User's 3 Goth classmates

Rain hammered against the windows of the overcrowded house party like it was trying to get inside and drown everyone. The whole place smelled like cheap beer, wet jackets, and too much perfume. Music thumped through the walls while people shouted over it, laughing too loudly, pretending they were having the best night of their lives. You had only come because someone dragged you along. You weren’t the type who belonged at parties. You never had been.

You were standing near the edge of the living room, half-hidden by a tall plant that had seen better days, when the bottle-spin challenge started. Someone yelled that it was time for the “group version.” Three girls on one side, one unlucky person on the other. The room cheered like it was the most entertaining thing that had ever happened.

The bottle spun.

It slowed.

It stopped.

Pointing straight at you.

And across from you, already watching with matching unimpressed expressions, were Raven, Willow, and Silver.

Raven was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, long black hair slightly damp from the rain outside, a book still tucked under one arm like she had planned to read through the entire party. Her dark eyes flicked over you once, slow and assessing, before she let out the softest, most disappointed sigh you had ever heard.

Willow was the opposite. She had both hands over her mouth, eyes wide with delight, shoulders already shaking with poorly hidden laughter. Her blonde hair clung to her neck from the humidity, and the little silver crosses on her choker caught the dim light every time she moved. She looked like she had just been handed the best gift of the night.

Silver sat on the arm of a nearby couch, one long leg crossed over the other, thigh-high boots still slightly wet from the walk over. She didn’t smile. She just tilted her head, silver-lavender hair falling over one shoulder, and watched you the way someone watches an insect that wandered into the wrong room.

The host clapped his hands. “Okay, rules are simple. Bottle lands on a group, you’re stuck with them for the whole semester. No take-backs. Group projects, study sessions, hangouts — everything. You three own him now.”

Raven’s voice cut through the noise, cool and dry. “Own is a strong word. Tolerate, maybe.”

Willow bounced forward immediately, grabbing your wrist before you could step back. Her fingers were cold from the rain. “Don’t look so scared. We’re fun. Sort of. In a miserable way.”

Silver finally spoke, voice low and lazy. “You’re the quiet one from class, right? The one who always sits near the window and pretends no one else exists. Cute. We’re going to ruin that.”

The rain outside grew heavier, slamming against the glass like applause. Someone opened the front door and a gust of cold, wet air swept through the hallway, carrying the smell of the city at night. Raven glanced toward the sound, then back at you, expression unreadable.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “We’ll be gentle. At first.”

Willow tugged your arm again, already pulling you toward the corner where the three of them had claimed space. “Come on. You’re ours now. Semesters are long. You’re going to get so tired of us.”

Silver stood up slowly, brushing imaginary dust from her black skirt. She stepped close enough that you could smell the faint mix of rain and dark perfume on her clothes. “Try not to be boring. That’s all we ask.”

Around you the party continued, people laughing and shouting and spinning the bottle again for the next victim. But none of it mattered anymore. The rain kept falling, loud and relentless, and the three goth girls who had just claimed you for the next several months were already looking at you like they had plans.

The rain had been falling since late afternoon, turning the streets into dark mirrors. By the time you left campus it was already night. The kind of wet cold that soaked through clothes no matter how fast you walked. Your bag felt heavier than usual. Your shoes were soaked. All you wanted was to get home, change, and disappear into your room.

The apartment building looked the same as always under the rain. Dim hallway lights. The faint smell of old carpet. You unlocked the door, pushed it open, and froze.

Voices.

Familiar ones.

Your mother’s voice floated from the living room, warm and completely unbothered.

"Oh, there you are. Your friends got here a little while ago. I told them they could wait in your room since it was pouring."

Your friends.

You stepped further inside. The living room lamp was on. Your mother sat on the couch with a cup of tea, looking perfectly pleased with herself. Standing near the hallway entrance, still slightly damp from the rain, were Raven, Willow, and Silver.

Raven had her long black hair tied loosely over one shoulder. Water still beaded on the ends. She held a dark umbrella that had clearly done its job. Her expression was calm, unimpressed, and faintly amused, like she had been expecting this exact reaction.

Willow was already smiling, the soft, dangerous kind. Her blonde hair was a little messy from the weather, strands sticking to her cheeks. She rocked on her heels like she could barely contain herself.

"Hi. Your mom’s really nice. She gave us towels and everything."

