, wondering if she should just rip it off and change into some sweats. If her emotions were in check, her inner fashionista would have a heart attack.
Stella got persuaded to attend this party by the Winx thanks to their persistent nagging and pleading; the event was the talk of the school for weeks. Her friends, mostly Musa and Aisha, insisted that she attend the party, asking how she could refuse to go. Stella Solaria was well known for her freewheeling and wild ways. So she agreed, telling them that the only reason she was declining was due to an ongoing headache.
She lied. They believed it.
She should’ve told them the truth, that much was obvious. Maybe they could’ve saved her from this suffocation but she didn’t want to deal with their questions and looks of concern. She was a shitshow and a reminder of that was not needed.
Sighing, she leaned her head against the glass, thankful that her disappearance went unnoticed. Then again, Stella should’ve expected it. It’s not like she’s ever missed.
She hugged her knees, pulling them close to her chest, "Make it stop." She whispered. Her words lingered in the air, falling onto deaf ears. The silent pleas that left her lips remained just that, silent.
The Specialists pushed their way through the crowd, ignoring the looks that were being thrown their way — some flirtatious, others of jealousy — as they trailed behind Brandon and Riven who desperately needed a drink. The bar was basically screaming their name.
Nabu grumbled, "You two somehow managed to have all these chicks surrounding us and smothering the living shit out of me. It hasn't even been five minutes since we got here." He peered at the many varieties of booze that were neatly arranged, leaning over the marble counter of the temporary bar that the fairies had created in the far corner. They would all have been killed if their separate headmasters weren't in a scheduled meeting at the moment. There's no denying that.
Brandon chuckled, “What can I say? We do intend to have that effect.”
Beer bottles were furiously clacking against one another as Helia and Sky threw a case of beer to the ground, "We have more goods!" The latter shouted, asking some boys from Red Fountain who he recognised to distribute the beverages.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard that tons of times, no need to repeat it Brandon.” Sky shook his head, diverting his attention back to their conversation.
Brandon sipped his drink while amusingly glancing over at the Prince. “Don’t be jealous, Sky. I’m sure your little girlfriend is around here somewhere..”
Sky rolled his eyes in a playful manner, knowing that Brandon was just messing with him. In reality, they were more like brothers than best friends. The numerous banters, duels, and laughs between them were some, if not all, of Sky's favourite memories from Eraklyon. Their bond ran so deep that they'd put their lives on the line for each other without question. They had the urge to defend, protect, or kill for one another. Being friends from a young age does that to you. However, the Specialists as a whole felt as though they had become a family through their arguments and snarky remarks. And it was a friendship they would always undoubtedly treasure.
“Speaking of, they’re right there.” Helia said, pointing to where the girls were chattering amongst themselves.
“Ah, let’s go.” Nabu excitedly replied, pushing the boys towards their direction, ignoring their protests of being taken away from the bar.
“Bruh, what the fuck Nabu?! Stop pushing me!” Riven shouted. The liquid inside the red cup he was holding, spilt all over his arm, drenching his sleeves. “Goddamnit, look what you did!” He extended his arm, gesturing at it furiously, only to be given another shove by the wizard. “I’ll get you as many beer cans as you want, just keep walking.”
That bought Riven’s silence.
“Damn, you’re whipped.” Brandon laughed.
Nabu raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on, you know what he’s talking about,” Helia wiggled his eyebrows, earning a high-five from Brandon.
Sky nodded in agreement with Brandon and Helia’s statements, “Besides, didn’t you just see Aisha yesterday?” After seeing the flustered look on Nabu’s face, he suppressed a smile. “Hmm, or was that not enough..”
Timmy ignored his friends, adjusting his glasses as he nervously stared right at the magenta haired fairy who was getting closer and closer with each step he took.
The wizard rolled his eyes, “Me? You’re all head over heels for them, don’t even deny it. I’m just the one who had the balls to ask out the girl I liked.”
Riven snorted, “Nah, Brandon and I–”
"Are just fuckboys, you'd never be caught dead liking them, right?" Sky asked, interrupting Riven midway. Although the duo refused to acknowledge it, the guys already understood that Musa and Riven had a connection. Plus, Brandon was utterly enthralled by Stella, which is a sight you wouldn’t typically see.
“…Anyway, as I was saying,” Nabu continued, deciding it’d be best to let their bullshit excuses slide for the time being, “…from the looks of it, Timmy’s equally as whipped.”
They all turned to the technological expert, immediately bursting out into laughter at the sudden blush on his face. “I-I… um don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Sure buddy.” Helia replied.
Timmy nudged Helia, pleading with him to shut his mouth when they neared the girls.
“Hello ladies,” Nabu smiled, “Aisha.” He nodded.
Aisha grinned like a cheshire cat, ecstatic at his arrival. "Guess it really isn't a party without you boys, huh? I'm so glad it isn't, though! Come dance with me, Nabu!” She begged, dragging him to her desired destination, leaving little to no opportunity for protests.
The Specialists along with the Winx laughed at the couple’s antics before they proceeded with their greetings.
