Joan shrugged. "Fine," she said simply.
The entire table blinked at her quick compliance.
"Good. That's settled then," Sarah declared before getting back to finishing her meal. Next to her, Tiffany seemed almost furious, but she held her tongue.
Eventually, Nicole relaxed and tried to strike up a conversation on more uncontroversial subjects.
Later, as lunch ended and the students prepared for their afternoon classes, Nicole pulled Joan aside. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, putting a concerned hand on the taller brunette's shoulder. "I know how you feel about dressing too girly. If you don't want to, don't feel like you have to. And if Sarah gives you the silent treatment, you know I'll still be there for you."
"I'm alright," Joan reassured her. "I'm not really planning for this to go on for too much longer anyway."
The other girl looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Joan shook her head. "Nothing, it's nothing. Oh, by the way, it seems like my problem with the bracelet's gotten out. My sister discovered it last night, and now she's told Athena."
Nicole's eyes widened. "That frilly vampire girl?"
"Technically, she's just Goth. But yeah, that's her. Anyway, Athena thinks she knows someone who might be able to help. So, I agreed to meet with this person, even though I don't know who this mysterious contact is. From what Athena tells me, this person is pretty secretive."
"Do you think that's safe? I mean, Athena's weird enough in public. I hate to think what her private acquaintances are like."
"Well, that's why I'd like you to come with me. I figure that if anything goes wrong, I can count on you and the stone as backup."
Nicole considered it in silence until they reached their next class. "Okay, I'll go with you," she said, pausing at the doorway. "This was all my fault to begin with, and I want to help fix this. It's the least I can do for my best friend." She emphasized this statement with a quick hug before they entered the classroom.
