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It was maddening, absolutely maddening.
Miss Bunting stood there and watched as Esmeralda moved further and further away, talking to one Ymbryne after another and letting the conversations carry her across the hall, away from her love.
As she went, Miss Avocet didn't even stop to look back and see where her girlfriend was, or how she was doing. Despite knowing Rosemary had never been to a council meeting before, she left her to fend for herself.
"You alright sugar?" An older woman, Miss Blue tit, put her hands down on Miss Bunting's shoulders, smiling. "You look upset sweetheart."
Rosemary shook off the hands. "I'm fine, thanks, Ellen. When is dinner?" She asks, hoping perhaps Esmeralda would return to her when it was time to eat.
"Oh, very soon. We'll ring the dinner bell in a minute." She lets go of her shoulders, chirping happily as she moves on to another Ymbryne. "Bonnie darling..."
In the blink of an eye she's gone, leaving Rosemary to stew in her anger and resentment. Arms crossed, she kept staring out across the room, but her partner can no longer be seen. She has disappeared.
Logically, she knows it is not about this incident. It is a bigger issue of the relationship, which she perceived.
The issue of Esmeralda not caring enough.
Before, when they were young and all they had was their powers and their dreams, she had been close and loving. It had been the two of them against the world, and they relied on each other.
Now, they were settled. They had students and status and a school. And suddenly, Esmeralda didn't seem to need her anymore. They slept at opposite sides of the bed instead of meeting at the middle, and she was only ever referred to as 'Miss Bunting'.
It was as though they weren't romantic partners any more.
Suddenly, the bell rings and everyone starts filling out of the hall, over to the dining room next door.
As she moves to join the que, she feels a new pair of hands gripping her shoulders. They're smaller and bonier, and Rosemary can barely contain the mixed emotions inside her as she turns around.
"Hello love" Esmeralda smirks, and then, she kisses her. It's quick, their lips crashing against each for a few fleeting seconds before she pulls way again, but her green eyes sparkle. "I love you."
Miss Bunting pulls back, almost discussed as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Am I a joke to you?" She asked, staring her in the eye.
Miss Avocet was shocked, never having seen Miss Bunting look so disgusted. "No! Of course not. Why...why would you think I think you're a joke?"
Miss Bunting bit her lip, waiting to answer as a few Ymbrynes passed by. "Because of the way you treat me Esme!" She exclaimed, annoyed. "You know I know noone here and yet you run off the moment you get a chance."
"Rosie I didn't run off…" Miss Avocet began, finding her way of speaking really unfair.
"You did too! Or else you would've looked to see I wasn't following!" Miss Bunting argued back, not taking any of it. "Am I not interesting to you anymore? Is that it? Has the baby gotten tired of her toy?" The last part is almost mocking, her anger telling her to hurt Miss Avocet the same way her flippant attitude hurt her.
Miss Avocet was absolutely bewildered at this point, not understanding what was going on. Her calm, mellow Rosie was suddenly exploding all over the place. "You know I love you Rosie! You're not a...a toy! I would never call you that."
"Well I feel like that!" Miss Bunting suddenly burst into tears, her emotions truly getting the best of her. "We have everything we want so why are you unhappy?"
"I am not unhappy!" Miss Avocet argued, starting to get very upset herself at the accusations. "You're insane Rosie! I'm perfectly happy!"
"Then why do we sleep on opposite sides of the bed?" It’s the heart of the issue that she finally get down to at the end. “Why am I always, always Miss Bunting? I don’t even know the last time you called me Rosie without me making you upset first!”
Miss Avocet didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to answer, to shocked by the discontent Miss Bunting had been feeling - and hiding - over their relationship. Worst of all though was that she seemed to believe that Esmeraldra had been unhappy as well, when she herself was nothing short of satisfied by the way things were.
Miss Bunting huffed. “Forget it. You can sleep on the couch tonight and we’ll see if you’re still satisfied with our situation!”
Miss Avocet was flabbergast. “I didn’t even do anything! Why am I thrown out?!”
“Because you won’t prove that I mean anything!” She exclaimed, upset and heartbroken. “You don’t mean it when I say I love you!”
“Rosie!” Miss Avocet hissed, seeing that Ymbrynes had come back out of the dining room to watch the two of them as they fought. “There’s nothing to watch there!” She told off the woman observing them with great interest.
The woman, however, didn’t retreat, but simply tried to act busy. They didn’t want to anger the older Ymbryne but neither did they want to give up a nice piece of gossip.
“It doesn’t matter,” Miss Bunting snapped. “I know where you stand now Esme.” And with that, she turned on her heel and left, hardly believing that she dared do that. “Don’t hurry home for me.”
Miss Avocet stood there shocked and upset. Only moments later, that turned into absolute terror and embarrassment, making her quickly follow her partner to get away from the curious judging eyes and ears.
She very quickly ran, hoping to see her partner out there, but when she didn’t, she simply transformed, picking up her dress in her talons and flying home.
