"It will be lots of fun Mienne. That charming young man, Lucifer will be there too."
All the reason not to come, Mienne thought. Her mother seemed determined to make her come to the social function her company was putting on. There were always a few on every year, she had lived for them when she was younger - mostly for the gorgeous spread of free food - but as she got older the glamour of a evening making forced conversation wore off.
"Sarsafine doesn't have to go," Mienne protested.
"Do you have something else on?"
"I... was... thinking of going to see a film with Maggie."
"Fine, fine," her mother said with a sigh.
Mienne silently celebrated her victory, as she ran up the stairs to call Maggie.
"Save me Maggs! Can you go see a movie with me Saturday evening? Mum's trying to drag me to some work function where I will be forced to spend the evening with Lucifer, arg. And for some reason she bought the excuse that I made plans to see a film with you. "
"Hey, he's not that bad a guy."
"What? Oh, Lucifer? Sorry Maggs, I'm sure he's very nice to you, but we just don't... click."
"Omg, you should totally invite me along to the work function!"
"But..."
"That way I get to see him, you get to spend the evening with me, you don't have to be stuck in his company... it's a win win win situation."
"No, but..."
"But what? You can't trump the win win win situation, Mi. Royal flush, darl."
And so that was how Mienne found herself seated next to Lucifer and Maggie as they whispered to each other. Every now and then Maggie would giggle loudly. Mienne slowly made her way through the bowl of salted peanuts, one for every giggle, she wasn't sure what she would do when she ran out. Eating this much salt must have been bad for her. Somehow Maggie's theoretical win win win had turned out to be a win win lose situation.
Sarsafine was having fun at some party. Heck, even the spouses looked like they were having more fun at this social function than she was - they were at least roaming the room. She noticed that she was the only one sitting down and looking bored.
"Hey Lucifer, do you mind taking the jug to the bar to get it refilled?"
"Why don't you, b... " he stopped himself, remembering Maggie's presence, "what's wrong with your bipedal abilities?"
"Can't you spare me even a drop of Maggie's attention?" Mienne didn't have the energy to hide her annoyance anymore.
"Lucifer, just do us a favour," Maggie put in.
He took the jug and headed across the room.
"Mienne, I'm really sorry, I didn't even notice, I'm being a total bitch."
About to say something nastier, Mienne let out her breath and instead said, "Maggie, you for all people are not a bitch. A bit star-struck by a particular member of the male gender perhaps, but not a bitch. I'm just whiny because I've never fallen for a guy enough to understand."
The conversation may have gone somewhere, and redeemed the evening for Mienne, but instead they were interrupted as another boy approached the table.
"Why hello pretty ladies," said Damien, taking Lucifer's seat without invitation. "Mienne, you must introduce me to this beautiful lady, I don't believe I have seen you at these functions before."
Mienne clamped her teeth together to stop herself from saying anything less than civil. With cold politeness she managed, "this is my friend from school, Maggie, and this is Damien son of the Manager of my mother's department."
Maggie was all smiles and cheerful small talk, but for Mienne her win win lose situation was just getting more unbalanced. She had almost forgotten how much she disliked Damien until just now. She emptied the salted peanuts into her palm as she watched Maggie ask Damien about all the standard aspects of his life and nod in vigourous appreciation as he replied. The only thing she was getting out of this was that she didn't have to talk to the arrogant sleaze herself.
"That's is my seat."
No 'excuse me', no apology, and Mienne surprised herself by siding with Lucifer's lack of civility.
"There are plenty of seats around this table, you should engage that beautiful young lady over there in conversation," Damien motioned to Mienne. Mienne almost gagged on the last peanut. Beautiful, ha, certainly wasn't what his last remark to her had been.
"Well I would prefer the to engage this beautiful young lady in conversation, being my girlfriend and all."
(Mienne scoffed to herself. Trust the devil to be able to offend two people out of three in one sentence. And the third hardly counted when she was the girl he was dating.)
"Well then I'm sure you are able to spare her for a few minutes out of the many years I hope you will spend together."
Whatever it was about this last line, it was the spark that lit the fuel. Mienne stood in anger. "You are such a fucking hypocrite. Damien. Kingston. You act the gentleman very well. But I know you. You'd fucking lie through your teeth, down your throat, and out your arse to mess with people. Get the fuck out of here."
"Yeah, fuck off," Lucifer reitterated.
Damien stood. "Might I remind you both that your mother's happen to work for my mother. And if I were you I'd at least pretend to be a bit more civil. For their sake."
"Oh stop it. All of you. Acting like bickering children," Maggie pushed her chair back, "I need some air, if you'll accompany me, Damien."
Lucifer looked stunned.
Maggie pecked him on the cheek, "there's nothing going on between us. chill! But you were so out of line, so think about that while I'm gone. Stop looking so offended, dude, I'll be back before you know it."
"Maggs-" Mienne started, but Maggie and Damien were already out of hearing. "That sleaze," she muttered under her breath.
Lucifer snorted an agreement. He poor two drinks from the jug he had just brought back and the two of them resumed their seats in silence. Lucifer stared into space. Mienne ran her finger around the insider of the peanut bowl and licked the salt off her finger tips. He stared at her. She stared back, challenging him to say something.
"Oh my! Don't you two make a fine couple!"
