The Letter Of Betrayal PV Tina Carille

ᡣ𐭩 ྀི Mentions ྀིᡣ𐭩

ᡣ𐭩 ྀི Outfit ྀིᡣ𐭩

ᡣ𐭩 ྀི Notes ྀིᡣ𐭩

I was going to mail the last letter to my family of the year! Before u went home for the summer holidays. I couldn't wait to spend lots of time with them. Though I was going to ask them if I could possibly go to summer camp for a few weeks. I paused at the top of the Owlery. There was a blonde girl. Slytherin, with an older Ravenclaw. I looked at the girl, then at the Ravenclaw. The Slytherin looked pissed off and the Ravenclaw did not. She looked…Dare I say smug. The blonde was holding bits of a shredded letter. So I took the one assumption, the Ravenclaw did something. Believe me, we are not all angels. I've met the kindest Slytherins and the rudest Ravens. " What did YOU do?" I asked her in a bit of a rude tone. I crossed my arms and gave a death glare. I looked at the blonde. Trying to pry an answer out of her. I went over to an owl, gave it the letter, and bid it a good journey." By the way I'm still waiting for my answer." I said scanning the room. I didn't pity the girl but I knew I had to find out what was wrong. She didn't seem like the person who wanted to be pityed. She seemed like the one who would punch someone in the face. I'm telling you right now. I want to punch someone in the face.

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Lauren smirked as a Ravenclaw appeared out of nowhere and confronted her sister. Her lip curled in satisfaction as she nodded at the girl, who also seemed to be a first year. She was surprised, though, by how she decided to stand on Lauren's side instead of her sister's, as she was in the same house as Arianna after all.

A Ravenclaw who stood against one of their own. Rare. No, legendary.

A Ravenclaw who stood up for what was right. Lauren admired her.

A truly remarkable woman, though she was sure that Briar would also have stood up for her.

But this girl was a stranger. Okay, she might have seen her once or twice in classes, but that was it. No other interactions. Not a wave in the corridors. Not a simple 'hi'.

And yet she looked as though she was going to fly at Arianna at any moment and punch her face squarely. Not to say that Lauren didn't, though. She pictured Arianna's reaction if she and the Ravenclaw were to knock her breath out of her and pin her to the ground as she lay suffocating under their stony glares, begging for mercy in a squeaky voice. There would be no Felix to help her, no mother or father to help her out and punish Lauren. There would only be two first-years threatening her life if she wouldn't change her behavior.

In her mind, Arianna was lying on the floor of the owlery, clinging to the walls who refused to symphathise with her. The owls would stand, chirping, as they cackle at her demise and tell Arianna one thing: justice always serves itself. The Ravenclaw would tell her not to play the game if she didn't understand the extent of her opponents' power. A fluttering owl would excrete on her head and bring out one thing: even an inhumane being would hold more status and power than her. She would cry hopelessly for help, still taking it for granted. Even aunt Loratrix, who Lauren wanted to punch in the face, would understand her mistake and apologise -- this time to Lauren, not to the majority of the Vanes family. Felix, being the cold-hearted man he was, would stare indifferently from the door, not wishing to be involved even when the younger sister he despised was claiming victory against Arianna, of whom he adored. Arianna would plead for him to help her, yet the coward would make no action.

And the reason for that would be his so-called 'strategy'. That he didn't want to be involved in more matters, step out and prove that there was light inside him. In truth, there was none. Lauren knew him enough to know that no one would defend Arianna. And she would have that moment to herself. Revenge after years of suffering.

Sweet.

You know that it can happen, she told herself. If you finish what you started, never back down. You won't ever lose. You would either win or learn. Take advantage. And this... all this... it could be true. Power belongs to those who take it.

Perhaps this was because of her Slytherin nature, combined with her longlasting desire for revenge. She had told herself one thing: remember and recover, not forgive and forget.

Aunt Loratrix is not worthy to call herself a Slytherin! She is a coward, one who gave in too easily. And I must learn from her example and strive to finish what she didn't! I will make myself an improved version of her. And this may only be possible with allies. And this girl looks... capable. She has a brave heart and a fierce mind.

Brilliant.

