Clara Vale: Rosevale

Clara gripped the steering wheel, her eyes looking at the road ahead; opening the windows to get fresh air. She kept her mother's mantle on the front, and her mother's presence was brighter than it was before.

She could feel her like she was next to her for the first time since she was a teenager. Up ahead she could see the Rosevale sign and the beautiful storefronts, the grass felt greener and it all felt euphoric. It felt oddly freeing to be around.

Maeve was humming along to the song on the radio beside her, while Audrey was in the backseat trying to hype up Nora who was carsick on the way here. The car felt like home away from home, and the laughter, familiarity of it all was the tip of the iceberg.

As they got deeper into the town right by the cafe side parking, Clara could already tell the atmosphere was different than Everbrook. The cars, the air and the stores weren't so ancient looking. It didn't look like a paint job over old buildings, it was all modern, all unique but also messed with her senses all the same.

They parked right near the cafe, a cozy cafe that glistened with life from the outside. The vibrant lights, the sign that was shining through the dim sky, and the amount of people who were just chilling inside. Way more settling than the Blackhart Bar. She could get used to this.

Clara took a few seconds with her hands on the steering wheel as she stopped the car. Maeve got out slowly, just staring at her, waiting for her to step out but she couldn't face her, not with thoughts clouding her head that she had to breathe through. She gave her a slight nod, patting her shoulder before stepping outside. Clara glanced back at her with a slight grin on the side of her lips.

Nora also stepped out quickly, taking deep breaths like she was never outside before. But Audrey refused to leave the car despite the others walking toward the table and chairs placed outside of the cafe.

Audrey stepped out and hopped into the passenger seat. She grabbed Clara's hand that was barely hanging onto the wheel and brought it down and held onto it. Clara felt her eyes glow as she could almost feel her warmth spreading through her veins. And for once with her knowing her empathetic ability, she realized how her feelings touched her in ways she hadn't known before.

She smiled, placing another hand under hers. "So, you got an award from the mayor, but you're too caught up on this gig to focus on it, right?"

Clara rubbed her eyes and felt the glow return to normal. She turned her head after a few seconds of feeling stuck in place. Her eyes met hers in a warm embrace.

"I haven't had time to grasp it all yet. I was basically a superhero which to me is cringe, she's just a person who was unfortunately given a curse that's good or bad depending on the day."

She nodded her head, her facial expression softening as she leaned in closer. "You are you, Clara. Fuck what others are saying about you. You are much more than just saving towns, solving emotional baggage left behind."

And as she said it, her thumb was circling against Clara's palm, slow and grounding.

For a moment the world outside of the car felt grounded, like it all made sense. The tingling sensation she had when entering Rosevale calmed down for just the time being.

Clara let out a shaky breath. "You make it sound easy."

Audrey smirked. "It's not. But remember, you don't go through any of this alone anymore. You have all of us with you."

Something inside of Clara tightened. Sharing the weight was still a terrifying thing to comprehend. After they solved such a difficult case, a decades long case where she nearly died. It could have ended worse for all of them. But she shook herself off, clearing her throat.

Clara squeezed her hand, fluttering her eyes. "We should go before Maeve kills us both, and Nora eats someone."

Audrey chuckled as she let go slowly. "Fine. But we are not running away from this talk. It will be considered a pause for now."

As they stepped out of the car Clara instantly felt like a famous person in a town that wasn't her own. The people inside of the cafe immediately batted an eye at her from the inside, as Maeve and Nora sat on the chairs outside.

They walked up to them, a playful grin on Clara's face. "Maeve, we can go inside now. We can't spend too long though, she is itching to see our rented apartment."

Maeve slowly got up from the seat, brushing her pants off. She let out a chuckle as she caught up to Clara running up the stairs.

Nora lingered behind, still looking pale and carsick, her eyes narrowed as her hands laid flat on the table.

As Clara opened the cafe door, she couldn't help but look back at Nora.

"You coming, Nora?" Clara called over her shoulder.