Musa had said something about blaring music in a witch’s ear who was giving her dirty looks because she was apparently too close to Brandon’s proximity, making him shake his head as he tried to hold back a laugh. He was going to reply when Riven's voice cut him off. “Dude, I don’t know if it’s because I’m drunk or not, but someone’s missing.”
Sky pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. Riven was much more of a hassle when he was drunk. Pointing directly at the obviously overjoyed couple, he said, "Aisha and Nabu are dancing. Maybe you should stop drinking."
Riven completely ignored Sky before he snapped his fingers in realization, “Blondie! Where is she?”
Brandon stilled. Turning his head, he secretly hoped she would be standing there and Riven was too intoxicated to see.
The moment the Specialist left Red Fountain, his thoughts all gravitated towards her. He's been angry with her for weeks since she has been ignoring him and avoiding his messages. He wasn't kept in such a tight grip by girls, but her? She was a different story, and things had become very serious when he started to grasp how much she was affecting him.
Given how close their friends were, the likelihood of them meeting today was high, and he was certain that she had to see him. He wanted to make her jealous, shitty move on his part, yeah, he gets it. Yet, if she can simply act like she’s never interacted with him, then he can do the same.
“Um, where the fuck is Stella?!” He heard Musa say. Great. Her own best friend had no idea of her whereabouts.
Bloom laughed, “Guys, you’re worrying for no reason at all. You know her, she’s probably doing this for attention, classic Stell. I guarantee she’s either with a guy or she’s just keeping us on our toes to make a grand entrance. Trust me, I know her better than anyone.”
That assured quite literally no one.
He was uncomfortable with the way she spoke of Stella, her little proclamation carried lots of subtle jabs. What the heck was her problem?
Musa clenched her fists, “Bloom, do you ever take the time to listen to the bullshit that comes out of your mouth? She doesn't need to pull off stupid acts like this to attract attention, all eyes are always on her.” He quickly picked up on the pride and obviousness in the music fairy's tone. Her words were the truth. Stella always drew attention whenever she entered a room because she shined brighter than everyone else in the crowd. Once you got to know her, you would also discover that there was more to her beauty than meets the eye. Her presence just demanded notice, you’d be a fool not to recognize her.
“.. and contrary to popular belief, you’re not her best friend. For fucks sake, you know nothing about her!” She finished, still raging from Bloom’s nonsense.
Bloom’s eyes widened.
“Damn.” Riven whispered, staring at Brandon who was equally as surprised.
The last thing they needed was the fairies physically fighting, and when it came to Stella, Musa wouldn't give up without a fight, so Tecna quickly intervened before matters became worse.
“Actually, the last time I saw Stella was…” she stared down at her electric watch, checking the time that was displayed in large numbers at the centre of her screen, “Hm, almost an hour ago.”
“So that would be just when the party started.” Timmy pitched in, earning Tecna’s admiring nod of appreciation.
Brandon’s disdain towards the blonde only grew, why would she just run off somewhere without informing anymore? This girl was proving to be the death of him.
Flora patted Musa’s arm in a comforting way, silently assuring her that Bloom’s comments held no merit. “I remember her saying something about a headache. I’ll go check the dorms, she must be up there. You guys enjoy the party until then.”
Flora’s words regarding Stella’s wellbeing rang warning bells in his ears, making him wonder whether that was the reason for her sudden change in behaviour.
‘No, snap out of it!’ He scolded himself. He didn’t need to care.
Stella felt empty. Tears were running down her face, smudging her mascara all over. She sat in front of her vanity mirror, attempting to fix her appearance, but it was nearly impossible due to the dampness around her eyes. All her happiness vanished and with its disappearance, it sucked the light out of her life. Ironic, isn’t it? The Fairy of Light was drowning in inescapable darkness and her primal source of power gradually dulled.
She wiped the tears from her flushed cheeks, somehow persuading herself that if she didn't pull herself together, anyone who walked in would witness the state she was in. Stella stood up from the bench and grabbed her phone to see whether she had unintentionally missed any calls after she was somewhat satisfied with how she looked.
Her phone was just in her hand when she heard a soft knock on the door, which caught her attention. Who might possibly be at her dorm, she wondered. She would be in real trouble if her whereabouts were revealed.
Hauling herself out of her bed, she swung the door open. She was startled to see the person at the other end of her door. “Flora? She asked. “Is something wrong?
Flora gave her a warm smile, the one that would instantly make anyone feel at home. “Silly, I should be asking you that question. Why're you here? Are you feeling alright, how’s your headache?” She flooded Stella with questions, frantically scanning her face to see if there was anything that would give away her illness.
Stella suppressed a smile, Flora and her motherly instincts.
She twiddled with her fingers, praying that Flora would buy the bullshit excuse she was about to give her. “I spent a bit of time outside and I had lots of fun. Unfortunately, my headache just kept getting worse. Guess I shouldn’t have taken all those shots, lesson learnt! Anyway….” She let out an awkward chuckle, “…I just came back here, hoping I could rest.”
