Untrue Love

Klaus's steps toward the laboratory were fraught with unease. He had no idea who or what awaited him, yet the note left in his locker seemed to direct him there. His mind pondered the potential individual behind it, while his body tensed in preparation for any other possible scenario. A more distressing possibility lurked in his mind: a teacher discovering his identity.

The lab's entrance revealed an empty room, devoid of any presence. Klaus stood there, contemplating whether the person was late or had possibly forgotten about the meeting altogether. His tension began to overcome him until a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

"So it really is you."

This tone was unmistakable, a voice he had grown accustomed to during the past few weeks of interactions.

"Of course, you're the one behind this," Klaus muttered, frustration in his tone.

Turning around, Klaus's prediction came to fruition as he locked eyes with a figure he knew all too well. Long blonde hair with delicate pink highlights adorned her, a distinctive feature that stood out before any other aspect of her appearance.

CONVERSATION

Rose: I had my suspicions... but I never actually thought it could be true.

Klaus: I need to understand what you were doing around my locker in the first place.

Rose: I guess my curiosity got the best of me.

Klaus: That doesn't explain why you'd open my locker.

Rose: I was passing by the hallway this morning and saw you looking into your locker for something. You looked sketchy, so I chose to investigate. Also, the locker was open when I got there.

Klaus: Your locker isn't even on that side of the school. What were you doing there?

Rose grinned.

Rose: I'll never tell.

Klaus knew Rose's patterns. Ever since they started spending time together, he noticed how she always managed to insert herself into different parts of his life. What he didn't understand was how it all began. Before their first meeting, they were strangers. So why the sudden interest? But his instincts weren't wrong.

Somewhere along the way, Rose's curiosity had grown, even surprising her. She was used to being admired, treated like she was flawless. But encountering something unique in a sea of uniformity can spark intrigue. And that was exactly what Klaus was to her: a mysterious deviation and nothing more. She didn't know why he stood out, only that he did. And that, for some reason, she had a soft spot for him, something she'd never had with anyone else.

As Klaus thought it over, he wondered if it was time to stop hiding who he was. Even if Rose learned he was NightShade, that didn't mean she knew about his unnatural ability.

After a brief internal debate, Klaus decided there was little harm in revealing this part of himself. "Well, I never really chose that name myself," he admitted softly, "but yeah, that's me."

Klaus believed that Rose knowing about his identity would change very little. He already understood that their interactions had only been possible because it remained a secret, so he doubted she would choose to expose it.

Klaus recognized that, out of all the students in their school, she was the least likely to seek additional attention through that knowledge. He also understood that her knowledge, whether kept private or shared, posed no greater risk than what their friendship already carried.

"Oh wow, I thought this would be much more challenging," Rose said, surprise clear in her voice. She added, "But why exactly are you doing this? You never seemed like the type to chase fame."

Klaus felt no need to lie. For some reason, he felt compelled to be honest, even if he felt she had not completely earned it. "That's because I am not in it for the fame," he revealed. "I do it to suppress these stupid nightmares about giant people."

A moment of silence passed as Klaus looked at Rose, who seemed shocked. Then, unexpectedly, Rose whispered something Klaus did not expect.

"You have them too?"

Klaus shared her surprise. Both were so stunned that neither spoke for seconds. Finally, Rose broke the silence.

"I thought I was losing my mind," she confessed. "And it all started about two months ago."

Klaus's curiosity grew. "Was that around your eighteenth birthday, perhaps?"

"Yes," Rose replied, amazed and confused. "How did you know?"

"Because that's when they started happening to me too," Klaus said softly.

At that moment, Klaus was convinced there was a true connection between them. It explained his curiosity about her and why he was willing to keep interacting with her. Their shared experience seemed to be the foundation of their bond.

Klaus understood that at this point, he needed to tell Rose about his abilities. Though he knew he was relatively safe since she had no proof, he saw this as a chance to learn more about the strange events happening within him.

"I have a question for you," Klaus said, catching Rose's attention. "How you answer it will decide how I respond to yours."

"I... don't get it," Rose replied, tilting her head slightly.

"I mean, your answer will shape what I say or do next," Klaus clarified.

"Alright?" Rose said with a puzzled smile. "But you're kinda putting me on the spot here."

"It has to be that way," Klaus said, steadying himself. Then he asked, "By any chance... do your eyes glow pink when you try to make people fall for you?"

Rose was caught off guard not by the boldness of the question, but by how accurately Klaus described it. He had seen her use it once, and after thinking it through, he had somehow figured out what she had been trying to do during the situation.

When Klaus had unintentionally provoked her, she resorted to her supernatural technique after realizing her normal approach wasn't effective. That might also explain why she seemed surprised when her normal methods failed to work on him.

After a long pause, Rose finally answered. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you any longer," she confessed after a sigh. "I'll explain everything in detail, but only on one condition."

"And what would that be?" Klaus asked.

"You have to tell me about yours as well," Rose said.

Two choices weighed on Klaus's mind. He could either lie and claim he had no idea what she meant, or he could tell her the truth. Klaus knew neither option carried much risk, but he also knew that by hiding the truth, he would lose a chance to understand the nature of her ability, and possibly miss a clue about his own origin as well.