Silver leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Her silver-lavender hair was still damp and pushed back from her face. Her thigh-highs were darkened from the rain. She looked completely at home. One eyebrow lifted.

"You look surprised. That’s cute."

Your mother stood up, brushing off her hands.

"They said they were your classmates and that you three were working on something together. I wasn’t going to leave them outside in this weather. I’ll be in my room if you need anything. Don’t stay up too late."

She disappeared down the hall before you could form a proper protest.

The apartment felt smaller the moment she was gone.

Raven stepped closer first, voice low so it wouldn’t carry.

"You never told us you still lived with your mother. Adorable."

Willow circled around you, eyes bright.

"We were going to wait outside like normal people, but then it started raining harder and Silver said we might as well come in. Your mom didn’t even question it. She just smiled and let us through."

Silver pushed off the wall and walked past you toward your room like she already knew the way.

"Door was unlocked, by the way. You should be more careful. Anyone could just walk in."

You followed because there was nowhere else to go. Your room looked the same as you left it — desk, bed, the usual mess — except now there were three goth girls dripping rainwater onto your floor and looking around like they were already deciding where everything would go.

Raven sat on the edge of your bed without asking, crossing one leg over the other. She pulled a small black book from her bag and opened it.

"We’re staying for a bit. Hope that’s okay."

Willow flopped onto the floor near your desk, stretching her legs out and leaning back on her hands.

"Your room smells like you. Quiet. A little sad. I like it."

Silver took the desk chair, spinning it once before sitting down and putting her boots up on the edge of the mattress. She looked at you over the top of her knee.

"You’re going to stand there all night, or are you going to pretend you’re happy to see us?"

Outside, the rain kept falling harder, drumming against the windows in a steady, endless rhythm. The city lights blurred into soft gold and white streaks. Inside, the three of them watched you with matching expressions of quiet satisfaction, like they had just claimed a new space and were waiting to see how long it would take you to accept it.

Rain streaked down the classroom windows in thick, uneven lines, turning the world outside into a blur of grey buildings and wet pavement. The hallway lights flickered once as another heavy sheet of water hit the roof. Most students had already left for the day. The building felt emptier than usual, the kind of quiet that only happened when the weather was bad enough to send everyone running for cover.

You had been walking toward the exit, bag over one shoulder, mind already half on getting home, when a pair of cold hands suddenly hooked around the back of your neck.

Willow.

She laughed against your ear, soft and bright, and started dragging you backward before you could fully react. Her grip wasn’t rough, but it was firm enough that resisting felt pointless.

"Come on, come on, don’t make that face. It’s important."

You stumbled slightly as she pulled you down the empty hallway, past darkened classrooms and the distant sound of rain. Her blonde hair brushed against your cheek. She smelled like rain and something sweet and dark.

"You’re walking too slow. Raven’s already annoyed and Silver looks like she’s about to fall asleep out of pure spite."

She shoved open the door to an empty classroom near the end of the hall and pushed you inside. The lights were off. Only the grey afternoon light from the rain-streaked windows filled the room. Two figures were already waiting near the teacher’s desk.

Raven sat on the edge of it, long black legs crossed, a closed book resting on her thigh. She looked up when you entered, dark eyes calm and faintly irritated.

"Finally. I was starting to think Willow got distracted again."

Silver was in one of the student chairs, boots propped up on the desk in front of her, silver-lavender hair messy from the weather. She didn’t bother sitting up straight. She just watched you with that same lazy, unimpressed expression she always wore.

"You look confused. That’s normal."

Willow closed the door behind you and leaned against it, still smiling. Rainwater dripped from the ends of her hair onto the floor.

"Okay. So. We need to talk."

Raven tilted her head slightly.

"We’re tired of our houses. Our parents keep saying the same things. ‘Fix your hair.’ ‘Wear something normal.’ ‘Stop looking like that.’ It’s exhausting."

Silver’s voice was quieter, but sharper.

"We want space. Somewhere we can exist without someone breathing down our necks about how we dress or what music we listen to or why we don’t smile enough."

Willow stepped closer, eyes bright.

"And you still live with your mom. Which means you have a room. And a house. And a mother who already thinks we’re your friends."

Raven’s gaze stayed on you, steady and unblinking.

"So here’s the agreement. You let us stay over. A lot. We come and go. We take up space. We make your room smell like black nail polish and rain. In return, we don’t make your life miserable… more than usual."

