Marietta woke up in the morning and everything came rushing back to her--the fight, how she and Eloise didn't talk all day and how she even talked to Renny.
Renny, of all people! I can't believe I did that. This whole thing was just a misunderstanding, and now it's gotten so big and complicated I don't know what to do with it... It's like a lie. My part is a lie. After all, I'm certainly not friends with Renny, but I acted like it just to hurt my best friend. And Eloise just had a fit and walked off and then didn't talk to me all day. It's not like her. Hannah's pretty much stayed out of it--good for her. What is wrong with me? What's wrong with Eloise? I'm worried about her, really. She has been really spacey, and I just wanted to know if something was wrong or what she was thinking. I didn't mean to be annoying, but evidently I was. After all, I did kind of ignore her before and I guess I interrupted her thoughts. I should go apologize, but I'm afraid she won't listen. Normally, of course she would, but she hasn't been herself. Marietta sighed heavily, wishing she could go back to sleep.
Hannah woke up too and saw Marietta sitting on her bed thinking. "Hey, Marietta, what's up?"
"Eloise," Marietta said. "This whole thing was a big misunderstanding, and I'm really sorry. I acted horribly, talking to Renny. She's so mean--she called Eloise that awful nickname Renny thought up--you know, 'Nosy', and I didn't even say anything. I just went along with it. I've decided to apologize, but I'm afraid that Eloise won't listen because she hasn't been herself. I need to talk to Renny one more time, too, to tell her it was a misunderstanding. I don't want her to take this any further."
"Sounds pretty bad. I'll help you out if you like, since I've stayed out of it--of course, only if you think it would help. And I hate to bring up a bad issue, but you haven't really talked to Patrick yet either, the little idiot," Hannah said.
"Yeah, that might help. I do need to talk to Patrick soon... I'll do that today. Today is a day of trying to fix really screwed-up messes, I guess. If I'm going to do all that and homework too, I need to get dressed and go to breakfast now. I'll just wash my hair by magic to save time. Scourgify!" Marietta pointed her wand at her head and her hair was immediately clean. "Now, to dress." Marietta picked up her robes and changed as quickly as she could.
"Good idea. Scourgify!" Hannah said, her hair becoming clean as well. She threw on her robes and the girls left the dormitory.
****
Meanwhile, Eloise had already gone down to the common room and was sitting in an armchair thinking.
Last night talking to James was really nice, but now I need to clear some things up with Marietta. I need to apologize... What should I say? I don't want to go up to her and just stand there. I'll say... I'll say that it was a huge mistake on my part, and I never should have jumped on her case. I'm sorry and I've just been really emotional lately... That should work well. I like it. Anyway, I hope she talks to me back and doesn't just ignore me. I was hurt more than a little when she talked to Renny yesterday. Eloise stood up abruptly and started pacing around the common room. I'm sure Renny called me Nosy, and since we were fighting, Marietta probably didn't say anything about it. Oh well, I'm not particularly mad. I'm sure she was out of sorts at the time... At least, I hope she was. Patrick is such a freak. He's been acting so badly, and I really thought he was good for her. I guess not. It's really too bad he's been such a jerk, Eloise thought as she turned to see Marietta and Hannah coming down the stairs. She walked over, squaring her shoulders.
"I'm sorry," Marietta and Eloise said simultaneously when they reached each other. Eloise continued, "It was all a big mistake on my part. I was just emotional and over thinking, and I never should have blown up in your face."
"Hey, that's okay. I'm really sorry about the way I acted. It was all a big misunderstanding and a big mistake on my part as well, and I'm going to talk to Renny as soon as I can to tell her that. Friends?" Marietta asked hopefully.
"Yeah," Eloise said, smiling. "Glad to be back."
"We missed you," Hannah told her. Eloise snorted and Hannah said, "No, really. I know I did, and I think Marietta did too and was just trying to ignore it." Marietta nodded vigorously. "So all's well in that department. Now, off to breakfast!"
The girls chatted as they walked to breakfast. "Hey, Eloise, what about James? Have you talked to him lately?"
"Yeah, I actually talked to him for a long time last night. I ran into him after class and was just going to go to bed, but he took me to this really nice place outside where we watched the sun set over the lake. He said we could go down to the lake when it got dark, but I had loads of homework to do, so we just talked until it got too dark and we went inside. It was really relaxing," Eloise said reminiscently.
Hannah smiled. "He sounds really nice."
Marietta grinned and said, "Yeah, he is. Isn't he, Eloise?"
"Oh, hush. I only like him as a friend," Eloise said mildly.
"Really? If I knew him, I think I'd like him as more. I'm just saying--I don't want to take him!" Hannah said, laughing.
"I don't know. For right now, I just want to stay friends and wait and see what happens, you know?" Eloise said.
"Makes sense to me," Marietta said, and Hannah nodded in agreement.
"So, what in the world is going on with Patrick?" Eloise asked.
Marietta sighed. "I haven't any idea what's wrong with him. I haven't talked to him yet, but I'm going to as soon as I see him. I think it was him that spilled the beans about us up on the Tower. After all, who could it be? I know for sure no one else was there, because I checked several times, and I know none of you would tell. I certainly didn't, and I'm rather mad at him for it. I don't appreciate it when people talk to anyone about anything and everything, especially when it hurts other people."
"Yeah, me neither. This is completely off-topic, but I supposed you've noticed I don't usually talk to you two this much. You see, I had a little falling-out with my other friends, except Susan, and I hardly see her. I've really enjoyed being closer friends with both of you," Hannah said.
"Sorry about your friends," Eloise said sympathetically.
"It's all right. We didn't really fight... It was more like we disagreed more and more and weren't as close as we used to be, so I moved on. I think it was an improvement," Hannah smiled.
