ᴄᴀᴛ ꜱᴄʀᴀᴛᴄʜ ꜰᴇᴠᴇʀ

It was in the kitchen that Wendy felt like she could actually speak to her brother's girlfriend, the threat of eyes looming over every word they said finally gone. "You also have two brothers, is that right? I thought John mentioned something about you being a triplet." Wendy checked the fridge, taking notice of a missed cookie or two from her tray. "Did you say pastry? Do you have a sweet-tooth? You're more than welcome to a sneak peek of dessert, if you'd like--just don't tell John I let you, he'll accuse me of playing favorites."

She quickly nodded upon hearing who was responsible for the party that evening. While it made perfect sense she hadn't wanted to assume it made sense that Wendy was the one who put everything together. "That sounds about right, oui," the blonde laughed with her. So far it felt like things were going well but she didn't want to get ahead of herself, there was still time to trip over her words. "You did a great job, I can only imagine the party they would throw without your help. I can't imagine what my brothers would pull together if I put them in charge and left them to their own devices." She knew they were smart boys and had taste but worried they might lack in their execution. Marie quietly believed her brothers were more capable than the lost boys though they loved to prove her wrong.

At the mention of the boys, a smile widened, nodding eagerly to talk about them. "I do, Berlioz and Toulouse. Though you'd never know it, I argue we don't resemble each other at all until we get going then it's like we all use the same brain cell," she laughed. An eyebrow was arched at the mention of a sweet treat, having a bit of a weakness for anything sugary. Marie had never been one for spice but the moment an oven got preheated she was interested. "I would never, it'll be our little secret." The blonde gave a quick wink for added theatrics and joined her in front of the refrigerator. "Were these your creations as well? It's quite dangerous for me to know a talented baker, I'm a bit of a macaron le glouton."

John could say with certainty that this was the happiest he'd ever been, it took a bit of trouble to get here but it was worth it. Under the apprehension of past relationships, there was something extremely comforting about someone who would be proud to have him by her side as much as Marie did. There was an unabashed lack of apology towards anyone that look at their relationship in confusion, it made sense to them and that was all that mattered. Well, at first, it raised John's own eyebrows at how someone as talented and charming as Marie was interested in him but eventually he was able to push away thoughts like that. She would comfort him in reassuring that he had the ability to keep her happy by just being himself.

The couple had reached another date night, which he was especially excited to attend now considering that Marie had been a bit busy with her upcoming album. She was a hard worker and dedicated to her craft, if John needed to come after the priorities of the album, he completely understood. The walk up the porch steps were filled with an elation at just the thought that he was reuniting with his girlfriend, he was practically buzzing as he rang on the Bonfamille's doorbell. John awaited outside her family's house in the hopes that she'd enjoy the small bouquet of flowers he held behind him, an act he liked to surprise her with. He held the belief that fresh flowers were appropriate to give her even if they could never quite hold as much beauty as Marie could.

While she was initially concerned that things might be heading into the gutter it had all been smoothed over. Now here they were celebrating their first Valentine's Day together and Marie had something special planned. This might not have been her only one in a relationship but she'd never planned anything quite like this before. Her favorite pastel pink dress was taken from the closet to be paired with her classic curls and red heels that would be kicked off within the hour. The blonde would never pass up the opportunity to put together an outfit, even if it didn't end up staying on for very long, having another surprise for him there.

Marie was putting the final touches on the cupcakes she'd attempted earlier in the day when the doorbell rang. Now that they were cooled she added heart sprinkles, hoping their appearance made up for the taste. "Coming!" She called out, using the rest of the edible decor in her hand. The girl licked the rogue pink frosting off her hand before opening the door, a smile already prepared to grow upon sight of her boyfriend, arms swinging around him once she did. "Bonsoir mon cher," she greeted with a quick peck. "Are these for moi? They are beautiful, merci." Her cheeks flushed to match the florals he brought, pulling him inside where her own surprise awaited him. "I need to get these in water," she noted through a deep breath of their perfume. Marie quickly placed them into a vase in the kitchen to hurry back and show him what she'd made for the occasion. "They match the cupcakes! I made them myself from scratch and everything." While she was proud of that fact, it came with a warning. "I will get them catered next time if they taste as horrible as I'm afraid they might."