Silver smirked.

"We were going to make your life miserable either way. This just makes it more convenient."

Outside, the rain intensified, loud enough to fill the silence that followed. Water ran down the windows in thick rivers. The classroom felt smaller with all three of them watching you, waiting.

Willow clasped her hands together under her chin.

"Please? We’ll be good. Sort of. We’ll tease you less. Maybe. Okay, we won’t. But we’ll be quiet when your mom’s around."

Raven closed her book with a soft snap.

"We’re not asking. We’re informing you. The only question is how dramatic you’re going to be about it."

Silver stood up slowly and walked over until she was close enough that you had to look up at her. Rain still clung to her boots.

"Say yes. Or don’t. We’ll just show up anyway. Your mom already likes us."

Willow giggled and hooked her arm through yours again, resting her head against your shoulder like the decision had already been made.

"See? Easy. Now we just have to figure out who gets the bed and who gets the floor."

The rain had been falling since morning, turning the entire day into a cold, grey blur. By the time the final bell rang, the courtyard was already slick and shining, puddles forming in every uneven patch of concrete. Most students ran for the gates with their jackets pulled over their heads. You walked slower, bag heavy on one shoulder, hoping the weather would at least keep people from bothering you.

It didn’t.

Willow had been waiting.

She appeared at your side the moment you stepped outside, blonde hair already damp from standing under the covered walkway too long. Her black lace sleeves clung to her arms from the humidity, and the little crosses on her choker were dull from the moisture. She didn’t even pretend to look surprised to see you. She just smiled, soft and far too pleased with herself, and matched your pace like she had every right to.

"You’re walking too fast again," she said, voice light. "It’s raining. You’re supposed to walk slow so I can complain about it."

You didn’t answer. You had learned over the past two weeks that answering only made it worse.

Willow had decided, at some point, that you were her new favorite thing to bother. She sat behind you in class and kicked the back of your chair just hard enough to be annoying. She “accidentally” took the seat next to you every single day. She sent you blurry photos of rainy windows at night with captions like “this made me think of how boring you are.” She showed up at your locker. She waited after class. She followed you halfway home once just to tell you that your umbrella was ugly.

And every time you asked her why, she only smiled wider.

Today she was worse.

She stepped in front of you when you tried to turn toward the bus stop, forcing you to stop under the dripping edge of the roof. Rain slid off the metal and splattered against her boots. She didn’t seem to care.

"I’ve been thinking," she said, tilting her head. "You’re still living with your mom, right? Big house? Extra space? Quiet?"

She didn’t wait for an answer.

"Raven’s parents are getting really annoying again. Silver’s too. They keep saying the same things. ‘Dress normal.’ ‘Stop listening to that music.’ ‘Why do you look so sad all the time?’ It’s exhausting. We need somewhere else to be. Somewhere no one tells us to change."

Her fingers curled around the strap of your bag, light but insistent.

"So I decided something. I’m going to keep bothering you until you let us stay. All three of us. For the semester. Your room, your couch, your floor, I don’t care. We’ll figure it out. You just have to say yes."

A cold drop of rain slipped past the roof and landed on her cheek. She didn’t wipe it away. She only smiled wider, eyes bright with the kind of stubborn delight that meant she had already made up her mind.

"You can ignore me. You can walk away. You can pretend you don’t hear me. But I’ll still be here tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that. I’ll sit next to you. I’ll text you at night. I’ll show up when it’s raining just like this and get your sleeve wet on purpose. I’ll make your life just annoying enough that eventually you’ll get tired and give in."

She leaned in a little closer, voice dropping into something softer, almost sweet.

"And when you finally say yes… Raven and Silver will be really happy. They pretend they don’t care, but they do. Especially Raven. She gets quiet when she’s mad at her parents. Silver just gets meaner. They need a place. And you have one."

The rain grew heavier, drumming against the roof above you both. Students hurried past in the distance, heads down, leaving the two of you alone under the dripping overhang. Willow’s hand was still on your bag strap. She wasn’t pulling. She was just holding on, like she had all the time in the world.

"You don’t have to answer right now," she said. "I’ll just keep being annoying until you do. That’s the deal. One-sided. You don’t get a say in the rules."

She finally let go of your bag, but only so she could step beside you again, close enough that her damp sleeve brushed against yours.

"Come on. I’ll walk with you to the bus. You’re not getting rid of me that easily."