"W-"
"I have no doubt I'll be seeing you at a lot more functions now, Mienne darling, won't I! How is your sister? I haven't seen her for a long time. She must have blossomed into a beautiful young woman by now surely! Tell her she must come to the next social function in May. "
"G-"
"Oh and aren't you a handsome new addition to our social events. I told your mother, 'that young man of yours is just a darling'. Mienne has been awfully lonely since things ended between my Damien and her. Damien can look after himself very well, but you'll cheer up young Mienne won't you?"
"Georgina-"
"Oh Sylvia! Sylvia! Please, introduce me to your new husband." And she was gone.
"Who, was that?" Lucifer finally managed.
"That, devil boy, is your mother's manager. Georgina Kingston. Most notorious gossip in the world. And the bitch just got it into her mind that we're a couple."
"Fucking great."
"You wonder how she gets her hand on any gossip with her lack of ability to listen to a word anyone says and all that - oh wait, she just makes assumptions. See that woman over their, Sylvia: apparently she was a lesbian last August. Apparently half the workers were to be made redundant two years ago. Apparently so and so was cheating on his wife with such and such. So on and so forth. The bitch."
"You dated that son of a bitch?"
"Ha. Damien? I've made better mistakes in my lifetime. I don't want to talk about it."
They resumed their silence for several minutes, before Lucifer asked, "how long does it take to get some air?"
Mienne thought about it. The answer was: not this long. She was out of her seat and heading towards the door in a minute. Angry thoughts about Damien were racing through her mind. Lucifer hurried after her, with thoughts of a different motive but similar nature.
"Maggie? Maggs?" The landing outside of the function hall was deserted. "Shit."
And the two of them were scouring the room for any hint of Damien or Maggie. Somewhat like young kids playing hide and seek around their parents' legs, but Mienne couldn't help feeling a sense of dread that made her search more urgently.
She heard commotion and a female voice from within the male toilet.
"Mienne, that's the male-"
She didn't hesitate before storming in. Lucifer stumbled in after her.
Damien was tugging at Maggie's clothing, saying, "C'mon, tell me you weren't shit bored out there. You said you wanted some fun." She wasn't listening crying out something that came out more like a panicked whimper.
"Get the fuck off her, you freak." And Lucifer was slamming Damien into the wall.
Mienne rushed to Maggie.
Someone crashed to the floor.
But then they were both up again, head ramming, fists swinging, bodies slamming into things.
"You piece of shit," Lucifer growled.
"Well you're a bastard."
"Fuck you. Fuck you to hell!" Lucifer sent Damien falling into the cubical, ramming into the toilet and landing in a tangle of limbs he couldn't get out of.
"It's hurts because it's true, bastard," he yelled as Lucifer ushered the girls out of the room, slamming the door with furious loudness.
They found a couch in a corner and sat Maggie down.
"Oh god. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Lucifer said, his voice still laced with anger. Maggie winced.
Mienne positioned herself between Maggie and him. "Lay off Lucifer. Go clean yourself up before anyone sees you."
"I'm not leaving."
Mienne shrugged and turned to Maggie. "Are you okay?"
"I'm so sorry, Mienne, now I've screwed up the evening for everyone."
"Maggie, don't worry about us, were okay. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"God I should have known. I should have stopped you. I... He's Damien, of course he would do something like that."
"Oh so you knew," Lucifer cut in, "and you didn't, oh I don't know, say something? Bitch."
"Fuck you, devil boy. Aren't I hating myself enough already?"
"I can't believe you didn't fucking-"
"Stop it! Both of you!" Maggie stood up, "just shut up. Okay?" And she was running.
"Wait, Maggie."
Lucifer halted when they reached the door of the female toilets and swore under his breath. Mienne rushed in after her.
"Maggie..."
"Mienne, I just need some time okay?" she half-whispered, "I'm not fucking traumatised, just fucking pissed at how stupid I was. I just need to get my head around that. Okay? So just leave me alone for now." And with that she locked herself into a cubical.
"Maggie!"
"I'm okay! Really! Just give me some space, okay?"
Lucifer grabbed Mienne the moment she walked out the door. "Is she okay?"
"Yes. Though you certainly didn't help." She pushed past him before he could say anything more and headed for the door. She needed some air now.
She slowed to a stop a couple of steps from the door. Reina was sobbing hysterically into her mother's shoulder. Her mother caught her eye before she had a chance to retreat back into the hall. "Get Lucifer," she mouthed. Mienne could only nod.
"Lucifer..."
"What the fuck do you want?"
"Lucifer, your mother..."
He changed his tone of voice, "what's wrong?"
"I don't know, but she looked pretty upset. She's out on the landing with my mum."
He hurried away.
Mienne was slouched on the couch, when Lucifer returned and slumped down beside her.
"I think we're going home. Can you tell Maggie that well... I'm not mad at her or anything."
"What happened?"
"Shit happened."
"What happened?"
"That bitch, the gossip, told everyone about my bastard situation."
"So..."
"Yeah, I'm a fucking bastard, do you have a problem with that?"
"No... But that's not that scandalous a thing right?"
"I guess not, but my mum's having a hard time getting over it. It's your typical story, she fell for some guy, fucked him, got pregnant, he dumped her. Only she had pretty bad post-natal depression. She called me fucking Lucifer, doesn't that say it all? She won't fucking tell me who my father is, so I can't even find him and stab the dickhead."
"Lucifer..."
"The whole fucking world knows. Whoop-dee. And my mother is probably going to try and kill herself now. Stop looking at me like that, bitch. What's your problem anyway? Bitch." And he was gone.
"I wasn't looking at you in any particular way..." Mienne was left muttering to herself.
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