Chapter Text
Hero couldn’t be any happier than she was at this exact moment. All her friends and loved ones were there. She felt like a princess in her blue party dress, and she was touched that Bea and Leo had baked her a cake, instead of the other way around. And of course, Hero was thrilled that she got to celebrate her birthday with Claud. Everything was perfect.
Until it wasn’t.
All of a sudden, Claudio was yelling at her and calling her names.
Hero didn’t understand what was happening. What had gotten into Claudio? Why he was saying those awful things to her? Was this all some elaborate, twisted joke? It had to be a joke. The Claudio she knew would never do this.
But he was saying those awful things. It wasn’t a joke. Hero desperately wished this was some terrible nightmare she was living, but…this was real.
Claudio looked right into her eyes and spat out, “I hate you.” Hero sucked in a breath, feeling like he had just punched her in the stomach. She choked on her tears as he walked past her. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed and let Bea lead her to the couch. Hero’s vision started to blur and she dimly heard a voice booming “Turn that camera off!” And the next thing she knew, she’d passed out on the couch.
The next morning, Hero woke up to find herself in her own bed. She lay there for a minute, feeling like something was wrong, like something was off, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Then she heard a knock on her door. Beatrice opened it and peeked her head in with a sad smile and a “Morning”. And then it all came rushing back: the yelling, the shame, the betrayal, the crying. Hero felt tears well in her eyes.
“Oh Hero. It’s gonna be okay, I promise,” Bea said softly.
“How is it going to be okay?” Hero replied tearfully. “How…what…why…would he even think that?”
Beatrice perched carefully on the edge of Hero’s bed. “I don’t know, honey”.
Hero pushed herself up and proclaimed, “I didn’t do what he said, Bea, I would never do that. You have to believe me!”
"Shh shh shh, of course I believe you.” Bea rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
Hero looked at her cousin gratefully. She let out a shaky sigh and leaned her head against the wall. “Thank you.”
Silence.
Beatrice attempted to lighten the mood. “Well, I think we both know what really happened.”
Hero looked at her quizzically.
“Invasion of the body snatchers!”
She smiled weakly; it was just like Bea to try to cheer her up when everything had gone to shit.
Their moment was short-lived, however; all of a sudden Hero’s phone buzzed on the dresser next to her bed. It had to be Claudio. Of course he would apologize; he must have been stressed or worried about something. Why else would he explode on her like that?
Hero reached for her phone, but Beatrice beat her to it.
“Beatrice!”
“I swear, if that asshole has the nerve…Oh no”, Bea began but stopped short when she saw what was written on the screen.
“…Beatrice? What is it? Is it Claudio?”
Beatrice didn’t move. Hero took advantage of her speechlessness and grabbed her phone back. Her screen was filled with Facebook notifications. She vaguely remembered someone shouting something about a camera last night. Oh god. Someone really did take a video of their fight, and. It. Was. On. Facebook.
Pedro commented: haha way to go Claudio
Claudio commented: haha thanks man. she had it coming.
Cora commented: HA! this is a riot, thanks guys.
Hero could feel the bile rising in her throat. She wanted to throw her phone across the room, but she couldn’t move.
“Hero?”
“oh my god, I can’t believe Hero Duke cheated on Claudio. What a whore.”
“I know, right?”
“I always knew she was fake. No one’s that nice all the time.”
“everyone knew Robbie was a player, but I can’t believe she was that stupid to hook up with him.”
“thanks for the video guys! It gave me a laugh.”
“Okay that’s enough,” Beatrice finally said, taking the phone from her with controlled movements and placing it back on the dresser. She was almost shaking with anger.
“Beatrice, I…” was all Hero managed to get out before she broke down, the sobs erupting from her.
Bea drew her cousin into her arms and rocked her back and forth. Hero clung to her for dear life and just cried and cried and cried.
“I swear I'll kill him, Hero.”
