Sparrow Truman April 26th, 20XX

A large entourage of people suddenly invaded my workroom in the design department and it was obvious they were not here to make friends.

“ Where is Sparrow Truman!?”

I put down the scissors in my hands and pulled the pins out of my mouth before I stepped forward.

“ That’s me. What do you guys want? The application season for the showcase groups passed about a week ago.”

It was pretty clear that that wasn't why they were there but it was worth a shot to diffuse the situation before it escalated. I couldn't deny that I was curious about whatever they had come to antagonize me about but at the same time i was in a rush and needed more time than I had. I didn't want to spend the little of it that I had in a cat fight.

The one in the front, a catty looking girl with an annoyingly high pitched voice gave off an even more annoying laugh that was probably intended to ridicule me.

“ Like anyone would want to join your group after what you did.”

“ Which would be…?”

“ How dare you pretend not to know?! The entire school knows that you stole Alice’s boyfriend!”

My thoughts on escorting them out of the building was diffused by the shock induced by that statement and I was so surprised that if the pins were still in my mouth they would have fallen out. Behind her, I noticed the girl in question herself, Alice, crouched behind her cannon fodder of a minion and looking reluctant like she had been dragged here.

So I see, She wants to lash out at me but doesn't want to make herself look bad...but to use a friend so blatantly.

“ I….”

The loud girl cut me off,

“ I can't believe you stole Alice’s boyfriend! How could you be so low? Breaking up such a perfect couple?!!”

I first looked at her, then at the entourage behind her and was suddenly filled with the desire to laugh, but I suppressed it and was about to retort when the quadruplets began to whisper to the side in not so quiet voices.

“ But didn't they break up?”

“ I heard Jake dumped Alice?”

“ Yeah, I heard it was an awful scene as well with tears and everything”

“ I head she begged him not too.”

“ Yeah. But still, to break up with her so close to the showcase.”

“ Wasn't it because she kept going after his friend though?”

“ It wasn't like she was being secretive about it or anything”

“ I knew it. I mean how could a girl like that be satisfied with a guy who isn't even linked to a rich family.”

“ But her family isn't even really in the upper class. Aren't they just leeches off of Volui’s fame?”

“Yeah. I heard that too.”

“ But Jake is pretty wealthy on his own though. Like did you watch the Ads?”

“ Yeah! like the one with the puppy? That was so adorable?”

“ But in that case how did Sparrow get involved?”

The girl who had come to publicly shame me stayed quiet throughout the quadruplets hyper-paced conversation and only found the chance to speak once they finished.

“ H-how could you warp the story like that?! Alice would never do such a thing!”

The loud girl wanted to continue but was quickly cut off by the Quads again.

“ But she did though?”

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“ She wasn't exactly keeping it a secret either?”

“ Didn't she even come to see Sparrow once when she left the school with Finn?”

“ Yeah. In fact, didn't Sparrow end up asking us if the two were dating?”

“ And we said that there was no way Finn would be lacking in such taste”

“ Un. I remember that”

Once again the two girls were overwhelmed by the four’s speed talking skills and couldn't even get the time to defend themselves until the Quad’s stopped.

Alice pretty quickly realized that the loud girl couldn’t out talk them and began to quietly sob.

“ Vanessa, let’s just go. I didn't even want to come here and this is only making me feel worse. It's pretty obvious she had no intention of admitting it.”

The quads prepared to barrage them once again but I stopped them, intending to speak for myself this time.

“ You know, I generally don't like catfights but you seem pretty determined to start one don't you?”

“ What are-”

Vanessa had tried to start defending Alice but I wasn’t having it.

“ Shut up.”

I focused on Alice, not willing to even spare any attention to Vanessa.

“ Not only did I not ‘steal’ your boyfriend I was also there when he broke up with you, as well as while you were chasing after my younger brother. I’m not sure exactly what you thought would happen by coming here to confront me but even you should realize that you’re outclassed here.”

Vanessa pushed Alice further behind her, further putting herself in the eye of the public and began to yell at me. Well, she wasn't actually yelling since the school had strict noise management rules in all sections except the sports and music departments but she was very aggressive.

“ Finley isn't your younger brother, He’s an orphan! And how do we know that you weren't the one to push Jake into breaking up with her? Do you even know who her uncle is?! With a letter, she could make sure either you or your little friends here never find work in the industry again!”

The Quads began to laugh and began their official barrage before I had the chance to stop them, not that I would have.

“ And do they know who Sparrow’s older brother is?”

“ I don't think so if they did, they wouldn't dare threaten her with the industry.”

“ Wouldn't she choke on her own blood if they found out that not only was Sparrow’s brother, the head of the legal department of Volui. He is also incredibly close to the new heir that just inherited the whole thing and is officially listed as his partial legal guardian.”

“As well, Sparrow herself is quite close to the guy and has even visited his house before.”

“ Because her older brother is the legal guardian then that means that she's his sister as well right?”

“ And wasn’t Alice’s uncle’s job in danger?”

“ Yeah, she was loudly complaining about it before.”

“ Then wouldn't it be wiser to stop using him as a threat towards others?”

I had only ever dropped by occasionally to drop off food after the man was hospitalized. I’d never actually seen him. Speaking of which, I turned back to the Quads and decided to ignore the entourage which had slowly begun to disintegrate behind Alice.

“Did you guys see that article?”

“About the robbery?”

“ Yeah! I heard Jake held off an entire group of armed robbers to help a friend who had passed out”

“ Weren't there rumors that that friend was the Acting Chairman of volui?”

“ Yeah! I saw a picture of your brother and the Vice CEO of the company.”

“ I didn't get to see the actual guy though but I heard he’s super handsome!”

“ I saw the interview he did but the picture he had was in a mask.”

“I heard that he wears a mask everywhere through.”

“ Yeah, since he was emancipated he got to inherit the company right away even though he's not eighteen yet. He doesn't want his face to be known. ”

“ But his birthday is soon though. isn’t it in August?”

“ Yeah!”

“ Sparrow, can you get us some tickets?”

“ I’m sure it’ll be a big deal!”

“ But wait? doesn't that mean Jake personally knows the Owner or Volui? Since he saved his life and everything?”

The other three gasped as well as the rest of the entourage brought by Alice and Vanessa.

“ Then that means Alice was trying to cheat on a guy who is close enough with the chairman to go shopping together? ”

They all giggled together at her expense and she desperately looked back to her previously intimidating entourage only to realize that by now almost all of them had left, save for her Vanessa who looked very uncomfortable and a few others that looked just as uncomfortable but unwilling to leave.

“ But Finn is a good looking dude though.”

“ But isn't he younger than her?”

“ By two years I think.”

“Who would have thought the great Alice Marvin was into that type of thing.”

“ Wasn't Jake younger than her too though?”

“ Maybe the four-month age gap wasn't enough.”

Alice’s face grew uglier and uglier as the four talked and totally dismissed her presence in favor of gossiping about her.

She stormed away in a huff and Vanessa immediately followed her but the last remnants of her entourage stuck around a bit longer to hear more gossip, but soon left as well. I turned around to the Quads who looked up at me like puppies who wanted a treat for following orders.

I sighed,

“ You four….”

They all beamed at me with sparkling eyes that made it hard to reprimand them for stirring up so much drama just now.

“ I’ll ask my older brother if he can get me four extra tickets. Good job.”