She opened her mouth to ask the Ravenclaw if she wanted to team up and humble Arianna (this, in her world, was the first step), but shut it when she asked Arianna about what she had done. That meant that she had no context of how Lauren had been treated by her, and what actually had happened. She had only seen the expression on Lauren's face and the gloat on Arianna's.

And that had told her everything. Lauren found it hard not to admire her for her intelligence and willingness to stand up for her -- no, what was right.

"I'm still waiting for an answer," the girl had said.

Only then did she realise that Arianna was still very much listening to the girl's words and was still standing next to her, safe and unharmed. Curse her dreams that steered her from reality. Maybe Aunt Loratrix wasn't the only thing that brought her away from her goals.

She shrugged and turned to look at Arianna, and secretly hoped that she would answer the Ravenclaw's question. Sure enough, she didn't, and glared at both of them in unbrindled fury instead. Then she seemed to calm down and started to speak. But it was in a low growl.

"Lauren Loratrix Vanes. Carrying the filthy blood of your aunt in your name, as I can see. Yes, we have masterfully wrapped her around our little fingers, which is unfortunate for you. But think before you ask this lousy girl -- yes, I do not give a damn that she is a Ravenclaw -- to help you to confront me. You are a fool, Lauren. Crossed arms and a death glare won't move me. You'll have to think of something better. But still, I have a worthy Ravenclaw on my side -- that's your brother. A fourth year. Look at this: a third year and a fourth year versus two incapable first years?"

For a whole minute, Lauren did nothing but stare at her, not in confusion or disbelief, but in doubt of Arianna's capabilities. She would not let them win. She was a Slytherin. And Slytherins act with a plan.

She's just trying to manipulate you, Lauren told herself firmly. Trick you into thinking that you can't win. But remember that pain shapes a woman into a warrior. Someone with strategy. You've gone through pain. And she has not.

"Oh, really?" Lauren smiled. "Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that you nor Felix share even one brain. Shall I tell you why?"

If Arianna was foolish enough not to know, Lauren would have many things to say about the past mistakes and how she, Arianna's younger sister, outsmarted her. And the Ravenclaw would be there to listen to every word of it. That would make sure that Lauren had an ally on her side.

She tossed the remainders of Aunt Loratrix's letter onto the floor, and stepped on them. To the Ravenclaw, she would add, "Thanks for standing up to my sister. She's a real bully, and I just can't tell you how grateful I am. You want to continue this? It might escalate to a duel if we're not careful, though. Actually, never mind -- I am so up for a duel against her. I can't wait to put the spells I learned in class into action. Make sure that we don't get caught, though, okay? Right, by the way, I'm Lauren, and what's your name?"

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The name 'Tina' sounded satisfying as she repeated it in her mind. Then she smiled in satisfaction as Tina agreed to her suggestion. She knew that the Ravenclaw, despite her house, would be formidable. Her smile stretched even wider as Tina expressed how she hated people like her sister. Yes. That was the energy she was looking for, and was delighted upon finding out that her assumption was correct -- Tina was amazing. Supportive. A formidable future ally in her quest to oppose her family and emerge victorious after the war of revenge.

Maybe she could find another friend in a Ravenclaw. And judging by how fiercely Tina stood up for her, with the numerous death stares and crossed arms, Lauren could see that the Ravenclaw... probably liked her, though she wasn't exactly sure. Maybe she just thought that Arianna was being immoral, and decided to intervene, though she would still have to admire her willingness to stand up for what was right.

Flashing the first year Ravenclaw a look of gratitude, Lauren snickered in amusement as Arianna opened her mouth and started to speak. She was absolutely loving this. Lauren put her hand behind her head as if readying herself for watching a show, and motioned for Tina to do the same. "Thanks so much, I am absolutely loving you for this," she whispered just loud enough for Arianna to hear and flash her a threatening glare. Perfect. That had been bait, and the Slytherin was waiting for an excuse to embarrass her sister and make her do... unpleasant and concerning things to Lauren. She guessed that Tina would have her back, and everything would go smoothly.

She then decided that her newfound friend/acquaintance deserved to know what was going on in her mind if they were to plot revenge together. Standing up for a stranger definitely wasn't easy; Lauren wouldn't have been able to stand up for Tina if the two of them switched roles. Feeling a pang of guilt, she turned towards Tina to apologise, then immediately stopped herself. You stupid bitch, Lauren, she cursed under her breath, she can't read your mind. You're just gonna make yourself look like a total fool for apologising? Where did your brain go today?

