Beatrix tried to escape; she really did.
But her futile attempts to get out of the house were stopped by one word from Clara.
"Study!" Clara corralled her into River's room, where they would be studying.
After being pushed into the room, Clara shut the door behind her. Beatrix froze in place, not sure how to act.
River's room was clean and orderly. A bit too orderly. It seemed like he didn't quite feel comfortable here yet. It was probably difficult to feel comfortable around people he hated so much.
River smiled at her warmly but didn't start the conversation.
"...Hi." Beatrix didn't want to talk to him. But she couldn't get out of this; she still heard Clara's voice outside the door, talking to Daniel.
"Hello, do you want to sit?" River gestured to the other seat he had positioned at his desk.
Rather than saying anything, Beatrix just sat down stiffly. River started putting his textbooks and various homework down. Beatrix did the same, bringing them out from her backpack.
River was trying to make it comfortable, she could tell, but the silence was so incredibly awkward. Their strange dynamic of chasing and avoiding meant they really didn't know how to act around each other.
"What's your weakest subject?" He said simply.
Beatrix felt a little bit of relief. It looks like he really was going to focus on studying, rather than attempting to flirt. She had no problem talking about school.
"They're all pretty even, honestly. I just need to do some general studying." As the main character, Charlotte had excellent grades, she just needed to increase them a bit.
"Sounds great, I'm probably gonna focus on math, it's my weakest subject." He started flipping through one of the textbooks.
"Do you mind if I get your help every now and then?" He asked.
"Oh uh… Okay," Beatrix said stiffly.
-
Beatrix found that he was much easier to deal with when he focused on something other than her. River seemed to really care about his grades. It surprised her a bit, considering the book made him out to be some sort of ruffian. He's actually pretty hardworking.
Though maybe she shouldn't be so surprised, the author wrote so few details about him in the book.
They were silent, except for River asking a question about math every now and then. He was right, he was horrible at math. He was taking advanced placement math classes, however. And he was good at everything else, which Beatrix found out when River took the initiative to help her with some history questions.
They hadn't been studying for very long, but when she heard Clara leave the house, she immediately packed all her things up and left River's room.
But an annoying part of her felt bad.
She stopped outside his door and slowly turned around.
"Thanks." Beatrix swiftly left before he could reply.
River sat in his chair, looking at the closed door, a slightly stunned expression on his face.
He shook it off and got back to his dismal math homework.
-
The clink of tableware sounded in the dining room as Lucy placed dinnerware on the table. She was setting everything nicely, preparing for the dinner she was about to serve. She hummed a little tune to herself.
"That's a pretty song."
Lucy startled, accidentally knocking over the water glass she was filling, breaking it.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" Beatrix started profusely apologizing.
"Let me go get a new one." Beatrix turned around, hoping the statement sounded natural.
"That's okay, I can do it-" Lucy started to say, but Beatrix had disappeared into the kitchen. Lucy was taken aback, but quickly moved on and started cleaning the broken glass.
Beatrix steadied herself in the kitchen, glaring at the water glass as if it were her mortal enemy.
She had poured the ingredients in, and all she had to do now was put it out. It was easy, far too easy. If this simple plan worked, someone would die today.
Before she could think it through anymore, she quickly took the glass and put it on the table, where River always ate.
She sat down heavily in her dining chair and waited for the rest of the family, doing her best not to look at the incriminating glass of water.
"You're here early." River sat next to her, where he usually did.
"Yeah, I guess." She couldn't look at him.
"Do you know what we're having tonight?" River asked, trivially.
Beatrix quietly mumbled an answer; she was vaguely aware of her parents seating themselves and dishes being served, but she couldn't focus on any of it. She felt the rest of the world fade away; the only thing she could focus on was River's water glass, just within arm's reach of her.
She heard her family's voices in her ears, begging for Beatrix to save them. She saw them reaching out to her from the flames, calling her name, telling her to do anything to bring them back. She saw their dead, crumpled bodies decaying in the fire, skeletons looming under their withering skin.
Then she saw River convulsing from poison, foam at the mouth. She imagined him collapsed on the ground, dead, his skin pale and eyes clouded.
Why was she in the position to decide people's life and death?
Beatrix watched, in what felt like slow motion, as River reached for his glass of water.
Before she could think it through, she quickly reached over River and took his drink before he could grab it.
"I'm thirsty!" Beatrix yelped.
The three other people at the table stared at her, shocked, as Beatrix downed River's cup of water.
River was especially taken aback, his hand outstretched for his glass. He stared at Beatrix, completely confused and suspicious.
Regret immediately tore Beatrix apart.
She just acted incredibly suspicious. She had her own perfectly good water that would satiate her thirst; it was strange for her to suddenly grab River's.
But more importantly, she practically just killed herself.