Something was in the air that night but Marie hadn't the slightest idea what. From the moment they entered Sharpay's home, there was a hush that fell over the other attendees as if there was something that only she hadn't been informed of. The initial reaction from the other blonde made her pause, waiting to hear if there was more to the story. "What am I missing here?" Her eyes started to follow Sharpay's before pausing and reconnecting with the girl before her. Something was afoot but Marie was trying to find where the dots aligned. "Non, we haven't talked much about our past relationships yet. This is actually the first time he's meeting any of my friends, I thought it would be a good test to make sure he was the man I thought he was," she explained before teetering off at the end, knowing there must be more. "You and him haven't... have you?"

It was a moment, a glimpse, into the truth and Marie took that as a success. She knew more about the situation than she let on but the blonde knew it would be better in the long run to play stupid. Whatever Colette wanted her to know, that was the information she would like to hear if her half-sister was so inclined to share. "Maybe you need it more than I do," Marie joked as the other girl took the flask. She liked to be prepared on all fronts, knowing that Tink would be coming for her even if only through murderous glances. "It always feels like this time of year is the hardest, doesn't it? Something always has to ruin the season." When the weather turned cold, it made the hard feels all the more frigid, Marie feeling a chill down her spine as they stood in the crisp air. "Apparently it was caché, I only found out after she disappeared at a party when we arrived," she explained before using the bourbon in the flask to warm her from within. The liquid nearly spilled out upon nearing the word husband, immediately feeling as though she missed something major. "Pardon moi? A husband? Non, non, her and John only dated. I had no idea she was married before." The blonde scooted a little closer eyes lightning up at the most recent development in this story. "To who?"

So, it was with an open mind and a small smile that Wendy was approached by the other blonde. "It's so lovely to meet you," she greeted, pulling the girl into a quick hug as she introduced herself. "Oh, I'd say that's too kind of him, but I'm sure I couldn't think of a bad thing to say about John, either. We already have more in common than I thought." Wendy accepted the drink, glancing around the living room until her eyes landed on the girl who would care most about this interaction. "Do you want to go somewhere to chat? It can get quite rowdy in here, you know, they are a bunch of boys after all," she offered, nodding her head toward the kitchen.

Eyes were on them, only seeing how Wendy's gaze shifted and the offer to move elsewhere. The blonde was happy to oblige since she wished to avoid feeling more misplaced. "I could say the same about my brothers, that is until one of them takes the last pastry," she replied with a gentle laugh. Marie usually didn't overthink her actions, it became autopilot from her mother's constant overwatching. This entire scenario had brought forth a new kind of worry and the blonde found herself wanting to make a good impression more than usual. John had been unlike any other boy she'd ever met, seeing her as more than a pretty face or dollar signs, she was just a girl. He might've been the first person who actually thought she was smart or smart enough to teach about his favorite things, like Dungeons and Dragons which Marie had taken a particular interest in. Once in the safety of the kitchen, the blonde took a sip of her drink before focusing back on the other female. "They do throw a great party, do they do all of this themselves?" There were drinks, assorted snacks, and even a decoration or two. Not that it was anything like the ones thrown at the Bonfamille estate or the one she'd be attending for New Year's Eve but for the residents, she was impressed by the effort. "I would love to see my brothers put something like this together."

While Marie had information about the situation at hand, the blonde decided it best to keep her knowledge quiet and allow her half-sister to explain if she so chose. "That bad?" She offered a small smile to show there were no ill intentions but with Colette she knew it could've been misprecieved. It could've gone either way, she just wanted to try. The blonde reached down to pull up the side of her dress to reveal a flask hidden secured to her thigh by a garter. "I've got just the thing," she retorted unscrewing the top and holding it out for the other. "I came prepared knowing that Tink was on a rampage against me." That was only the beginning but the blonde wished to not think too deeply on the matter or she would apiral. All she needed to know was that John had come with her that night and that Marie had continued to maintain her truth instead of the narrative created for her. "I might as well have but non, I'm dating her ex," she exhaled, knowing she needn't add more details for Colette to understand. "Thus to no one's surprise, I am public enemy number one."