After she finished shouting at herself in her mind, Lauren turned her full attention to Arianna. She had almost died of laughter when Arianna retorted to Tina. It sounded a lot more like a six-year old child trying to get the better of a thirteen-year old than a fourteen-year old retorting to a twelve-year old.

"Really, Lauren," she had said, shifting the blame to Lauren as always. "But I don't especially care about what your petty friends say. Bribed them, didn't you? Oh well, I have Felix. Felix? Where are you?" She searched frantically for her beloved brother, only to find out that he had left from the owlery a couple of moments ago, unseen. The Slytherin did feel a pang of unease, though; if her brother could leave the owlery so expertly as not to be seen, then Lauren oughted to watch out for him. For all she knew, her brother could have been spying on her and everything she did ever since the start of the year.

Maybe she was just too blind to find out. She cursed herself for her ignorance yet again, but the agitation was quickly replaced by a fear of being watched. Suppose it was true? Suppose that her brother had been listening to her every word since September first, and reported everything back to her parents?

Then common sense hit her. Arianna wouldn't pretend to look so confident, though anyone could that she was quaking in fear of admitting defeat to a first year, if Felix actually did that. He would've told her. And she would be gloating every second of her life, picturing Lauren's devastation. The Slytherin would not let her be satisfied, and had promised herself that she would go to any lengths to show that she was still more superior than her siblings in terms of intelligence, despite the fact that they were Ravenclaws.

But then again, merely being labelled as a Ravenclaw doesn't automatically make you the smartest person in the world. If anything, it would just make appear sound arrogant and self-absorbed if one refers to themselves as one too often.

Only then did the young Slytherin realise that Arianna was already continuing on her speech about Lauren and Tina. Fortunately, there seemed to be many more things that Arianna was keen on saying. She made up her mind to listen carefully so that she would know how to retort later. Quickly, she refreshed her mind on the things that a fellow Slytherin, Amethyst, had taught her before. About how to talk back to people with confidence. How not to make a fool of herself.

She was so ready.

"Right," Arianna had begun when she realised that no one was listening. "I'll just say everything again." Of course, because she just craves attention so much. "Lauren, I can see through your tricks. Don't think that you can fool me. This friend of yours thinks that she's so cool by crossing her arms and giving me playful little death stares. Oh, and I expect that you think Felix already left so I'm defenseless. But a good Ravenclaw always has a plan. Unlike you impulsive little excuses for Slytherins --"

Arianna was interrupted when Lauren left out a cry of laughter. Her sister had referred to Tina as a Slytherin of all houses, even though she could easily recognise her. They might have already seen each other in the Ravenclaw Common Room or dormitory or something, and Arianna still forgot which house Tina was in? That was a new level of memory loss. The next thing that happened would probably be her sister forgetting that she, Lauren, existed and that she was planning on revenge.

That would be prefect. Always wait for the time to strike, she reminded herself.

Arianna looked furious as she was cut off mid-sentence. She glared at Lauren, her neck hairs standing on end, then relaxed as if she decided that Lauren wasn't worth spending her energy on. As if nothing had happened, Arianna opened her mouth and continued on, this time directed at Tina.

"And you! Just because Lauren did something to force you into complying with her wishes doesn't mean that you should just for the sake of it! Why are you even standing your ground against me when I can be a better ally than Lauren ever can? Mate, we're in the same house! You're not committing such an act of treachery against the House of Ravenclaw, are you! You are a disgrace, just like my sister!"

"Oh, and yeah, you heard me right, Lauren and you are the ones who are incapable. Not me, definitely not me. I have a brother for social support, unlike Lauren, and I'm years older -- what do you mean by being older doesn't mean you're smarter! Of course I do get smarter. I always get 'O's. Unlike Lauren, who once got an 'A' before!"

Lauren could feel her cheeks burn in embarrassment as Arianna exposed her secret. She felt as naked as a bald egg, raw and vulnerable. Why did her sister always have to leak her secrets out? Why couldn't she just let her be? Why did she have to strive to make Lauren's life more miserable than ever? What was even the purpose? She didn't know how she possibly could have deserved all this. She wanted to hide in the abandoned toilets or for the ground to open and swallow her up. She couldn't have this. It was more embarrassing than ever.