"Fine, I guess," Klaus finally said after a moment of silence.

Rose smiled. "Well... to explain everything from the beginning," she said, "it started when I was five."

"Wow," Klaus replied, surprised, though his face remained unreadable. "That young, huh?"

"Yeah," Rose confirmed. "I entered a lot of beauty pageants as a kid. One day, it came down to me and another girl in the finals. Naturally, I was expected to win, but the woman organizing the event seemed to dislike me for some reason."

"Sounds pretty odd," Klaus said, though his dull expression made his sarcasm unclear.

"I know, right?" Rose replied, quickly moving on. "Anyway, I was announced as the runner-up, which was obviously unacceptable. So I went to speak with the woman and express my concerns."

"Let me guess," Klaus added, "she said she just did not like you one bit, and that made you mad."

Rose smiled, surprised. "It is almost like you were there," she said. "But yes, that is what happened."

"So when does this... superpower kick in?" Klaus asked, clearly uninterested in the rest of the story.

"I'm getting there," Rose said before continuing. "So, as expected, I screamed in frustration with my eyes shut tight, and it clearly pissed her off. I figured she was probably jealous of me. But when I opened my eyes again, her annoyed look suddenly changed into something else. She looked like she had just seen the love of her life."

Klaus looked genuinely surprised, his curiosity growing more than he expected.

"She suddenly adored me," Rose went on. "She even ran back on stage during the closing ceremony to announce me as the winner and embarrassed both herself and the other contestant. At first, I didn't understand the shift, but as I got older, I started to realize I was not like everyone else."

"You realized you could get whatever you wanted," Klaus said softly.

"Yup," Rose shamelessly confirmed. "But that was until I met you. Somehow, the ability was rendered useless against you, and I began to wonder why. Now I know it's because you're just like me."

Klaus took a breath, collecting Rose's words to understand them completely. "So basically..." he began, "you can make anyone fall in love with you by just staring into their eyes and making your eyes flash pink. Am I correct?"

"I don't make them flash pink," Rose explained. "It's more like they flash pink when I use the ability, if that makes sense."

Klaus sighed. "I guess," he confessed, understanding the meaning of her words.

The confession Klaus just heard was incredibly hard to believe, yet he found himself less surprised than he thought he would be. He recognized that perhaps his growing familiarity with his extraordinary powers had dulled his capacity for shock regarding the situation.

"I don't believe you," Klaus suddenly said, his words as soft as always.

Rose appeared taken aback by his response, a slightly startled expression crossing her face. "Well, I'd prove it, but it doesn't work on you, now does it?" she retorted.

Even if it did, Klaus knew he would never allow Rose to test the ability on him. Because of that, he tried to think of a reasonable alternative.

"What about the janitor outside?" Klaus soon asked. "If your... ability doesn't result in any kind of brain damage or permanent effects, why not demonstrate it on him?"

This seemed like a reasonable idea to Rose. "Alright," she replied with determination, leading him outside to the janitor to put her claims to the test.

Approaching the man, Rose met his confused gaze, leaving him wondering about their intentions.

"Excuse me, sir," she dramatically inquired in false desperation, "I find myself without the means to return home. Would you perhaps have some spare change to assist me?"

A sense of dejection settled over the man, believing that they might be mocking him. Yet, as Rose's pupils suddenly illuminated in a vibrant pink hue, his response shifted dramatically.

"My queen, all I possess is seventy dollars," the man confessed, his words almost like he had been placed under a spell, "but you're welcome to take whatever you desire from me. If you wish, I'll gladly surrender my entire wallet, my next paycheck, even."

The man's posture assumed a near-worshipful stance, as though he stood before a goddess. His eyes mimicked that of Rose's, glowing a complete pink within his irises.

Klaus found himself at a loss for words after witnessing the rapid transformation in the man's behavior. The faint pink tint in the man's eyes made the situation feel even more surreal than he had anticipated.

In a swift move, Rose began to slip the man's wallet into her bag, only to be halted by Klaus's firm grasp on her hand. He shot her a guilt-laden look, prompting her to relent and return the man's belongings.

Eventually, Rose reversed the effects of her ability after she and Klaus departed, leaving the janitor with only memories of the encounter. His confusion was evident, yet he dismissed it as a normal situation, promptly resumed his duties.

As the two stepped out of the school, Rose turned to Klaus for confirmation, which he gave without hesitation. The exchange also reinforced her belief: his calm reaction to her ability implied he was no stranger to the unusual, possibly confirming he indeed had powers of his own.

"So... what's your supernatural power?" Rose inquired, her curiosity reaching its peak.

Klaus sensed that there was much left to discuss, yet time was slipping away, and he was already late in returning home. He also understood that words alone would not suffice to convey his abilities, so he chose a different approach.

"Let's meet up again tonight," Klaus proposed. "That's the only way I can explain what I can do."

Rose's initial response was one of discontent. She felt a sense of unfairness to the situation. However, upon understanding Klaus's reasoning, she relented and agreed.

Although Klaus had never contemplated this course of action before, he found himself providing Rose with his address, agreeing to meet her again come nightfall. With that, they went their separate ways, leaving Rose quietly anxious as she waited for nightfall.