Eloise laughed. "That's pretty sad in my case."
Hannah shook her head. "Don't say that. You're a really good friend, and you can't say you aren't getting more friends."
"That is true," Eloise acknowledged. "I was mostly joking, anyway."
When they got down to the Great Hall, Patrick ran up to Marietta immediately. "Marietta," he cried. "I'm so glad to see you! Where have you been?"
Marietta raised her eyebrows. "With my friends, after we, let's see, fought." She scowled at him as he gave her a bear hug. "I'm not going to be won over that easily, Patrick," she said sternly.
"Come on, Marietta, honey," Patrick whined. Eloise thought he looked like a lost puppy that had forgotten what he had done wrong.
"Don't call me honey!" Marietta said, frustrated, then noticed there were people watching. "We need to talk alone."
Eloise raised her eyebrows as Marietta and Patrick walked away. "What is wrong with him?"
"I have no idea," replied Hannah, shaking her head. "Come on, let's go eat. Marietta can meet us later." Eloise nodded, and the two girls went on to breakfast.
Meanwhile, Marietta and Patrick had found an empty classroom and were talking. "Marietta, I don't understand why you're acting like this," Patrick said. "I thought everything was fine, and all of a sudden, you're mad at me."
Marietta crossed her arms. "You don't understand how I'm acting? Really? Then maybe you should think back to the other night. You know, when you said I had a "suspicious reputation" and accused me of not telling you something about myself. Remember that, Patrick?" She glared at Patrick. If looks could kill, she thought, I'd murder him on the spot. No, I'd just knock him out for a good long time.
"Marietta, I told you I trusted you. Why don't you believe me?"
"Because, Patrick, you did not apologize for mistrusting me. You did not apologize for hurting me. And then, you proceeded to tell everyone about what happened. That is why I don't believe you."
Patrick sighed. "Marietta, I had no idea you felt hurt. I would never hurt you. You've got to believe me," he said simply. "And what's all this about me supposedly telling everyone what happened?"
"Well, didn't you? It couldn't possibly have been anyone else! It wasn't me, I know none of my friends would have told, and there was no one else there. Tell me, Patrick, how else could the word possibly have leaked out? Hmm?" Marietta snapped.
"I only told one person, and I trust the person I told," Patrick said resolutely.
"Who did you tell?"
Patrick hesitated. "Alice."
"Alice? You trust her? You know she hates me! How in the world can you possibly trust that sneak?" Marietta yelled. "What I don't understand is how in the world I am supposed to trust you if you trust people that hate me!"
"Marietta, I'm really sorry. I promise I never would have told her if-"
"If what? And why did you even trust her in the first place?" Marietta spat, her fists clenched.
"Listen." Patrick sat down in a desk. "I should have thought about how you would feel before I told Alice what happened. It was just that I didn't want to tell any of my guy friends because, oh, I dunno why. She was the only person I felt like I could talk to. I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."
"Really?" Marietta asked softly, looking at him intensely.
"Really. Will you take me back?" Patrick asked hopefully.
"Yes." Marietta gave Patrick a hug and sat down again. "So now what?"
Patrick took Marietta's hand and stood up. "Now we go to breakfast."
*****
"Hey Hannah, I've been wondering-" Eloise stopped in the middle of her sentence, nearly spitting out her pumpkin juice. "No way. I can't believe it."
"What?" Hannah asked anxiously.
"Marietta and Patrick are coming in--and they're holding hands!"
"WHAT?! D'you think they're back together?"
Eloise shrugged. "They must be. But why on earth she took him back, I have no idea. Turn around and see for yourself." Eloise stared as the couple walked in. What on earth-?
Hannah turned around. Her jaw dropped. "No."
"Actually, it seems as if that would be a 'yes'." Eloise said.
"But why?" Hannah wondered. She's out of her mind! How can she take him back?
"I guess we'll have to find out for ourselves," said Eloise. "I just hope she hasn't made a bad decision."
Marietta brought Patrick over to the table and sat down. "Come on, Patrick, sit with us," she wheedled, and Patrick sat down beside her.Turning to Eloise and Hannah, she said, "Patrick and I got back together. Isn't that great?"
"Yeah, that's great." Eloise said flatly.
"Fantastic. I'm sure...never mind," Hannah muttered.
"Come on, Patrick, sit. You don't mind, do you?" Marietta turned to her two friends.
"It's fine," Hannah said, and Eloise nodded in agreement.
"Oh, all right then," Patrick conceded, and sat down.
The rest of the breakfast passed rather uncomfortably, with Marietta chattering away and Eloise and Hannah staying silent for the most part, except when Marietta asked them something. However, neither Marietta nor Patrick seemed to notice the two girls' taciturnity, and were completely absorbed in each other. Finally, Eloise and Hannah excused themselves and walked to Charms class a little early. Marietta had Ancient Runes, so she wouldn't be in class with them.
"I'll see you after class!" Marietta waved good-bye to her friends, who waved back as they left the Great Hall.
"What just happened?" Hannah asked. "I'm glad they got back together, but all the same..."
"I know what you mean. I didn't think they'd make it up. After all, Marietta was furious at him. I don't know what happened in that discussion of theirs, and I'll be glad to find out what made Marietta change her mind."
Hannah nodded. "Me too."
"So, I guess we'll talk to her later," Eloise said, then she looked up and gasped. "I can't believe those three..."
Eloise Midgen and the Acute Acne by eowyngirl
Chapter Notes: Sorry it took so long to get this up...I've been really busy. And had a brain tumor. But anyway, now I've had surgery, so I'm all better. Mostly. So thanks for waiting, and thanks to my beta reader, Molly Weasley, because she's wonderful and I couldn't do this without her. Thanks!