"I'm not finished yet, by the way," Arianna continued, obviously enjoying herself and directing her speech to Tina. "I bet that your Slytherin 'bestie' paid you to do this for her. But you'd be foolish to do so, trust me. I'm a fellow Ravenclaw, you should know better to acknowledge that I am correct and she is wrong. She told you that I'm the center of the universe, didn't she? But I'm not, she is! She's a narcissist! She's just trying to tell all her friends that our family are villains just because we aren't exactly kind to her. But listen to my side of the story; it's all her fault! We didn't ask her to be a Parselmouth! We didn't ask her to obsess over her good-for-nothing aunt! We didn't ask her to choose to be a Slytherin instead of a Ravenclaw! She is betraying the whole of the Vanes family! If you were us, would you still like her, huh?"

Without giving Tina or Lauren any chance to respond, Arianna started off again. "You, of all people, are not to tell me that I'm not the center of the universe! Indeed I am! You see, my family always tells me and my brother that. Hey, I know that you're trying to sound nice, and I do indeed appreciate that, but you've got no point. Family is always right. Have you ever doubted your parents before? Have you ever doubted their decisions? Me and Felix are not trying to be mean to your sister; we are merely following our parents' orders. Good children always do. Oh, and I'm perfect! I'm a Ravenclaw! I'm not a Parselmouth! I always get 'O's! Sorry if I shocked you all too much, first year and friend of the evil! But I am, and no one's ever gonna get the better of me!" She smiled, though it looked faker than ever.

Lauren had smiled in admiration towards Tina's acting skills. It seemed to have fooled her crappy sister into thinking that she was nice, that she could somehow change her mind. But what if she does? A voice in her mind told her this, and the Slytherin froze in disbelief as she heard it. She couldn't imagine Tina ever trusting Arianna, but what right would she have to make sure? She couldn't control Tina's actions. She couldn't control Arianna's words. But she guessed that she could control her mindset. All she had to do was to hope for the best and stop worrying, or Tina might grow suspicious and trust her sister instead.

Thinking carefully, Lauren opened her mouth to retort. "Seriously, Arianna," she said, trying not to sound controlling. "Nobody would want to hear you rant about me. You're the real narcissist, you're just too blind to see it. I would simply love to see you humbled when... it's time." She flashed a wink at Tina, then continued, "Tina's right, you're the center of the universe. Wait, I don't need to say that, because I think you already know that I think that. But just in case you're too stupid to understand her superior words, I thought I'd repeat it once more." Her expression turned to that of a sly grin. "What would you like to say in your defense -- no, there's still another 'offense' part coming up." She winked yet again at Tina, and suddenly realised that she had been too wrapped up in her confrontation with Arianna that she forgot to answer to Tina's initial suggestion.

"Tina, I'm so sorry," she whispered in a low voice in order to prevent Arianna overhearing their conversation. "That I forgot to answer to your amazing suggestion. Yeah, I would also really love to see Flipendo in action. That would put her in her right place, don't you think? I totally respect how you don't feel like getting detention, but I'll make sure that we don't get caught. If we do, I'll take the blame because I don't really mind. I mean, not that much. Anyways, you've already seen how this escalates verbally... this is really going to be fun."

She smirked, then continued about the letter. "So... you want to know about the letter, don't you? You're welcome to. So basically, the letter's about my fucking aunt failing to persuade me to abide by my family's laws, not complain, and apologise to this excuse for a Ravenclaw." She gestured towards Arianna in disgust, and pursed her lips. To Arianna, she would add, "appears that you can't get the better of me, can you?" She then turned her attention back to Tina, not wanting to appear distracted.

She stared down yet again at the remains of Aunt Loratrix's letter, and ripped them into even smaller pieces. "I will not apologise to them because of how they treated me. You would never dream of it. Let a wild dog in my room once? Check. Nearly embarrassed me in front of the whole house of Slytherin -- or should I say they had the clear intent to do so? Sadly they failed, but still check. Wanted my life to miserable? Check times one hundred. Look at you, Arianna. You'll no longer get to save face, would you? So revenge." Then she remembered that she was supposed to be talking to Tina, and added, "oops, sorry, I got carried away, but I guess you already heard what you wanted to know." Her lips curved into a smile.