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She comes flying up against the window, cawing outside their bedroom to try and get Miss Bunting to let them in without her having to turn into a naked woman outside.
It takes a few moments, but eventually, Miss Bunting opens the window.
"Who's out there?" She looked out of the window, and her face fell as she spotted the Avocet hovering in mid air outside. She'd only just got it together,and now she felt herself tearing up again. "No! No you don't come in here!"
Not thinking at first, she grabs Esmeralda's hairbrush and throws it straight out the window, watching in horrified fascination as it hits the bird straight between the eyes, sending her spinning head first towards the ground.
"Esmeralda!" Not even Esmeralda didn't want this. She was upset, and angry, but she didn't want this to happen. Terrified,she leans out the window and follows her with her eyes. She's only got a meter or two left to go when she turns human, the lifeless, naked body hitting the ground with a shallow thud.
She runs down the stairs, ignoring the curious gaze of Esmeralda's beloved students who observe her panicked exit out of the house.
In the minute or so it takes for her to come to her, her girlfriend doesn't move. She lay there, unconscious and unaware of her embarrassing situation.
Miss Bunting quickly took the blanket she nicked on the way out, using it to cover her partner as she shake her shoulder. "Esme, wake up."
It takes a few tries, bit eventually she stirr, ugly bruises adorning the space between her eyes as she opens those green eyes to look at her partner.
"Rosie?" She reaches up to rub at the bruises, wincing. "What happened?"
Rosie winces too, sympathetic and guilty. "I hit you between the eyes with your hairbrush. Don't worry, I'll find it." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. I was just...I'm just still angry with you."
Miss Avocet sighed. "Well when you're beating me up, maybe you can talk to me calmly." She takes the blanket, keeping it wrapped around her as she sits up. "What did I do?"
Miss Bunting sighed. "I feel like you don't care anymore." She said bluntly. "You sleep as far away as you can get in the same bed and you only ever call me by my Ymbryne name." She lowered her voice, blushing red but pressing on anyway. "We don't even have sex anymore Esme."
Miss Avocet went beet red. "Rosie...what are you saying…?" She felt her heart sitting in her throat for a moment, nearly exploding with how fast it went. "Since when do you care about sex?"
"I don't." Miss Bunting took a deep breath,trying not to feel embarrassed. "I'm just saying you need to change. Not...the sex isn't as important as the other things. But it wouldn't hurt."
For a while, Miss Avocet can't even answer that. And even when she finally does, it's with the tiny voice of a child.
"I didn't think you would like it"
"What?" Miss Bunting stares at her, not believing what she just heard. "Whatever do you mean?"
Miss Avocet looks away, the words she want to say hard to come by. "I've changed since we started school. I know I'm not as pretty anymore and I've put on quite a few pounds and…"
"And you think I wouldn't like being close to you anymore?"
Miss Bunting interrupts,not wanting to hear anymore of all the things Miss Avocet had to describe her misery.
"Yes"
Miss Avocet felt tears pooling in her eyes, trying not to cry at all cost. "Yes I really thought you wouldn't. I thought...it was better to keep my distance.”
“Oh Esme...we’ve both gotten older. How could I judge you for that?” Miss Bunting asked, moving closer to her partner and pulling her into a tight hug. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Miss Avocet put her head against Miss Butning’s shoulder, slowly starting to cry. “You know I don’t...I don’t say what I feel. I didn’t want you to leave me.” She admitted, her tears growing into full- blown sobs. She felt so useless and unattractive and she just hadn’t wanted to drag Miss Bunting down with her.
At the same time, she had not realized that Miss Bunting was so very unhappy with the way stood between them herself.
“Esme...I will never leave you. Even though you drive me crazy, I promise I won't.” She said softly. “Please stop crying. There is nothing to cry for. I love you and it’s all going to be alright.” Miss Bunting try to comfort, unsure what one should do when their stoic partner was having a full-blown meltdown of the worst kind.
Slowly, Miss Avocet stopped crying. She calmed down, somewhat coming back to her senses after having a great big cry. It was very unlike her but felt really good, releasing all the tension and energy that had been building up.
Miss Bunting smiled. "I think we've both learned a lot from this huh?" She said softly. "And I think we can do better now." She said kindly.
Miss Avocet nodded. Then, she started giggling. "Did it really bother you that we're not having sex?"
Miss Bunting laughed too. "No! God, Esme, no. But I promise you. You are as beautiful as the day we met. It will never change, okay?" She grinned, leaning in and giving her partner a loving kiss.
Miss Avocet smiled. "Alright" She gave in, kissing her back. "I love you Rosie." She promised. "And I'm sorry I pushed you away."
Miss Bunting exhaled. "It's fine. I understand. I don't agree, but I understand now." She slowoly go up off the gorund, offering esmeralda a hand. “Let’s go inside.”
Miss Avocet looked up at her, smiling. “Let’s"