She blinked like she forgot she existed. "Yeah, yeah i'm alive."

Clara decided not to press it. She didn't want to go into her conscious again, especially not right now.

"Earth to Clara? The door has been wide open for a hot minute. My arm is aching from this unnecessarily heavy ass door." Maeve said, her face flushed.

"Sorry," Clara muttered, brushing past Maeve as Audrey waited for her inside. "Got... distracted."

"No shit," she breathed, shaking her arm dramatically. "You zone out like that again and I'm going to personally invite you to mind warp into one of my terrifying nightmares."

"Noted, though... I really don't want to know any of your terrifying nightmares." Clara said, though her attention pulled behind them as Nora finally stepped through the doorway. Her emotions were all over the place, her senses were starting to give her a headache.

Audrey was right behind her, like she was prepared to catch her if she fell, but Nora waved her off.

"Motion sickness," Nora insisted. "I just need caffeine or water... or anything, hell just give me the whole damn stock of coffee."

Her tone was casual, but she was slurring her words a little too much at times. But Clara kept her shield tight, forcing herself not to look too long.

Maeve clapped her hands together, with her awkward smile she stepped infront of them as everyones eyes were just gazing upon the four of them.

"I know, I know." Maeve said, waving her arms to the crowd. "You could say I'm the star of the band." She winked at Clara as she rolled her eyes.

"You damn wish, I didn't nearly tear my vocal chords apart last concert from screaming so much for nothing." Clara chuckled, arms crossed in a teasing way.

Audrey placed her hand on Clara's arm and just smirked at her, throwing her off guard.

Then, Clara took a deep breath and shook herself off. "Okay, Clara. Gotta act like you are not nearly 6 feet in the ground." Clara took mental note before stepping toward the counter.

The barista immediately knew who they were, and she looked a little stunned and caught off guard when she saw her. Her hair was curly, freckles dusted across her nose, and her eyes widened like she'd just seen a celebrity walk through the door.

"Oh- wow, um- hi," she said, trying to straighten herself so fast she nearly knocked over a stack of glass cups. "You're Clara Vale, right? And Ash & Thrash? From Everbrook?"

Maeve leaned her elbow on the counter like she owned the band, well... she did but still. "I accept tips in your finest coffee only, nothing else will satisfy me."

The barista tried not to laugh. "Sorry, it's just surreal seeing you all here in Rosevale. We heard about everything you did. The, uh... the case! And the concert. And the medal of honor!"

Her emotions trickled toward Clara, nervous but wasn't fearful. She was hopeful.

Clara exhaled through her nose, trying not to soak it all in. "We're just here for caffeine, we had a long ride. I nearly collapsed on the wheel getting here and Maeve would not shut the fuck up!"

Maeve darted her eyes at her. "I wouldn't what? I was humming along to the songs in the car... Paramore... and..." She counted on her fingers, teasing. "And more Paramore."

Nora dragged herself behind them, hair half a mess from leaning out of the window for air. "She wasn't humming," she muttered. "She was performing a one-woman concert. The entire car was shaking!"

Maeve threw her hands up. "Okay, wow, attack me then."

Audrey patted her shoulder. "We love you. But I can't lie when I say my eardrums needed that break."

The barista laughed, a genuine sound this time. Her nerves were flaring away which eased the tension in the room a little. Her emotions flickered with amusement rather than the anxious haze Clara sensed before.

"Sounds like you all need extra shots in everything," she joked, tapping the screen.

"Four iced lattes," Clara ordered, pointing between them. "Make hers decaf." She thumbed at Maeve.

Maeve gasped. "Try it and I will poison your coffee!"

"Damn, I would not take that from her Clara, you gotta throw hands or something at this point." Audrey whispered to her, impressed.

Right as Clara was about to respond, she could notice the little details in the barista's demeanor. Her emotions were spiraling in an unusual way, like it wasn't natural. Judging by her hands that were fidgeting on the screen next to her, and her eyes that couldn't look in one direction for a short period of time, she knew something was up.