All lies. She’s been here since the start.
The Nature Fairy asked with a sympathetic nod, "Are you in need of anything? I can make you some herbal tea that will relieve your headache. And Stella, what did I say about drinking?” Flora sighed disappointedly.
Little does she know that Stella didn’t even take a sip.
“I’m sorry! I promise I won’t do it again if I’m unwell. And no, go enjoy your night. The headache will pass, this night is going to live on forever. So, go have fun, you and Helia deserve it. I’m fine.”
Flora was seconds away from arguing with Stella and persuading her to come join the party downstairs because this was Stella for crying out loud. The same girl who believed that skipping social events considerably lowers your social standing, and now here she was, refusing to move a muscle.
Just when Flora’s mind was running out of excuses to conjure, she found a brilliant one. “Brandon!” The Nature Fairy screamed.
A startled Stella looked at Flora in an incredulous manner, “Flo, what the heck! Why’re you screaming?!”
"Oh, I- oh," Flora blustered nervously. The fact that Brandon wanted to see you was something I forgot to mention.” Flora was in disbelief that she was telling a lie. But was it really a lie? The two clearly had something going on.
Stella’s facial expression completely changed at that and it took her a minute to articulate a response, “Flora, I doubt he asked for me. Either way, I really don’t feel the best. I just want some sleep, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“But—”
The door slammed in her face, cutting her off. That was a complete disaster. What’s going on with Stella, Flora thought. More importantly, why did she have that kinda reaction towards a mere mention of Brandon?
Brandon drank another can of beer, averting his gaze away from the dance floor where his friends were all twirling their partners, including Riven and Musa.
He's caught at least ten girls casting him seductive glances while pleading for even a small amount of his attention. What the hell was he doing in the meantime? Sulking over a girl who couldn't have been clearer about her feelings for him.
He clenched the can with such force that it crushed under his grip in the blink of an eye. Alcohol in his system and anger were never a good combination. He acted rather impulsively, which never led to a favourable outcome for him.
"Brandon, have you lost your mind? Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself!" He heard a voice from behind reprimand him.
He craned his neck to get a better view of the individual, he couldn't pinpoint who the voice exactly belonged to since his brain refused to function with all the liquor he took.
Flora was standing there with a frustrated expression on her face. “You are aware that excessive drinking is bad for your health.” She said, bringing out a chair as she sat down next to him. "Water, for example, has greater advantages."
He chuckled, "Water can't drown my sorrows."
He practically gave Flora an opening to continue her prying, one that she gladly accepted. Normally, she wouldn't want to invade someone's privacy because she believed that everyone should be willing to share what they’re going through on their own terms. In this particular scenario, the circumstances were different. "If it's okay with you, may I ask what kind of sorrows?"
Brandon shrugged, hesitant of exposing his true feelings when he was absolutely hammered, especially around Flora. Don't get him wrong, she's a sweet girl so it's affirmative that Flora is truly a gem; but she just so happens to be her closest friend.
"I'm having trouble deciding which girl I want to dance with.." He said after a few seconds. "The options are endless." The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth. Brushing it off, he blamed it on the alcohol.
Hearing his response, Flora fell a little more dejectedly in her seat. She anticipated a much different response. "Well, what about Stella?" She treaded lightly.
When he heard her name, the bottle that he had just reached for after shattering the can, stopped only inches from his mouth. "What about her?"
“Will you allow her to dance?” Flora asked, perhaps a little too passionately. His curiosity was piqued when he heard the urgency in her voice.
This must be some sort of joke. "Flora, are you sure I'm the one that's drunk, and not you?"
The evident confusion her eyes gave away, prompted him to continue, "....You yourself said that she wouldn't be attending the party because she was sick, what can I do about that?" Another sip of the beer and he'd be puking his guts out tomorrow. Did he care? No.
Flora nodded understandingly, “Yes, everything you mentioned is true. Considering how stubborn she is, I simply assumed that she would be more likely to listen to you. You two are similar in that way; you are the only one who can bring her down here. Before you think that I'm only talking to you as Stella's advocate, I want to make it clear, that's not the case.”
"I'm saying all this because I can see that you're not really enjoying yourself. Don't let anything hold you back. Who knows when we’re all going to get a moment like this again?" She continued. "Threats are always lurking around us."
Within a short span, Flora successfully raised his spirits, his demeanour improved immediately. "You're absolutely right." Instead of wasting his time thinking about her, he should be focusing on himself and finding a chick that he can lay. "Thanks sweetheart," He jumped off his seat, kissed her cheek, and winked as he took off.
Flora grinned at his comical behaviour, it really was no surprise to everyone around them that he was a flirt. However, as her eyes followed him, she noticed that he was moving away from the direction of the dorms. He walked up to a female, murmured something in her ear, and then led her to the dance floor while her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.
Oh no, no, no. Flora smacked her forehead. “That’s not what I meant!” She yelled. But he never acknowledged her words, the woman in front of him was keeping him preoccupied.
Flora couldn't help but felt like she started this by giving him the wrong idea; what had she done?