"You wanna start trying to attack her?" she whispered in a hush voice. "Because we need to show my crappy sister that she's not the center of the world... now."

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ᡣ𐭩 ྀི Mentions ྀིᡣ𐭩

ᡣ𐭩 ྀི Outfit ྀིᡣ𐭩

ᡣ𐭩 ྀི Notes ྀིᡣ𐭩

This was the stupidest Ravenclaw i’ve ever met. Really and not by brains, but social smart. Im sure she did well in classes and yada yada but she didn’t know how to TALK to people like they were people. She talked to people like they were ants. The Ravenclaw’s name was Arianna. As I heard Lauren address her. Then the boy’s name was Felix. My friend in muggle school was dating a boy named Felix last year until he moved away. I think they ARE still dating. But I know by now Lia’s DEFINITELY fed up with the cheesy messages. I brought myself back to earth. This girl was DELULU! ”I’m going to hold your hand while I say this...” I started being smug. ”Actually, no I’m OBVIOUSLY not worthy of that Queen Arianna!” I said with my voice dripping with sweet sarcasm. I just didn’t want to touch her to be honest. ”You’re wrong. Everything about you is wrong, from your assumptions to your face proportions. I’ve never met your sister. She hasn’t bribed me to do ANYTHING!” I said, speeding up my pace. I looked back at Lauren, we were going to be pretty good friends. I was sure of it. Sharp and witty, we shared many of the same qualities. I started to think of a good alibi if anyone found Arianna on the floor and she said it was us. I could ask a friend right? Or...There’s TWO of us. We could be each other’s alibis? ”Not to interfeare with family stuff but um...Shouldn’t your aunt take your side and shouldn’t your SISTER be apologizing?” I asked. ”Also after we cast Flipendo we run as fast as we can to the library then we pretend we’ve been studying?” I suggested. I reached for my wand slowly…

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Confident was the definition of Lauren Loratrix Vanes in this moment. She smirked as Tina announced her loyalty to her, not her sister, and how she believed that her aunt should be taking her side and that Arianna 'Awesome (not)' Vanes should be apologising. Lauren also wanted to know why. Aunt Loratrix was delusional. She wanted to throw her aunt off the window at this moment.

But she still had Arianna to deal with. And it seemed as though Tina would help her with that. She felt another flash of admirance towards the Ravenclaw. She didn't stick up for Arianna just because they were in the same house. She was loyal to her, because Tina knew that she was in the right and that Arianna was not. She would be there to back her up. Which just confirmed that for once, Lauren would get to experience the joy of revenge. It was the sweetest thing in the world.

The voices in her head didn't dare to interuppt. They didn't dare to destroy her moment of happiness, her moment of glee, because they knew that they were rare. It was almost impossible for Lauren to find someone who she never met before and stood in her side so wholeheartedly. Seriously, Lauren didn't know if fate had mercy on her and send her Tina Carille to just put a end to her misery.

No, it would be too good for it to have an end. Too good to be true, with her luck, she was stuck with her family's hatred for the rest of her life, which would make her feel undeserving and worthless. She waited with bated breath to see if the voices in her head would pipe up again, but it seemed that they didn't. They were silent. Waiting for her to become vulnerable once more.

But she wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She decided to focus on Arianna instead and await her reply to Tina's words. Lauren admired the other first year's sarcasm. She felt as if she was an actress before and acted in a children's play or something. There was just something about her that hinted that she had experience in the theatre and was capable of acting as a character.

She smiled again, glad that Tina was on her side. She seemed to be a true Ravenclaw, much unlike the members of the Vanes family. She wrinkled her nose. They were the opposite of smart. She snickered as she remembered how Felix had gotten a 'P' in his second year, which was one of the rare times when he got into serious trouble with their parents. She remembered how he had to kneel down and promise that he wouldn't do it again, and their father and mother had still insisted that he memorise all the textbooks for the upcoming year.

Lauren knew that it was never going to happen to her because her parents didn't care about her and would rather that she be the most stupid creature in the world. But she had already proved that she wasn't, because if she was considered stupid, then she didn't know what Felix or Arianna or Aunt Loratrix would be considered as. Beetles? Approximately. But of course the members of the Vanes family didn't know that. Of course.