Clara leaned in, concerned. "Hey, are you feeling okay?" Clara asked, her glowing eyes catching her attention, causing her to jump backwards.

She brushed herself off and printed out the receipt for the order, handing it to her.

"Anyway! Here's your receipt, It should be... should be out shortly." Her face grew uncomfortable. And as she clenched the counter and stumbled to the side Clara started to notice everyone in the cafe who were silent this entire time. The chatter from them calmed down way too quickly.

"Hey, Maeve... you don't notice how odd this all feels, right?" Clara asked her, leaning up against her.

She tried to brush it off but she seen it too. The deep stares, the air shifting, the barista still trying to remain calm.

"I was going to say no, to fuck with you, but I do see it too. Maybe it's a bad day to be here?" She asked curiously.

Maeve's voice was playful, but her posture wasn't. Her shoulders were tight, her foot was tapping lightly against the floor, nervous, alert.

Audrey stepped closer between them, lowering her voice. "No one's talking. Like, at all. This place was loud when we walked in."

"Now it's like a library where everyone hates each other... and I fucking hate libraries." Maeve muttered.

Clara swallowed hard. The glow behind her eyes pulsed again, sensing something in the area with them. The emotions she sensed weren't natural, it felt inflicted and purposely done. But it's impossible, nobody could do this, not even she can.

Nora spoke up, wandering around each booth and waving her hand at each customer's face. "Yeah no, zombies, I'm calling it."

The barista straightened up again, forcing a smile but slammed her fists on the counter. "It's that girl." She let out, voice cracking like she tried not to say it.

All four of them froze.

Clara's heart lurched. "What girl?" she asked carefully, her tone soft. Her eyes glowed without her permission, instinctively.

The barista's pupils darted toward the far corner of the cafe, the one half-hidden behind plants and dim lights. She swallowed hard.

"She came in twenty minutes ago," the barista whispered, fingers trembling. "She sat down. Didn't order anything. But the second she did, the second she spoke, everyone just... changed."

Maeve shifted her weight, eyes narrowing. "So what, you're saying this woman walked in and just changed everyone's mood?"

She was trying to sound sarcastic, but Clara could sense she felt more than she let on.

Clara felt a pull in her chest, like a pressure that was pounding on her ribcage. She could feel someone's heartbeat that was echoing in her ears, in her chest.

The barista nodded, more frantic now. "It's like she's leaking something around her. Fear, sadness, whatever it is it's not normal."

Nora waved her hand in front of a man in a booth. "So she's... what? A virus? A contagion? The depression chick?"

Audrey gently smacked her arm. "Nora, please."

The barista grabbed Clara's wrist suddenly, desperate. Clara's eyes darted right back at her. "Please don't look at her. She doesn't want attention. She talks to nobody but that one girl she sometimes comes in with. But even she looks uncomfortable."

Each of them looked unsteady. Clara froze in place but shook it off quickly.

"What are you doing, Clara?" Audrey asked, grabbing her arm.

"I'm going to talk with her. What's her name anyway?" Clara asked the barista.

The barista's face went pale. She whispered. "Lysandra,"

The moment the name left her lips, something in the room shifted, then Clara noticed her from the corner of the cafe, staring. She was adjusting her posture as soon as Clara glanced at her.

Audrey tugged harder on her sleeve. "Clara. No. We just got here. Can we have like, one normal day in our lives?"

"I don't think normal exists for me," Clara whispered back.

Maeve crossed her arms. "Alright, superhero. Tell us why going up to her is a good idea... for all we know she's a psychopath."

"Because whatever she's doing... whatever she's feeling..." Clara said slowly, "It's somehow hurting everyone around her. And she can't control it."

The barista shook her head. "Don't get close. Every time someone tries, she doesnt react well."

Nora ran over dramatically to face her. "Yeah... Clara, maybe skip talking to that ticking time bomb over there."

But Clara knew that wasn't an option. If it was affecting people it affected her. She had one job to do, but in this small amount of time she had in Rosevale, she had to make it count.