Only in the moment did Arianna start to speak. From the tone of her voice, Lauren could tell that she didn't expect Tina to oppose her so visibly and tell her that everything about her was wrong. She would have been less surprised if Tina turned on Lauren instead, since she always believed that Lauren was in the wrong and that the Vanes family were always in the right. Unfortunately for her, her time of living in her own fairy tale was over, and it was time for her to face reality and give it an acknowledgement. Lauren was absolutely loving this.

"Seriously, you're out of your mind, you first-year Ravenclaw. Being a Ravenclaw doesn't mean you can say anything you like to us older students. We are still to be respected. If you do not respect me, and tell me that everything about me is wrong, I will report you to the Headmaster," she spat. "So tell me: will you continue to listen to Lauren's petty lies, or stand up to her and do what you are supposed to do: respect me? I'm sure that the Headmaster will back me up, Mrs Carille."

Lauren looked at Tina, hoping that she wouldn't give in to Arianna's manipulation. Yet inside, she was sure that her newfound friend wouldn't do it because, as she had repeatedly demonstrated, she would always stand up for what was right. Lauren just hoped that she wouldn't disappoint her, because she really admired that girl.

She slapped herself on the forehead as she remembered that she was the one who should be retorting to Arianna, because if Tina hadn't decided to go to the owlery, she wouldn't be here, arguing with Arianna, in this very moment. She was the one who should have been talking back to Arianna and getting back at her in the first place. She, Lauren, was the one who should have been teaching her the lesson that she had evaded for the majority of the year.

Yet Tina was here, backing the Slytherin up and helping her get back at her sister and aid her in teaching Arianna a lesson. Lauren was sure that she would still be thanking Tina interiorly every time Arianna apologised to her or admitted that she was wrong. No. She brought herself back to reality, remembering that her older sister was too concieted to notice it. Too full of herself, too self-centered, to notice that she was in the wrong all along. And in the past, she had never done that.

But she might in the future. She just might admit that she was wrong, but Lauren didn't dare get her hopes up. Every time she did that... it just backfired. Always. Always. Always. She didn't truly know why she was still bringing herself to think that things would turn out right, because her luck was one of the worst in the world (she was willing to bet her life that if the amount of luck one had could be certified, then her certificate would state exactly that'.)

Once again, the Slytherin pulled herself back into reality, and decided to add on to Tina's insults so she wouldn't look pathetic. "Arianna Conceited Vanes," she began, smirking, "Look at what a real Ravenclaw is like. Look at this girl over here. She has a brain while you don't, and seriously in my opinion, mom and dad babies you too much. It's the same as giving you milk instead of food again. Tina's right; I didn't bribe her into doing anything. It's just your overthinking, which isn't in the very least our fault." As she finished, she looked at Arianna, and smiled once again when an expression of horror filled her face.

"Lauren Loratrix Vanes! You are the person who's wrong from your -- what, tail proportions and assumptions! You do not know anything! Some stupid first year sticks up for you and pretends to be your friend, and you trust them! You're the one who's stupid! You're the one who doesn't have a brain! And I shall let mother and father know about this! They'll throw you out of the window for sure! Now that Aunt Loratrix's on our side, prepare yourself for endless torture this summer!"

No. Tina's not pretending. She's lying. She's just trying to manipulate me.

Tina didn't seem to be the kind of person who would manipulate others. And from when she was born, she knew that Arianna was untrustworthy. How amazing it would be if Lauren and Tina somehow managed to cast a spell on her --

Then she remembered that they had been planning it already, and Tina had just suggested that they run to the library and pretend to be studying after casting a Flipendo on Arianna. Lauren liked that plan. But Arianna was liked by the professors, and most certainly, she would exaggerate to give the two of them away. Without a doubt.

"Right," she whispered again, "but later. When we leave this place. And I'm starting to enjoy the argument." She heaved a sigh, and continued, "I also want to know why my aunt isn't taking my side and why my sister isn't apologising. Might be because they're both delusional."

Upon seeing Tina reaching for her wand, Lauren started to follow her example, but made sure that Arianna didn't see them yet, and motioned for Tina to do the same.

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